The festive period is over for good and so is the hectic schedule in the Premier League. The new year definitely didn’t bring about any major change in the Premier League standings as Chelsea continue to strengthen their stay at the top of the table. Rivals Arsenal, on the other hand, continue to falter and have come under scrutiny as they have won just 2 out of their last 5 games.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are 1 point above the Gunners but have struggled to get wins under their belt. City’s local rivals Manchester United have now won 6 consecutive games but are still 6th on the points table. The race for the top 4 has definitely tightened up and we should expect some great football now.
This week’s special feature will be the North West Derby and fans will be hopeful that it does not turn out to be a snooze fest like the one earlier this season. Gameweek 21 promises to be exciting with some great fixtures lined up for us. Let’s take a look at the 5 players to pick for this coming week:
#1 Alvaro Negredo
The striker is quite easily the biggest offensive influence in the Middlesbrough team which has struggled to score goals till now. With 5 goals and 4 assists, we are counting on Negredo to deliver this week.
Negredo is available at a cut price of 6.4m and is a great budget option. The player has a strong and physical presence in the game and will surely bother Watford's backline who haven’t kept a cleansheet in their last 10 matches in the Premier League.
Middlesbrough next 3 fixtures command a fixture difficulty rating of 2-2-2 and this may just be the right time to snap him up before his stock starts to rise.
Next 3 fixtures: Watford(A), West Ham(A), West Brom(A)
#2 Michail Antonio
The Englishman has been one of the best players for the Hammers this season. His versatility has been a huge asset for the club which has deployed him most often as a right winger, forward and even at the right back position at times. The player has scored 8 goals and set up his teammates twice this season, which is a more than a decent output for someone who is a part of a team which is struggling at the 13th position.
This week West Ham play London rivals Crystal Palace at home. The Eagles have kept a cleansheet just once this season and it looks highly improbable that they will put in a good defensive performance away from home.
Next 3 fixtures: Crystal Palace(H), Middlesbrough(A), Man City (H)
#3 Dele Alli
The Spurs midfielder has been in hot form with a point haul of 44 in the last 3 games. After a small blip earlier on in the season, Alli has performed exceedingly well and has scored 6 goals in the last 3 games alone. The Spurs trio of Eriksen, Alli and Kane have linked up really well and the club definitely will prosper from this.
Spurs play their next match against West Brom at the White Hart Lane. The Baggies have definitely been a strong unit defensively but at the same time have kept only 3 cleansheets this season. Alli’s form is such that his price is sure to rocket now and it would be a wise move to snap him up.
Next 3 fixtures: West Brom(H), Man City(A), Sunderland(A)
Also Read: SK Power Ranking: Top 10 EPL attackers - Gameweek 20
#4 Charlie Daniels
Bournemouth left back Charlie Daniels has been nothing less than immense for the Cherries. The player has been reliable defensively and has been magnificent going forward. Daniels has been involved in 6 goals for his club, consisting of 3 goals and as many assists.
He is currently the 3rd on the points table in FPL for defenders and is just behind Azpilicueta and Cahill. This is despite the fact that Bournemouth have kept almost half the number of cleansheets that Chelsea have maintained till now.
The team under Eddie Howe has played some good football till now and sit comfortably in the top half of the table at 9th. Their next fixture sees them play away from home against Hull City who are fighting relegation. The Tigers have just scored thrice in their last 5 games in the league and the Bournemouth defence will in all probability shut them down.
Next 3 fixtures: Hull City(A), Watford(H), Crystal Palace(H)
#5 Calum Chambers
Another loanee on the list, Chambers has been an absolute top player this season for Boro. The Smoggies have shown stupendous defensive resilience recently conceding just 1 goal in their last 4 matches and the backline has been pretty stable. The player is also likely to get the highest bonus points if Boro keeps a cleansheet.
Karanka, the Middlesbrough manager has ensured that the team is defensively stable. The team has not been the best-attacking force but has been resolute at defending. Their next fixture is against Watford. The Hornets have scored just twice in their last 5 league games and do not look to be an offensive threat.
Next 3 fixtures: Watford(A), West Ham(A), West Brom(A)
