A Day Early, Its...Match-ups Of The Week

With most of the teams in the league either off entirely or resting their first squads during Carling Cup match-ups with minnows from the lower divisions, we can be reasonably assured that there won't be any mid-week injury issues springing up (and you can almost hear Sir Alex thanking the powers that be from here). Despite everyone's relative good health, there are some match-ups that make us take notice. Specifically, the offensive-minded Villa squad hosting the pourous (especially on the road) Crystal Palace team and the revitalized Newcastle welcoming WBA to St. James' Park. Oh yeah, and Arsenal are traveling to ManCiteh (and no, we don't care how many goals Citeh scored in the Carling Cup or how bad Arsenal has looked the last couple matches). So here we go...

Strikers
Henry, Arsenal - no comment necessary but what the heck, its the web and I don't have a word limit. If Anelka were consistent, if Ruud were healthy, if Shearer were 8 years younger, they still wouldn't be as good as Henry is right now. Only thing close right now is Adriano scoring for club and country (wow, that dude is good - too bad the rest of Inter sucks).

Shearer, Newcastle - this is a blanket endorsement of all three Toon strikers that will likely start vs. WBA (with Bellamy being inserted in what we'll call the Dyer spot in right midfield). Shearer is the most consistent and the cheapest so unless you have a feeling about Kluivert or Bellamy, Alan is probably your best bet.

Carlton Cole, Villa - With Angel's status uncertain, Cole is likely to be the target in this weekend's match-up with Palace. He's looked good when he's been given a chance and has consistently put the ball on target. Look for him to break through with a goal or two against a weak Palace squad that will have trouble dealing with his pace.

Quandry of the Week - Ruud is 1.00, he's been producing in spurts and ManYoo looks to be turning things around. At the same time, they're headed to Tottenham who has been packing in the defense and putting together a string of clean sheets that any royal maid would be proud of. In general, we think Ruud is a good investment but there doesn't promise to be a ton of offense in this one. Good luck with your decision on this one.

Midfielders
Pires, Arsenal - He's playing poorly but still manages to get a goal AND he's playing ManCiteh who have the look of a team that will crumble if they let in the first goal to Arsenal. Remember that game two years ago where Arsenal had 5 goals vs. Citeh in under 25 minutes. It might not be THAT bad, but I wouldn't bet against it.

Solano/Hitzelsperger, Villa - Going with the "who's playing Palace" theory combined with the general value in guys who take free kicks/corners these guys both seem like good bets to produce this week. We still aren't sure why Hitzelsperger hasn't become a star but if you could buy stock in such things, I'd be buying.

Kewell, Liverpool - An enigma so far this year. Hasn't been a terrible fantasy player (in fact he's among the top 15 midfielders) but certainly not up to his lofty standards. There will be a void in the Liverpool midfield without Steven Gerrard and this might be the opportunity Harry needs to re-establish himself as a force. As a bonus, he's affordable at roughly 7.5. Doesn't hurt that Liverpool is playing home to Norwich.

Defenders
Gabriel Heinze, ManYoo - I've seen him play on TV a couple times now and this guy is ALWAYS in the play. As an added bonus, the game vs. Tottenham seems like a good bet for a clean sheet because, well, Tottenham always seem to be a good bet for a clean sheet for both sides these days. He's expensive but worth every penny (of course, take this with the grain of salt that I said the same thing about Neil Clement last week right before he punched some dude in the face and got a second yellow for it).

Olaf Melberg, Villa - Another relatively expensive defender who is a) playing against a week opponent; b) productive on offense; and c) got a good chance at a clean sheet due to facing a struggling opponent at home.

Liverpool Defense - Playing at home to Norwich, Steve Finnan and Josemi seem the most likely candidates for good days on both offense and defense.

Keepers
Tim Howard, ManYoo - Just kidding, we here at the Blog wish Timmy the best in getting back on the first team. After watch O'Shea and Carroll fluff the own goal vs. Liverpool on Monday it is our suspicion that it wasn't T-Ho's fault. His defense has been terrible to the point of actually hurting the cause. Give him Rio, Heinze, Silvestre & Neville (Gary, please) and he'll be back to his old self soon enough.

Our actual selections of the week in net...
Sorenson, Villa - Playing at home to Palace, recipe for a clean sheet and a win (but probably not a ton of saves). Cech is playing away to Boro who have been scoring a lot. Robinson looks destined for a draw or a loss with ManYoo coming to town.

Given, Newcastle - This may be his best chance at a clean sheet for a while. The offense is clicking and there's a weak team in town. Not a great match-up week for the premium keepers so this might be a worthwhile risk to gain some ground on the leaders in your league or put some additional ground between you and them.