Footballers are no different and that means the Brentford vs Manchester United game scheduled for GameWeek 17 has been postponed.
Brighton, Norwich City, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are all dealing with issues of their own, but the Manchester United game looks to be the only one that will be postponed.
Obviously health concerns are the most important factor, but it is also means difficulties for those playing the Fantasy Premier League game and more on that below.
Norwich City v Aston Villa Pick: Covid-19 issues are likely going to impact everybody and Premier League footballers are no different.
It does make it a little more difficult to make predictions when a sudden outbreak can impact the line up of teams up and down the country and both Norwich City and Aston Villa have had issues ahead of this fixture.
At the time of writing, this fixture looks like it will be played and it is an important one for both Norwich City and Aston Villa after going down to battling 1-0 defeats to top five opponents on Saturday.
Dean Smith's presence on the sidelines will add to the intrigue having managed Aston Villa a little over a month ago before being Sacked and taking up the position at Norwich City. He has made an impact with Norwich City, but the problems that Daniel Farke failed to resolve remain and that is namely a lack of clinical finishing in the final third.
Norwich City missed some big chances against Manchester United, but they will be at least pleased to see the football that is being played. The defensive issues is something that will make it more important to find an avenue to scoring goals consistently, but Norwich City should be able to create chances against Aston Villa.
At the same time, Steven Gerrard's team looks to be getting healthier, not withstanding the players that have had positive Covid tests, and they will feel this is a much more winnable fixture than the defeats suffered against Manchester City and Liverpool. However, I do think Aston Villa are still a work in progress when it comes to their attacking play under a new manager and that should give the home team a chance to earn a vital result.
Dean Smith should know the ins and outs about the Aston Villa squad that helps Norwich City here and I do think they will be able to have the attacking threat to expose any vulnerabilities the former Villa manager knows about. That may be enough for Norwich City to earn a good result and I think they can be backed on the Asian Handicap to do that.
Manchester City v Leeds United Pick: After taking the lead and then seemingly securing a late point, Leeds United have to pick themselves up following the 3-2 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday. An injury hit squad put in a huge effort into that game and Leeds United have continued to be competitive without key players involved, but this is a tough ask of them with so many missing on a short week.
Just days after losing at Stamford Bridge, Leeds United will be travelling to Manchester to take on the Premier League leaders and it will be difficult for the players to maintain the intensity that may be needed.
After putting in a huge effort and coming up short, you have to feel the stretched squad may struggle to stay with Manchester City here. The home team can make more changes to the starting eleven and have a relatively healthy squad, while they have had a few more hours to prepare for the fixture.
Manchester City narrowly beat Wolves here on Saturday, but they created the chances and could have won by a wider margin on another day. Once again they gave up very little defensively and I think they will be able to hold Leeds United at arm's length in this one too.
With the likes of Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez expected to come in and freshen up the starting eleven, I think Manchester City will have too much for Leeds United. Pep Guardiola is unlikely to have forgotten the home loss to this opponent last season and I think Manchester City will secure another victory with a clean sheet as they look to keep the pressure on their title rivals.
Brighton v Wolves Pick: Covid issues are likely going to have a big impact on fixtures around European Football during the winter of 2021 and the Premier League has seen a rise in cases over the last week.
One of the clubs feeling it is Brighton, but this fixture is set to be played on Wednesday despite that. A growing injury list coupled with the Covid cases means Brighton have a squad that is being stretched as they bid to end a run of 11 games without a victory.
The fans have been a little impatient in recent games, although some would say they are being arrogant considering the football Brighton have been playing. Graham Potter certainly hasn't been pleased by some of the jeers he has heard, but his team continue to look decent going forward and they are a team that will create chances.
The question mark is always around whether they can put a finishing touch to the football they are producing and it is the main reason they have not been able to turn a few draws into victories. Brighton should be well rested for this fixture though and they should be well prepared, even though there are issues in the camp, and it may give them a chance to get back to winning ways.
Brighton will also benefit from having had a weekend off at the same time as Wolves were working hard to try and earn a result at Manchester City. Playing the entire second half with ten men will have sapped some energy of a small squad being used by Bruno Lage and Wolves are another team that play good, eye-pleasing football, but who have struggled to put an end product to that football.
They have scored just 12 League goals this season and none in their last 4 so the absence of Raul Jimenez is a bitter blow for Wolves. The Mexican striker was a little foolish to get himself sent off at Manchester City and making up for his absence will not be easy.
Games between these two teams have been surprisingly entertaining in terms of goals in the last couple of seasons despite the obvious issues both Brighton and Wolves have in the final third. However, I think Wolves have looked organised at the back and I am not sure they can make up for the absence of Raul Jimenez, while Brighton are down to the bare bones in the squad.
It could mean we return to what we should expect from these two teams- that is good football, but with a struggling end product and I think one of the teams will fail to hit the back of the net.
Burnley v Watford Pick: Claudio Ranieri has spoken about Watford's season starting now after steering his team through a difficult fixture list, but he has to be very frustrated with the points dropped at Brentford on Friday night in the Premier League. He will be looking for a big reaction against a relegation rival on Wednesday evening, but there has to be some encouragement by the kind of level Watford have produced in recent weeks even if the results have not been the best.
A win for Watford will see them earn some breathing space to the bottom three, but they are facing a Burnley team who have only lost 1 of their last 7 Premier League games.
Like Watford, Burnley look to be in the midst of a relatively good schedule, but they were beaten at Newcastle United and that has left them mired in the bottom three. A point against West Ham United is a positive result, but Burnley will have to show improvement if they are going to take the points away from this fixture.
It has not been a good year for Burnley at Turf Moor and they have won 1 of their last 17 Premier League games here. That was earned recently against Brentford, but Burnley have struggled for the balance needed in the final third at both ends of the pitch.
While they scored six goals against Brentford and Crystal Palace, Burnley have failed to score in 3 of their last 5 here and they are a team that struggles to create quality chances. I expect Burnley to have more success against this Watford team that have not defended well, but The Hornets will also offer a sting in the final third.
Burnley have not defended as well as they would have liked and Watford should be able to offer a real threat on the counter attack. That will give the visitors a chance of earning something from the match and I do think they are an underdog that can produce a bite to back up the bark.
It could be a tough, competitive game, but Watford have goals in the side and I think the extra preparation time for the fixture may also be a key to the outcome of this one.
Crystal Palace v Southampton Pick: It would be harsh to discredit the kind of football that Southampton like to play under Ralph Hasenhuttl, but the lack of quality has held the club back. They are pleasing on the eye and Southampton can create chances, but losing Danny Ings has hurt and they have not been able to put the finishing touches on their football as the manager would have liked.
He may be facing more issues this week when Southampton travel to South London without Adam Armstrong, Che Adams and Armando Broja. All are doubtful and that means Southampton may be lacking a cutting edge even more than usual.
It comes at a bad time for Southampton as they get set to meet a Crystal Palace team who will be feeling very good about themselves after their 3-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. Patrick Vieira is really getting a tune out of his squad, but the results have not always backed that up and so the win on Sunday was vital for Crystal Palace having lost 3 Premier League games in a row prior to the fixture last time out.
I do have to say that Crystal Palace have been difficult to back considering the amount of leads they have blown and the fact that half of their home fixtures have ended in draws. However, they have won 2 of their last 3 at Selhurst Park and Crystal Palace have attacking players in form who will feel they can hurt a Southampton team that has begun to leak goals.
Patrick Vieira has been keeping his attacking players fresh with rotations and I think Crystal Palace can back up their win on Sunday. They should create chances and Southampton being without their top attacking players should only aid The Eagles even more.
Crystal Palace do tend to score plenty of goals here and have made it a habit of scoring first having done so in 3 of their last 4 at Selhurst Park. Doing so here should see Crystal Palace have enough to secure another three points and I think they can be backed to do that.
Arsenal v West Ham United Pick: This is the headline fixture on Wednesday evening in the Premier League and both Arsenal and West Ham United will be looking for the result that will see them end the night inside the top four.
Both earned clean sheets this past weekend, but Arsenal scored the goals to see off Southampton, while West Ham United had to settle for a goalless draw with Burnley. David Moyes was a little disappointed by the result and is demanding his players return to the kind of levels they have shown they can produce this season.
West Ham United have tended to reserve their better performances for the top teams they have faced, but those have largely been played at home. They were not really competitive in the defeat at Manchester City and so there are some questions to answer for a team that has been considered to be having a successful season to this point.
If they have a genuine ambition to reach the Champions League for next season, The Hammers have to show they can win big games away from home. In recent weeks they have hit the wall on their travels, especially in front of goal, but West Ham United are facing an Arsenal team that have been vulnerable against the best teams in the Premier League.
Defeats at Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United and another at home to Chelsea underline the point, but Arsenal have won 5 in a row at the Emirates Stadium. Many would consider Arsenal to be underachieving, but it says plenty that they could move above West Ham United with a victory and The Gunners will be looking for a seventh home success in a row against this London rival.
Arsenal have been dangerous going forward at home in recent weeks and they have largely been pretty solid defensively. That will be encouraging for Mikel Arteta, but West Ham United should offer a much more consistent threat compared with Watford, Newcastle United and Southampton.
Both Premier League fixtures between these clubs ended with three or more goals last season and I do think that could be the outcome of this one. Arsenal will attack and that will leave spaces for West Ham United on the counter attack, but I also think the home team will create chances against this opponent who have defensive injuries to deal with.
An early goal could really get this fixture going and I think there will be at least three goals shared out.
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: At the time of writing, this Premier League fixture is trending towards being given the go-ahead rather than being postponed despite the Covid issues that both Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are dealing with.
Leicester City have been able to battle through their issues, but Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to return after seeing two matches postponed/cancelled.
They are still going to be short of a number of players who will be in self-isolation and there have been reports that another first team player has been handed a positive test, but Tottenham Hotspur are back on the training ground and expected to head to the Midlands for the fixture.
Brendan Rodgers will not be feeling too sorry for Tottenham Hotspur considering the amount of players he will be missing, but Leicester City did have a confidence boosting win over Newcastle United last time out.
Since losing to Chelsea here, Leicester City have been finding plenty of attacking joy with 3 wins in a row at the King Power Stadium and scoring at least three goals in each win. I think despite the issues in the home camp, Leicester City will be better prepared than Tottenham Hotspur for this Premier League game and it should mean the home team are able to get the better of the London club.
It will be close and Tottenham Hotspur have been good under Antonio Conte, but Leicester City have momentum from the win on Sunday and I think they can back that up.
Chelsea v Everton Pick: Injury issues and a loss of form have been hurting both Chelsea and Everton in recent weeks, although the quality of the Chelsea squad has helped them produce some big wins through sheer effort.
The 3-2 win over Leeds United will have really bolstered the confidence of the Chelsea group, but Thomas Tuchel will be looking for much better defensively. Individual mistakes continue to be costly for Chelsea, but they could soon have their full choice of midfield options which should make Chelsea tougher to play against.
It won't be the case in time for this game, but Chelsea could be facing Everton at the right time considering the struggles of the visitors. They lost for the fourth away game in a row at Crystal Palace on Sunday and Everton have lost more key players, which leaves them incredibly vulnerable here.
Rafael Benitez won't get much respite from the away fans if Everton start poorly, but the Chelsea fans won't be offering any sympathy. Even as a former manager here, Benitez and the Chelsea faithful did not really see eye to eye and they will relish putting him under pressure.
As porous as Chelsea have been defensively of late, they have been scoring plenty of goals and I do think they can hurt this Everton team. Thomas Tuchel would love to see his team produce more in open play having been a big threat from set pieces, but they should have more joy against a struggling Everton team.
Everton will try and counter against a vulnerable Chelsea defence, but I think it will be difficult for them without the quality of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The fixture list gets a little easier after this game, but Everton may have to suffer another tough night in London before heading into those matches and I think Chelsea can win by a comfortable margin.
Liverpool v Newcastle United Pick: There have been some classic Premier League matches between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield, but it feels like a stretch to think this may be one of those.
A huge gulf exists between the clubs at this moment and Liverpool have been attacking with a real threat. They may not have been rewarded with the goals, but on their current pace you would expect someone could take a real thumping from them.
Newcastle United may be the poor victim.
They were poor at the King Power Stadium on Sunday and Eddie Howe has proven to be a manager that will not want Newcastle United to sit back. It is a real problem against Liverpool, but even defending deep may not be good enough with the issues the visitors have had at the back all season.
Liverpool have had 1-0 wins in back to back Premier League games, but Newcastle United have been well beaten at Arsenal and Leicester City. The team they are facing this week are a lot stronger than those two and I think Liverpool will have far too much for Newcastle United who are trying to scratch and claw their way out of the bottom three.
An early goal for Liverpool would really spell trouble for Newcastle United and I do think this is going to be a game that is comfortably won at the end of the evening. Liverpool have created enough chances in their last two Premier League games to have won those by much wider margins and I think they can punish a Newcastle United team that have struggled to keep teams from getting on top of them.
MY PICKS: Norwich City + 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester City Win to Nil
Brighton-Wolves Both Teams to Score- NO
Watford + 0.25 Asian Handicap
Crystal Palace - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Arsenal-West Ham United Over 2.5 Goals
Leicester City - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap
Liverpool - 2.5 Asian Handicap
Fantasy Football GameWeek 17
Covid issues were always going to be a problem in the FPL game this season, but it has been a frustrating time for my team.
I selected Tottenham Hotspur players who have had one game postponed thanks to snow and another because of a Covid outbreak.
Of course I replaced them with two Manchester United players, but again I have been hit with a postponement, while I have too many players who are not getting the minutes I would have liked them to.
Andreas Christensen looks out of favour, but the Christian Benteke rotation has really been a frustration- he scored twice at Burnley, but I brought him into my team following that outing and his minutes have been managed since.
Leaving 22 points on the bench in GW16 summed it up after Benteke, Christensen and Diogo Jota all managed to be used as subs and earned my a combined 3 points.
Making decisions is difficult with a Covid outbreak seemingly impacting a number of clubs and we simply don't know which players have been affected and which have not. That makes it more challenging and there are going to be tough moments through the next two months before the booster shots and the improving weather begins to turn the tide on the new variant.
At the time of writing I am going to have ten players that are expected to play after Joao Cancelo was booked and will serve a suspension. I don't think this is the time to take a hit, but it is a good opportunity to move out Bryan Mbeumo as Brentford hit a more difficult portion of their schedule.
He can be brought back when the DGW is announced, if I want him back, but I am going to keep my powder dry other than that move.
The bigger question is who is best to target and I think my final decision will come down to a Manchester City midfield asset or a West Ham United one. Manchester City have the easier game in GW17, but Pep Roulette is a miserable game to play and one I have been happy to avoid for much of the season.
West Ham United have a more difficult game, but fixtures ease after the game at Arsenal, although any final decision on a transfer doesn't mean much with a fluid virus ripping through the nation.
Changes need to be made to my team, but I am going to use the week between GW18 and GW19 to really get a better feel as to the direction I want to take.
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