Red Devils Begin Season With Max Points Despite Unconvincing Form

Aston Villa 0 – 1 Manchester United

Friday, August 14^th @ Villa Park

Manchester United have indeed been fortunate to have secured six points from their two very uninspiring performances so far this season. Adnan Januzaj, amidst rumors that he could be loaned away from Old Trafford for the season, netted his first goal since April of last season to secure united's second victory.

Moving inside from his traditional winger role, the Belgian made the difference in a game that lacked many clear scoring chances.

In the 29^th minute, Januzaj connected with a defense-splitting pass from Juan Mata, before patiently passing the ball past Brad Guzan into the far corner.

Juan Mata was the offensive star of the game, creating several more chances for his teammates in the second half. Memphis, who earned several of Man U’s set-piece opportunities, had a lovely opportunity to double the lead in the second half, but skied the ball over the crossbar.

So, despite having the same number of points as their neighbors, after only two weeks United look markedly inferior to the team wearing sky blue occupying their shared Northern England town.

Fantasy Focus – Juan Mata – 8.5m – 9 points

(90 Minutes Played, One Assist, Clean Sheet)

The Spanish international, now in his third season at Old Trafford, has certainly become the face of Man U’s offensive attack. In Louis Van Gaal’s crowded midfield no player is a lock to start, except for  Mata. Through the first two matches, several clever through balls by the Spaniard have highlighted Manchester United’s otherwise flaccid attack. Even if United’s goals continue to be few and far between, fantasy owners can bank on Mata being the maestro behind their conception.

Next Fixtures:

Manchester United vs. Newcastle

Aston Villa @ Crystal Palace

 

Editor’s Note: be sure to check out all of our articles, and read more about the English Premier League (EPL, BPL) fantasy analysis and European football news

 

Toffees Rip Through Beleaguered Saints Defense To Secure Three Points

Everton 3 – 0 Southampton

Saturday, August 15^th @ St. Mary’s Stadium

What happened to the stellar defensive squad that was Southampton? Through two games this season the squad has looked like a shadow of its former self. After rebounding well after the 2014 Summer Transfer purge, the 2015 version just proved one loss too many. Without Morgan Schneiderlin the Saints have lost their identity, allowing five goals through the first two weeks.

Everton, on the other hand, looks like a squad on the rise rebounding well from last year’s lackluster campaign. The offensive trio of Romelu Lukaku, Arouna Kone and Ross Barkley has been simply superb, especially this weekend. In the first half Kone connected with Lukaku on a well placed cross, the latter successfully headed the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg to open the scoring. Before the half, the Saints keeper effectively parried a Ross Barkley shot that should have been successfully rebounded by Thomas Cleverly, but the Toffee’s midfielder missed wide. After assisting on another Romelu Lukaku goal to double the lead, Barkley got his revenge, sending a gorgeous strike to the top right corner of the net to seal the victory.

Fantasy Focus – Ross Barkley – 6.6m – 11 Points

(90 Minutes Played, One Goal Scored, One Assist, Clean Sheet, Yellow Card)

Has the phenom on the rise finally arrived? Barkley has perennially teased the Toffee faithful, always appearing to be the club’s savior, yet disappearing for matches on end exactly when he appeared to be developing into a consistent playmaking threat. Is that bound to happen again? It’s anybody’s guess. Right now, however, Barkley is one of the top performing players in the league, posting back-to-back double-digit fantasy performances to begin the new campaign. Chemistry seems to be building with a revitalized Romelu Lukakau, barring any injuries, bank on this budding footballing chemistry to improve week-to-week.

Next Fixtures:

Everton vs. Manchester City

Southampton @ Watford

 

Spurs Blow Two-Goal Halftime Lead, Settle For One Point

Tottenham 2 – 2 Stoke

Saturday, August 15^th @White Hart Lane

The Spurs fell victim to a familiar foe on Saturday; their inability to hold onto a lead. Tottenham was clearly the better team in the first half and were rewarded by  taking a two-goal lead into the break. Eric Dier netted the first of the Spurs’ goals, perfectly redirecting a Christian Eriksen corner into the far side of the goal. In one of the last kicks of the half, Nacer Chadli connected on a Ben Davies cross, which after taking a deflection, skidded past the hapless Jack Butland. The second half was a reversal of fortune.

Mauricio Pochettino made two subs, taking off Ryan Mason and Harry Kane, arguably the match’s top performers up to that point. Countering those changes, Mark Hughes brought on two subs of his own, including Stephen Ireland. The Irish supersub was a revelation, changing the entire landscape of the match. Ireland was superb, creatively distributing clever balls to his attacking teammates and after Spurs conceded a penalty, Ireland sent in a perfect cross that Mane Biram Diouf buried from three yards, leveling the score at two all. Despite the late game surge from Stoke, Spurs held on but the London club remains marred by its counteractive and repetitive failure to close out matches when holding a lead.

Fantasy Focus – Stephen Ireland – 5.0m – 4 points

(32 Minutes Played, One Assist)

Despite his limited time on the field, Ireland was Stoke’s best player on the day and the crux of their comeback. Mark Hughes should feel obliged to start the midfielder moving forward, as his steady presence should foil the more free flowing Xherdin Shaqiri when the latter makes his debut. The inclusion of the two in the starting XI will deplete the already minimal fantasy value of Charlie Adam and Glenn Whelan, who should both see a severe reduction in their minutes.

Next Fixtures:

Tottenham at Leicester

Stoke vs. Norwich

 

Two Bad Calls Decide Game At Anfield

Liverpool 1 – 0 Bournemouth

Monday, August 17^th @ Anfield

Despite a steady but unspectacular performance, Bournemouth was unlucky to, once again, go goalless and without a point in their second game in the top flight. The Cherries looked like the better team early on, maintaining possession and charging towards net like a squad unintimidated by their goliath foe. Bournemouth, however, has a right to feel aggrieved.

The team from the south had their first ever Premier League goal disallowed in the 5^th minute when Tommy Elphik was the victim of a questionable “climbing” call. After the first half-hour, the Reds began to settle down, before pulling ahead, the beneficiary of yet another questionable call. Christian Benteke scored his first Liverpool goal, connecting on a cross at close range, with Phillip Coutinho in a blatant offside position. Under the new rule, any player in an offside position that makes a clear attempt to play the ball, regardless of contact, should be deemed to be offside. There is no doubt, in accordance to the new rule, Coutinho should have been called offside and the goal should have been disallowed. Christian Benteke nearly doubled his goal tally in the second half but only managed to hit crossbar. The Reds held on tight for the rest of the half to seal the three points but Bournemouth's efforts deserved a little more than a 1-0 loss.

Fantasy Focus – Christian Benteke – 8.5m – 9 points

(90 Minutes Played, One Goal Scored)

Benteke played the lone striker role in Brendan Rodgers’ new preferred 4-5-1 formation on Monday and looked like a force. Not since Luis Suarez has Liverpool had a striker that could handle the confusion and punishment of operating up front alone. The Belgian international continually found open space against Bournemouth, netting a goal on a cross, and nearly scored another. Benteke offers the right combination of value and production for fantasy owners and clearly the league has caught on, as he is owned by 40.6% of PL.com.

Next Fixtures:

Liverpool at Arsenal

Bournemouth at West Ham

 

Battle Of League’s Giants Reveals Teams Headed in Opposite Directions

Manchester City 3 – 0 Chelsea

Sunday, August 16^th @ Etihad Stadium

A matchup between last season’s top two outfits was poised to be the early favorite for match of the season, yet it turned out to be anything but. Manchester City and Sergio Aguero set the tone immediately. Aguero almost scored after only twenty seconds into the match and without a save by Asmir Begovic, City would have gone 1-0 up inside the first minute. It was a sign of things to come.

Despite an impressive first half performance from Begovic, Aguero finally broke through, netting a goal from a Yaya Toure give-and-go just after the half hour mark. Vincent Kompany and Ferandinho added second half goals of their own, compounding the lead by taking advantage of sloppy Chelsea defending. The match was a one sided victory for City and could very well be the catalyst for a memorable season to come at the Ethihad.

Fantasy Focus – John Terry – 7.0m – 1 point

(45 Minutes Played)

Despite the impressive performance from City, the story of the match was the substitution of John Terry. After just 45 minutes, boss Jose Mourinho subbed off the skipper, the first time he has left a match early under Mourinho. There was a rumor that Terry had left due to injury, but his boss confirmed that it was strictly a strategic move. Terry should more than likely return to the starting XI next week, but the ramifications of this are likely to linger. The skipper, known to combat his managers when they over-flex their muscles, may be at the center of a budding power-struggle at Stamford Bridge. Moments like these tend to become exacerbated during spells of poor play, so for the sake of their season, Chelsea need to turn things around both on and off the field.

Next Fixtures:

Chelsea at West Brom

Manchester City at Everton

 

The Gunners Bounce Back From Their Embarrassing Week One Defeat 

Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Arsenal

Sunday, August 16^th @ Selhurst Park

Arsenal bounced back nicely after an embarrassing loss to West Ham during the opening weekend. Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez started together up front for the first time this season, and as a result the Gunners were a dangerous force moving forward.

Giroud opened the scoring, volleying in a superbly delivered cross from Mesut Ozil in the 16^th minute. Palace, not to be outdone, equalized before the break on a Joel Ward 25-yard laser beam that zoomed past Petr Cech into the lower left corner. Even with the miscues of last week still fresh in the memories of the Gunner faithful, Cech could do nothing about Ward's goal-of-the-week contender. Despite quality second half chances from Jason Puncheon and Connor Wickham, the Eagles couldn’t break the stalemate, leaving the door open for Arsenal. In the 55^th minute, Alexis Sanchez cannoned a Hector Bellerin cross towards goal. After an unlucky deflection from Palace captain Damien Delaney, the ball whistled over the goal line, giving the Gunners a 2-1 lead, which was enough to secure their first victory of the season.

Fantasy Focus – Olivier Giroud – 9.0m – 7 points

(90 Minutes Played, One Goal Scored)

If not for the stonewalling effort of West Ham’s Adrian, Olivier Giroud would currently be one of a select few BPL stars to be sitting on two goals in two weeks. Despite his week one goose egg, Giroud looks to be a striker in form. However, even with his current show of skill, Giroud may not be a guarantee to earn a first XI nod every week. With a plethora of attacking options, fantasy owners may find Arsene Wenger a frustrating boss, without any real consistency in his lineup choices.

Next Fixtures:

Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa

 

Leicester Opens the Season Six for Six

West Ham 1 – 2 Leicester

Saturday, August 15^th @ Boleyn Ground

Since April of last year, Leicester have accrued more Premier League points than any other club.

The Foxes continued to show the form they displayed in the first weekend’s blitzkrieg over Sunderland scoring two first half goals against West Ham, getting input from all four of their budding offensive stars. Shinji Okazaki scored his first EPL goal on his own second effort after a well placed cross from Jamie Vardy.

Later in the half, the current Golden Boot leader, Rihad Mahrez, added another to his tally after a wonderful cross from Marc Albrighton, his third on the year.

West Ham played revitalized football in the second half, cutting the deficit in half on a 18-yard Dimitri Payet laser. West Ham tried to equalize late in the game on a corner kick, bringing goalkeeper Adrian up as an extra player. After a deflection, Adrian put his boot up high to keep the play going, earning a straight red card for kicking Leicester forward Jamie Vardy straight in the chest. West Ham has already said they will appeal his upcoming suspension. Leicester is now six points for six.

Fantasy Focus – Shinji Okazaki – 6.0m – 6 point

(61 Minutes Played, One Goal Scored, Yellow Card)

Okazaki looked superb once again against West Ham. After being unlucky not to score last week against Sunderland, the Japanese international found twine in the year’s second outing. Okazaki continues to make eye-popping runs to open up lanes for fellow forwards Jamie Vardy and Rihad Mahrez. Leicester’s four offensive weapons are displaying a playmaking chemistry seldom seen in mid-level clubs and don’t look poised to slow down anytime soon.

Next Fixtures:

Leicester vs. Tottenham

West Ham vs. Bournemouth

 

Watford Draw Again Despite Dominant Game, West Brom Struggles

Watford 0 – 0 West Brom

Saturday, August 15^th @ Vicarage Road

Wake me up when this is over. West Brom didn’t have a single shot on goal throughout the entire match and are still in search of their first goal of the season. The Baggies should hit the panic button after this one. After pairing Rickie Lambert with Sadio Berahino, Jeremy Peace’s crew was banking on an outpouring of goals. However after two weeks the squad is still searching for answers. Watford dominated the game from start to finish but simply couldn’t find the back of the net. The club dominated both of its first two game and should feel unlucky to have only two points through two weeks. West Brom, on the other hand, should be counting their blessings to have earned just the one.

Fantasy Focus – No Players

There was not a single player taking the field today that warrants any consideration from prospective fantasy owners. Keep an eye on Sadio Berahino, however, as the youngster has been rumored to be on his way to Tottenham

Next Fixtures:

Watford vs. Southampton

West Brom vs. Chelsea

 

Norwich Bounce Back With Convincing Victory, Sunderland Struggles

Sunderland 1 – 3 Norwich

Saturday, August 15^th @ The Stadium of Light

Norwich earned its first win of the season on the back of midfielder Wes Hoolahan. The centerpiece of the offensive attack, Hoolahan, assisted on two of the three Canary goals and repeatedly ripped through the Sunderland defense. After getting two goals from defenders Russell Martin and Steven Whittaker, midfielder Nathan Redmond netted his second of the season in the second half to put the game out of reach. The Black Cats and Dick Advocaat continue to look like perennial basement dwellers of the premier league.

Fantasy Focus – Wes Hoolahan – 5.0m – 10 points

(61 Minutes Played, Two Assists, Clean Sheet)

Wes Hoolahan was the architect of a beautiful display of attacking prowess this weekend. The Irishman assisted on two of the Canary’s three goals, pressing the Black Cat’s defense throughout the entirety of his 61 minutes on the pitch. With fellow midfielders Roby Brady and Nathan Redmond also in fine form, the Norwich attacking trio should be an enticing prospect for fantasy owners.

Next Fixtures

Norwich vs. Stoke

Sunderland vs. Swansesa

 

With Help of Another Red Card, Swansea Continue to Roll

Swansea 2 – 0 Newcastle

Saturday, August 15^th @ Liberty Stadium 

In their first game of the season Swansea were, arguably, unlucky to have gotten a draw against Chelsea.

This week, with the assistance of yet another red card, "The Swans" earned all three points. The Welsh club is proving to have one of the best assemblies of offensive talent in the top-flight.

Bafetimbi Gomis scored his second goal of the season in the first half, benefitting from a missed offside call to confidently beat Tim Krul on a one on one.

After Daryl Janmaat was sent off in the 46^th minute for his second yellow of the day Newcastle’s hopes of equalizing faded. After being a thorn in the Magpies’ side all day, Jefferson Montero sent in a lovely cross to Andre Ayew who redirected the ball past the hapless Tim Krul. Swansea cruised in this one, looking like the better side during every moment of the full-90.

Fantasy Focus – Jefferson Montero – 6.0m – 6 points

(76 Minutes Played, One Assist, Clean Sheet)

Montero has been unstoppable this year. Always known for his speed, the Ecuadorian winger has elevated the level of his playmaking ability. His pace down the flanks has proven to be too much for his opposing wing backs to handle. After a master-class display against Chelsea, Montero tortured the Newcastle backline. It was the frustrating rate of his play that was the direct reason for Janmaat’s sendoff. With an stellar central midfield next to him to distribute, a speedy counterpart in Andre Ayew and a budding star striker in Bafetimbi Gomis to his front, there is no reason Montero shouldn’t rack up quality point opportunities throughout the season.

Next Fixtures:

Swansea at Sunderland

Newcastle at Manchester United

 

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