Thursday 11 December 2014 15:04, UK
With top points scorer Sergio Aguero sidelined for the festive period, Sky Sports Fantasy Football managers around the country will be searching for a replacement.
Diego Costa is the obvious option but is he the right one given a recent drop in form? Here are five options for the armband:
Diego Costa (£9.5m)
The 26-year-old has undoubtedly been a superb acquisition for Chelsea, netting 11 times in his first 10 Premier League appearances and propelling them to early league leaders. However, unlike the Blues, Costa does not lead the charts on the Sky Sports Fantasy Football front, with 37 points less than Aguero. His poacher style has seen him pick up just two Sky Sports man of the match awards and contribute no assists, while his disciplinary problems have been costly, racking up six yellow cards. Most worryingly, the goals have dried up of late, with none in his last four appearances in all competitions, although two of them were as a substitute in the Champions League. He is also facing competition for his starting berth with Didier Drogba netting in both of his last two Premier League appearances. However, with Hull the biggest outsiders of the weekend, Costa is rated Sky Bet’s shortest priced player to score at just 8/15 anytime, making him the sensible pick. With no early kick-off on Saturday there’s also time to make a late switch of the armband subject to team news.
Papiss Cisse - £7.5m
With seven goals from just four starts and five substitute appearances, Cisse is the most deadly goalscorer in the Premier League right now. History suggests that he’s a man worth backing when on form, having netted 13 goals in his first 14 league appearances for Newcastle after arriving in the 2012 January transfer window. However, his record over the following two seasons is a concern, with just 14 goals in 69 games, while a trip to Arsenal is far from ideal despite the Gunners’ 3-2 defeat at Stoke last weekend. Arsene Wenger’s men’s troubles at the Britannia Stadium are well documented, while they had kept three clean sheets previously. If Costa is the safe option, Cisse is a roll of the dice.
Andy Carroll - £8.1m
With a place in just 0.22 per cent of sides, few reaped the rewards of Carroll’s gameweek high scoring performance against Swansea. The targetman racked up 20 points thanks to two goals, an assist and the Sky Sports Man-of-the-Match award, helping West Ham maintain their impressive start to the season. The big question is whether the Hammers and, for Sky Sports Fantasy Football bosses considering his services, Carroll can maintain that form. Sunderland (A) and Leicester (H) are up next for the Hammers, making adding to that impressive haul look feasible for Carroll, although it’s worth considering that Chelsea (A) and Arsenal (H) follow, especially considering he has only scored 15 goals in 88 Premier League appearances since leaving Newcastle in 2011.
Alexis Sanchez - £9.5m
History suggests Newcastle will be brought back down to earth with a bang this weekend as Arsenal have won their last five encounters and lost just one in 13. When the Gunners perform, Sanchez is usually the catalyst, with the Chile star scoring nine goals, assisting three and collecting three Sky Sports MOTM awards in his debut campaign. That form sees him sit second in the Fantasy points table with 98 points to his name, while he’s just 10/11 to score this weekend according to Sky Bet’s odds.
Wilfried Bony - £8.2m
If it’s consistency that you are after then Swansea’s lone striker fits the bill, with a Premier League high of 19 goals over the course of 2014. That form has only improved of late, with seven in his last nine appearances, helping him rack up 69 points this season. The Swans have little reason to fear visitors Tottenham on Sunday, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men failing to score in their last two and not keeping a clean sheet in seven before last weekend’s draw with Crystal Palace. As the first name of Garry Monk’s team sheet and the focal point of an inventive midfield, Bony is a solid if unspectacular pick.
Pick your Sky Sports Fantasy Football team here
