Fantasy Premier League 2015/16: Players to pick for gameweek 36
Closer, ever closer.
Leicester City recorded their most resounding win of the season as Mahrez, Ulloa and Albrighton netted in a thumping 4-0 win that saw the Foxes take an 8-point lead. That gap was only cut down to 7 as Kane and co disappointed at home against West Brom.
Elsewhere, Eden Hazard made his return from injury and inspired Chelsea to a 4-1 win at Dean Court with a well-taken brace, while Iheanacho's exploits helped City comfortably cruize past a Stoke side who have nothing to play for. Arsenal and Sunderland played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light, a result that left the visitors 4th and dragged the hosts out of the drop zone.
The season draws to a close with regular gameweeks sandwiching a double GW37 for Chelsea, Liverpool, Sunderland and Everton - something that you should prepare for if you are to end on a high. Read on and find out exactly how.
Gameweek 36 fixtures
Everton vs Bournemouth Newcastle vs Crystal Palace Stoke vs Sunderland Watford vs Aston Villa West Brom vs West Ham Arsenal vs Norwich Swansea vs Liverpool Man Utd vs Leicester Southampton vs Man City Chelsea vs Spurs
Player Picks
Forwards
Costa (10.5) - Diego Costa was on song before suspension took him out of action for nearly a month. With Chelsea's midfield restored to full health, the fixture-proof Spaniard is primed to embark on a strong end-of-season run.
Sturridge (10.1) - Europe-induced rotation makes it tricky to pick the right Liverpool players, but Sturridge has been a consistent starter and scorer since his comeback from injury, and is well-worth considering for the matches that remain.
Defoe (5.2) - Only Kane and Aguero have more goals than Defoe in 2016, and he will be facing defences of far lower quality than Arsenal's in the coming weeks. A bargain waiting to be snared.
Midfielders
Mahrez (7.3) - The PFA Player of the Year has delivered the points away from home all season, and the Foxes will look to him to make the difference yet again in the absence of Jamie Vardy as they look to seal the title at Old Trafford.
Firmino (8.2) - Roberto Firmino is another who has remained a Premier League regular for Liverpool in the face of constant rotation, and has delivered a goal and two assists in the last 3 games.
Fabregas (8.4) - Cesc Fabregas who took centre stage last week, carving the Cherries open at will and contributing 3 assists. The returns of Hazard and Costa will provide the playmaker with plenty of chances to pick out dangerous runs as Chelsea look to end the season on a high.
Defenders
van Aanholt (4.7) - The Black Cats' rise out of the drop zone has been helped by their newfound defensive resilience that has seen them keep 3 clean sheets in the last 4 matches. With 5 goals and 3 assists through the season, PvA is also capable of providing value beyond shutouts. Get in.
Lovren (4.8) - Sakho's suspension means Lovren's spot at the heart of Liverpool's defence is locked down, and his run-in - which includes DGW37 - begins with a match against a Swansea side that has been struggling to score.
Monreal (5.8) - The Arsenal left back is not as prohibitively expensive as his right-sided teammate, and the chances of clean sheets against Norwich and Villa are high.
Keepers
Mannone (4.3) - If you feel PvA is a little pricey for a player from a relegation-threatened defence, you could do worse than consider the Black Cats keeper, who has picked up a mammoth 21 points in the last two matches.
Robles (4.3) - He's one of the few keepers with 4 matches to play, comes quite cheap, and could yet come away with clean sheets from the Bournemouth and Norwich games.
The Writer's Team
(This article was also published on the writer's personal blog)
