Friday Foreplay – Gameweek 21

Juan Mata is in the captain picks for Gameweek 21 thanks in part to his consistency.

Let’s enjoy the melody that is Gameweek 21. Instruments include captain picks, big hitters, clean sheets, and punts. Also, a lazy musical analogy.

Captain Picks

1. Mata: Mata has three goals, two assists, and seven bonus points in the last five games. Benitez plays him in the hole, which seems to suit him to a tee. A home game against QPR is as good a fixture as you could ask for, that is if Benitez doesn’t use that “easy” game to rest his creator.

2. Suarez: He’s a constant threat, as his total of 87 shots for the season and two goals against QPR attest to. Despite Sunderland’s return to form, the combination of a resurgent Gerrard and Suarez is likely to be too tough to contain.

3. Van Persie: He started on the bench against West Brom so he should be a safe starter against Wigan. In what could be a tricky away match, bearing in mind last year’s result, Ferguson will surely look to Van Persie for a contribution. 14 goals, 8 assists, and 22 bonus points in 20 appearances says it all really. More so when you consider his consistency; this season he has only failed to deliver a goal or an assist twice when starting.

Heavy Hitters

In his last eight games Gerrard has averaged both 2.75 chances and shots per game. This marks somewhat of a resurgence for Gerrard, who in the same time has delivered three goals and five assists.

Aguero and Silva have both shown signs of their form from last season. Aguero with two goals and an assist in the last four games and Silva with three assists in the same games.

Michu, if he plays, is an obvious pick. Just be aware that he is a doubt, so be especially careful about captaining him.

Bale misses the home game against Reading, so Tottenham will look more to Defoe to provide goals. The last four games have seen him take over four shots per game on average which is normally a good indicator of goals.

It would take a brave man to discount Walcott and Cazorla based on their and Arsenal’s performances of late. Both have recent hattricks and will test the Southampton defence.

Clean Sheets

Villas-Boas has been rotating his center backs recently, making Walker the safest pick of the Tottenham defence, at least until Assou-Ekotto is back. Tottenham welcome Reading to White Hart Lane where Walker could pick up a clean sheet and provide attacking thrust down the right, perhaps adding to his four assists this season.

West Ham will want to atone for last Gameweek’s surprise loss against Reading. Allardyce will focus on staying compact, given West Ham’s lack of firepower and this Gameweek’s home game against Norwich is a good fixture for Jaaskelainen to pick up yet another clean sheet.

Despite Agger picking up a goal in Liverpool’s win over QPR I would still rate Johnson as likelier to return attacking points, in addition to a likely clean sheet against Sunderland.

Punts

Hernandez is back for Swansea, after a month out with a thigh injury, and duly delivered an assist against Fulham. Before his injury he had scored twice and assisted thrice in seven games, hinting at a quick adaptation to the Premier League.

I commented on Berbatov’s and Ruiz’s promising partnership in Fulham’s loss last Gameweek. Ruiz’s underlying number’s are certainly a promising sign, despite a tough away trip to West Brom.

Fellaini returns after his suspension and, considering the amount of goals Newcastle have shipped recently, is likely to pick up attacking points.