GameDay Squad EPL Gameweek 16 preview

We’re well into the busy season now and it's only going to get worse (better?) with AFCON approaching. So before all our players leave us, let’s see who can get us a good score this round.

Liverpool (0 clean sheets last five) v Brighton (0):

In what is typically a close encounter this one could go either way. Based on recent meetings we’re unlikely to see a clean sheet, but there could be a lot of chances and therefore saves on offer for both keepers. Salah and Gakpo have led the way for goals in recent history, but with both likely out we’ll have to get creative with our attacking picks in this game.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Liverpool 3W 1D Brighton 1W

●     L5Home: Liverpool 2W 2D Brighton 1W

●     SeasonHome: Liverpool 4W 1D 2L

●     SeasonAway: Brighton 2W 2D 3L

Last five meetings:

●     Bradley 1A

●     Ayari 1G

●     Gruda 1A

●     Szoboszlai 1G

●     Mitoma 1G

●     Hinshelwood 1G

●     Kadioglu 1G

●     Welbeck 1G 1A

●     Gakpo 3G

●     Salah 4G

●     Van Dijk 1A

●     C Jones 1A

●     Mac Allister 1A

●     Dunk 1G

●     March 1A

Recommended Players:

●     Y Minteh

●     D Szoboszlai

●     Alisson

●     V van Dijk

●     F Wirtz

Chelsea (3) v Everton (1):

Chelsea have proven dominant in this fixture and there’s no reason that won’t continue here. There’s a chance we see a clean sheet from either team here as Everton are expected to have a defensive approach, however with no Caicedo to anchor the Chelsea midfield they may struggle to contain the counter attack. Palmer has had a four goal return all in the one game against Everton previously, if he starts we could see him return to his best. 

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Chelsea 2W 2D Everton 1W

●     L5Home: Chelsea 3W 2D Everton 0W

●     SeasonHome: Chelsea 3W 2D 2L

●     SeasonAway: Everton 3W 1D 3L

Last five meetings:

●     E Fernandez 1A

●     Palmer 4G

●     Cucurella 1A

●     Tarkowski 1A

Recommended Players:

●     C Palmer

●     R James (could be rested)

●     J Pickford

●     R Sanchez

●     T Chalobah

●     M Cucurella

●     J Grealish

Burnley (3) v Fulham (0):

Surprisingly, Burnley have been the far better team where they’ve met Fulham in the past. While history isn’t always reliable, Fulham haven’t beaten Burnley in the last six games, they’ve only kept one clean sheet in the past sixteen and Burnley have only lost once to Fulham in their home games (which was in 1951). This, along with Fulham’s shocking league home form this season spells trouble.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Burnley 3W 2D Fulham 0W

●     L5Home: Burnley 2W 3D Fulham 0W

●     SeasonHome: Burnley 2W 1D 4L

●     SeasonAway: Fulham 1W 1D 5L

Last five meetings:

●     Muniz 1G

●     Robinson 1A

●     Foster 1A

●     J Andersen 1A

Recommended Players:

●     S Lukic

●     K Tete

●     A Iwobi

●     H Wilson

●     M Dubravka

●     J Andersen

Arsenal (4) v Wolves (0):

Everyone is expecting a one sided game here as Arsenal could not only pick up the clean sheet, but also score quite a few goals. The make up of the starting XI is what’ll be difficult for coaches to guess and pick players from, particularly with Arteta not giving away too much in the press conference. This has the makings of a make or break game for the week with player selections.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Arsenal 5W 0D Wolves 0W

●     L5Home: Arsenal 4W 0D Wolves 1W

●     SeasonHome: Arsenal 6W 0D 1L

●     SeasonAway: Wolves 0W 1D 6L

Last five meetings:

●     Calafiori 1G

●     Havertz 1G 1A

●     Saka 3G 1A

●     Trossard 1G 2A

●     G Jesus 1G 1A

●     Odegaard 2G

Recommended Players:

●     B Saka

●     D Rice

●     J Timber

●     P Hincapie

West Ham (0) v Aston Villa (0):

It appears Nuno has finally turned a corner and has West Ham playing his defensive system, which has made the usual target fixture more difficult. Aston Villa’s home form has been sublime, while their away form has been around the average mark. This fixture has been another closely run one in the past with no clean sheets for either team in the past five meetings. While, most may expect the clean sheet out of Villa, and it very well could come, there’s reason to be cautious.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: West Ham 0W 2D Aston Villa 3W

●     L5Home: West Ham 2W 2D Aston Villa 1W

●     SeasonHome: West Ham 2W 0D 5L

●     SeasonAway: Aston Villa 3W 2D 2L

Last five meetings:

●     Watkins 2G 2A

●     Alvarez 2A

●     Onana 2G

●     Rogers 1G

●     Paqueta 2G

●     Summerville 1A

●     Tielemans 2A

●     McGinn 1A

●     Bowen 1G

Recommended Players:

●     O Watkins

●     L Paqueta

●     Y Tielemans

●     J Bowen

●     M Fernandes

●     A Areola

Sunderland (3) v Newcastle (1):

As always it’s hard to gauge the recent history between Sunderland and their opponents given their extended holiday from the Premier League, however when you’re undefeated at home this season and you’re coming up against a team who’s been poor away there’s an expectation that Sunderland could get something out of this one. Expect a closely run game between these two in their historically noted rivalry.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Sunderland 3W 1D Newcastle 1W

●     L5Home: Sunderland 3W 1D Newcastle 1W

●     SeasonHome: Sunderland 4W 3D 0L

●     SeasonAway: Newcastle 1W 3D 3L

Last five fixtures:

●     NIL

Recommended Players:

●     D Ballard

●     B Traore

●     N Sadiki

●     J Murphy

●     M Thiaw

●     L Hall

●     R Roefs

●     A Ramsdale

●     N Mulere

Nottingham Forest (1) v Tottenham (1):

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Forest 2W 0D Tottenham 3W

●     L5Home: Forest 2W 0D Tottenham 3W

●     SeasonHome: Forest 2W 1D 4L

●     SeasonAway: Tottenham 4W 2D 1L

Last five fixtures:

●     E Anderson 1G

●     Dominguez 1A

●     Wood 2G

●     Richarlison 2G 1A

●     Porro 1G 2A

●     Gibbs-White 1A

●     Van de Ven 1G

●     Bentancur 1A

Recommended Players:

●     E Anderson

●     Richarlison (could be rested)

●     P Porro

●     C Romero

●     M van de Ven

●     G Vicario

●     M Sels

●     M Kudus

Crystal Palace (1) v Man City (0):

Palace have stayed competitive in their recent games with Man City, however some injuries to key players in what could curtail this one for them. What will strengthen their position is City’s stark contrast in home and away form, particularly their goal scoring ability between the two. Surprisingly, we’re unlikely to see a clean sheet here and therefore I’d struggle to back in the defenders, particularly with no Munoz.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Palace 1W 2D Man City 2W

●     L5Home: Palace 1W 2D Man City 2W

●     SeasonHome: Palace 2W 4D 1L

●     SeasonAway: Man City 3W 1D 3L

Last five fixtures:

●     Munoz 1G 1A

●     I Sarr 1A

●     Richards 1G

●     Wharton 2A

●     Marmoush 1G

●     O’Reilly 1G

●     Lacroix 1G

●     Hughes 2A

●     Haaland 2G

●     Nunes 1A

●     B Silva 1A

●     R Lewis 3G

●     Mateta 2G

●     Rodri 1A

●     Foden 1A

Recommended Players:

●     E Haaland

●     P Foden

●     A Wharton

●     J Doku

●     D Henderson

●     G Donnarumma

Brentford (1) v Leeds (1):

With the fourth best home form in the competition up against the second worst away form, we could see Leeds struggle in this one. I’m expecting several goals from Brentford, and while they’ve struggled to keep clean sheets there’s potential for one here. Leeds look likely to add to their six away losses this season.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Brentford 1W 3D Leeds 1W

●     L5Home: Brentford 3W 1D Leeds 1W

●     SeasonHome: Brentford 5W 1D 1L

●     SeasonAway: Leeds 1W 0D 6L

Last five fixtures:

●     Harrison 1G

Recommended Players:

●     M Kayode

●     C Kelleher

●     M Damsgaard

●     I Thiago

●     A Stach

●     B Aaronson

●     G Gudmundsson

Man Utd (0) v Bournemouth (2):

United are going to be severely impacted by AFCON with departures of Diallo, Mbeumo and Mazraoui that could even come before this game, given they play the final one of the round. If that happens then it opens up a huge advantage to Bournemouth. If, as expected, they do play in this then we’re in for one of the closer games of the round with plenty of avenues to goal for both teams.

Relevant historical data:

●     L5: Man Utd 1W 2D Bournemouth 2W

●     L5Home: Man Utd 3W 0D Bournemouth 2W

●     SeasonHome: Man Utd 4W 1D 2L

●     SeasonAway: Bournemouth 1W 2D 4L

Last five fixtures:

●     Dorgu 1G 1A

●     Diallo 1G

●     Semenyo 2G

●     Evanilson 1A

●     Ugarte 1A

●     Christie 1A

●     Kluivert 2G

●     Senesi 1G 2A

●     B Fernandes 2G

●     Cook 1A

●     Tavernier 2A

Recommended Players:

●     B Fernandes

●     B Mbeumo

●     A Diallo

●     A Semenyo

●     M Cunha

●     M Senesi

●     A Truffert

●     D Dalot/P Dorgu

Goalkeepers:

●     Roefs ⭐️

●     Vicario

●     Dubravka

●     Sanchez

●     Kelleher

Uniques: Ramsdale and Alisson

Defenders:

●     Ballard ⭐️

●     R James

●     Chalobah

●     Cucurella

●     Kayode

●     Tete

●     Porro

●     Timber

●     Hall

●     Hincapie

Uniques: Senesi and Romero

Midfielders:

●     Kudus ⭐️

●     B Fernandes

●     Rice

●     Mbeumo

●     Szoboszlai

●     Foden

●     Palmer

●     E Anderson

●     Grealish

●     Tielemans

Uniques: Wirtz and Lukic

Forwards:

●     Saka ⭐️

●     Doku

●     Cunha

●     Diallo

●     Gordon

●     Semenyo

●     Neto

●     Haaland

●     Minteh

●     Watkins

Uniques: Minteh and B Traore

…And that’s a wrap! Best of luck with round sixteen.