EPL Game-Week 11: Pre-Deadline Chat

EPL game-week 11 is just hours away, so let’s survey the fixtures and team news to sort our teams before the buzzer sounds on this week’s deadlines. Remember that Bournemouth vs Manchester United is the early game this round, so we should have confirmed lineups for that match before the Fantrax transfer window closes.

Also, for one week only (until Spring), there is one less hour of time-difference between the UK and most of the United States (because British Summer Time ended last weekend, the States don’t “fall back” until their wee hours this coming Sunday morning. That means your deadlines may not be what you expect. (Not to mention your viewing schedule). You’ve been warned!

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Saturday

Bournemouth vs Manchester United

Given their form, it may surprise you to learn that this is a clash between two top-ten sides. The Cherries haven’t managed a win since September, and Man U suffered a miserable start to the season that culminated with the embarrassing loss to Newcastle on October 6. But since then, the Red Devils have gone undefeated across all competitions, drawing with Liverpool before beating Partizan, Norwich, and Chelsea. All those victories were road wins, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be pushing for another one this week.

Team News

David Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Dan Gosling and Junior Stanislas all remain unavailable to Eddie Howe. For United, notable doubts include Harry Maguire (dead leg), Victor Lindelof (knock), Diego Dalot (knock), and Marcus Rashford (knock). Tuanzebe (hip), Paul Pogba (ankle), Luke Shaw (hamstring), and Nemanja Matic (muscle) are out.

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Arsenal vs Wolves

Wolves haven’t lost a league game since the 2-5 loss to Chelsea back in September, a streak that includes a 2-0 away win over Manchester City. Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking to pull off another big road victory against an Arsenal side that is still struggling for consistency.

Team News

Unai Emery will be without Reiss Nelson (knee); Sead Kolasinac is a doubt with a knock. Willy Boly is sidelined with a broken ankle, and Morgan Gibbs-White is a doubt with a back issue.

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Aston Villa vs Liverpool

Having lost to the champions of England last time, the Villans now face the champions of Europe (who are undefeated in the Prem this season). With a huge league match against Manchester City looming next week, Liverpool will need to maintain focus and not look beyond this game against a promoted side.

Team News

Jota is unavailable as he recovers from hernia surgery, and Jack Grealish is a doubt with a calf injury. Naby Keita (muscle) is a doubt for Jurgen Klopp, and Xherdan Shaqiri and Joel Matip are both out with knee injuries.

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Brighton vs Norwich

The Seagulls have scored seven goals in their last three league games, and with Norwich’s lousy defense coming to visit this weekend, one can’t help but think that more are surely in store. Their resurgence has brought renewed fantasy interest in familiar players like Matt Ryan and Pascal Gross, and it has placed new names like Aaron Connolly and Neal Maupay on our radars. The Canaries haven’t won a game since their shock mid-September victory over Manchester City. Owners of Teemu Pukki, Todd Cantwell, and Emiliano Buendia are surely frustrated with their ice-cold fantasy form.

Team News

Graham Potter will be without Bernardo (knock) and José Izquierdo (knee), while Daniel Farke will sweat over the fitness of Jamal Lewis (illness) and Todd Cantwell (hamstring).

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Manchester City vs Southampton

Southampton suffered an historic 0-9 pumpkin carving at the hands of Leicester a week ago. The defeat was so humiliating that Soton’s first-team players and coaches each surrendered a day’s pay to the Saints Foundation. Ralph Hassenhüttl has promised to put the soul-crushing loss behind him and respond with a performance this week, but unfortunately, his opponent is Manchester City (who just beat the Saints on Tuesday in Carabao Cup action).

Team News

Pep Guardiola will miss Leroy Sané, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Rodri, and Aymeric Laporte through injury, while Hassenhüttl has no injury concerns to contend with.

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Sheffield United vs Burnley

Don’t look now, but the Blades currently sit in 8th place, largely owing to the strength of their defense, the league’s joint-best with Liverpool and Leicester. Sean Dyche’s men will try to find the key to unlock fortress Sheffield on Saturday.

Team News

Chris Wilder can select from a fully-fit squad. For Burnley, Chris Wood (hamstring) and Phillip Bardsley (back) are doubts, while Danny Drinkwater (match fitness) and Johan Berg-Gudmundsson (hamstring) are out.

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West Ham vs Newcastle

Neither of these two teams is in good form, but West Ham does offer several decent fantasy players such as Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko, Sebastien Haller, and Aaron Cresswell. There will be plenty of fantasy managers backing the Hammers tomorrow.

Team News

Florian Lejeune (match fitness), Fabian Schar (knee), and Matt Ritchie (knee) are unavailable through injury, and Sean Longstaff is suspended. For the Hammers, Jack Wilshere is a doubt with a groin injury, while Winston Reid (match fitness), Mikhail Antonio (hamstring), Winston Reid (match fitness), and Lukasz Fabianski (hip) are all unavailable.

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Watford vs Chelsea

The Hornets sit at the very foot of the table, winless on the season, having scored only five goals. On the other hand, the Blues are ascendant: They were on a 7-0 run across all competitions before their Carabao Cup loss to Manchester United on Wednesday. I think Quique Sánchez Flores will find it hard to come away with his first victory of the campaign when Frank Lampard’s men visit.

Team News

Etienne Capoue is a doubt with a back issue, and Tom Cleverley (heel), Danny Welbeck (hamstring), Ismalia Sarr (leg), and Troy Deeney (knee) are out. For Frank Lampard, Ross Barkley (ankle), Andreas Christensen (hamstring), N’golo Kante (groin), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Achilles), and Antonio Rudiger (match fitness) are all sidelined.

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Sunday

Crystal Palace vs Leicester

Fantasy managers who piled into Leicester assets after their 9-0 demolition of Southampton last weekend will hope that the good times continue to roll, but the Foxes are likely to find the going a little tougher this time around. Palace have allowed only three goals at home all season, and two of those were to Manchester City.

Team News

Vicente Guiata (muscel) and Andros Townsend are doubts for the Eagles, while Mamadou Sakho (muscle) and Connor Wickham (match fitness) are not yet ready to feature. Brendan Rodgers has a fully-fit first-team squad to choose from.

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Everton vs Tottenham

This match pits two struggling teams against each other. Spurs sit in 11th place, having lost more games than they’ve won, while the Toffees have lost twice as many games as they’ve won and are dangling just two points above the drop zone. Both teams are in dire need of the three points, so will we see a slug fest or will they cautiously circle each other waiting for an opening?

Team News

Yerry Mina is a doubt with a knock, and Bernard (knee) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (thigh) will miss out. Spurs will be without Hugo Lloris (elbow), Erik Lamela (thigh), and Danny Rose (1 match suspension), and Jan Vertonghen is a doubt with a hamstring issue.

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Will Liverpool or Manchester City stumble in the race for the title this week? Will we see another blowout the likes of last week’s #SOULEI match? Which attackers appeal to you this week? Where do you think the clean sheets will be? What decisions are you weighing as the deadline ticks down? Please share your thoughts with the NMA hive as we head into GW 11 together!

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