This article is part of our Ball Watching series.
Can Leicester Outfox the Drop?
Don't look now, but Leicester is only one goal in differential behind slumping Hull City and only one point behind Sunderland in the race to Premier League safety. At the head of the revival effort is Jamie Vardy, who in the past five weeks is in the top-6 among Premier League forwards in key passes (ten), touches inside the opponent's 18-yard box (34) and shots from inside the box (11). Long story short: Vardy is the focal point of the attack. If Leicester are going to continue to score, Vardy is likely the reason why, and definitely should be considered a budget forward option. In the midfield, Marc Albrighton has supplied 35 crosses in the past three weeks, and is looking like the preferred starting option to the formerly popular budget midfield option Riyad Mahrez. Albrighton is showing signs of a Matthew Phillips-like insurgence into the FPL landscape. One thing's for sure, Leicester are peaking at the right time, and should be considered in FPL circles with a double fixture week upcoming (at Burnley, v. Chelsea).
Pulis Pings Palace
The former Crystal Palace boss returned to Selhurst Park and did what he knows best: post a clean sheet and score off set pieces. After all the hooplah yours truly provided last week, the Eagles' sorely disappointing performance was slightly soul crushing, but not a cause for alarm. With a home matchup against struggling Hull, who are only avoiding the drop on goal differential, Palace's offensive options will be worth the investment. Especially given that both Yannick Bolasie and Glenn Murray had five shot attempts apiece, with the former executing a beautiful overhead kick that, unfortunately for the Frenchman, was aimed directly at West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.
Who to Trust For Liverpool's Double?
Of the four teams with a double gameweek (Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester and Hull), the Reds have the most appetizing set of fixtures: at West Brom and at Hull. However, the front line has been inconsistent of late. Raheem Sterling only managed one shot attempt, which was not on target, during Sunday's FA Cup semifinal at Wembley against Aston Villa. He did assist Phillip Coutinho's goal, but the Brazilian has been blanked in his last five Premier League matchups. Meanwhile, Leighton Baines. The English defender once again did not take a penalty Everton earned and, once again, the replacement taker, this time Ross Barkley, missed it. However, Baines' 13 key passes in the past five games are the most among Premier League defenders. He may not be the No. 1 option in FPL due to the lack of spot kicks, but Baines should be considered once more as a defender with offensive returns, even with a home match against United upcoming.
The Muted Light of Dim Performances
Chelsea took a large step toward the Premier League title with its 1-0 home victory against Manchester United, with Eden Hazard playing the role of hero yet again. Outside of the garden of Eden, however, only defenders and goalkeepers have had significant FPL returns. As I've said on our podcast, the Blues offense is very simple:
- Step 1: get the ball to Hazard
- Step 2: hope he scores
