Norwich 4 – 5 Liverpool

Goals, goals, goals. Liverpool’s trip to Norwich City saw nine goals between the two clubs. Roberto Firmino looked confident playing in his third game as striker. He found the right positions and was clinical in finishing his chances. He looks to be settling into the Liverpool option and is a great, out-of-position pick for managers looking for midfielders. James Milner was at the center of Liverpool’s attack and was directly involved in three of Liverpool’s goals (Firmino’s second goal should have been a Milner assist). Liverpool need to address defensive issues, especially on set pieces where they have conceded the majority of their goals.

Steven Naismith made his debut for Norwich, and was a standout player for the Canaries. He grabbed a goal and an assist and is playing in the typical number 10 position. He is listed as a forward, which doesn’t add to his desirability in FPL. Wes Hoolahan proved to be a valuable midfielder at £4.7, also scoring and assisting. He may be a good budget option for players looking to free up cash. Personally, I would stay away from Norwich as they have not looked to be threatening as of late.

Crystal Palace 1 – 3 Spurs

If you didn’t see Dele Alli‘s goal, you need to see this (Alli’s Wonder Goal). Arguably the goal of the year, Alli had a standout game. At £5.6, he is an absolute steal playing in an attacking role for an inform top 4 side. Harry Kane had another great game getting amongst the points with a goal and an assist. He’s always in the right place at the right time and is a clinical finisher. He comes at a pricey £10.0 but is worth every pound in my opinion. Spurs don’t look like slowing down any time soon.

Crystal Palace were unlucky in their chances and the score should have been closer. Wilfried Zaha tested Spurs defense with his pace and ball control and ultimately forced an own goal from Jan Vertonghen. Puncheon and Cabaye dictated play in the midfield, but weren’t able to create the chances the Crystal Palace needed to score. I would still stay away from Palace until they start winning some games and start scoring some of their own goals.

Leicester 3 – 0 Stoke

Stoke’s visit to the King Power stadium wasn’t a pleasant one as they were thrashed by the usual suspects. Jamie Vardy returned to his usual form grabbing a well worked goal. He looked sharp and ready to score. Riyad Mahrez tested Stoke defenders and proved to be too much to handle. He absolutely humiliated Philipp Wollscheid with the skill move of the year, and finished the play with an assist to Leonardo Ulloa. Might be worth it to hold onto Mahrez, with Leicester seeming like their usual selves. Daniel Drinkwater was the man of the match, bagging a goal and an assist. Still at only £4.5, he’s a great budget choice in your midfield if you’re not already maxed out on Leicester.

Stoke had a really poor game, who looked lost without Marko Arnautović and Bojan Krkić. They showed no real strengths in the game and the scoreline was an accurate reflection of their performance. Philipp Wollscheid, a popular cheap defender in FPL, has not been playing great as of late. Inexperienced errors in his last two games have led to goal scoring chances. With Marc Muniesa returning from injury, his position may be under threat. Probably best to ditch Stoke players at the moment.

Manchester United 0 – 1 Southampton

It was another uneventful game at Old Trafford as Southampton beat Manchester United on their home turf 1 – 0. Charlie Austin made his return to the Premier League, leaving QPR in the January window. His headed effort broke the deadlock and ultimately won Southampton the game. At only £7.0, he could be an interesting and affordable forward option as Southampton hope to pick up steam in this second half of the season. Dusan Tadic made a return to the starting line up, but was left empty handed for FPL points. Sadio Mane also went scoreless but had a positive game. He missed a blatant chance at goal which could have added another goal to Southampton’s score.

Whatever momentum Manchester United had after their win against Liverpool was gone. United struggled to create chances, reminiscent of their habits this season. There have to be questions asked of Louis van Gaal and his players, as it’s unacceptable to be performing with the level of talent at United. Many were quick to bring Wayne Rooney into their teams last week, but it may have been a poor decision. I would hold off on United options until they show consistent form.

Watford 2 – 1 Newcastle

The one-two punch that is Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo were back in full form as they defeated Newcastle 2-1. The Deeney-Ighalo goal was Deeney’s 8th assist and Ighalo’s 15th goal of the season. Faithful owners of both were happy in their point returns and they are still looking to be the best budget forward options at the moment. Fixtures are a mixed bag for Watford, with Chelsea and Spurs followed by Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. I think that it’s worth keeping Watford options until they stop scoring.

Newcastle look rejuvenated with their recent signing of Jonjo Shelvey, but the Magpies ultimately fell short of expectations. Georginio Wijnaldum still looks heavily involved in Newcastle’s attack and may continue to return points. Fixtures are tough for Newcastle coming up so I’ll be staying away for now.

Sunderland 1 – 1 Bournemouth

After scoring a hat trick against Swansea in Gameweek 21, Jermain Defoe was expected to have a big game for FPL points. He was chosen by many to be a differential captain choice, but left his owners disappointed. Patrick van Aanholt scored the equalizing goal to give Sunderland a perhaps undeserved point. He’s scored four goals in his last four games and only costs £4.7, so he may be a good cheap option in defense. I am staying away, however, due to Sunderland’s poor defensive record this season.

The story on Bournemouth’s side was the continue of form from new signing Benik Afobe. He had a great diving header that was deflected by Vito Mannone but found the back of the net in the end. He seems to be a great cheap option at striker for those looking for a differential. Although hero of Gameweek 22 Charlie Daniels wasn’t amongst the points, he is still on penalties and is a bargian at only £4.6.

West Brom 0 – 0 Aston Villa

An uneventful meeting between bottom Aston Villa and West Brom. Ben Foster replaced Boaz Myhill in goal, which comes as a concern for many FPL owners. West Brom did keep a clean sheet, so it may be a good choice to go with a defender from the Baggies. Johnny Evans is nailed on, Craig Dawson offers some attacking presence, and Jonas Ollson is cheap at only £4.3.

Aston Villa performed like a team in last place. The only bright moment of the game came from a tackle in the box on Jordan Ayew from Jonas Ollson. In the end, it was a penalty but was not given. Aston Villa are struggling to score goals as of late, and it’s probably best to stay away from all options at this point.

Arsenal 1 – 0 Chelsea

The tone of the game was set early by Mark Clattenburg as he awared a red card to Arsenal centerback Per Mertesacker. The German was sent off in the 17′ for the controversial challenge on Diego Costa, who scored a goal just five minutes later (assisted by Branislav Ivanović). This goal would prove to be the game winner as both sides struggled to put shots on net. Costa has now scored 3 goals and 2 assists in his last four games. He did, however, suffer a knee injury and was subbed off in the 69′ for Loïc Remy. Managers should wait on transferring in Costa until he’s been evaluated.

Perhaps equally exciting as the game was the return of Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean returned to action in the 56′, replacing Joel Campbell. He played much of the game on the right side and was quick and skillful on the ball. Sánchez has historically been a leading FPL scorer, but Mesut Özil has been brilliant this season in Arsenal’s midfield, and there could be some fighting for FPL points between him and Sánchez. Sánchez is a player who seems to score in bunches, so it may be wise to wait until he finds some form before bringing him into your team.

Chelsea have displayed some defensive form as of recent, with 3 clean sheets in their last 5. Fullbacks Ivanovic (£6.5) and Azpilicueta (£5.7) may be worthy FPL investments, despite their hefty price. The two seem to have similar point potentials, so managers short on cash may want to go with Azpilicueta. I think that Ivanovic will have the greater points return, so it may be better to choose him over the Spaniard.

Everton 1 – 2 Swansea

It may be worthy to invest in Swansea players, as the team looks to be discovering some of their early-season form. Andre Ayew had a standout game, returning owners a goal and an assist. Gylfi Sigurdsson converted a penalty earned by Ayew, making it 3 goals in his last 4 games. Ayew and Sigurdsson at £6.7 and £7.0 are proving to be cheap options for managers looking to change up their midfield. Ashley Williams had an outstanding game man-marking Romelu Lukaku. He seems to be the best option in Swansea’s defense, especially due to his chance for bonus points.

Romelu Lukaku had a poor game with 7 shots but no goals to show. He wasn’t particularly involved and couldn’t convert the chances he was given. Gerard Deulofeu was heavily involved in Everton’s attack and made more crosses than any other player. He should have had an assist on the Jack Cork own-goal and an assist on the missed chance from Lukaku. This game also saw the return of Seamus Coleman. The rightback was largely involved in the attack at the time of his substitution. Although he didn’t return this week, he looks like an interesting FPL prospect. Everton have looked poor defensively, but Coleman makes up in attacking potential. He offers a cheaper option from Leighton Baines, at £5.8 compared to £6.2. Everton’s fixtures are promising, with Newcastle, West Brom, and Aston Villa in their next five. An Everton defender may be worth a gamble.

West Ham 2 – 2 Manchester City

The late match on Saturday was a battle between West Ham and Manchester City. Sergio Agüero scored 2 clutch goals to keep Manchester City from losing the game. He’s hitting form and staying healthy, returning 16 and 12 points in his last two games. His hefty price tag at £13.4 will make managers consider his worth, but current owners are rolling in his point returns. The rest of the Man City team struggled to create chances as West Ham sat deep and defended.

Dimitri Payet gave a masterclass and did everything but score in the game. He pulled ball skills out of his bag of tricks and made defenders look foolish. He took a brilliant free kick that was saved by a sprawling Joe Hart. It was his best moment of the game and he should have scored. He looks like a must-own, as it’s only a matter of time before he returns in a big way. Enner Valencia scored West Ham’s two goals. The first was a simple tap-in, after Cheikhou Kouyaté made a surging run past Yaya Touré. The second came from a quickly-taken long throw by Michail Antonio, which was an off balance shot but found the net. At £5.8, Valencia offers owners a cheap differential option for an inform striker.