ASTON VILLA
Season Preview
Back in the top flight and it looks like the squad is sub-par compared to other squads that have arrived into the Premier League in past seasons. Despite this, Villa found a way to get through the end of last season and the Championship playoffs. This clutch ability will come in very handy when it comes to the relegation fight they will be in this season.
Key Player: Jack Grealish
Top Goal Scorer: Wesley
Predicted Finish: 16th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Ørland Nyland, Jed Steer
Defenders
Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings, Ahmed El Mohamady, James Chester, Neil Taylor, Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa, Bjorn Engels, Frédéric Guilbert
Midfielders
Conor Hourihane, Jack Grealish, José Jota, Anwar El Ghazi, John McGinn, Andre Green, Birkir Bjarnason, Keinan Davis, Henri Lansburg, Trézéguet, Douglas Luiz,
Forwards
Wesley Moraes, Jonathan Kodjia
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – J. Steer
RB – A. El Mohamady, CB – T. Mings, CB – E. Konsa, LB – M. Targett
CDM – C. Hourihane
RM – Jota, CM – J. McGinn, CM – J. Grealish, LM – A. El Ghazi
ST – Wesley
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – J. Kodjia, W. Moraes, C. Hourihane
Free Kicks – C. Hourihane, J. Grealish, Trézéguet
Corners – C. Hourihane, J. Grealish, A. El Mohamady
Top Target
Wesley Moraes | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 1.4%
The powerful striker netted 17 goals and provided 10 assists for Club Brugge in all competitions last season. He possesses great strength, but still has some pace. His hold up play as well as runs behind the defence should see the Brazilian be a success at Villa.
Punts/Differentials
Conor Hourihane | MID | £6.0 | 0.4%
Hourihane rarely plays in an advanced attacking position, but he is always involved in his side’s attack play. Over the past 5 seasons, the Irish midfielder has averaged 10 goals and 11 assists per season. On set piece duty, Hourihane was deadly last season, and no Aston Villa player created more chances from dead ball situations that Hourihane. Moreover, he ranked equal 1st for big chances created amongst Villa players.
Be Wary Of
Jack Grealish | MID | £6.0 | TSB 8.1%
Grealish missed 15 games through injury and sickness last season. Although he still played a huge rule in Villa’s promotion, Grealish’s wasn’t directly involved in regular goals for the side. Out of his 31 games, Grealish returned a goal or assist in 10 of them. In this way, Grealish was directly involved in a goal every 230.4 minutes, whereas Hourihane involvement was 1 every 174.5 minutes. It must be noted though that Grealish created the most chances at the club last season despite missing 15 games. Yet, his big chance created numbers were significantly lower. Grealish is Villa’s key player, but he mightn’t be their most productive man in attack.
Cheapie Watch
Ahmed El Mohamady | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 3.9%
The Egyptian fullback’s 2018/19 season was arguably his best in a long time. Scoring 2 goals and providing 8 assists, El Mohamady ranked 4th for chances created (53) among Villa players last season. As well as his creative potential, El Mohamady also has OOP potential, as he was fielded on the right wing 13 times last season. Promoted sides always struggle for clean sheets, but in Villa’s first 9 games, they will certainly have chances for shut outs.
Cheapie Rating: A
Matt Targett | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 1.7%
Despite playing 90 minutes only 11 times last season, Targett managed to make 23 successful crosses, and create 23 chances (4 big chances). However, he spent most of his minutes last season at left midfield where he will not play at Villa, and he is not guaranteed a consistent starting left back spot at his new club.
Cheapie Rating: C
Tyrone Mings | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 1.8%
Mings was a key contributor in Villa’s promotion, but his fantasy appeal is limited. Plying his trade as a centre back last season, he only made 7 shots in 18 appearances. He will most likely gain bonus points when Villa keep a clean sheet, but you can’t really pick a defender from a newly promoted team who doesn’t offer attacking potential as clean sheets will be hard to come by.
Cheapie Rating: D
John McGinn | MID | £5.5 | TSB 1.6%
McGinn finished last season with 6 goals and 10 assists, starting more games than any other Aston Villa player. His 40 shots inside the box was the most of any Villa midfielder, and he ranked 1st among Villa midfielders for shots on target. McGinn also created the 2nd most chances at the club (75) and equal most big chances (11).
Cheapie Rating: A
Trézéguet | MID | £5.5 | TSB 3.1%
The powerful Egyptian winger arrives at Villa after an impressive few seasons at Kasimpasa, where he netted 22 goals and provided 16 assists in 65 games. His attacking involvement will be high, and he is definitely one to watch. However, Trézéguet may have to bide his time before breaking into the starting xi.
Cheapie Rating: B
Jonathan Kodjia | FWD | £5.5 | TSB 0.8%
Largely playing as a bench forward last season, Kodjia netted 9 goals making him the 2nd leading scorer at the club (behind Tammy Abraham). His shot frequency was 1 every 33.4 minutes, and he had a shot in the box every 38.5 minutes. The signing of Wesley Moraes probably means that Kodjia won’t be a regular starter again this season though.
Cheapie Rating: C
Additional Notes
- With a very deep squad, expect rotation, especially on the wings
- Douglas Luiz (£4.5) is cheap but offers little potential
- Expect Villa to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper before the start of the season
- Wesley has gotten off to a great start at Villa, having scored 2 goals and provided 2 asssists in pre-season
AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Season Preview
Despite a terrible defensive record in the past campaign (70 goals conceded), Bournemouth managed to score the 7th most amount of goals in the league (56). This was predominantly due to the exploits of Callum Wilson, Josh King, Ryan Fraser and young attacking mid David Brooks. If a minimal improvement in defence occurs a rise in the table is obvious. The belief amongst Bournemouth fans is that the defence will improve this season, especially if Nathan Aké finally becomes the wall at the back he has been touted to be.
Key Player: Nathan Aké
Top Goal Scorer: Callum Wilson
Predicted Finish: 11th
2019/20 Squad
Goalkeepers:
Asmir Begovic, Artur Boruc, Mark Travers
Defenders:
Nathan Aké, Steve Cook, Adam Smith, Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis, Chris Mepham, Jack Simpson, Diego Rico, Lloyd Kelly, Jack Stacey
Midfielders:
Ryan Fraser, David Brooks, Jefferson Lerma, Junior Stanislas, Dan Gosling, Andrew Surman, Jordon Ibe, Lewis Cook
Forwards:
Callum Wilson, Josh King, Lys Mousset, Dominic Solanke, Sam Surridge
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – M. Travers
RB – A. Smith, RCB – S. Cook, LCB – J. Simpson, LB – L. Kelly
RM – D. Brooks, CM – N. Aké, CM – J. Lerma, LM – R. Fraser
SS – J. King
ST – C. Wilson
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – J. King, C. Wilson, J. Stanislas
Free Kicks – J. Stanislas, R. Fraser, C. Daniels
Corners – R. Fraser, J. Stanislas, D. Brooks
Top Target
Ryan Fraser | MID | £7.5 | TSB 21.3%
Fraser finished the 2018/19 season with a career best 7 goals and 14 assists, accumulating 181 FPL points. Fraser offers excellent early season appeal, playing newly promoted Sheffield United and Aston Villa in GWs 1-2. Last season, he averaged 8.5PPG against newly promoted sides, including returning a double digit haul in 4/6 of these matches. From GWs 4-7, he then plays Leicester, Everton, Southampton and West Ham, who he averaged 5.3 PPG against last season. Fraser’s attacking potential comes from his creative output. In 2018/19, Fraser ranked 3rd in the league for chances created (98), behind only James Maddison and Eden Hazard. Moreover, he ranked 1st for big chances created (28), well ahead of 2nd placed Eden Hazard (18). Furthermore, in 2018/19, Bournemouth ranked 5th in the league for goal scored from crosses, and Fraser made the second most accurate crosses (77) in the league last season.
Punts/Differentials
David Brooks | MID | £6.5 | TSB 5.4%
If you want a Bournemouth midfielder but don’t have the funds for Fraser, Brooks is your man. The £50m rated Manchester City youth product had an excellent first season in the Premier League in 2018/19. In 30 appearances, he netted 7 goals and provided 6 assists. Although he is not as creative as Fraser, Brooks has a large presence in attack. His shot frequency of 1 every 55.2 minutes is superior to Fraser, and in 1000 less minutes, Brooks scored the same amount of goals as his Scottish teammate. To go with these 7 goals, Brooks spurned 8 clear cut chances, and also hit the woodwork twice. Having only played 90 minutes 12 times last season, expect Brooks’ attacking output to increase as he earns more minutes.
Be Wary Of
Nathan Aké | DEF | £5.0 | TSB 17.1%
In 38 games last season, Aké only scored over 8 points once (GW37). Bournemouth did keep 10 clean sheets, but Aké only picked up bonus points in 4 of these matches (he scored a goal in one). In fact, he has now scored only 8 bonus points for 3 seasons in a row. He did score 4 goals in 2018/19, but in a season where it seems like it’s either premium or pound-shop at the back, £5.0 is an awkward price. If you want a Bournemouth defender, Adam Smith (£4.5), with his overlapping runs at right back, could be the way to go.
Cheapie Watch
Diego Rico | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 3.4%
With Nathaniel Clyne’s loan spell complete and Charlie Daniels out until potentially GW8, Rico was most likely going to be Bournemouth’s first choice left back. However, the signing of young left back Lloyd Kelly from Bristol City for £13m has seemingly ruined Rico’s prospects.
Cheapie Rating: C
Jack Simpson | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 7.7%
Simpson’s prospects in Bournemouth’s starting line up depend on two things: 1) Lewis Cook’s injury, and 2) where where Eddie Howe wants to field Nathan Aké. Without L. Cook still recovering from an ACL injury, a spot in central midfield is vacant at the Cherries. With Andrew Surman injured at the back end of last season, Aké was favoured to Dan Gosling at defensive midfield, allowing Simpson to slot in at centre back where he performed well. Should this continue until L. Cook returns, Simpson will be a great option.
Cheapie Rating: A
Jordon Ibe | MID | £5.0 | TSB 0.2%
David Brooks excelled at right wing last season, and with Ryan Fraser on the left, there is no place in this starting line up for Ibe.
Cheapie Rating: D
Jefferson Lerma | MID | £5.0 | TSB 0.2%
Lerma is involved in attacking play for Bournemouth, registering 263 final third passes last season (2nd most at the club). However, he sits too deep to be relevant in FPL.
Cheapie Rating: D
Dominic Solanke | FWD | £5.5 | TSB 0.5%
As long as Callum Wilson and Josh King are fit, Solanke will remain a bench player at Bournemouth.
Cheapie Rating: D
Additional Notes
- In their first two pre season matches, Wilson (2 goals), Fraser (2 goals) and Brooks (1 goal) were all on fire.
- Junior Stanislas (£6.0) has performed well in the past, and will become an option when he’s fit.
- Lewis Cook is back in full training but will most likely be eased back into action. When he returns, expect him to slot in at centre mid, with Simpson dropping out.
- Priced at £5.0, Steve Cook should be avoided, but Adam Smith (£4.5) is an option.
- It is unlikely that Asmir Begovic (£4.5) will be starting for Bournemouth come GW1. Artur Boruc (£4.5) and Mark Travers (£4.5) will battle it out for the no. 1 jersey.
ARSENAL
Season Preview
A hard road is ahead for the Gunners, as the gap between them and the top clubs is widening. Without a significant push for world class players in the transfer market, the season could hinge on the pacey striking duo of Lacazette and Aubameyang banging in goals. A leaky defence over the last few seasons will again be the downfall if not improved upon. Losing Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer to Juventus was ludacris business and if this management continues, it’s lights out for Champions League qualification.
Key Player: Bernd Leno
Top Goal scorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Predicted Finish: 6th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Bernd Leno, Emiliano Martínez
Defenders
Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Laurent Koscielny, Héctor Bellerín, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Rob Holding, Carl Jenkinson, Konstantinos Mavropanos
Midfielders
Alex Iwobi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Granit Xhaka, Mesut Özil, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, Mohamed Elneny, Daniel Ceballos
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Edward Nketiah
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – B. Leno
RB – A. Maitland-Niles, CB – S. Mustafi, CB – Sokratis, LB – S. Kolasinac
CDM – D. Ceballos, CDM – L. Torreira
RW – P. A. Aubameyang, CAM – M. Özil, LW – A. Iwobi
ST – A. Lacazette
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – P.E. Aubameyang, A. Lacazette, M. Özil
Free Kicks – G. Xhaka, A. Lacazette, M. Özil
Corners – G. Xhaka, M. Özil, H. Mkhitaryan
Top Target
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | FWD | £11.0 | TSB 18.5%
Last season’s equal top goal scorer looks great value heading into the new season. Auba scored 22 goals last season, accruing a league high 32 bonus points. Interestingly, he also missed a league high 23 big chances, and hit the woodwork 4 times. If he becomes a bit more clinical, we could see Auba break the 30 goal mark this season. Even missing these chances, he still registered 6 double digit scores, and averaged 9.3 PPG against bottom 6 sides, making him a genuine captaincy option.
Punts/Differentials
Alexandre Lacazette | FWD | £9.5 | TSB 8.5%
Lacazette mightn’t have a huge upside only scoring 2 double digit hauls all season, but he has superb consistency. Firstly, Lacazette can score well against both top 6 and bottom 6 sides. In 2018/19, Laca averaged 5.6 PPG against top 6 sides, whilst scoring on average 6.5 PPG against bottom 6 sides. Furthermore, Lacazette only blanked in 31% of his matches last season, returning a goal or assist in 69% of games.
Be Wary Of
Henrikh Mkhitaryan | MID | £7.0 | TSB 3.7%
The Armenian scored very well in limited opportunities last season, and he has the potential to be an FPL gun. However, he remains a large rotation risk heading into the new season.
Cheapie Watch
Daniel Ceballos | MID | £5.5 | TSB 2.3%
Ceballos’ attacking returns have been underwhelming so far in his career, but he has the perfect opportunity to change this at Arsenal. He has high involvement in the attacking third, and with greater minutes this season, Ceballos should improve his attacking output.
Cheapie Rating: A
Matteo Guendouzi | MID | £4.5 | TSB 4.2%
Guendouzi is basement priced, but don’t expect any attacking returns from him. In his 78 career performances, he has only ever scored 1 goal and provided 3 assists. Last season for Arsenal, he took less than 1 shot every 3 games. He’s just not an option.
Cheapie Rating: D
Lucas Torreira | MID | £5.0 | TSB 1.8%
Torreira provided 4 assists and scored 2 goals last season, but his average position is usually around the centre circle, and he isn’t very involved in the Arsenal attack. Thus, he’s not a very good FPL option.
Cheapie Rating: C
Additional Notes
- Aubameyang was Arsenal’s first choice penalty taker last season. However, during the pre-season match against Real Madrid, Lacazette took Arsenal’s penalty (Aubameyang was on the field).
- Arsenal’s defence cannot be trusted heading into the new season. They conceded 51 goals last season, and only kept 8 clean sheets. Look for improvements in defence before banking on a Gunners defender.
BRIGHTON
Season Preview
Look for Brighton to struggle again as the season goes on. With only 9 wins last campaign, the side as a whole only managed to find the back of the net 35 times, with Glenn Murray contributing a whopping 13 of these goals. Not without quality, Brighton have players that can spark offence in the likes of Davy Pröpper, Pascal Groß and Anthony Knockaert along with a good shot stopper in Mat Ryan. But, it is their lack of defensive unity that costs them valuable points. Allowing opponents nearly 16 shots per game on their goal, losses are inevitable.
Key Player: Shane Duffy
Top Goal Scorer: Glenn Murray
Predicted Finish: 17th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Mat Ryan, David Button
Defenders
Shane Duffy, Lewis Dunk, Gaëtan Bong, Martín Montoya, Bernardo, Leon Balogun, Matthew Clarke
Midfielders
Solly March, Pascal Groß, Anthony Knockaert, Davy Pröpper, Dale Stephens, Yves Bissouma, Beram Kayal, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Jose Izquierdo, Leandro Trossard
Forwards
Glenn Murray, Jürgen Locadia, Florin Andone
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – M. Ryan
RB – M. Montoya, CB – S. Duffy, CB – L. Dunk, LB – Bernardo
CDM – D. Pröpper, CDM – D. Stephens
RW – S. March, CAM – P. Groß, LW – L. Trossard
ST – G. Murray
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – G. Murray, P. Groß, L. Trossard
Free Kicks – Y. Bissouma, L. Trossard, A. Knockaert
Corners – L. Trossard, P. Groß, A. Knockaert
Top Target
Mat Ryan | GLK | £4.5 | TSB 15.7%
When keeping a clean sheet, which Premier League goalkeeper averaged the highest last season? The answer is Mat Ryan. Brighton only kept 6 clean sheets last season, but in these matches, Ryan averaged 9 PPG. Although this number of clean sheets is down from the 10 Ryan achieved in 2017/18, he only conceded 1 more goal last season. Also, due to his shot stopping ability, Ryan is 1 of 3 goalkeepers to have attained double digit bonus points in each of the last 2 seasons. This suggests that if Brighton can become slightly more resilient at the back, Ryan could be nudging the 150 points in FPL this season.
Punts/Differentials
Leandro Trossard | MID | £6.0 | TSB 0.5%
Brighton’s new £18.0m signing has a real x-factor about him. In 47 appearances last season for Genk in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, Trossard netted 22 goals and provided 11 assists. Importantly, he wasn’t just a ‘flat track bully,’ as he provided significant attacking returns against fellow top 6 sides such as Belgian champions Eupen (2 goals), third placed Cercle Brugge (3 goals) and fifth placed Club Brugge (1 goal). Further to his attacking returns, Trossard’s underlying statistics are also highly impressive. Last season, he averaged over 4 shots per game, and took 1 shot in the box per half. He may take a bit of time to adjust to life in the Premier League, but he has everything needed to become a FPL asset.
Be Wary Of
Glenn Murray | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 3.8%
Glenn Murray is like a fine wine – he gets better with age. 2017/18 saw Murray score a personal high 12 Premier League goals, and he then bettered this in 2018/19, scoring 13 goals. However, he is now 35, and will be 36 by GW7. With Jürgen Locadia and Florin Andone waiting in the wings, the big man Murray may see a drop in minutes this season, impacting his FPL output.
Cheapie Watch
Dale Stephens | MID | £4.5 | TSB 3.3%
Even at bottom dollar, Stephens should be avoided. Last season, he only took 8 shots and created 18 chances in 30 appearances.
Cheapie Rating: D
Solly March | MID | £5.0 | TSB 0.6%
Statistically, March was quite good last season. Creating 41 chances (including 8 big chances) in 35 appearances, March was Brighton’s second most creative player.
Cheapie Rating: A
Additional Notes
- Jahanbakhsh (£6.0) may receive more minutes on the right wing this season
- Trossard (£6.0) provided 3 assists in a pre-season match against Birmingham
- Locadia (£5.5), who has scored 2 goals and 2 assists so far in pre-season, is taking steps towards succeeding Murray as Brighton’s first choice striker