Guest writers Chris Clark and Charlie Cooke rub their noggins together in a special preview of an enticing encounter between the two best teams in the league - alphabetically at least.
Having suffered a
humiliating defeat at the hands of industrial giants Dortmund, Arsenal’s lack
of defensive enforcer, both in midfield and at the back has never been more
apparent. Alexis Sanchez was woeful, prompting a potential return to form against
an Aston Villa team on the up. Look out for a fearsome contest between two
young England hopefuls, Fabien Delph (5.0) and Jack Wilshere (6.4) - just don't put either in your Fantasy lineup. The former is more overrated than Nandos and the latter is a doubt with an ankle complaint, not to mention he is famously less useful to a Fantasy team than scissors would be to a crab.
Also available in Fender Strat
With no Benteke, all
eyes will be on Welbeck (7.1) upfront. His price has risen 0.2 since he joined the Gunners but remains disproportionately low given he is their only bona fide striker. Vlaar (4.6) - the man from Transylvania - will
hope to carry on his blistering World Cup form and entomb an Arsenal front line
that may well include a couple of fringe faces, but is also a slight doubt and, given Villa's atrocious looking fixture list, not one to transfer in, although if you're brave enough to weather the storm it may pay off given the Villains' impressive three clean sheets so far, including one at Anfield.
Will Welbeck finally
break his duck, or will the water break off the duck that is Aston Villa’s
back?
Pick 'Em
Our picks this week
would be, given Arsenal’s defensive frailties, to avoid their defenders like an
Ebola outbreak at Madame Tussauds.
One is a vapid lifeless husk of no real societal worth, the other...
We would consider
Sanchez (10.4), Welbeck, Cazorla (8.3) and, as a risk, for one night only, Oxlade Chamberlain (6.5). I’ve got a
feeling he may even play Joel Campbell (price irrelevant).
From a Villa
perspective, finding consistent fantasy stars in this over-performing team is
like trying to find redeeming qualities in Alex Salmond. However if Braveheart
was about to walk in to our hut, not take his shoes off and kick over a table,
demanding answers, we would point him the direction of Delph, Vlaar, or at a
stretch, Gabby Abonlahor (5.4) - who has an impressive 17 points in his last two games.
