“The week which would decide the title race” was the headline echoing across Britain leading up to the weekend and with every game being so important at this stage of the season, it was vital to secure as many points as possible both on the pitch and for you guys, the fantasy managers. So strikers were pressured to perform, and many lost composure and shocked viewers as the title race became more and more heated, but some stepped up and grabbed the game by its throat and this is what we’ll be looking at in this week’s dream team. Some familiar faces and some differentials, what more could you ask for?
Goalkeeper
Easter Sunday! The day everything comes back to life! Apart from this game which finished 0-0 as Michel Vorm secured his first clean sheet, as the Spurs substitute keeper made his 2nd appearance this season. The game was a goal drought and lacked excitement throughout, and with both teams missing chance after chance, the defenders will be happier than the attackers as Spurs recorded their 7th clean sheet of the campaign.
Defenders
A perfect week for recovering Everton as captain fantastic Phil Jagielka stayed solid at the back and also got himself a cheeky goal. A much needed win against a confident Southampton side who have had 2 halves this season. Jagielka’s goals inspired the Blues to all 3 points and with a man of the match performance, he edged his points to 15, advancing his total to a smashing 116 for the season.
Next up, we have Dier who after a shaky start to the season has managed to find his way into the dream team after a performance which lacked mistakes(and entertainment) and earned him his 4th clean sheet. Not many Spurs fans will be glad to see their players in the dream team following the disappointing result but the majority will be glad too see Spurs drop points in a must win game.
Next we have his partner in crime (and differential we should add) Chiriches. With only 20 points all season it is no shock that only 0.1% of players opted for the Spurs defender but maybe this is his time to shine as his clean sheet and 2 bonus points earns him a spot in this week’s top 11.
Midfielders
Firstly we have QPR player Phillips who put in an outstanding performance with 3 assists in 2 games edging him to 18 points, the most he has had all season. But is it too little too late? With his team looming 2 points away from safety, he will need to keep his form for the final 6 games if he hopes to be playing Premier League football next season.
Now back to some more suspected players. Ander Herrera played in a much needed win against Aston Villa who were looking to gain some points in the double gameweek. He bagged himself 2 vital goals and demonstrated a perfect performance giving him the honour of man of the match but more importantly 3 bonus points to the 2.5% of managers who opted for him. Next up, we have the Belgian wizard Hazard as the opportunity to go 7 points clear at the top was taken in convincing fashion. The lead didn’t mean the game was done and dusted though as Chelsea knew all too well about what could potentially happen after Hull brought 2 goals back within minutes in the previous gameweek. However, Chelsea kept composure and a goal and an assist boosted him to the 3 bonus points reward meant Hazard he reached 194 points for the season, just 8 points away from last season’s total.
Our final midfielder is Sanchez. With a 4-1 anihilation of Liverpool at the weekend, his goal just before half time shut off all chances of a comeback and destroyed the little bit of hope Liverpool had left. Also bagging an assist in a must win game for both teams gave him a honourable mention and silenced his critics with another dominant performance.
Strikers
Before I start – Charlie Adam, you are a god. We have a dynamic duo up front this week, With Austin and Zamora totalling 2 goals and 3 assists and a whopping 34 points. The on-form Austin has now got 17 goals this campaign and will be looking for a club in the summer as well as the well known Zamora who found form (and the net) this week and could be the saviour QPR need to stay in the BPL.
Finally, we have Benteke, the highest scorer of this week and a striker who is coming out of his shell to demolish defences week in week out. A total of 4 goals in 2 games, including a hat-trick, lifts Villa to 16th and shines some light on the difficult situation. Surely Villa fans are happy he is finding his form later rather than never as he looks to finish the season on a high, for a potential summer move.
A WHOPPING 158 points this week for managers to strive on but the question is did you get lucky? Many bottled it and stuck with the reliable Hurrikane instead of risking Benteke with a double weeker and look what he did..
Let us know what happened for you this week.
Morgan.
