Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (March 19-21)

I honestly don't know how players feel, but they have to be understandably exhausted if us fans are beginning to feel the amount of Football that has been played over the last few months.

With an upcoming international break, the players will at least get to stay in a different environment for a few days and that is an opportunity to just reset after a busy number of months across the top European Leagues. It is important to recover both physically and mentally considering the congested manner of the last two months of the season as Leagues look to complete their schedules before the Euro 2020 Tournament begins in June.

Big matches are coming up, but the two week break will be nice for me personally and I do think it will just help a few get over some niggles and make sure they ready for the tough two months to come.

The Fantasy Football game will have a break too, but I will get onto that below once I put down my thoughts on the four Premier League games scheduled to be played this weekend.

Fulham v Leeds United Pick: This is not a very busy Premier League weekend with only four games scheduled around the FA Cup Quarter Final matches that set to be completed. The opening Premier League game comes from Craven Cottage where Fulham will host Leeds United in what is a very important game for both teams.

A win for Fulham would actually take them out of the bottom three for twenty-four hours at least and also peg back both Burnley and Brighton who earned important away wins last weekend. On the other side, a win for Leeds United will mean they are on the brink of reaching 40 points from the season and would end any lingering concerns of being dragged back into a relegation battle.

Both teams failed to score against Big Six opponents at home last weekend, but Leeds United will have been a lot happier with the point against Chelsea than Fulham were in being comprehensively beaten by Manchester City on this ground.

Leeds United have now failed to score in 3 Premier League games and they have also lost their last 3 away League games with the latter 2 coming in games where they failed to score. Chances continue to be created which makes Leeds United dangerous, but Marcelo Bielsa will be demanding a better composure in the final third.

They should have some opportunities against a Fulham team who have shown better defensive solidity in the last couple of months, but who have allowed Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to create big chances here. Even Sheffield United had their moments in a 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage and Leeds United will play with a certain style that will always seen men pushed forward into attacking areas.

Fulham have also been lacking goals in recent home games with a single strike in 6 at Craven Cottage in all competitions. There is still a feeling that Fulham are perhaps not being as clinical as they should be despite the arrival of Josh Maja and that has let them down despite getting into promising positions against the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent games here.

Scott Parker's team are likely to cause one or two problems for Leeds United too and the away team have not produced too many draws this season. Both teams hitting the net would not be a surprise in what should be decent conditions to play football and all 3 games between these teams since August 2019 have ended with three or more goals shared out.

A 2-1 scoreline either way would not surprise me at all and I think we will see goals in this fixture as Fulham and Leeds United chase valuable points.

Brighton v Newcastle United Pick: For much of the season Brighton and Newcastle United have been performing in very different ways with the former underperforming compared to their underlying stats and the latter perhaps picking up some fortunate points.

Losing some key attacking players has just blunted the Newcastle United effectiveness in the final third, but they have been better in recent home games. However The Magpies somehow left West Brom with a goalless draw and the feeling is they are going to have to ride their luck to earn any kind of positive result here.

In the last couple of games Brighton's underlying numbers have not been as impressive as they have been for much of the season, but they did earn an important, confidence boosting win over Southampton last weekend. Prior to that Brighton have somehow found a way to lose matches where they have deserved so much more, but the win over Southampton may have just given the team a boost that they can carry into this fixture.

Brighton have conceded late to lose back to back home games against Crystal Palace and Leicester City, but they were perhaps the better team in both fixtures. The latter defeat was a tighter game, but Brighton hammered rivals Crystal Palace and manager Graham Potter is perhaps still struggling to work out how his team failed to win.

They should be able to create chances against this Newcastle United team who have been more vulnerable away from home, although The Magpies have shown some resiliency. 3 draws in a row underlines the point even if they should have lost at The Hawthorns during that run and I imagine Steve Bruce will look for his side to be well organised defensively and perhaps steal a result.

Three points are very important to both teams and the tension will only increase if Fulham have been able to beat Leeds United on Friday. That should make this a tight, competitive fixture, but my feeling is that Brighton can find a way to double up their home wins for the season.

It is unlikely to be a really high-scoring game considering the struggles both Brighton and Newcastle United have had turning chances into goals in the final third, but The Seagulls may be the more dangerous. That is largely down to the fact that Newcastle United could go into the fixture without their three main attacking threats and I think a narrow home win is the most likely outcome of the fixture.

West Ham United v Arsenal Pick: This is an important London derby for both West Ham United and Arsenal who are looking for valuable points that could be key in determining how the European spots are shared out at the end of the season.

At this stage of the season Mikel Arteta is still looking for some consistency from his Arsenal team, but he would have been pleased to see his side reach the Europa League Quarter Final during the week. The 0-1 home defeat in the Second Leg of the Last 16 tie would have stung, but Arteta will believe his team only have themselves to blame having created some big opportunities and been wasteful in front of goal.

In recent games Arsenal have been creating plenty of chances and in the main they have been producing the end product to their football which has meant a decent run being put together. The defeat to Olympiacos will have just stifled some of the momentum, but Arsenal will feel they can hurt a West Ham United team who have not defended as well as their results may suggest.

The Hammers have 4 clean sheets in their last 7 games in all competitions in normal time, and they have won 6 of their last 7 at home. Since losing to Liverpool in the Premier League, West Ham United have won 3 League games in a row here and they have scored at least twice in each of those victories.

David Moyes has Jesse Lingard back this week, but he will still want his West Ham United team to show a little more ambition going forward. They will pose a real threat from set pieces and West Ham United have pace and power in the final third which should challenge an Arsenal team that played during the week while the home team were training and recovering.

Both teams should have the chances to hit the back of the net, and 4 of the last 6 between Arsenal and West Ham United have ended with at least three goals shared out.

An early goal could really spark this fixture and I think the amount of chances both created and allowed by the two teams should see a high-scoring game being produced. My narrow edge is with West Ham United to earn a positive result, but a 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a massive surprise in this one.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: This has been a remarkably difficult week for Tottenham Hotspur who had led 0-1 at Arsenal before losing the North London derby and followed that up by blowing a 2-0 lead over Dinamo Zagreb to exit the Europa League in a 3-0 defeat in the Croatian capital.

The latter loss is one that clearly has stung Jose Mourinho who struggled to explain what had happened, while Hugo Lloris did not mince his words as he essentially pointed fingers at some of his team-mates for the poor performance.

I would have expected Tottenham Hotspur to have a reaction to the loss to Arsenal in the North London derby, but they were sloppy and lacking confidence in the defeat in Zagreb on Thursday. The performance was truly unexpected, and the pressure is on the players to be much better on Sunday as they look to try and close in on the top four places in the Premier League.

Heung-Min Son and Erik Lamela are both expected to miss out and that is a blow for Tottenham Hotspur.

Even then they should have a chance to show they are much better than the last couple of results as Tottenham Hotspur head to Villa Park to take on an Aston Villa team who have been struggling for consistency.

Aston Villa have only scored two goals in their last 4 Premier League games and only poor finishing from Wolves and Newcastle United helped Dean Smith's men earn draws in the last couple of League games. Defensively the results have been better than the underlying numbers and it is hard to ignore how inconsistent Aston Villa have been in the final third without Jack Grealish.

The midfielder could be back this weekend, but Aston Villa have lost half of their last 4 home Premier League games and there is still plenty of talent available to Jose Mourinho. I don't think this will be an easy game for either team, and Tottenham Hotspur are travelling back from Croatia which could sap some energy.

If the players have perhaps given up on Jose Mourinho it could leave Tottenham Hotspur vulnerable, but there has to be some personal pride that will be on display here. The loss at Dinamo Zagreb will have stung so many inside the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room, but they are facing a team that have given up some big chances and the likes of Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale and Harry Kane could hurt Aston Villa.

As bad as the result was at Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur can bounce back here and I think they can be backed on the Asian Handicap against an Aston Villa team who will offer some big chances to their visitors.

MY PICKS: Fulham-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals

Brighton to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

West Ham United-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 29

I have made it clear for some time that my Free Hit would be used in a different way than I would usually have used it in a Fantasy Football season and it is going to be activated for the four Premier League games to be played this weekend.

I simply do not have a squad that is capable of managing this GW and my Wild Card and Triple Captain Chips are still in hand- the news that the Premier League could push back a Round of fixtures to ensure clubs get to play one home and one away game in front of fans means there could be a bigger DGW left than most have anticipated with the FA Cup Finalists now 'blanking' rather than having a fixture pushed on between GW37 (FA Cup Final Weekend) and GW38.

Hopefully we are going to get more clarification on plans in the two week international break, but the Free Hit looks to be of most use to me this weekend to make sure I have a full fifteen players ready to go.

So who am I looking to target?

From the defensive side of the field all of the numbers are suggesting Brighton have to be the team considered most likely to earn a clean sheet.

Both West Ham United and Arsenal have decent underlying numbers, while Tottenham Hotspur could benefit from facing a goal-shy Aston Villa even coming in off the quite staggering Extra Time upset at Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.

Fulham and Leeds United feel like they could be involved in a high-scoring game so the attacking options from both teams have to be considered.

The underlying numbers from an attacking point of view suggests an early goal could really spark the fixture, and it is a week where risks can be taken in a bid to get closer to those leading the Mini Leagues you may be involved in.

There are some players that have gotten some traction in the FPL Community that are worth a second look, but the injury to Heung-Min Son is a blow for Tottenham Hotspur's attacking threat and especially after the Extra Time that was needed a few days ago. Jack Grealish's potential return will mean Aston Villa are at least looking a little better going forward, while I think some differentials should be selected if only to try and produce a strong GW.

The Captain selection doesn't look very easy aside from going with Harry Kane, but this is something I will think about right through to the deadline.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (March 7-9)

I was away for a few days which meant I was not able to post a thread here, but Twitter followers would have seen my move from Jack Grealish to James Maddison for the FPL game... A move that didn't work out as well as I would have wanted.

It was still not a bad week, but I will get back to that at the bottom of this post.

Before we get into GW29 of the FPL game I will have my thoughts down for the Weekend Premier League Football, although those are feelings rather than anything more forceful.


Liverpool v Bournemouth Pick: There is no doubt that Liverpool have hit a slightly awkward patch in what has been a strong season for them, and it is going to take a serious turnaround if they are going to at least find some momentum to take into their Champions League Last 16 Second Leg to come.

Losses at Atletico Madrid, Watford and Chelsea would have stung as much for the level of performance as the actual result.

However it should be noted that all have come away from Anfield and this ground is still a fortress for Liverpool even if they had to rely on some big West Ham United mistakes to beat The Hammers 3-2 last time out here. Key players have been rested by Jurgen Klopp for the loss at Chelsea during the week and I expect they will have been itching to get back on the field and make up for the defeat at Vicarage Road last Saturday.

The opponent also looks a good one for Liverpool as Bournemouth continue to look haphazard at the back and have been struggling on the road for much of the last three months. Last weekend Bournemouth almost did enough to beat Chelsea, but the game was at home and they have lost 5 away games in succession while conceding a host of chances in those matches.

Goals have been flowing against Bournemouth too and I do think they could face something of a backlash here. The match up with Liverpool has not been a good one with 5 losses in a row by three or more goal margins, and I do think Liverpool are still playing well enough at Anfield to build some steam behind them.

I can’t completely ignore the form that Liverpool find themselves in, but losing back to back games has been rare for this team and I think they can bounce back with a comfortable win on Saturday afternoon. It is hard to imagine Bournemouth being able to defend well enough to contain the home team and so another big win would not be a surprise in favour of Liverpool.

Score: Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth


Arsenal v West Ham United Pick: Both of these clubs have shown signs of improvement under new managers at different times, but it may be West Ham United who come into this League game with a little more spring in the step.

A solid performance at Liverpool was followed by a win over Southampton and that has dragged West Ham United out of the bottom three. However you have to be concerned with the amount of goals they continue to ship and now they face an Arsenal team who have looked in decent shape when they go forward.

The bigger issue for Arsenal has also been at the back and making sure they keep the door locked, From set pieces they have been a mess so it would not be a big surprise if David Moyes is able to set something up to give the home team problems to deal with.

Ultimately it feels like an entertaining and goal-filled afternoon is going to develop and that is my feeling from the fixture. Arsenal have scored plenty of goals, but look unlikely to keep a clean sheet, while West Ham United have also struggled at the back.

The level produced at Anfield is encouraging for the visitors, but I think they continue to have problems in conceding too many goals and that is where Arsenal should be able to take advantage. The Gunners have won 4 in a row at home against West Ham United and I think they continue that streak by winning a fixture featuring at least two goals scored on the day.

Score: Arsenal 3-1 West Ham United


Crystal Palace v Watford Pick: If Crystal Palace had not taken maximum points from their last 2 Premier League games they would have been firmly involved in the relegation battle that is developing. Instead they are now likely just a single win away from guaranteeing another season in the top flight, although Roy Hodgson won’t be taking anything for granted.

How could he after seeing the performance Watford produced in their 3-0 hammering of Liverpool last weekend?

Nigel Pearson will hope that gives his team some momentum with four good looking fixtures in front of them. Watford have been much improved under his watch and they have some exciting players that will believe they can win this game having beaten Crystal Palace 3 times last season.

Earlier in this campaign they had to settle for a draw, but Watford won’t be intimidated and they have the pace in the forward areas to cause problems.

Ultimately they have not been at their best at the back and that is where even a goal-shy Crystal Palace team can have some success. Goals have not been the order of the day at Selhurst Park this season, but these teams have tended to match up well with each other and it feels like being the case on Saturday too.

7 of the last 8 between Crystal Palace and Watford at this ground have ended with at least three goals shared out. That may be pushing things a bit, but the 1-1 is a real player and I do think both teams will be looking to get forward and can hurt the other when they do.

Both teams to score looks the play despite the low scores we have seen at this ground this season.

Score: Crystal Palace 1-1 Watford


Sheffield United v Norwich City Pick: Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all failed to win last weekend while Sheffield United had the time off and that will have given the fans further belief that this could be one of the most memorable seasons in the history of the club.

While no one will be looking too far ahead inside Bramall Lane, you can't help but see there is a real path towards the Champions League places that Sheffield United can perhaps take control of over the next few weeks. They will play the likes of Wolves and Manchester United around them, but those matches will not mean so much if they can't beat Norwich City this weekend.

For all the positives about Chris Wilder and his team, you do have to wonder if they have enough goals in the squad. It is most evident when they have played the 'lesser' clubs in the Division and the likes of Southampton, Newcastle United, Watford and Brighton have all avoided losses here.

West Ham United almost stole a point too before a late VAR intervention, and in all of those five games mentioned Sheffield United have not scored more than one goal.

They might need more to win this game against a Norwich City team who have been creating chances even if they are not as clinical away from Carrow Road as they would like to be. There is a real confidence at the bottom club that they can surprisingly pull away from the bottom three, and Daniel Farke won't lose his principles now which means Norwich City will at least give this a go.

Defensively there remain some major questions that Sheffield United will be looking to have answered and I do think the home team might have just enough. While they are not completely easy to trust with the lack of goals an issue, Sheffield United have beaten Burnley, Bournemouth and Aston Villa here and in all of those games they did find the two goals needed to secure the points.

I will look for them to do that this weekend too.

Score: Sheffield United 2-1 Norwich City


Southampton v Newcastle United Pick: Both Southampton and Newcastle United may look relatively comfortable with ten League games to play, but both Ralph Hasenhuttl and Steve Bruce will be reminding their players how quickly things can change.

Neither team is in great form and the improvements that Bournemouth, Watford and now West Ham United are showing means the 5 points to Newcastle United and 7 points to Southampton is a bridgeable gap.

That makes this a very important game for both teams and I do think there will be chances at both ends.

Newcastle United earned a morale-boosting win at The Hawthorns on Tuesday, but both of these teams look capable of creating chances and struggling defensively at times.

It is particularly the case for Newcastle United away from home and I think it could mean a repeat of the earlier meeting between these teams and at least three goals being shared out. Before the goalless draw last season, that had happened the previous 4 times Southampton had hosted Newcastle United and the defensive performances of the two teams in recent weeks suggest we could see this one go back to that trend.

Tension and fear of a defeat could take some of the effective play out of this fixture, but I can see it ending 2-1 either way and I will back at least three goals to be the outcome of this one.

Score: Southampton 2-1 Newcastle United


Wolves v Brighton Pick: This is a pivotal game at the top and bottom of the Premier League as Wolves continue to chase down a surprise Champions League berth and Brighton look to reverse the slide into the bottom three.

There has been plenty of talk about Manchester United and Chelsea failing to take advantage of the slips each are making, but Wolves have quietly moved into their slipstream. The fixture list looks much kinder to Wolves than United over the next few weeks too and I do think this is a team capable of handling the pressures of Premier League and Europa League Football as they have all season.

A home game with Brighton has to be the kind of fixture Wolves have to take advantage of especially as Manchester United and Chelsea have much tougher looking games this weekend. However it is not always easy to trust Wolves to get the job done as you would imagine.

Newcastle United, Southampton and Burnley have all avoided losses here already this season and Brighton are a team who have been creating chances in recent games despite the 0-1 setback to Crystal Palace last weekend.

Brighton have the character that has seen them come from behind and draw with both West Ham United and Sheffield United in the last couple of away games played in the League, while they are also unbeaten in 5 against Wolves since October 2016.

That has to be respected, but Wolves look to be in good form and scoring plenty of goals. In what could be a surprisingly high-scoring affair, I do think Wolves can edge to a win in a game featuring at least two goals on the day.

Score: Wolves 2-0 Brighton


Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The live game on Saturday evening comes from Turf Moor and it is a huge test for Jose Mourinho and his Tottenham Hotspur team who have been in a miserable run of form.

They had lost 3 in a row in all competitions prior to the FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur have found themselves dumped out of that on Penalties. Injuries are piling up to the point that Mourinho has suggested he is going to speak to the board and ask them which competition he wants to prioritise this week with a Premier League and Champions League fixture to be played.

After losing 0-1 at home to Leipzig it could be argued the Premier League has to be the priority for Tottenham Hotspur who can close the gap to 4th placed Chelsea by winning twenty-four hours before The Blues are due to kick off against Everton. That makes this game even more important for Spurs to try and regain some lost momentum, but Burnley are anything but a soft touch and especially if the focus is not at 100%.

Tottenham Hotspur will create chances against this Burnley team, but I have little doubt the home team are going to do the same against a team that has just 3 away clean sheets in 20 games played in all competitions (and one of those was at League Two Colchester United). However the other side of the coin shows that Tottenham Hotspur have only failed to score in 4 of those 20 away games and I do think they can cause problems for their hosts too.

Burnley have been in the better form and they have narrowed into the home favourites- winning 4 of 6 Premier League games will do that- and I do think they are the more likely winners on the day.

In saying that I do think the defensive issues have not been underlined as much as they should have been and it may take two goals to win the game. Backing at least three goals to be shared out at odds against is a very appealing price, and 4 of the last 6 between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur have ended that way.

1-1 is perhaps the most dangerous scoreline, but I can see there being enough chances on the day to see the total goals hitting at least three goals.

Score: Burnley 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur


Chelsea v Everton Pick: The first of the live games to be played on Sunday comes from Stamford Bridge and it may be a big opportunity for Chelsea to pull away from at least Manchester United in the race for the Champions League places.

If Frank Lampard’s men can win, it will put pressure on Manchester United to respond in the derby against Manchester City later in the same day. However it is no guarantee with Chelsea being a little inconsistent as it is and now suffering with a number of key players looking set to miss out.

That will have given Everton a chance anyway, but this is a team in good form and who will take the game to Chelsea.

Under Carlo Ancelotti Everton have been creating chances and they showed that again in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United last weekend. They should have perhaps gotten more out of the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal last month and Everton will certainly believe all the pressure is on their hosts.

A team creating chances like Everton are will be dangerous- but add to that the inconsistency of Chelsea and I can’t help feel they are a touch short here. Everton did beat Chelsea at home already this season and a weaker team earned a result at Stamford Bridge last season.

Being able to back Everton with the start looks very appealing here and I will do that as I look for the underdog to perhaps spring a surprise.

Score: Chelsea 1-1 Everton


Manchester United v Manchester City Pick: In the next few weeks I do think Pep Guardiola will turn his full attention to the Cup competitions Manchester City are involved in as they are closing on a top four finish in the Premier League. At that point they can only await the judgement set out by the CAS in terms of whether they will be playing in the Champions League again next season.

For now there is still motivation to keep the wins being churned out in all competitions which will give the Manchester City squad some momentum. It is a deep squad and that means rotations are being made, but I expect the Manchester derby to earn the full attention of the visitors especially as Manchester United have won 2 of the 3 games between these clubs this season.

The exception did come at Old Trafford where Manchester City ran out 1-3 winners in the League Cup Semi Final First Leg, the foundation for progressing to the Final, and Manchester City have won 4 of the 5 games played at this ground under Guardiola.

However Manchester United are coming into this one in fine form too with a 9 game unbeaten run to protect. They have won 6 of those games including the last 2 at Old Trafford, although it does have to be pointed out that it has been a good portion of the fixture list which has been negotiated and facing their cross city rivals is a different test for them.

Manchester United have looked threatening going forward with the arrival of Bruno Fernandes a real boost, while they have also been pretty effective at the back. Harry Maguire's potential absence is a blow, but I do think Manchester United will be confident regardless and it could be a very good game.

I do think United can have some success playing against this Manchester City defence which has struggled, and they will be even more confident if Kevin De Bruyne is missing. The Belgian is a major creative force and Manchester City have been producing plenty of threatening play in the final third in their wins over Leicester City and Real Madrid away from home.

I'd love to be wrong, but I do think Manchester City will find the win in this one- as well as Manchester United have been playing, they are still a team that looks like they could be vulnerable if Manchester City are at their best. In all of the games played it is Manchester City who have dominated the chance count and I think that is likely to come through for them again.

Sergio Aguero has hit some positive form with goals in the last two games and he has always impressed at Old Trafford. My lean is that Manchester City will win and they can do that in a game featuring two or more goals.

Score: Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City


Leicester City v Aston Villa Pick: Recent form will have made Brendan Rodgers very glad for the long run of wins at the back end of the 2019 calendar year which has given Leicester City some room for error in the race for the Champions League spots.

That room is closing all the time though and Leicester City have to find a way to get back to winning ways after another disappointing Premier League setback at Norwich City last weekend.

At least being at home should give them a real chance to get back on the horse and Leicester City are also going to be benefit from having Jamie Vardy return. This should boost their chances and coupled with the poor run Aston Villa are on it is no surprise the home team are favoured to win this one.

Aston Villa beat Leicester City with a late goal in the League Cup Semi Final Second Leg, but they have lost 4 in a row in all competitions since then and have been conceding far too many goals. Back to back away losses at Bournemouth and Southampton and the kind of performances produced are a massive concern for Dean Smith who saw his team slip to 19th in the Premier League table after results last weekend.

The confidence of beating Leicester City in the League Cup will help, especially as those memories are quite fresh, but this is a tough test for Aston Villa.

Asking relegation threatened clubs to out-score opponents to win games is a hard way to make a living and I do think Leicester City will be too strong. Motivation won't be a problem and the chance to regain complete control of one of the Champions League places on offer in the Premier League should focus the mind too.

The amount of goals conceded by Aston Villa in recent weeks means I will back Leicester City to get back to winning ways in the League and cover the Asian Handicap in the process.

Score: Leicester City 3-1 Aston Villa

Fantasy Football GameWeek 29

*KLAXON* It's time for another DGW!!

Manchester City and Arsenal are both playing twice this week after seeing their Premier League game rescheduled for Wednesday.

Most are going to have at least one player involved, but I would not be surprised if hits have to be taken to bring in a second or third player.

Clouding things is the status of Kevin De Bruyne who was set as a doubt by Pep Guardiola and that has to be a concern for all owners. I am one of those, although it was not enough to make me think removing him from my team was the right play.

Pep Guardiola has taken over from Sir Alex Ferguson in being very difficult to second guess, the new 'Tombola Operator' if you will.

In saying that my decisions were made much easier when the news broke that Alisson had been ruled out- it meant I could bring in a City defender (goalkeeper in this case) which would allow me to have just enough funds to move Roberto Firmino into Sergio Aguero.

Taking a hit is not ideal, but I am comfortable enough doing it in this case even if it is hard to trust Pep Guardiola to resist making wholesale changes between games. However it is a risk worth taking with the way things are shaking up and of course Aguero will be given the Captaincy armband.

Next week I am going to look at potential plans for the chips I have remaining, and that includes holding onto my Triple Captain chip for another week.

My GW29 Team

Ederson- two games this week and needed a definite replacement for an injured Alisson.

Serge Aurier- not sure I think Tottenham Hotspur are a good thing when it comes to clean sheets, but Aurier does produce attacking returns.

Caglar Soyuncu- home game against Aston Villa might see Leicester City turn things around defensively.

Enda Stevens- looks to be passed fit for a Sheffield United home game.

Mohamed Salah- has a good record against Bournemouth.

Kevin De Bruyne- would have been the easy Captain choice if his overall fitness was better going into the weekend.

James Maddison- good fixtures and I do think Leicester City can bounce back.

James Ward-Prowse- home game against Newcastle United and midfielder on set pieces.

Troy Deeney- not an easy game for Watford but Troy Deeney scored and assisted last weekend and will be a threat.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin- a tough away game at Chelsea, but this is a player in the form of his life and can be a threat regardless of fixture.

Sergio Aguero (C)- his record speaks for itself against Manchester United and Arsenal and two goals in two games should mean Aguero is given a chance to play both fixtures.

Bench- Michael McGovern, Adama Traore (injury concern means he might not earn the start), Federico Fernandez, Harry Maguire