Tweet by Fantasy Football Scout.

[ Added on 21/01/22 at 14:18, since the announcement of DGW23 fixtures. ]

| Introduction |

Another GW awaits and it’s time to get stuck in to the teams and players who are looking to shine (hope it reads ok, do one Dyslexia!) Hopefully the (rough) numbers are of interest and/or assistance (flippin’ eck, the previous GW was only about 20 minutes ago wasn’t it, anyway, here is another stream of conciousness. By the way, this week’s sort of algorithm is a bit bonkers, a bit like me, but to be honest it’s not a ‘real’ team (it’s actually a ‘fantasy’ fantasy team) and I didn’t really know what to do to seen as the big names are a bit up and down this season (so I did something a bit different, and there are suggestions in the article – including heavy hitters, middleweights and differentials).

| General Fixtures (Stats) Overview (Pandemic Permitting) |

| 21/01/22 | 20:00 (UK) | Vicarage Road | Watford Vs Norwich City |

| Watford Looking For A Win At Home |

• Watford are looking for the first home win since beating Manchester United (4-1).

| 22/01/22 | 12:30 (UK) | Goodison Park | Everton Vs Aston Villa |

| Everton Looking For A Home Bounce And A Slam Dunc & Gerrard’s Villa At Goodison Park |

• Everton are looking for the first league win since beating Arsenal (2-1).

| 22/01/22 | 15:00 (UK) | The Brentford Community Stadium | Brentford Vs Wolves |

| Brentford’s Defensive Problems & Wolves’ Defence |

• Brentford have conceded 10 goals in their previous 3 league matches.

• Wolves have the second best defence in the Premier League in 2021/22 in terms of least goals conceded (15).

| 22/01/22 | 15:00 (UK) | Elland Road | Leeds United Vs Newcastle United |

| Leeds On The Up & Newcastle United’s Away Day Problems |

• Leeds United come off the back of back to back to back league victories, 6 goals scored in their previous 2 * league * matches and * may * have Bamford available for selection – but have shown how well they can play and how fluid and quick they can break without a natural out and out number 9 in the team (Newcastle United have not won away from home in the league this season and have conceded in all but 1 league match this season).

| 22/01/22 | 15:00 (UK) | Old Trafford | Manchester United Vs West Ham United |

| Manchester United At Home & West Ham United Away (Moyes Returns) |

• Manchester United come off the back of back to back positive away results * and * 3 fairly recent domestic away wins under Ragnick * but have struggled in home matches this season but are set to face a West Ham United side without their best centre backs (Soucek may be touch and go).

| 22/01/22 | 17:30 (UK) | Southampton Vs Manchester City |

| Southampton’s Home Form/Record & Manchester City’s Away Fluidity |

• Southampton have only lost 1 league match at home this season but face a Manchester City side that have scored 2 goals or more in 7 away matches in the Premier League in 2021/22 (and they may find quite a bit of space away at St.Marys, especially against a Southampton side that has conceded in most matches recently and have scored 2 or more goals (Manchester City) on numerous occasions in recent matches.

| 23/01/22 | 14:00 (UK) | The Emirates Stadium | Arsenal Vs Burnley |

| Arsenal At Home & Burnley’s Lack Of Options & Match Fitness (?) |

• Arsenal (won the majority of their home league matches & have scored 2 goals or more in most of their recent league matches) are set to face a Burnley side at home (pandemic permiting) that have not won away from home in the league this season.

| 23/01/22 | 14:00 (UK) | Selhurst Park | Crystal Palace Vs Liverpool |

| Crystal Palace’s Form/Players Form/Players Unavailable & Liverpool’s Selhurst Park’s Joy Since 2015 |

• Crystal Palace are likely to be without Kouyate and Zaha (AFCON) – plus McArthur (Ayew in contention to be involved).

• Liverpool, despite being without Salah, Mané & Keita, come off the back of a 3-0 win against Brentford and a 0-2 win against Arsenal in the League Cup, as well as having one of the best underlying numbers defensively and attacking wise (and 3 consecutive clean sheets in all competitions recently).

| 23/01/22 | 14:00 (UK) | The King Power Stadium | Leicester City Vs Brighton |

| Leicester’s Problems In Defence Continue & Brighton’s Away Form |

• Leicester City (one of the highest scoring teams outside of the top 4) have scored in most of their recent home league matches (and conceded in most of their league matches in recent GWs)

• Brighton are unbeaten in all but 1 league away match this season (unbeaten in recent league matches going back since their 2-0 win against Brentford)

Brighton are unbeaten in all but 1 league away match this season.

| 23/01/22 | 16:30 (UK) | Stamford Bridge | Chelsea Vs Spurs |

| Spurs Unbeaten In League Matches Under Conte & Chelsea Without Mendy & Co |

• Spurs remain unbeaten in the league under Conte (especially after a dramatic win away against Leicester City) and Kane had numerous goal attempts in GW22 (hang on, I’ll have to look again to make sure – think he had about 5 shots and played some beautiful passes – but he played really well and had a bit of a field day against that vulnerable Leicester City defence – albeit with injuries to various defenders – they actually have had a couple of clean sheets at home fairly recently but concede plenty of chances).

| Teams To Do Well |

Watford

• Watford face a Norwich City side that have conceded the most amount of goals away from home in the Premier League in 2021/22.

• Watford are ranked 8th for succesful dribbles in SofaScore (as far as I know that is up to date).

• Watford beat Norwich City (1-3) earlier on in the season.

Leeds United

Leeds United face a Newcastle United struggling defensively, having come off the back off a big win against West Ham United (2-3), and may be able to target Newcastle United on their left side.

Manchester City

Manchester City are unbeaten away from home in the league since GW1, although they do a face a Southampton side that have only lost 1 league match at home this season (and beat them at home 19/20), but have won 12 consecutive league matches.

Arsenal (Pandemic Permitting)

Arsenal have one of the best home records in the league this campaign, having only lost one league match at home in 2021/22, and are set to face a Burnley side that concede a fair few goals away from home.

Liverpool

Liverpool come off the back of back to back to clean sheets in all competitions (written on 19/01/22 at 23:10), are unbeaten in all but 2 of their Premier League away matches in 2021/22, and are unbeaten * away * against Crystal Palace in the league since 2015.

| Players To Do Well |

| Heavy Hitters |

Trent

Trent is the highest returning defender in the league this season, is one of the most creative players in the league and offers an extra appeal as a set piece specialist (most crosses, high up for big chances created and comes off the back of back to back clean sheets and back to back assists in all competitions).

Cancelo

The impressive underlying numbers continue, the attacking returns continue and the points continue for the Portuguese (only Trent has more more attacking returns than him this season).

De Bruyne

Has scored against Southampton in previous seasons, as well as scoring against Chelsea in DGW22 and continues to offer Manchester City plenty of creativity and attacking threat both in open play and through set pieces (created 7 big chances in league matches this season).

Kane

Scored and assisted in GW22, now has scored 4 goals in his previous 5 Premier League matches, and faces a Chelsea side without 4 key defensive players or players in the defensive unit (Mendy, James, Christensen & Chilwell).

Bruno Fernandes/Ronaldo (depending on some variables)

Bruno Fernandes scored/assisted 3 goals with Ronaldo off the pitch (4 goal involvements in total) and ranks high for chances and big chances created this season.

Ronaldo is not playing particularly well but only needs a chance or two to score, is set to face a West Ham United side without their best centre backs and * possibly * without Soucek (he may be touch and go, if he plays, this may help West Ham United to restrict a Manchester United side that has struggled at home at times on the league this season).

| Middleweights (Mid Range Price Wise In FPL) |

Raphinha

The Brazilian has 10 goal involvments (FPL) in the league this season, continues to be on the front foot, and faces a Newcastle United side that struggles to defend on their left hand side (and has conceded the second most amount of goals in the league this season).

• Raphinha is joint 6th for most shots (56) in the league this season, 10th for crossess and 4th for shots per game (researched through the use of SofaScore).

• Raphinha is 5th for key passes per game (researched through the use of SofaScore) & 4th for succesful dribbles per game (also researched through the use of SofaScore).

Dennis/King

Dennis remains one of the highest returning players in the league this season, offers plenty of technique and pace, and faces a Norwich City side that has conceded plenty away from home this season (right up there in that sense).

King had 4 goal attempts against Newcastle United, gets in to decent positions and faces an aforementioned Norwich City side that concedes plenty away from home.

Maddison

• 11 goal involvements in the league this season, continues to make runs from deep and offers a goal threat and creativity in open play and on set pieces.

Jota

• 2nd top scorer in the Premier League (highest of players available in the league at the moment), continues to get in to goal scoring positions and has 5 away goals in the league (and 2 away at Arsenal in the League Cup) to his name this season (set to face a Crystal Palace side that has conceded in most of their matches recently, has conceded numerous chances but not necessarily a lot of high quality chances conceded and have some players unavailable).

Bowen

Not an easy fixture this GW, but he (top assister in FPL this season and on some set pieces/can get on the end of them/can get in central positions) and West Ham United have pace on the break and are the 4th highest scoring team in the league in 2021/22, and are set to face Newcastle United, Watford and Leicester City in coming GWS (pandemic permitting!).

| Possible Differentials |

Calvert-Lewin

Not in great form by any means, but with minutes under his belt (so to speak), and with Everton likely to be more attacking since Benitez is no longer in charge, he has a chance to get back to scoring ways (3 goals scored in his first 3 league matches) – Aston Villa have kept just 1 clean sheet in recent weeks and have conceded a significant amount of goals this season (although I think I am right in saying that their defensive xG is better since Gerrard became manager and have a chance to get clean sheets in coming GWs).

Harrison

A hat-trick in GW22 (4 league goals scored recently), was a bit of the blue but may offer something new (next 3 fixtures are quite decent, for those using a chip perhaps) and with his pace, skill and direct play (he is a talented player).

Coutinho

• 2 shots on target in GW22, is no stranger to scoring from distance and offers a goal threat and creativity in the penalty area and through set pieces.

Ramsey

Young talented budget option, makes runs from deep and scored/assisted against Manchester United in GW22 (has a couple of goals to his name in fairly reecent times).

Tierney

Set to face Burnley at home (Burnley, Wolves, Watford & Brentford in the next 4 – as things stand), has attacking returns in fairly recent league matches and gets in to advanced positions (4 shots on target in his previous 5 league matches).

Digne

Had 2 shots on his debut for Aston Villa against Manchester United, gets in advanced positions (tends to have space to get in to becaue of how Villa’s attackers tuck in) and is one of the most attacking defenders in the Premier League in recent seasons.

Podence/J Pedro/Richarlison/Gordon/Martinelli/Saka

• Honoury mentions, mostly budget, and quietly playing well/have got on the score sheet recently/may be differentials/enablers or options in Draft, Sky FF or FanTeam)

| Teams/Players To Consider Moving Forward (Possible DGWs, May Be Viable For This GW Too)

Manchester City

Liverpool

Aston Villa

Arsenal

West Ham United

Manchester United

Wolves

Leicester City (attacking options)

Leeds United

Everton (‘new manager’ bounce, or caretaker bounce, have viable options from an attacking perspective)

Burnley (have a lot of games in hand, have Cornet coming back fairly soon all being well and may have a new striker coming in)