Fantasy Premier League Strategist

Warning: Double gameweek imminent!

They are beginning to come thick and fast, these double gameweeks! This week, those located in the upper echelons of the Premier League see fit to double up on action from Sunderland, Manchester City, Everton and Crystal Palace. For FPL managers, it means we have the potential to bring in a number of players with very favourable fixtures.

Manchester City have announced that they have no injury concerns apart from Nastasic, which means that I actually select four City players for the Dirtsheet, covering all three crucial areas.

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Without further delay, here’s the Dirtsheet for Gameweek 34!

THE DIRTSHEET: GAMEWEEK 34

Julian Speroni (CPL)
Opponent – Aston Villa (H)/Everton (A)
Palace showed some fantastic defensive strength during their trip to Cardiff last week, and Speroni racked up yet another clean sheet for the Eagles. Villa looked off the pace last week against Fulham and look rocked by the news that Christian Benteke will miss the rest of the season. I back Speroni to record his 11th clean sheet of the season.

Vincent Kompany (MCI)
Opponent – Liverpool (A)/Sunderland (H)
In a double gameweek, selecting defensive players who will start both games and play for at least 60 minutes in each game is crucial. With Micah Richards now fit to challenge the ARGENTINIAN Pablo Zabaleta and constant rotation affecting Clichy and Kolarov, I’m selecting Vincent Kompany for a seemingly profitable double gameweek against Liverpool and Sunderland. The former match is perhaps a title decider, and Kompany has constantly performed well in such high pressure situations – no one can forget his goal against Manchester United a couple of seasons ago. The Sunderland game wont be as easy as it looks but I think a clean sheet is quite possible.

Leighton Baines (EVE)
Opponent – Sunderland (A)/Crystal Palace (H)
Both Everton full backs have been superb FPL picks so far this season – Seamus Coleman has a phenomenal 6 goals so far this season and Leighton Baines has contributes his fair share of attacking points from his set pieces. However, over the course of 180 minutes in this double gameweek, I’m opting for Baines. Having said that, I’d be quite happy to have any Toffee defender as they look towards a very favourable double.

Gary Cahill (CHE)
Opponent – Swansea (A)
Of the 4 double gameweek teams, I am unsure that Sunderland are even worthy of a defensive pick. I do not expect a clean sheet from either game, and given the way the capitulated against Spurs last gameweek, I’m looking towards a defender who has a solid single fixture. I’m opting for Gary Cahill as they face Swansea. I’d like to pick an Arsenal player here but I think they could concede. Cahill is a smart choice – Chelsea have one of the best defenses in the league and his threat at set plays is always a threat. Swansea are not the tallest at the back and this could be targeted as a weakness by Jose Mourinho. Chelsea are not out of the title race yet, but one slip up will spell the end.

Kevin Mirallas (EVE)
Opponent – Sunderland (A)/Crystal Palace (H)
I’ll be the first to admit – it would not come as a big surprise to me if Mirallas starts one of the double gameweeks matches on the bench but I still think he could be a superb option even if his minutes are more limited than others. The Belgian has 1 goal and 3 assists in his last 3 games, despite staring one as a sub. My gut feeling is that, with doubts surrounding Leon Osman’s eye injury and Ross Barkley only returning from injury, Mirallas is perhaps the best Everton midfield option. He is forming a super partnership with Coleman and, if I were Martinez, I’d start him in both games.

Adam Johnson (SUN)
Opponent – Everton (H)/Manchester City (A)
There’s no doubt that Sunderland have the toughest double gameweek figures, but if they are to score, I expect Johnson to be involved. His 8 goals and 5 assists this season shows his attacking threat and he will have another double in Gameweek 37. If you are a little nervous about his security of starts, I would look towards Jason Puncheon for Palace.

Yaya Toure (MCI)
Opponent – Liverpool (A)/Sunderland (H)
There is no doubting the threat posed by Toure in this gameweek- the Ivorian has a stunning 18 goals so far this season. He returned 31 points in an albeit easier double in Gameweek 31 but he has shown many times that he can win a game singlehandedly for City. Now that he has overcome his injury, he is a must-have.

David Silva (MCI)
Opponent – Liverpool (A)/Sunderland (H)
Despite a niggling ankle injury, it is expected that David Silva will continue to play until either the injury exacerbates or the title race is over. 39 points in his last 5 starts is a fantastic return and City will rely on his skill and guile to unlock Liverpool’s defense. Right now, we are uncertain as to whether Agger or Sakho will line up against Skrtel but I feel City will look to exploit any player who is not 100%. While he does not have the same threat from dead ball situations as Yaya Toure, he is certainly worthy of a place in the Eleven this week.

Adam Lallana (SOU)
Opponent – Cardiff City (H)
My only attacking selection this week that has just a single gameweek. It’s tough to ignore the Saint’s attacking players recently. With the terrible news that Jay Rodriguez will miss the rest of the season, I expect Lallana to step up even more to deliver a win for the Saints. Cardiff City were showing signs of a recovery last week but completely capitulated. I expect Lallana and co. to pile more misery on the Bluebirds.

Sergio Aguero (MCI)
Opponent – Liverpool (A)/Sunderland (H)
Within the last few moments, Manchester City have confirmed that Sergio Aguero has trained all week and is “fine” for the potentially season-defining game against Liverpool. To me, that means he will start against Liverpool and she should at least get 30 minutes against Sunderland (if not start). Aguero has a massive track record of scoring from the bench and so I have no problems selecting him for the Dirtsheet. He will almost certainly appear in my own team before the end of the day. If you have Dzeko, I think he should also get some solid gametime.

Romelu Lukaku (EVE)
Opponent – Sunderland (A)/ Crystal Palace (H)
The FPL managers who backed Lukaku upon his return from his injury have been well rewarded so far. That’s 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 6 games, a feat that has been rewarded by 8 bonus points. Everton have arguably the best double gameweek fixtures with a home tie against Crystal Palace following a trip to Sunderland. They have been playing some fantastic football in recent weeks and the attacking players are returning a lot of points given their price bracket. Lukaku should play both games and is a stong captaincy choice for the gameweek.

The Captain – Romelu Lukaku (EVE)
It’s a tough choice, but there simply too many “ifs” and “buts” surrounding other potential options. Lukaku has the best fixtures, he should be safe from rotation and should get 160 minutes at least.

The Clean Sheets
I’m looking to Crystal Palace, Southampton, Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs to return clean sheets.

The Unusual Suspects
Defender: Luke Shaw (SOU)
Midfielder: Miguel Michu (SWA)
Striker: Steven Naismith (EVE)
Captain: Yaya Toure (MCI)

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