Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (January 12-14)

It has been a hectic couple of weeks in my personal life which meant it was not possible to put up a thread over the festive period, but things have settled down again and we are going into another round of Premier League games and another GameWeek in the FPL game.

The last couple of weeks have seen steady scores from my team, but it has not been as smooth as I would have liked and much is down to the uncertainty of this season with late postponements making things a little more awkward to manage.

I will have further thoughts on that below, but first you can read my thoughts on the six Premier League games that are to be played over the next three days.

Sheffield United v Newcastle United Pick: The Premier League is back on Tuesday and there are fixtures to be played virtually every day through to the following Thursday ahead of the FA Cup Fourth Round weekend.

With Covid-19 cases on the rise throughout England, there is a need for flexible scheduling although the feeling remains that elite sport will not need to be postponed.

It does mean that fixtures are likely to be changed at short notice, especially with no fans being allowed into Stadiums, but that does also make it difficult for players and managers to prepare as they would like.

At least Chris Wilder and Steve Bruce would have been well aware of this fixture on Tuesday which looks a big one for both Sheffield United and Newcastle United. The latter were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday and have been in poor form, while the former are trying to use their Third Round Cup win as a spark for their Premier League form.

Wilder is definitely going to be more disappointed with the League form that Sheffield United have displayed compared with Steve Bruce and Newcastle United. It looks a long road back to avoid relegation, but Chris Wilder is still being supported by the board and the players although he needs results not pats on the back.

A win on Tuesday will at least give Sheffield United some belief to take into fixtures going forward, but it won't be easy as they continue to struggle in front of goal. For all the criticism of Newcastle United's recent results, they have defended pretty well and they should make life tough for their hosts.

However Newcastle United have also struggled for goals having failed to score in their last 3 away games in all competitions. The last two of those have been at tough grounds against Manchester City and Arsenal, but it chances are not being created in abundance and the feeling is that this is a fixture that may see one of the teams fail to score.

Both should feel like they can pose a threat from set pieces and look to pressure the other with some pace on the counter, but both League games last season finished with one failing to score (both Sheffield United in the 2019/20 season) and I do think a lack of goals could be the outcome of this Premier League fixture where the first goal could prove to be the winner.

Burnley v Manchester United Pick: There are plenty of things that have occurred over the last twelve months that many would not have believed if you had told them what was to come in January 2020.

For those leaving Old Trafford on the night of the 22nd January 2020 there must have been a feeling that Manchester United were a long way away from where they wanted to be. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under intense pressure after a 0-2 home defeat to Burnley and Manchester United had played two more games than leaders Liverpool, but were a mammoth 30 points behind their great rivals.

Flash forward to the 12th of January 2021 and Manchester United could finish the night top of the Premier League table if they can earn a measure of revenge over Burnley, albeit this time at Turf Moor. Any point earned would mean Manchester United will make the short journey to Anfield on Sunday as the Premier League leaders and that is a remarkable position considering where the side were just a couple of months ago.

Much of that is down to a very competitive Premier League in what has been a strange season, but no one associated with Manchester United will care as they feel their decision to stick with the manager has been vindicated.

However it does have to be said that this is a fine line the club are treading and you would see a totally different narrative if Manchester United are to lose their next 3 League games which are all played away from home. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not getting carried away with the League position in January and it is important for Manchester United to give Burnley all the respect they deserve.

Burnley have been in decent form for a number of weeks and the side have won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games at home. A new owner is promising a bright future for Burnley, but those recent solid results at Turf Moor have come against clubs that are not competing at the top of the Premier League.

Sean Dyche himself has admitted this is a much bigger challenge for Burnley who have a few injuries to contend with. They have also struggled to compete with the top clubs in the last couple of years and that has seen some comfortable home defeats to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester United have a good record here and I do think they score too many goals for the hosts to stay with a team looking to move to the top of the table. The side have scored at least twice in 16 of their last 17 away games in all competitions and Manchester United had scored at least three away goals in every Premier League game this season before the 2-2 draw with Leicester City.

I do have to respect the Burnley results of late, but Everton created a lot of chances here and deserved more than they got. I expect the home team to cause problems from set pieces and they will be putting a lot into this fixture which will make them push Manchester United, but I do think the recent results of the visitors makes them a strong enough favourite here.

4 of the 7 away Premier League games played by Manchester United have ended in either a draw or a win by a single goal margin, but 3 of their last 4 wins at Burnley have come by at least two goal margins.

Over the last eighteen months Burnley have lost 13 home games in all competitions and 8 of those have come by two or more goal margins. I will back Manchester United on the Asian Handicap to add to that here.

Wolves v Everton Pick: This looks to be a really difficult game to call between two clubs who will feel they should be operating much higher up the League standings in the weeks and months ahead.

Injuries makes the fixture more uncertain and I think you could make a serious argument for any of the three results- Wolves should feel good playing at home having won their FA Cup Third Round tie against Crystal Palace here last week. They have also beaten Chelsea in recent weeks at Molineux, but Everton have produced their better results away from home over the last couple of months.

However it sounds like Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be missing and that is a big issue for Everton.

He has been leading the line very well for Everton all season and I do think the drop to Cenk Tosun is a considerable one.

With that in mind I do give a narrow edge to Wolves, but they are not the same team without Raul Jimenez and the best approach may be to give this one a wide berth.

Manchester City v Brighton Pick: If you are a Manchester City fan (and I've been told there are a few out there) you have to be really happy with where the team sits as we move into the second week of the 2021 calendar year.

While the media will focus on the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United ahead of a big game between those great rivals this weekend, Manchester City can move right behind the leading teams in the Premier League in the next eight days.

They play three home games in that time and Manchester City will believe they may even end up top of the pile by the end of those if they can secure three wins. No one associated within the dressing room will be looking too far ahead and Manchester City are trying to take it game by game as they look to put wins together and keep the momentum behind them.

I would expect Manchester City to be too strong for Brighton on Wednesday even though Graham Potter's team have only lost 1 of their last 5 away games in all competitions. The absence of Yves Bissouma looks a tough one for Brighton and you would not be massively surprised if Graham Potter chooses not to risk any players who are doubtful with a 'more winnable' game at Leeds United to come this weekend.

The style of play that Potter has implemented does make it easier for the bigger teams to play against Brighton and Manchester City's two heavy wins over them last season almost underlines that point. Top teams have found goals easy to come by against Brighton, although the style does mean that Brighton will try and get forward and score goals and they are more dangerous even against the better teams.

However I am not sure they will find much joy out of this Manchester City team who have been very good defensively since partnering Ruben Dias with John Stones at the heart of the defence. Ederson is likely going to be back in goal on Wednesday too and I think Manchester City should have enough to break down Brighton and then keep the backdoor tightly locked too.

Brighton could be a threat from set pieces, but Manchester City are not giving up too many chances and backing the home team to win with a clean sheet looks the right approach.

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham Pick: This fixture was originally scheduled for last month, but a Covid-19 outbreak at Fulham meant a late postponement.

Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham have been given late notice that they will have to meet this week after the outbreak at Aston Villa meant their Premier League fixture against Spurs had to be postponed.

It is not ideal for the preparation of either set of players but the season is one in which you can't afford to kick postponements down the road and hope there will be spaces in the calendar to re-arrange fixtures. Jose Mourinho made it clear that Tottenham Hotspur were running out of space and he would not want to be forced to play three times in six days and so this decision was made on Monday to have one of their three postponed fixtures given this new date.

They were due to meet only a couple of weeks ago so a lot of the preparation would already have been done and within recent memory. That should help, but it is still a difficult spot for any players to be in although one they will just have to deal with.

Both teams progressed in the FA Cup while resting a number of key players and that should help the managers.

You do have to respect how well Fulham have been playing under Scott Parker over the last month and they have been difficult to beat. That will be an issue for Tottenham Hotspur, but I do think Spurs have come out of a difficult period and look to have more momentum behind them.

Tottenham Hotspur have been particularly good at home and I do think they have rested key players who will be keen to get on the front foot here. Even with the improvements made by Fulham, they are still a team who do give up some big chances and I think Tottenham Hotspur will be able to take advantage of that at home where they have won 8 of their last 9 games in all competitions.

The victory over Brentford in the League Cup shows that Tottenham Hotspur should be able to deal with a team of Fulham's level, but it will be important for Jose Mourinho's team to score first and then capitalise on spaces that may open up. They should be too good when it is all said and done and I think Spurs will likely be able to win by a comfortable margin on the night.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace Pick: In this season I do think momentum is going to be important and Arsenal have that with 4 wins in a row after a really poor few weeks.

Mikel Arteta will feel there is a real chance for Arsenal to keep that momentum going with consecutive home fixtures to come against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. Arsenal will be favoured to win both of those games, but that brings a pressure of its own and Newcastle United showed in the Cup game that this is a team still learning and one that can be kept at arm's length if you are well organised defensively.

That is exactly what Crystal Palace should bring to the table under Roy Hodgson even if they have been in poor form of late and conceding chances and goals like it is going out of fashion.

Having an almost full week to prepare should mean Hodgson has had time to bring back some key personnel who will make Crystal Palace a little better organised defensively, while The Eagles have pace and quality in the forward areas that should make them very dangerous on the counter attack.

In the last couple of seasons that has helped Crystal Palace produce two big results at the Emirates Stadium and I think they have the chance to earn another one here.

A lack of goals is a slight concern, while Crystal Palace have suffered some heavy away losses at Chelsea and Aston Villa in the Premier League. However both of those teams are much higher up the League standings than Arsenal who have only won 1 of their last 5 at the Emirates Stadium and might be a little overrated thanks to a narrow win at Brighton and the comfortable result at West Brom.

Yes, they did beat Chelsea in their last League game here, but I would expect Crystal Palace to cause problems of their own and backing them on the start on the Asian Handicap looks the approach to this fixture. Over the last three seasons Crystal Palace have tended to give some of the better teams troubles when visiting them and they are also capable of scoring here having had plenty of time to rest and prepare.

With the results at this Stadium in mind, I think Roy Hodgson's men can earn the upset result on Thursday.

MY PICKS: Sheffield United-Newcastle United BTTS NO

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester City Win to Nil

Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Crystal Palace + 1 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 18

This is a season in which the best laid plans can quickly turn to dust and that has been the situation for my Fantasy team over the next two GameWeeks.

A few weeks ago I mentioned I would likely going into GW18 with between 9-11 players in action and I would then potentially Bench Boost in GW19 with all of my players expected to play twice.

However this is a Covid-19 affected season and it has meant late postponements and games being shifted at short notice. That has been the case in GW18 with the Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur game being postponed after the home team became the latest Premier League club affected by a major outbreak of Coronavirus meaning a huge portion of their first team have been forced into self-isolation.

On the face of things bringing the Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham game into the GW made a lot of sense for the Premier League, but it has not had a huge impact for me.

If the Aston Villa-Tottenham Hotspur game had gone ahead I would have had four players in action, but that has been halved with the postponement. It also means I have only six players involved in the six players this week and has made the Free Hit Chip look a better play even though I would have preferred to keep that aside for later in the season.

A week I had been targeting to use the Free Hit would have been one of the late DGWs that we usually get, while another play would have been FA Cup Quarter Final weekend. After the draw for the next two Rounds of the FA Cup were made, I could see as many as seven Premier League games being postponed in GW29, while that would also mean a number of fixtures that would need to be re-arranged later in the season.

It is going to be possible to prepare for that week with the transfers in the weeks between the FA Cup Fifth and Sixth Round, but it makes things more awkward and the second Wild Card looks to be a vital chip going forward.

The use of the Bench Boost will almost certainly be used later in the season when the Wild Card is activated to make sure of the DGWs that are left, especially with news that the Leeds United vs Southampton game that was due to be played next week is likely going to be shifted to make space for a Southampton postponed FA Cup Third Round tie.

In the next thread I will have a look at where some of the upcoming postponed games will land, while I also think this is a good time to keep an eye on the FA Cup runs that teams are likely to have in order to prepare best for later in the season.

So what are my plans for GW18? It will either be taking a four point loss and adding two players to the squad to take me up to eight players that will be eligible to play and keep the Free Hit for another time, or activating the Free Hit and then likely taking at least one hit in GW19 to try and have as many players on the DGW as possible.

It is one I will likely think about down to the deadline with an idea of what a Free Hit team would look like this week, but also with the thoughts still running about whether the chip is more valuable later in the season.

I know there is a consensus around that the FH is the play this midweek, but I still want to take care before making my final decision with key players from the favourites already in my team. My feeling is that I could have another solid asset or two with the FH activated, but it may not be as important as keeping the powder dry for later in the season when postponements may be easier to predict as the vaccination is rolled out around the United Kingdom and the warmer conditions prevents the transmission at the rate we are seeing now.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2019 (December 21-22)

Most Premier League clubs are set to play four games in the space of thirteen days which is a pivotal time of the season for the teams, while also being a source of frustration for the FPL managers.

The FPL game has been kicking my backside anyway of late and I have activated my Wild Card this week which I will write about at the bottom of this thread.

First we get to the nine Premier League games being played on Saturday and Sunday, the final games to be played this side of Christmas Day. We then have a loaded Boxing Day schedule for Thursday and another full round of Premier League games to come next weekend so this is going to be a busy time for players and fans.

I am unlikely to have a very long thread for the Boxing Day games, but may have one or two thoughts about the Fantasy Football GW20 fixtures which begin next Saturday.

And the last thing to say is Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating and hope you get to enjoy time with families over the next few days.


Everton v Arsenal Pick: The opening Premier League game of the weekend involves two clubs who will likely be managed by a caretaker for the last time.

Big Duncan Ferguson has really inspired Everton in the three games he has taken charge even though all have been against clubs currently in the top six of the Premier League table. The fact that Everton went unbeaten in normal time shows the players have bought into what Ferguson has wanted from them and he is likely to be kept on as a member of the new staff taking over the club.

Everything is pointing to Carlo Ancelotti being the new manager at Goodison Park and that is going to raise expectations of the fanbase. He is expected to have some funds to spend in the January transfer window and Everton can sign off under Big Dunc with a strong performance here.

They host an Arsenal team who were hoping replacing Unai Emery with Freddie Ljungberg would inspire an immediate bounce back like Manchester United experienced under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at this time last year. Instead the former player has struggled to deal with the negative vibe around the club and the 0-3 loss to Manchester City last Sunday has seen Arsenal double down on finding a replacement.

For all intents and purposes it looks like Mikel Arteta is going to be the new manager of the club and it is something ironic that he will be appointed just before a meeting between two clubs he represented as a player.

I am not sure whether Arteta is going to be the right man for Arsenal or not, but he has been learning under Pep Guardiola and that has to be an encouragement for the fans. It will take time to fix the glaring problems at the Emirates Stadium and this is not really the time of the season to get that done, so I am not sure Arsenal are going to suddenly start churning out big results.

This is already a difficult venue to play at and I think Everton can avoid a loss in this one. Backing them to do that in a game that features at least two goals is a decent enough price and I will look for Ferguson to beat out Ljungberg in the battle of the caretakers that are both going to be in more familiar roles by Monday if all the rumours are to be believed.


Aston Villa v Southampton Pick: I was quite impressed by what I heard from Dean Smith ahead of this Premier League fixture and I think it is important that his team look to take their chances with a good portion of their fixture list to negotiate over the festive period.

However it can be difficult to trust Aston Villa when you think of the defensive issues they have had all season and they are facing a dangerous Southampton team, despite what the League position may say.

Like Aston Villa, Southampton have looked better going forward than defensively and they are a team that creates chances. They could easily have won at Arsenal recently and led at Newcastle United so I would not rule out an upset here which makes it hard to pick a winner at the prices involved.

I mentioned last weekend that the layers might be getting on top of the fact that Southampton have been involved in a lot of games in which both teams have scored and at least three goals being shared out. Both markets were massively shortened last weekend and I skipped past the game, but those taking short prices were punished as Southampton went down to West Ham United without scoring.

This week my major lean is that both teams will score and there will be at least three goals shared out, but once again a short price means I will look at better options that are out there.


Bournemouth v Burnley Pick: Both Burnley and Bournemouth had lost at least 3 Premier League games in a row before their 1-0 victories over Newcastle United and Chelsea respectively last weekend.

Those wins will have given both clubs a huge boost ahead of the run of four games in thirteen days, while also arresting the slump towards the bottom three that both Bournemouth and Burnley were experiencing.

I think Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche will be targeting maximum points in this fixture and I do think it is a close one that is hard to call. With that in mind I was surprised to see Bournemouth as such a strong favourite to win the game considering they have won 1 of their last 5 at home against Burnley and lost the last 2 Premier League games to them at the Vitality Stadium.

Both League games were dominated by Burnley last season and I also think this is a team who are playing the better football of the two teams.

Bournemouth had a very good win over Chelsea last weekend, but I think that may have them overrated for this fixture. They were far from dominant and it would have been a different story if Chelsea had taken their chances, while Burnley have been a team who have been creating chances and been unlucky in a couple of recent defeats.

Injuries are hurting Bournemouth and the problems in defensive areas should be exposed by Burnley here. With Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes causing problems, I think Burnley look underrated and I will back the visitors with the start on the Asian Handicap to at least avoid a defeat.


Brighton v Sheffield United Pick: These two might not be the most fashionable clubs in England, but being managed by Graham Potter and Chris Wilder has made Brighton and Sheffield United both attractive to watch.

So far the better balance has been provided by Sheffield United who have largely defended very well but also created enough chances to win games. They are perhaps lacking a truly clinical striker that would love to get on the end of the build up play that Sheffield United have produced, but if Wilder can get that player in the January transfer window I have no doubt that they will finish in the top half of the table.

That would be a big achievement for Sheffield United who were considered a favourite for relegation.

Brighton were another highly tipped up for relegation after deciding to sack Chris Hughton and bring in a manager in Graham Potter who would change the tactics and playing style. Instead the side have prospered under Potter and they have been very good going forward, although the balance with the defensive side of the field has not been to the same level as what Sheffield United have been able to produce.

I do think Brighton will cause problems for Sheffield United and they have been a little more clinical than their visitors. However I would be surprised if Sheffield United did not create chances too having scored in 4 straight away games in the Premier League and Brighton having just 2 home clean sheets in all competitions.

The Seagulls have scored plenty of home goals though and Sheffield United have conceded in 4 away games in a row.

Backing both teams to hit the net looks a very appealing price with all things considered and that will be my play.


Newcastle United v Crystal Palace Pick: Injuries and mixed form makes this the hardest League game to call in the English top flight this weekend.

Flip a coin and I think you won't go far wrong whichever way the coin lands and it could come down a moment of magic or a mistake.

Wilfried Zaha is in fine form and could be the player to shine the brightest, but Newcastle United have been strong at home under Steve Bruce and I would not be surprised if they found a way to win this fixture.

Unsurprisingly I am skipping past this game and just looking to add the numbers from the game for future references.


Norwich City v Wolves Pick: Throughout this season there have been some big results produced by Norwich City and they had another upset last weekend when earning a draw at Leicester City. You can put that result alongside the win over Manchester City and the draw with Arsenal as unexpected ones for Norwich City, but Daniel Farke's men have struggled to back that up with another big performance next time out.

They will be looking to do that against Wolves this weekend in what is a very important fixture for Norwich City. They have got into a position where they are 3 points behind the two clubs immediately above them, but Aston Villa host Southampton this weekend so it is important for Norwich City to try and stay in touch.

It puts some pressure on a team that are conceding far too many goals.

Norwich City have conceded at least two goals in 7 straight home Premier League games and I don't think it is a big surprise to read they have lost 4 of their last 5 here.

Things won't be easier against Wolves who largely dominated Tottenham Hotspur last weekend and deserved much more than a 1-2 home defeat. That ends a run of 9 games unbeaten for the visitors, but they have not lost any of their last 4 away from home and Wolves should still be confident they have enough to secure a win here.

In recent away games Wolves have created chances and been finding a consistent avenue to goals, but they have not been defending as well as they would have liked. Those defensive issues will give Norwich City some opportunities here, but I am still not convinced The Canaries have enough to survive at this level.

Wolves do have two huge Premier League games to come in the next week against Manchester City and Liverpool, but I think the loss last weekend will focus them here. I have not really backed Wolves too many times this season as I feel they don't score enough goals, but they have been creating enough in recent games to believe they can edge out Norwich City.

The home team will have their moments too, but backing Wolves to win here is the call.


Manchester City v Leicester City Pick: The final Premier League game to be played on Saturday comes from the Etihad Stadium and both Manchester City and Leicester City will be looking to take advantage of Liverpool's World Club Cup commitments.

For Liverpool fans anything other than a Leicester City win would likely be seen as a positive as that would mean going into Christmas Day with at least a 9 point lead at the top of the Division and with a game in hand.

Neither Manchester City or Leicester City will be worrying about anything but themselves in this League game and I really think it could be a very good one to watch.

Pep Guardiola and Brendan Rodgers are managers who like their teams to get forward and score goals and I think they are going to mesh very well. Leicester City are very dangerous on the counter attack and they will have seen the success that Manchester United had here in the derby and look to follow that same kind of tactical plan.

With that in mind I do find it very difficult to see how Manchester City will keep a clean sheet- they have simply not been defending well enough to believe they can keep Leicester City out here and the tactics always leave them vulnerable at the back.

On the other hand very few teams have been able to keep Manchester City out and I think Guardiola's men will be looking to keep the recent momentum behind them. They have quality in the final third of the pitch that will be able to create chances against a Leicester City team that are far less watertight than their recent run of clean sheets might have suggested.

The game here last season ended 1-0 to Manchester City, but it came at the end of the season when tensions were very high. While this is an important game, it should also be one where both teams are able to play with a touch more freedom and before that result at the Etihad Stadium 7 of the previous 8 games between these clubs had ended with both teams scoring.

That includes the previous 3 at the Etihad Stadium between these clubs and I think that is the most likely outcome of this one too. Picking a winner is not easy with the belief that Leicester City are going to be very dangerous on the counter attack throughout this one, while Manchester City are a team who can blow anybody away when at their best.

Both teams are creating enough chances to think both teams will hit the net at least once and I will back that to be the outcome of the fixture.


Watford v Manchester United Pick: Both Watford and Manchester United may feel their performances warranted better results than they achieved last time out in the Premier League. The Hornets were beaten at Anfield despite creating some huge chances when the game was goalless and 1-0 to Liverpool, while Manchester United felt hard done by in the 1-1 home draw with Everton.

Games like this one have proven to be difficult for Manchester United all season and throughout the tenure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager. Some of that is down to the tactics of the manager who is heavily reliant on counter attack, spaces that teams lower down the League table simply don't offer up against the big clubs.

Manchester United did deservedly win at Norwich City, but over the last nine months they have failed to win at Huddersfield Town, Southampton, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Bournemouth and all of those clubs have been struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Watford are the latest club Manchester United will face in that situation and I do think Nigel Pearson's team will believe they can cause problems for their visitors. If they play anything like the level they did against Liverpool I do think Watford can create chances against a Manchester United defence that can't help but make one or two mistakes during games.

However I also can't ignore how poorly Watford have defended and injuries are hurting them at the back. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both scored during the week and Manchester United have found goals against Watford in recent fixtures between these clubs.

My lean is that Manchester United will do enough to win here, but it is hard to back them considering the poor away record which has stretched a number of months now. Watford haven't won at Vicarage Road yet, but they have been creating chances and I am looking for at least three goals to be shared out in this one.

The last 7 times Watford have hosted Manchester United there have been at least three goals shared out on each occasion. Days before Christmas I think this could be an enjoyable game for the neutrals with both clubs likely to find the net in a competitive fixture.


Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea Pick: For the second time in December Jose Mourinho is going to be leading his new Tottenham Hotspur team into a fixture against a former club he has managed in England. While the Manchester United fans gave Mourinho a good reception, he can't really expect the same from the Chelsea fans travelling to North London who despite Tottenham Hotspur more than United.

Even in his time at Old Trafford the Chelsea fans were not too far away from giving Mourinho stick so I imagine he is prepared to hear some more from those fans this weekend.

All Jose Mourinho will be looking for is a big performance from his Tottenham Hotspur players that can inspire the home crowd to drown out the visitors and he will feel he can get one. They might not have been at their best last weekend, but Tottenham Hotspur won and they have also won 3 in a row at home under Mourinho while scoring three or more goals each time.

They will feel they can expose a Chelsea team who have not won any of their last 3 away games in all competitions and The Blues have conceded at least twice in each of those fixtures.

While Chelsea have still looked threatening going forward, a young team have just hit the wall of late with 4 losses in 7 games in all competitions. Young players will sometimes just lack the consistency teams are looking for and Frank Lampard has recognised Chelsea need to bring in some experience in the January transfer window to really push on.

Earlier in the season they were playing very well away from home, but Chelsea have lost back to back Premier League games on their travels. Chelsea have also struggled against the top teams in the Division with losses to Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and draws at home with Leicester City and Sheffield United.

With that in mind I do think backing Tottenham Hotspur on the Asian Handicap is the right play here. I am still not convinced by the defending Spurs have produced, but they have been scoring enough goals to make up for that and I just think the experience factor is with the home team which can make the difference in games like this one.

Tottenham Hotspur don't have the best record against the top clubs they have faced, but the win over Wolves will give them a boost and I would be surprised if the home team were to lose this fixture.

MY PICKS: Everton Double Chance (Draw or Win) & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.65 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Burnley + 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Brighton-Sheffield United Both Teams to Score @ 1.86 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Wolves @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Manchester City-Leicester City Both Teams to Score @ 1.61 Coral (2 Units)
Watford-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Asian Handicap @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

December 2019/20: 9-6, + 4.56 Units (30 Units Staked, + 15.20% Yield)
November 2019/20: 9-16, - 12.66 Units (50 Units Staked, - 25.32% Yield)
October 2019/20: 16-14-2, + 6.14 Units (62 Units Staked, + 9.90% Yield)
September 2019/20: 13-9-1, + 8.82 Units (46 Units Staked, + 19.17% Yield)
August 2019/20: 14-17-2, - 8.78 Units (64 Units Staked, - 13.72% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 18

I have had four of the most miserable weeks in the Fantasy Football game as I have had in a long time and coming in consecutive weeks it has seen my overall ranking dip badly.

You can't ignore the process, but all that has happened is I have decided to play my Wild Card a week earlier than I thought I would.

With three Liverpool players in the squad I have not had much luck with rotation considering the two defenders have been in and out of the starting team at a time when Liverpool have begun picking up the clean sheets I have expected all season. A tough set of fixtures are coming up for Liverpool and I think it is reasonable that both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are dropped for now, leaving Sadio Mane as the only Liverpool player I am going to have in the squad for the next couple of GameWeeks.

At the prices I think it was time to switch where the majority of the money is being spent on my squad while also making sure I felt much happier all around with the team in place.

I don't think I will be surprising anyone when I say I am likely going to be making changes to my squad right up until the time of the deadline on Saturday morning so I can't really place a squad down here. What I am going to do is identify some teams who I believe can provide good returns in the next couple of weeks when I will be using the transfers to just reshape things around the edges.

Tottenham Hotspur- games against Chelsea, Brighton, Norwich City and Southampton before FA Cup Third Round weekend looks a very good time to get behind Jose Mourinho's new team.

They have been scoring plenty of goals under the manager, but you have to be wary of some squad rotation at this time of the season. I think the goalkeeper, Toby Alderweireld, Dele Alli, Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane are arguably the 'undroppables' that Mourinho loves identifying at clubs.

Manchester United- you can't argue against the fixtures, but Manchester United haven't always been at their best in games they should win.

Even then I do think goals are being scored and again this may be a team worth picking from, although more likely to be hit by some rotation. Jesse Lingard has had big December months before, maybe it is time for him to shine if he gets a run in the team like I think he may as long as Paul Pogba is missing.

Aston Villa- Southampton, Norwich City, Watford and Burnley and with Dean Smith suggesting he needs to take the hand-break off his team when it comes to fulfilling their attacking potential, I do think Aston Villa could have some strong returns.

Wesley snapped his run without a goal on Tuesday and it may spark something out of a player who has had some big opportunities in recent weeks but just lacked the confidence to make full use of them.

Crystal Palace- the fixtures look good, but Crystal Palace are not the most adventurous team which makes them hard to trust. If you are looking for a midfielder that could be in the middle of a nice streak it could be Wilfried Zaha who has been amongst the goals including last Monday evening.

West Ham United- they are not playing in GameWeek 18, but West Ham United have some very good looking games out of their mini break. The last three weeks have seen some better performances so maybe West Ham United are about to hit some positive form.