The second week of the year 2023 has arrived and many of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolution. Thankfully there are two promises which would never be broken: Premier League’s promise to excite us and Krida Fans’ promise to take that excitement to the next level.
The fixture congestion, faced by teams usually in December, would be a problem in January this time around due to the winter world cup being played in December as well as the postponement of matches in gameweek 7 following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Three of those matches would be played this week and would be in consideration for points. These additional fixtures are:
1. Fulham vs Chelsea (Thursday, 12th Jan)
2. Crystal Palace vs Manchester United (Wednesday, 18th Jan)
3. Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspurs (Thursday, 19th Jan)
Key Takeaways from the last round
Tottenham Hotspur registered the biggest win in the last round of fixtures, followed by impressive performances by Brighton and Manchester United, both winning by the margin of 3 goals. Southampton lost their sixth match in a row, failing to register even a single shot on target against Nottingham Forest.
The race for the title took another twist with Arsenal dropping points against third-place Newcastle United while Manchester City won 1-0 against top 6 rival Chelsea. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week came in the very first game of this round where a spirited Brentford side defeated star-studded Liverpool despite missing their top goal scorer Ivan Toney.
Players to watch out for
With the majority of premier league teams testing their bench strength in the FA cup matches last week, squad selection would be an interesting dilemma for managers, particularly those who performed well. The following players though could be seen justifying their selection:
Forwards
a. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspurs) inspired another second-half revival by scoring two goals against crystal palace. The forward is now just one goal behind late Jimmy Greaves in Tottenham's all-time scorers' list and would be looking to break the record as the spurs face Top two sides Arsenal and Manchester City in the space of 4 days
b. Evan Ferguson (Brighton) is quickly emerging as the emerging player of the season, having already scored twice this season with his latest coming in Brighton’s 4-1 win over Everton in the last round
Tip: For 9.3 credits, Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen (941 points) could be a useful addition to any squad with him most likely to dictate the game, particularly if United emerges victorious against rivals Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Midfielders
a. Joao Mountinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers) produced another measured performance in the midfield for his team, providing the assist for the opening goal of the match. The 36-year-old Portuguese veteran remains the heart of the Wolves midfield alongside compatriot Ruben Neves.
b. Andreas Pereira (Fulham) is enjoying a wonderful season at fulham. The midfielder has already contributed 2 goals and 4 assists this season so far which is exactly equal to his goal contribution prior to his joining Fulham in the summer.
Tip: For 10 credits, Leeds United’s Rodrigo Moreno (1056 points) is surprisingly missing from many fantasy squads, particularly considering that the midfielder has already scored 10 goals this season.
Defenders
a. Ben Mee (Brentford) made a crucial block early in the game against Liverpool that enabled his side to get the famous win. He has been one of the top-performing defenders of the league so far and could really play an important role in Brentford’s finishing at top of the table.
b. Sven Botman (Newcastle United) is proving to be a wonderful signing for the magpies as the 22-year-old center-back has found his feet quickly in the premier league. He added another clean sheet to his name last week, against the top of the table Arsenal.
Tip: For 5.8 credits, Manchester City’s Ruben Dias (630 points) could be a rewardful bet for any squad as he faces the stiff challenge of stopping Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs’ forward line. The 25-year-old center-back has already established himself as one of the best defenders in the world.
Goalkeepers
a. Bernd Leno (Fulham) made a string of impressive saves against Leicester City to help his team win narrowly by a goals margin. He has made the third most saves (67) by any goalkeeper this season in the premier league.
b. Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest) added another clean sheet to his tally in his team’s 1-0 win against Southampton. The goalkeeper is making good use of his loan move at the forest, to stake a claim for a starting role at his parent club, Manchester United, next season.
Tip: For 4.3 credits, Crystal Palace’s Vicente Guaita (705 points) could be a high-risk high reward choice for any fantasy team as the goalkeeper would be expecting a high number of shots coming his way as his side plays against Chelsea and Manchester United next week.
What Next?
So there you have it, a comprehensive preview of the quality players who are set to light up the English Premier League. Now all that is left to do, is to pick your team and make sure you win the Krida Fans fantasy game!
This New Year is more enjoyable because you can use promo code “HNY2023” and get 20% off your entry fees. If you want to test it out, then you can join the KridaFans platform for free too.
