Gameweek 4 Diary

14:40 I haven't been able to tune into the Chelsea game today but having just checked the scored I am absolutely delighted. Two assists from Lampard (who will surely add bonus points later) as well as a goal-clean sheet combo from Ashley Cole have given the Juice a great start to the weekend. The other goals were scored by Anelka and Ballack with Malouda the man to miss out in the midfield rotation this week.

14:45 All over at Stamford Bridge and that's a great result for Ancelotti, Chelsea and most importantly Pure Juice. Well done boys.

14:50 New arrivals Huth and Tuncay are both on the bench this week for Stoke as Shawcross has been passed fit. The assumption is that Wilkinson will be the man to miss out going forward but this situation is worth following. Huth has been added to the game at 4.5m which looks like a good price for a defender is a unit that is excellent at home, and whose height should make him a threat from set pieces. Perhaps more interesting is that Tuncay has been listed as a midfielder and at 6m could be a decent price. Hopefully he will come on today so we can see what kind of position he will play but considering Fuller, Beattie and Kitson have yet to score in the league this year, it wouldn't be a stretch to think he might get some games up front.

15:03 GOAL Geovanni opens his league account for the season after a great assist from Hunt. Stephen Hunt (5m) is looking like a genuine fantasy threat with two goals and an assist to his name already this year. There are a good selection of midfielders available for 5-6m and a developing strategy might be to hold two premium talents and then rotate 2 of 3 guys available at 5m.

15:15 Quiet start elsewhere on a day in which I was struggling to pick too many clean sheets. Slow starts for Spurs and Liverpool who are both expected to win handsomely today. Stoke-Sunderland looks more likely to be a 0-0 but hopefully things pickup in the next few minutes.

15:25 Bolton sitting back at home with one man up front. Expect a one or two nil away victory here. When sides are so unambitious at home its often just a matter of time before the away side gets through. I hope I don't jinx things but I am very happy to have Insua in my team right now.

15:30 Both Sky Sports and BBC suggest that Luka Modric is 'running the show' at White Hart Lane' so it will be interesting to see if he can get any fantasy points. I mentioned that this is a week to see if Modric can be a real fantasy contributor and so far the answer is an unfortunate no.

15:34 GOAL Bolton take the lead and I totally jinxed the Reds. Bolton's first real attack of the game results in a goal for Kevin Davies, his first of the season. Liverpool's inability to contribute suggest to me that they are should not considered alongside Chelsea and United until they can put this run of awful form behind them. As for Davies (a blog favourite) its great to see him on the scoresheet as he is one of the last 'old school' forwards around these days. At 7m he is probably overpriced but he can get on a streak and is a decent plug in if the fixture is right. Elmander is credited with the assist.

15:41 GOAL Goal from an unlikely source as Dave Kitson manages to do something he couldn't all last year: score a Premier League goal. Although not worth fantasy consideration, the goal does have wider implications as in form strikers will limit the amount of time Tuncay - a potential buy - plays up front. No assist given for the goal.

15:42 GOAL Equaliser for Liverpool at the Reebok and Glen Johnson has got another, suggesting he could be the best 'premier' defender right now. Liverpool's inability to keep clean sheets worries me though and I won't pick defenders based on the goalscoring record. Last year no defender scored more than 4 goals where as United had 24 clean sheets. His forward play does lend itself to assist though and if Liverpool can get their defense on track, the former Hammer looks like better value than the likes of Vidic and Terry. No assist was given for the goal.

16:03 GOAL Just as Hull took the lead after 3 minutes in the first half, Wolves hit right back at the start of the second. The goal has come from Stearmon to put McCarthy's men on level terms.

16:04 Nightmare scenario for Spurs as both King and Modric come up limping from early challenges in the second half. King has gone off while Modric will try and continue. This could answer my question as to whether to hold onto Modric or not.

16:05 Bolton score against the run of play again, this time through Tamir Cohen. After stating my confidence in Insua this week I am starting to doubt the Liverpool defense more and more as the day goes on. Davies gets the assist to give him a very nice day indeed. Meanwhile Modric has had to be taken off and that might be the incentive I need to move the playmaker on for the next few weeks.

16:13 SENT OFF Sean Davis sent off for Bolton which gives Liverpool a glimmer of hope to save this game. Sky Sports suggest it was a touch unfair and that Lucas was asking for the card which is a shame, especially in light of the midweek controversy. Liverpool almost hit right back as Gerrard thunders a shot against the bar.

16:15 GOAL Liverpool are level and its the Pure Juice combo or Kuyt to Torres which has caused me to scare the girlfriend with an over the top fist pump. I was about to suggest betting on Liverpool to win this one but I fancy the odds aren't that great anymore.

16:25 US fans will be pleased to see blog favourite Jozy Altidore on at Molineux and will hope he can have the kind of impact he had last week at Bolton. Not sure how Brown can possibly rate Caleb Folan ahead of the former Villareal player though if this continues I will have to look elsewhere for my budget striker.

16:29 GOAL Second half substitute Peter Crouch opens his account for the season nodding in a Tom Huddlestone cross. That goal was always on the cards and its only a shame that Modric had limped off and so could not be involved. Keane's early season form has limited Crouch's appearances but as the season goes on I can see Defoe-Crouch being the first choice partnership for Redknapp.

16:31 Liverpool want a penalty after a Gerrard shot strikes a Bolton arm but Wiley is having none of it. Liverpool had plenty of late wins last year and you feel another is coming here which could give the Reds the lift they need to get their title challenge back on track.

16:33 GOAL To borrow a quote from Chris Kamara - unbelievable. Lee Bowyer has equalised for Birmingham which shatters the hearts of many fantasy players who will have banked on a clean sheet in this one.

16:35 Team news from Old Trafford is that Berbatov will start on the bench with Giggs playing off the lone striker Rooney. Bit of a surprise that and the ultimate mark of respect for Wenger's side. Its Evra, Vidic, Brown and O'Shea at the back as Jonny Evans and Neville miss out. Arsenal look to be 4-4-2 with Eduardo dropped to the bench with Arshavin and Van Persie backed up by a solid lineup of Song, Diaby, Denilson and Eboue. Not sure if there is enough craft there but they certainly look ready for a battle.

16:42 GOAL As predicted Steve Gerrard looks to have got the winner at the Reebok, smashing a long shot into the top corner of the net. If ever there was a way to make easy money it was backing Liverpool at 2-1 down today. BBC suggest the assist belongs to Torres but I will confirm when the Premier League site starts working.

16:42 Tuncay is on for Fuller at Stoke but won't get enough time for us to see what his role will be this year. Keep watching him in the next few weeks.

16:45 Torres did indeed get the assist for Gerrard's winner which could give him double figures if the 'experts' give him any bonus points.

16:50 Stoke grab their third clean sheet of the season and are yet to concede at home. They have only suffered one defeat in 2009 at the Brittania.

16:52 GOAL Late late goal at White Hart Lane and its that man Aaron Lennon who has done it again as if to well and truly end the Modric-Lennon debate. The final whistle goes and Lennon's goal did indeed prove to be the winner. Liverpool have also won thanks to goals from Torres, Gerrard and Johnson.

Great afternoon of action so far with the best game yet to come. Check back during the United-Arsenal game and then later tonight for all the fantasy analysis of today's events.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Expected goals plus-minus

Selecting defenders within the same team

A brief update