With the next Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadline nearing, we’re hearing from our panel of guest writers. Here, five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman talks through his Gameweek 36 team.
MATETA OUT?
The main decision this week is to keep or sell Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m).
The Frenchman’s form has dropped off since returning from the ear injury he suffered against Millwall, with only two goals in seven matches.
In that period, he’s recorded just five shots in the box:
Palace’s fixtures have admittedly been tough, with five of their last seven opponents in the top half for clean sheets, but certainly from an eye test perspective, Mateta’s lack of form is a concern, particularly with just three Gameweeks of the season left.
The biggest worry, however, is his playing time since returning from injury. Across his last six starts, he’s averaging just 62.3 minutes per match.
There’s certainly the possibility of rotation/managed minutes in both Gameweeks 36 and 37, too, with the FA Cup final on the horizon.
That said, the issue with selling now, and it’s a pretty big one, is Sunday’s opponent: Tottenham Hotspur.
Here’s what Ange Postecoglou said in the dressing room following Spurs’ 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle on Thursday, a result which secured their passage to the UEFA Europa League final.
“Every day is important, every day, every training session, every game we have between now and then [the final] is about getting ready for that big game. I keep saying to you, this is the group of players that are going to do it. So focus on that for now, but you deserve all the credit, it’s been outstanding. So from tomorrow we focus, yeah? Tonight [big celebrations].” – Ange Postecoglou
Now Tottenham’s defence often looks ropey anyway, having kept just two clean sheets in their last 19 matches, but coming back from Norway, the rotation factor, plus the fact Palace are one of the most effective counter-attacking transition teams in the division, is making me question my decision to sell Mateta (next week it’s a no brainer of course).
If I do decide to sell, there are a couple of forward replacements I have in mind, which I’ll discuss below.
WHO TO BRING IN?
