Gameweek 23 saw some magical FPL fixtures, some which were historically special, and some which surprised everyone by being as close as it was. With Leicester showing no signs of slowing down and games coming quick and fast, the 3 points you can pick up in any game is vital for every team no matter where they are in the table. With 6 points seperating 4th and 10th it is all to play for as we start going into the later stages of the season. This week we saw an average of 3 goals per game, where 30 were scored amongst 9 fixtures with 1 goalless draw. So, as you can assume a lot of points up for grabs, so lets see where you could access the points as we take a look at the dream team.
Goalkeeper
Ben Foster – This week the last line of defence is Ben Foster, who plays his first 90 minutes of the season. He was eased back into the swing of the Premier League with a fixture against a less attacking opponent in the form of Villa, so when the result ended as a goalless draw, it wasn’t too hard to pick any faults out of his performance. Only 4 other keepers kept a clean sheet this week.
Defenders
Branislav Ivanovic – First up in this 3 man defensive line is none other than Ivanovic, a regular from last season and an appearance this season thanks to a fierce derby going in favour of the blues. He assisted the only goal of the game and Chelsea with the man advantage closed it out accordingly. He also kept a clean sheet, his sixth of the season, by stopping the fierce force of Sanchez, Ozil and Walcott.
Craig Cathcart – The Watford defender who scored a crucial goal in Watford’s 2-1 win over Newcastle. He was unfortunate not to also get a clean sheet but he’ll be happy to get his 1st dream team appearance of the season. 2 bonus points means he is now the biggest FPL point earner in the Watford back 4 this season.
Patrick van Aanholt – Finally in this back line is van Aanholt, who has already appeared twice this season, and returns after Sunderland worked immensely to grind out a draw against Bournemouth. Despite their current low points tally, Sunderland are on the rise and the defender’s fifth goal of the campaign will boost spirits around the camp.
Midfielders
Roberto Firmino – First up we have the highest scorer of the week in the form of Firmino, who found his shooting boots this weekend in the BPL and is shining under Klopp, as he has now scored 4 in 3 games, with 2 assists and a goal coming in this match up with Norwich, a must win game for Liverpool. The game ended 5-4 in favour of Liverpool and his fitness will be key if Liverpool look to jump into the top 4 as the season comes to an end.
Danny Drinkwater – Next up, Drinkwater from Leicester. Week after week at the moment, everyone seems to be waiting for Leicester’s bubble to burst. Drinkwater starred in a big win over Stoke, bagging himself a goal and an assist, making him worthy of all 3 bonus points. That took his tally to 14 for the gameweek and a deserved place in this week’s dream team.
Dele Alli – We have one of the brightest sparks in the Premier League in the dream team this week, with Dele Alli scoring a wonder goal and perhaps the goal of the season. The 19 year old Englishman has a bright future, if he keeps his head down and for the nation’s sake, I hope he is selected in the Euro 2016 squad, where he will be able to flourish in much harder situations. He is thought to be valued at around £50 million, with Spurs keen to keep a tight grip on him.
Andre Ayew – Our final player in midfield is Ayew who finds himself in a struggling Swansea side. He has already scored 8 this season, and has created as well. Swansea haven’t won many games this season (only 6) but despite this Ayew has still found himself in the dream team more than 4 times, as he continues to shine despite the poor form the Welsh team have shown this season.
Forwards
We have a front 3 this week. What else did you expect when we have 30 goals to talk about?!
Enner Valencia – Valencia, who bagged 2 against City, is the opening to this forward 3 and with his 4th goal this season, he will be excited that he doubled his tally in 1 single game. Although he missed the majority of the start of the season, he still has the technical ability to bag a lot more before this season comes to a close, especially with Villa being their next fixture.
Odion Ighalo – Next up is Ighalo who pops up around once a month to make an appearance. After 3 games with no goals he scored 1 and assisted 1 to ensure Watford took the win against Newcastle. He has continued his great goal scoring form from the Championship with 15 goals so far this campaign, just in league games.
Sergio Aguero – Finally, we have a similar face in the form of Aguero, who after returning from injury picks up exactly where he left off… scoring goals. He is on 12 for the season and will really need to put a shift in if he wants to challenge for the golden boot after a season full of injuries. He looked in-form against West Ham and will be looking to bag some more goals against struggling Sunderland.
So how did this week end up for you? Was it a success or did you miss out on all the goals?!
Written by Morgan Kidson
