Bantasy Football: Gameweek 19: Whom to Auld Lang Sign

While Southampton have been in Santa’s good books this festive season, I can see Jose Mourinho putting a lump of coal in their stocking. Ryan Bertrand will be unable to play against his parent club so there will be a reshuffle in the Southampton defence, who have conceded nine in their last seven as it is.

In terms of captain material, I'm going to go slightly left field and suggest sticking to Hazard (10.5m) or Fabregas (9.7m) for this one. Costa (11.2) obviously has the potential to score in any game but he can be ever so slightly hit or miss points-wise, whereas Hazard and Cesc seem to produce on a more consistent basis.

Of course one always has to bear in mind that big-name players may not see out the full ninety or may even be rested for the odd game during the heavily congested Christmas fixture schedule. Both Fabregas and Hazard could be considered candidates for the bench in the next game or two - which is something to keep a key eye on.

Defensively Chelsea look pretty watertight. We may see some rotation amongst the defence, though, and I expect to see Filipe Luis (5.3) get a game in the near future. Whether that is in place of Azpi or Ivanovic is uncertain at the moment but both are candidates for emergency Boxing Day sales. Nevertheless, Mourinho has started virtually the same team every game in the league and in a match against a team on the up, and, with a big derby match at Spurs on the horizon, I don’t imagine he will change the formula too much.

West Ham v Arsenal

Andy Carroll (7.0) could be a good shout against Arsenal, whose defence looks like Uncle John after one too many of his favourite mince pie and sherry combos – and West Ham will be looking to feed the ball in to the big man in the air at every available opportunity. The Hammers are a tough team to play against but I can see Arsenal beating them, although not keeping a clean sheet. Welbeck (7.1) is due a goal and I can see him finding it in this fixture especially with Giroud out of action after doing a rubbish Zidane impression against QPR. Of course Sanchez should be started if owned, after he atoned masterfully for his missed penalty against QPR with a headed goal and an assist.

Newcastle v Everton

Newcastle and Everton meet in a battle of cities for the title of shittest place to spend winter. And there’s a football match as well. Both are tough to call. Everton came unstuck against Stoke and the Toon have won four of their last five home games. I can see Newcastle taking it despite conceding. Lukaku (9.0m) should rebound and score after a dry spell and I would stay away from any Newcastle defenders at the moment if possible.

Stoke v West Brom

I expect the Potters to take West Brom to town. Bojan (5.0) could well score again after netting the winner on Boxing Day. The diminutive Spaniard, despite not having seen sunlight for the last month, appears to be their main outlet, and is a right trickster on the ball. More to the point I don’t expect Stoke to concede in this game. Begovic, Shawcross and Muniesa are all good candidates to register points this Gameweek. It’s a known fact that trying to play Stoke away in the winter months is akin to trying to invade Russia.

Tottenham v Manchester United

Like an old rich man in an Essex nightclub, while not looking wholly convincing Man Utd still appear to keep winning, and I expect them to beat Spurs. This Tottenham side will be intimidated by United while they’ve been crafting edgy wins out of hay, The Red Devils look to be finally laying foundations solid enough for a title challenge. Budget superstar HurriKane (5.3) has been immense and should be brought in if you have any front line issues, especially with United's leaky defence. I consider Rooney (10.6) and Mata (8.5) safe options for United to register points this week, despite the former's new midfield role and the latter's lack of involvement in the last few weeks.

Man City v Burnley

Man City should make the most their Christmas gift of two easy fixtures and roll over Burnley. Silva (9.1) is my favourite for captain this week and Nasri (8.2) is another good bet to score from an artificially advanced midfield position. Lampard (5.5) may get a start to rest some of the more regular names on the team sheet and he appears to be revelling in something of a super-sub experienced role. Not a bad risk to take with the January wild card available in two weeks.

Swansea v Liverpool

Despite their recent revival I think Swansea will be a hard task for Liverpool, even with an extra day of rest. This has score draw written all over it. Bony (8.6) should pop up with a goal against a club he’s probably trying to impress before the January sales. If Sterling (8.3) is played as a striker again then he represents excellent value and the possibility of following on last week's form and getting a lot of points from midfield. Coutinho (7.6) is always worth monitoring as the Brazilian appears to be rediscovering form.

Aston Villa v Sunderland

In a fixture that, on paper at least, has all the allure and charm of a fake Christmas tree sitting in an old people’s home in March, Sunderland take on Villa. Sunderland are not the best team but I can see them taking this game against a Villa side that has looked clueless of late. I would consider selecting Johnson (6.0) or Fletcher (5.3) for this match. Again stay away from defenders as this fixture could go either way and neither team are solid at the back. There is a chance Benteke (7.9) recaptures his goal-scoring touch against a weak back line.

QPR v Crystal Palace

If Heineken made London derbies this would be definitely be the last one. Despite not being a advertisement for the glitz and glamour of the capital city we could miraculously see a decent match. I can see Charlie Austin (6.2) scoring in this kind of scrappy dogfight fixture. QPR have had some tough games and I expect them to really try to get points at home to a team near them in the table.

Hull v Leicester

For most, Turkey is traditional Christmas fare, for football fans in Hull they have something called a shit sandwich. And the leftovers are precisely what they’re going to get when they meet Leicester. When relegation fodder meets relegation fodder, like two people with limp handshakes meeting for the first time, it's almost impossible to predict what will happen. Probably a mess. I would avoid fielding players from either team, neither of which seem sound at the back or going forward. If you must, plump for Ulloa (5.2) who played well and scored against Spurs despite their 2-1 loss on Boxing Day – though beware his lack of playing time.