Fantasy Football Tips for Gameweek 23 in the Premier League
The Premier League is back this week and the fixtures are coming thick and fast so it is important to stay on top of your fantasy football teams to ensure you remain ahead of your rivals. This is the first installment of two tipster pieces this week, as we provide you with four players that should come into your team ahead of Gameweek 23 starting on Tuesday.
ANTHONY MARTIAL (MANCHESTER UNITED)
It has been a very difficult season for Anthony Martial and he still has a long way to go to convince Jose Mourinho he has a long-term future at the club but he should have the chance to kickstart his campaign when Manchester United welcome Hull on Wednesday. The France international was promised a starting role against the Tigers in the build up to their FA Cup win over Wigan on the condition he performed ‘magnificently’ and two assists and a disallowed goal should grant him another opportunity to impress in midweek.
The 21-year-old has played a direct hand in seven goals in his last eight starts for United in all competitions (four goals, three assists), which is a good return when you consider he has struggled for regular game time this season. Furthermore, the last six of those goals have all come at Old Trafford, where United host a struggling Hull side that were turned over 4-1 by Championship club Fulham at the weekend.
Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups
Marco Silva has done an impressive job lifting Hull since being made manager at the start of the year but the Tigers have a terrible record at Old Trafford. They have conceded 23 goals in their last seven visits to United and have not gotten a positive result their for more than 65 years. Henrikh Mkhitaryan came out better for the treatment he received from Mourinho at the start of the season, and this is now the time for Martial to do the same.
FERNANDO LLORENTE (SWANSEA)
Swansea pulled off a miraculous win away to Liverpool last time out to hand Paul Clement his first win as Swansea boss and the Welsh outfit will be looking to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time since May 2016 when they host Southampton on Tuesday night.
Clement’s side haven’t played since beating Liverpool over a week ago and will be well rested and prepared for the reception of a Southampton side that come into this fixture off the back of their worst FA Cup home defeat since 1910 after losing 5-0 to Arsenal on Saturday.
Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups
To make matters worse for the away side, Claude Puel still doesn’t have a recognised centre-back pairing with Jose Fonte sold and Virgil van Dijk out injured. Those two players have been massive for the club in the last two seasons and their absence should be music to the ears of Fernando Llorente.
It’s hard to analyse whether the Spaniard’s season has been a success but you can’t knock the fact he has scored eight league goals in a struggling Swansea side so far this season. Impressively, when he scores one, it usually means he will score another having scored three braces already this season – a feat only Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Alexis Sanchez have managed on more occasions this season in the Premier League (4 times).
STEVEN DEFOUR (BURNLEY)
It’s been a tough start to life in the Premier League for Steven Defour this season and there has been even been chat of a move to China over the next month but for now Sean Dyche’s side will be counting on the Belgian with Dean Marney out for the foreseeable future with another knee injury.
While Defour has struggled to establish himself away from Turf Moor, he has reserved his best performances on home soil and will be looking to add to the delightful goal he scored in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday when Burnley welcome Premier League strugglers Leicester on Tuesday.
In fact, Defour is Burnley’s highest rated home player in the league (7.38) and seven of their eight home league wins this season have come with Defour in the starting XI. Surprisingly, only Chelsea (30 points), Tottenham (29) and Arsenal (26) have won more home league points this season than Burnley (25) and they should be confident of securing another big result when they welcome reigning Premier League champions Leicester.
Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups
Leicester’s title defence has been so poor that Claudio Ranieri’s side are now only five points clear of the bottom three and may move even closer to the relegation zone after the midweek round of fixtures having only won three points on the road all season prior to gameweek 23!
JUNIOR STANISLAS (BOURNEMOUTH)
It’s been a real shame that Eddie Howe hasn’t had Junior Stanislas available more often during the last two Premier League campaigns because the he has been an unsung hero for the Cherries as they continue to consolidate their place as a top-flight club.
Only Charlie Daniels has played a direct hand in as many league goals in the last two seasons than Stanislas (14), who has done so having played 22 fewer matches than his teammate. The 27-year-old has four goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, with seven of those coming in his last 10 matches for Bournemouth.
Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups
Bournemouth have hit a blip in form but have the ideal opponents to get back on track against when they host Crystal Palace on Tuesday. The Eagles are still looking for their first league win of the season under Sam Allardyce but things do not seem to be getting any better since the former England manager replaced Alan Pardew before Christmas. Howe’s side have won 18 of 26 points on home soil this season and Stanislas will be an important player in midweek if they are to get continue their fine home form.
