Things will at least slow down for Fantasy players with games moving into a weekly pattern over the next three months, but the reality is that there is going to be rotation with clubs involved in the FA Cup and European competitions that get back underway in February and are played through the remainder of the season.
I'll have a few thoughts about the Premier League games to be played this weekend and then get into my thoughts about GameWeek 23 after some miserable luck in GameWeek 22 to encapsulate my season.
Aston Villa v Arsenal Pick: Both Aston Villa and Arsenal are looking to bounce back from extremely disappointing results during the latest round of Premier League fixtures and inconsistent performances from both over the last month makes this a difficult game to read.
Since returning from their Covid-19 outbreak, Aston Villa have won 2 and lost 3 Premier League games which is about where they should be if you take performance levels into account. They were fortunate to beat Southampton, but unlucky to lose to Burnley, and I think Aston Villa have just hit the wall a little bit when it comes to how they are progressing.
Some of that has to be down to the fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak, but I also think the team have been overachieving at times and perhaps in a higher position than they deserve.
In saying that there are some talented players at Aston Villa who have gotten forward and created chances. Defensively they are not the best, but I do think Aston Villa can cause problems for an Arsenal team that could be without three of their preferred back line.
At the same time I do think Arsenal will be able to create chances here as their young players continue to play with very little to lose. Those youngsters are going to learn from the experiences, but Mikel Arteta's team are also struggling for consistency through the learning process and they can be a difficult team to work out.
In recent away games Arsenal have been creating more chances and looking stronger, but this is still a team who struggle with the balance between attack and defence. I think that leaves them vulnerable at times and Aston Villa have gotten the better of them in both Premier League games played over the last seven months.
This one should be close with confidence perhaps not the best in either camp- the first goal could be all important with that in mind, but I think the home team may have a narrow edge with their ability in the final third.
It should be close and competitive, but I believe Aston Villa edge this in what is shaping up to be a Premier League round of fixtures with a number of tight games to call.
Aston Villa home games and Arsenal away games have not featured too many draws this season and I think the former can just about do enough to earn the full three points.
Burnley v Brighton Pick: The last month has been very productive for both Burnley and Brighton who have earned some important points to move towards safety and they have also progressed to the FA Cup Fifth Round.
There are other similarities- Liverpool had not lost a League game at Anfield since April 2017, but Burnley snapped that with a 0-1 win at that ground only to be followed by Brighton who did the same this past weekend.
It is a happy similarity, but there is another which will be less pleasing to both Sean Dyche and Graham Potter. With smaller squads than the top clubs, both Dyche and Potter are dealing with several injuries in the squad that have not been helped by the fact that fixtures are needing to be played every few days at this stage of the season.
The two teams have FA Cup Fifth Round fixtures to come during the week so there is no time to rest or feel sorry for themselves and this is an important game down the bottom of the Premier League. The winning team will feel they are almost securing top flight football for another season, although the losing team won't be overly concerned.
It could mean an open approach to the game, but I also think both clubs would likely settle for a point and we did see a goalless draw when Brighton hosted Burnley three months ago. That was yet another game where Brighton have looked threatening going forward without scoring the goals they have deserved, but it was also another fixture in which they have played pretty well defensively.
Defensive performances have been very important for Brighton over the last couple of weeks with 4 clean sheets in a row in the Premier League. They haven't been fortunate either and Brighton may feel they can restrict a Burnley team which has not scored a lot of goals this season and who have not been blessed with a huge amount of chances in recent games either.
Burnley have defended well enough themselves and I think this will be a tight fixture and I am not expecting a lot of goals. With the strong defensive showings that Brighton have put together, I think one of these teams will fail to find the net and another goalless draw can't be ruled out either, a point suiting both teams after tough weeks.
I don't think either manager will settle for that, but I can see both looking to keep things tight and making sure the defensive approach is right towards the game. With some key players missing in both squads, I will look for at least one clean sheet to be produced from this fixture as both clubs keep ticking along and pressurising those three clubs in the relegation zone.
Newcastle United v Southampton Pick: There was a big moment in the 2nd minute of both Newcastle United's and Southampton's last Premier League match.
The Magpies took the lead against Crystal Palace in that minute but were eventually beaten 1-2, while Southampton were reduced to ten men at Manchester United and took severe punishment for the remaining 88 minutes in their 9-0 defeat.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from a really poor result, but I have to give the edge to Newcastle United who are set as the home underdog. You can't ignore the recent form and the 3 home League losses in succession, but Newcastle United have created plenty of chances in the last 2 here and perhaps should have earned more points than they have.
They should be able to do the same against a Southampton team who are stretched to the limit with injuries and have lost two more players to suspension. The Saints should have earned a positive result against Aston Villa last weekend at home, but they have regressed to the mean when it comes to their conversion rate in the final third.
Earlier this season Southampton were being very clinical in the final third, but in recent games they have struggled for chances and the goals have dried up too. That has to be a concern for Ralph Hasenhuttl, but there is really nothing he can do with the team perhaps struggling through a period when the fixtures have been coming thick and fast and with little rest given to those who have to start most of them.
I think Southampton still have some quality players that can cause problems for Newcastle United, but the home team should be fresher and have been creating chances. I think that will eventually lead to better results if they continue on their current path and Newcastle United should be able to punish a Southampton defence which has struggled in recent away games.
Steve Bruce will be looking for his players to extend their home winning run against Southampton as Newcastle United search for a fourth win in a row here against this opponent. I feel they can edge to the points if they create the kind of chances they have in their recent home games as well as how Newcastle United played at Everton last weekend and I will look for them to get the better of Southampton.
Fulham v West Ham United Pick: This has been a volatile season, but on current form it is hard to look beyond West Ham United to earn another victory when they visit Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes might be seen as a manager who is more focused on his defensive organisation, but West Ham United have looked really good going forward over the last five weeks. They are creating a lot of chances and Jesse Lingard is the latest to thrive in the system having scored twice in the 1-3 win at Villa Park on Wednesday.
It was another deserved win and West Ham United are not giving too much away in their own defensive third which makes them very dangerous.
The manager will be looking to keep the momentum going as West Ham United have the chance to move into the top four with a victory, even for a few hours. There is a big FA Cup tie coming up at Old Trafford, but David Moyes will want to have some momentum going into that fixture and his West Ham United have won 4 away games in a row in all competitions and will want to extend that before the visit to one of his former clubs.
At the same time as West Ham United have been playing with confidence, Fulham have been struggling and they were beaten again last time out against Leicester City. In recent weeks Scott Parker had made his team harder to beat, but even that has begun to change in a negative direction and Fulham have lost their last 4 at Craven Cottage.
They have lost 4 of their last 6, while even the draw at Brighton saw Fulham ride their luck to a clean sheet.
Fulham have scored a single goal in their last 6 games at home in all competitions which is a major concern and especially when you add in how well West Ham United have been defending. During that poor run in front of goal, Fulham have found it hard to keep the backdoor shut too and I think The Hammers will have too much for them this weekend.
Manchester United v Everton Pick: It has been a remarkably strange season to this stage and home advantage has clearly been weakened.
Everton underline the point having won almost twice as many away games in the Premier League compared with wins at Goodison Park. They have won their last 4 away Premier League games including at Leeds United during the week and Everton will head to Old Trafford knowing teams have had considerable successes here over the last few months.
We didn't see any evidence of that on Tuesday when Manchester United crushed Southampton 9-0, but that was a fixture against an injury hit side who were reduced to ten men inside two minutes. A controversial Penalty was then awarded to Manchester United late on which sparked a late run of goals following another sending off, but that result alone should not cover the issues United have had playing here without fans.
They have scored 22 home League goals, but 15 have come against Leeds United and Southampton and Manchester United have only scored more than a single goal in 3 of their 11 home League games this season.
However they did manage three against Liverpool in a recent FA Cup win and Manchester United will recognise that Everton are a team who have not always defended as well as the results would indicate. Sheffield United and Wolves deserved more than they got against Everton and Leeds United might also feel hard done by which should be encouraging to Manchester United as they look to put some pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City before they face off on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking to keep his players focused and he will be hoping Edinson Cavani is passed fit. This won't be an easy game for Manchester United when you consider how well Everton have played away from home, but I think the home team are creating more chances than their visitors.
It should make the difference on the day and I think Manchester United will be able to earn the three points here.
Everton could play their part here, but I think Manchester United will have enough quality in the final third to produce a victory in a game that will likely feature at least two goals.
Tottenham Hotspur v West Brom Pick: Two teams who are desperate for three points meet in the early Sunday afternoon slot in North London and both Tottenham Hotspur and West Brom have been struggling for form.
It certainly does make it a little more difficult to know which of these teams are going to get the better of things on the day- most will fancy Tottenham Hotspur to win, but they have created very little going forward in their last 3 games in the Premier League since Harry Kane went down with an injury.
All of those games have ended in defeat for Tottenham Hotspur who have made some tremendously poor mistakes inside their own final third which has offered encouragement to their opponents. Liverpool punished them, but both Brighton and Chelsea needed just a single goal to earn the victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Jose Mourinho insists the players are still playing for one another, but his teams have a habit of making slow starts in recent years. The manager can say that he doesn't want his players to do that, but whatever is being worked on during the week has resulted in poor starts.
Fatigue is also causing an issue for Tottenham Hotspur as Mourinho doesn't rotate his squad as much as some fans would like and I do think this is a tougher fixture than it looks on paper.
I won't overestimate West Brom who have conceded twice to both Fulham and Sheffield United over the last week and earned a single point from a possible 6 available. Those results have left West Brom mired inside the bottom three and Sam Allardye is unlikely to be able to extend his record of never being relegated from the Premier League unless he is Sacked before that is confirmed.
Since Allardyce took over at The Hawthorns, his best results have come away from home but there haven't been enough of them.
The amount of goals being shipped has to be a major concern for West Brom and there is little sign of that changing, but Tottenham Hotspur are not exactly firing on all fronts. There was a slight suggestion that Harry Kane could potentially return, which would give Tottenham Hotspur a huge boost, but the lack of consistency in the final third could make it difficult to break what is expected to be a low block from the visitors.
West Brom have only conceded a single goal at Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League this season and they have earned draws at the latter two clubs which has to be respected. I expect Sam Allardyce will be looking for his team to make life as difficult as possible for an out of form opponent, but Tottenham Hotspur have been decent enough defensively to think they can limit the chances created by The Baggies too.
When they met earlier this season it took a very late goal for Tottenham Hotspur to win the game, and goals may not be on the agenda on Sunday either. West Brom might have conceded far too many goals of late, but they are unlikely to really want to take risks and will feel this Tottenham Hotspur team could be frustrated the longer the game is kept goalless.
7 of the last 9 between these clubs have ended with less than three goals shared out and that may be the case again.
Wolves v Leicester City Pick: The feeling is that the experiences of last season will stand Leicester City in good stead as they bid to go a little better in 2020/21 and return Champions League Football to the King Power Stadium. Brendan Rodgers would love to pick up silverware too, but the focus has to be the Premier League after seeing the second half collapse which cost Leicester City a top four spot in the last campaign.
It made the win at Fulham even more important as Leicester City had drawn with Everton and lost to Leeds United prior to that, games in which they would have targeted a minimum of four points from. Instead of dragging out the run without a victory, Leicester City were comfortable winners at Craven Cottage and could be boosted by the returns of Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy this week.
Like many teams in the Premier League, Leicester City have thrived on their travels compared with games at the King Power Stadium. The victory on Wednesday means Leicester City have won 8 away League games compared with 5 home League wins and they are very dangerous in these settings as they expose spaces that home teams are almost obliged to leave behind.
That may not be the case when they face Wolves on Sunday- their Midlands rivals have largely been pretty productive defensively even if their results have been disappointing of late. The 2-1 win over Arsenal will be a boost in confidence for the Wolves players and there is pace and quality in the wide areas which make them dangerous if at their best.
However I am concerned with some of the spaces Wolves left for Arsenal who could have been out of sight before losing David Luiz to a red card on the stroke of half time. This Leicester City team have shown they can be very creative on their travels and I do think The Foxes will be more dangerous now Jamie Vardy is set for a return.
It would not be a huge surprise if one of the teams fail to score but that means my lean is towards a Leicester City win with the visitors more likely to earn that clean sheet.
They have looked dangerous away from home and are creating chances and I think Leicester City will just about have enough to secure the three points as they keep their title challenge and top four ambitions alive through another week.
Wolves can be very good on their day, but without Raul Jimenez I do think this team is not as strong as they would otherwise be. They looked to be on course for a third home loss in a row before the sending off which changed the game against Arsenal and Wolves still look a little unsure of themselves which will only benefit the visiting team.
Liverpool v Manchester City Pick: When the fixture list was produced a few months ago I think most would have circled this one as being likely to be between the two leading contenders for the Premier League title.
No one will have been surprised by that with Liverpool and Manchester City winning the last three Premier League trophies and with the two clubs so far ahead of the rest in those campaigns.
After a slow start Manchester City look to be fulfilling their role, but Liverpool have had a miserable month and that has seen them lose their place at the top of the Premier League. Not only lose it, but fall down to 4th place and 7 points behind their main title rivals who also have a game in hand.
Injuries have piled up at Anfield having had two relatively healthy campaigns and these have really hurt their chances of retaining the title won for the first time in thirty years. Back to back home losses to Burnley and Brighton have ended the aura around playing at Anfield which had been built by an unbeaten League run here stretching back to April 2017 and Jurgen Klopp has to be massively worried by the fact his team have not scored in their last 3 League games here.
No one is going to ignore the attacking talent Liverpool have, but if Sadio Mane is missing they are weakened. The midfield does not look as functional without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho playing in those positions and the latter may be missing even if the Captain is pushed forward having started at centre half during the week.
That leaves Liverpool vulnerable and now they have to face up to a Manchester City team who have won 13 in a row in all competitions and who look like they are playing with confidence. I do think they are not the same without Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, but Manchester City's foundation for success has been built upon a strong defensive base and that is going to be important on Sunday too.
Since losing 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City have conceded a single goal in 5 away Premier League games and I do think Pep Guardiola will be urging his players to not give anything away here. Even in the defeat to Spurs, Manchester City did not offer up too many big chances but were punished on the counter attack.
They have changed the base of the midfield since that loss to only make themselves tougher to beat and Manchester City have also been more careful with their approach going forward. In big games we have seen Manchester City not being as gung-ho as we have become accustomed to and I do think the lack of goals in those games is down to that solidness they are looking to put on the field.
Liverpool are struggling in front of goal, but they have only conceded more than a single goal in 1 of their last 14 home games in all competitions. And while Manchester City have shown more clinical finishing in the final third in recent away Premier League games, I think it is hard to ignore the fact they failed to score at Spurs and Manchester United in the League.
On the other side Manchester City have shown plenty of defensive solidity of late and Liverpool have not scored in their last 3 League games here. The current Champions might not concede a lot of goals at home, but they have also only scored more than a single goal in 2 of their last 8 at Anfield and I think these are numbers being underestimated by the layers.
Most will be expecting goals, but half of the last 6 between Liverpool and Manchester City have finished with less than three goals scored. On recent form I think this fixture could easily go the same way with neither looking to give too much away and I do think the price on the under 2.5 goals is far too big to be ignored.
Sheffield United v Chelsea Pick: Both Chris Wilder and Thomas Tuchel have to be very pleased with what they are seeing from their respective teams ahead of this latest Premier League fixture, although Sheffield United and Chelsea will be desperate for the three points for different needs.
A draw really doesn't do a lot for either team, but the improved form of Sheffield United makes the outcome a little more murky.
Even then it would be a surprise if Chelsea can't continue their revival under their new manager having earned 3 clean sheets in a row. In the last 2 games Chelsea have looked a little more threatening going forward having largely struggled in the goalless draw with Wolves, and I think that does give them the edge.
However, I am not sure I can be convinced this is going to be an easy game for Chelsea because of the way Sheffield United have been playing. They are not as strong as they were last season, but I think a part of the issue has been about the inches that were going their way twelve months ago are now going against them.
Sheffield United have won 2 of their last 3 home games and recently also won at Old Trafford in the Premier League. That has to be respected, but Chelsea look like they have had some of their confidence restored by Thomas Tuchel and the performances have looked good.
This will be close and competitive, but I think Chelsea will be the one that takes home the three points. The handicap looks right on the money, but picking Chelsea to win by either one or two goals brings a decent enough price together.
It would be a massive surprise if Chelsea were to win by a wider margin in the form that Sheffield United are displaying. For all of their struggles, Chris Wilder's men rarely roll over for anyone and especially not at home, while Chelsea are being solid, but are not battering teams and instead grinding them down.
Chelsea have only won a single away Premier League game by more than two goals since October 2019 and I think this will be a narrow away win on Sunday afternoon in what could be cold, cold conditions.
Leeds United v Crystal Palace Pick: Monday Night Football has been given a new fixture after both Manchester United and Everton progressed to the FA Cup Fifth Round and it will be Leeds United and Crystal Palace who go into action instead.
Both teams exited the FA Cup in the Third Round and are focusing on finishing as high as possible in the Premier League having displayed inconsistencies all season.
Leeds United have really struggled for results at Elland Road with the playing surface recently needing work done on it. The latest setback saw Leeds United beaten by Everton which means back to back home Premier League defeats, although they are still creating chances.
Defensively there are questions, but I am not sure Crystal Palace can expose the issues at the back. Wilfred Zaha is likely going to miss out and there is a long injury list at Selhurst Park which will give Roy Hodgson limited opportunities to rotate his squad.
Crystal Palace have won back to back Premier League games to ease any relegation concerns that may have been lingering in the minds of the players and the fans.
However it will be difficult for Crystal Palace to contain Leeds United without the out ball that Zaha will provide and they were fortunate to win at Newcastle United who had some strong chances. They are likely going to be challenged by Leeds United who love to send players forward to get into attacking positions, although I have to respect the ability of Crystal Palace from set pieces which is a big Achilles heel for Leeds United.
It would not be a big surprise to see Crystal Palace score when you think of the way they are likely going to approach getting at Leeds United.
But at the same time I do think Leeds United will be the latest to get after Crystal Palace and create chances. Much will depend on what kind of mood they are in when those chances come up, but Leeds United should have enough to secure the points in this latest Premier League fixture before finally having some time to prepare for the next one.
MY PICKS: Aston Villa 0 Asian Handicap
Burnley-Brighton Both Teams to Score- NO
Newcastle United + 0.25 Asian Handicap
West Ham United - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester United to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
Tottenham Hotspur-West Brom Under 2.5 Goals
Leicester City - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Liverpool-Manchester City Both Teams to Score- NO
Chelsea to Win by One or Two Goals
Leeds United
Fantasy Football GameWeek 23
The scores may be ticking along pretty nicely, but I don't seem to be getting too many breaks this season which is negatively affecting the move I want to make up the standings.
Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford both being withdrawn before the 60th minute mark on Tuesday really did underline some of the poor luck I feel my team is getting and that despite the consistent scores being produced.
It isn't only the fact that at least seven points were shaved off, but playing a ten man Southampton was a great chance to haul and the points were effectively gobbled up by Bruno Fernandes thanks to a dodgy Penalty and a late collapse from a then nine man opponent.
That hurts- instead of looking to make up some points with a couple of difference makers, the big name players earned the backdoor bonus.
It is frustrating, but there is still someway to go until the end of the season and at least my reasoning that some of the postponed games from earlier in the campaign would need to be made up sooner than later has benefited my squad. Without any more transfers I have at least five players in a DGW in both GW24 and GW25 and that does make my decisions a little easier this week and that is finally rolling over a transfer.
What is my main reasoning for that? I think the FA Cup Fifth Round being played during the week will give us a really good idea as to what shape DGW26 is going to take and I may be able to put a strong team out there and potentially even use a Chip without impacting my Free Hit or Wild Card which could then be used in April as I have always envisioned it could be.
As I have written about previously, I am convinced that the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will definitely have two games in DGW26, but you could add the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa to that list which could make it the biggest DGW left this season and perhaps the last chance to really use the Bench Boost to the fullest effect.
Leicester City are another likely to be playing twice that week and I think I could have as many as 12 players who could play twice that week which makes the three transfers between now and then very valuable. And also leave the Bench Boost Chip a perfect one to play.
Three of the seven games that are definitely going to need to be re-arranged have been given those dates in February, but I would not be surprised if we add Aston Villa vs Everton to the list in what is currently only a DGW for Leeds United and Southampton.
Aston Villa in particular could have as many as three postponed games by the end of the FA Cup Fifth Round if Sheffield United win their home tie against Championship Bristol City, while they are scheduled to play Manchester City on FA Cup Semi Final weekend and who would bet against them reaching a Cup Semi Final to force another postponement?
There are only so many free midweeks in which you can play games and once again I will say it would be risky for the Premier League to kick too many cans down the road. The decision about the Aston Villa-Everton game will be dependant on results in the FA Cup Fifth Round, but I think wins for Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur in their individual ties may force the Premier League to at least add another fixture to GW25.
The uncertainty about which fixtures are going to be postponed in GW29 on FA Cup Quarter Final weekend does make it easier to look to roll a transfer through this week. The Captain choice is perhaps the most difficult one to make this week and I am looking to choose between my Manchester United and Leeds United assets if I am being honest, but I will have a think about that up until the deadline on Saturday morning.
Ross Barkley was brought into my squad with little return during GW22, but the long-term picture was in mind with. Aston Villa needing to make up a host of fixtures already. I am a little worried about the performances of Aston Villa out of the Covid-19 outbreak, but those extra games can't be ignored as I look to chase down some leaders in my Mini-Leagues as well as getting closer to the top 100K in the standings.
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