Helloooooo green arrows! 82 FPL points in the bag and our highest score of the season so far! As expected the average score for gameweek 11 (56) was a full 14 points higher than gameweek 10 and the FPL Updates XI responded in comprehensive fashion. In fact the 82 point haul made it 7 of the last 8 weeks with green arrows in the overall table. A run in the fantasy premier league has seen us jump from 2,053,034th to 486,277th!
With all that said, let’s have a look at the gameweek 11 breakdown.
Jack Butland! Jack. Butland. For any of you that happen to read this write up fairly regularly you will be fully aware of my love for the Stoke City shot stopper! We started him in a game that, as stated last week, could have as easily been 4-2 as it could 0-0. Thankfully it was the latter. 1 clean sheet, 3 bonus and 6 saves returned us a hugely impressive 11 points. He carries this on and there’s a serious danger of him being drunkenly triple captained one Friday night when we hit the tiles!
In front of him we picked up not 1 but 2 clean sheets! Cedric picked up a deserved bonus point alongside his cleanie, whilst our controversial pick (thanks for the feedback Man United fans) Scott Dann, also added 6 points courtesy of Palace’s resolute display against 4th place United. We should have also had a goal to add but Kolarov decided that scoring 97th minute penalties just wasn’t for him!
My not so bold prediction last week was that our midfield would accumulate more than 14 points, our midfield total from gameweek 10. As it turns out Riyad Mahrez accounted for more than that on his own! 2 goals scored and 15 points returned sent him well clear as the highest overall scoring player in this year’s game. If he somehow managed to keep up this form he would surpass 300 points by the end of the season. Bear in mind the top scorer last year, Eden Hazard, ‘only’ totalled 233! Alongside him we had an assist from Kevin De Bruyne and blanks from Ayew and Sanchez.
Lastly, onto our front, goal-scoring 3. Lukaku was brought in due to his hugely favourable run and he duly obliged with a goal and 2 assists. Pelle was handed the armband and returned with a first half goal in a comfortable 2-0 win and lastly, the goal machine Jamie Vardy scored again. 8 consecutive games with a goal. When is it going to stop? Reckon Ruud is worried?
So after such a decent week how are we possibly going to live up to it this week? Let’s have a little look.
Firstly, we decided to hold off on a transfer this week. We felt that having 2 FT’s for the more favourable gameweek 13 fixtures would benefit us more than potentially wasting one this week. So to the goalkeeper. Guess who??!! Yep, it’s that man Jack. I know it’s getting boring but if it’s not broken why fix it! Granted he is facing Chelsea, which in years gone by would be perceived as a horror match up, but we prefer the look of him at home to Hennessey away to Liverpool.
Its the same back 3 as last week as Cedric is away to lowly Sunderland. I’m not hugely expectant of a clean sheet but after watching Sunderland struggle down their left against Everton I feel Cedric holds attacking value this week. Dann gets the nod again after an impressive 6pts against United last week. This week he’s away to Liverpool. another game we don’t hold hope of a clean sheet, but it should be noted that Dann has registered 3 shots on target in the opposition box in the last 4 gameweeks. Lastly it’s Kolarov. I won’t lie, the fact Clichy returned to the bench midweek does worry me, but with Villa up next we will take the gamble, as I’m not sure Alan Hutton can deal with him and Sterling down the flank.
In midfield it’s the usual suspects. Mahrez (WAT), Ayew (NOR), Sanchez (TOT) and De Bruyne (AVL) and aside from the fact Sanchez looks a tad jaded, I think we have enough there to deliver a more than respectable return. Just watch Ranieri bench Mahrez again! Bloody Tinkerman.
Up top again it’s the same 3. Lukaku has a match up that I can’t even begin to decide if it’s tough or not. West Ham have been the Jekyll and Hyde outfit of the season so far, shutting out Aguero but giving up a hat-trick to Callum Wilson. So predicting Lukaku’s likely return is anyone’s guess. Graziano Pelle has a Sunderland side that were destroyed by fellow striker Lukaku last week so let’s hope that continues. Lastly it’s our captain Jamie Vardy! Home to Watford we, along with many others, have plenty of confidence in his chances of scoring in a 9th consecutive game.
With quite a tough looking week of fixtures ahead I think any score of 50+ will be an achievement so good luck and let’s keep the green arrows rolling in!
By FPL Guru
