Click here to go to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Sunday 26th February
Arsenal 5 – 2 Tottenham
Goalscorers: L. Saha, E. Adebayor (pen), B. Sagna, R. van Persie, T. Rosicky, T. Walcott (2)
Norwich 1 – 2 Man Utd
Goalscorers: P. Scholes, G. Holt, R. Giggs
Stoke 2 – 0 Swansea
Goalscorers: M. Upson, P. Crouch
Saturday 25th February
Chelsea 3 – 0 Bolton
Goalscorers: D. Luiz, D. Drogba, F. Lampard
Newcastle 2 – 2 Wolves
Goalscorers: P. Cisse, J. Gutierrez, M. Jarvis, K. Doyle
QPR 0 – 1 Fulham
Goalscorers: P. Pogrebnyak
West Brom 4 – 0 Sunderland
Goalscorers: P. Odemwingie (2), J. Morrison, G. Dorrans
Wigan 0 – 0 Aston Villa
Goalscorers:
Man City 3 – 0 Blackburn
Goalscorers: M. Balotelli, S. Aguero, E. Dzeko
Click here to visit the Fantasy Football site and check the progress of your team now!
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Rafael Van der Vaart looks set to return to the Spurs starting lineup, after Harry Redknapp confirmed that he has trained all week ahead of the derby showdown with Arsenal.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Benoît Assou-Ekotto should also shake off respective problems, whilst Luka Modric looks likely to recover from the flu. Their counterparts could well have a reinforced backline with Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs potentially recovering; a decision will be made on the pair tomorrow.
Ryan Taylor has recovered from an ankle injury for Newcastle as they take on Wolves – whose leading scorer Steven Fletcher is a doubt with a virus. Elsewhere, Junior Hoilett is fit for Blackburn, whilst reports suggest that Tom Cleverely may have suffered an ankle injury during Manchester United’s game with Ajax. (Source: http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk)
In other team news Sebastien Squillaci joins the injury-ridden sideline at Arsenal after injuring his foot, his return date is unknown, and Francis Coquelin is yet another casualty for Arsenal after picking up a hamstring injury. Stoke City’s Rory Delap has been suspended until 10th March after being sent off in his FA Cup match against Crawley.
At Manchester United, Dimitar Berbatov has picked up a knock and may be unavailable for the next few games and Ryan Giggs has sustained an ankle injury adding further to United’s midfield injury woes. Everton also have injury problems with new signing Nikica Jelavic sidelined until early March with a groin strain. Shane Duffy is also out until early March with an ankle injury and striker Victor Anichebe has picked up a knock that will rule him out for a few weeks.
Click here to go straight to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football site and update your team ready for this weekend’s matches.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Aaron Ramsey injured
Aaron Ramsey had to be taken off in Arsenal’s match against Sunderland due to an injury. The extent of the injury is not yet clear.
Is Rooney back?
After Wayne Rooney started the season in superb form including scoring 22 fantasy points back in August, the Manchester United striker seems to have rediscovered it and netted twice against Liverpool. Surely you can’t resist picking him!
Joe Hart on form
The Manchester City goalkeeper has scored 11 points from the last 3 matches. He is the highest point scoring goalkeeper of the month!
Leighton Baines worth a shot?
The Everton defender is listed as the most popular defender. More than 20% of players in the game put him in their fantasy team!
Danny Simpson under-performing
The Newcastle defender is currently the lowest scoring player in the past 30 days with -6 points. Is he letting you down?
Valencia injured
Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia is expected to be out for a few weeks after picking up a hamstring injury during United’s Europa League match against Ajax.
Best players over the past 30 days
In the last 30 days, the top players are Robin Van Persie with 43 points, Stephane Sessegnon with 33 points and Clint Dempsey with 31 points.
Andy Johnson injured
Fulham’s Andy Johnson has revealed that he will not be able to play against Manchester City due to a groin strain – he will be missed for sure.
Tyrone Mears out for a few weeks
Bolton’s Tyrone Mears is set to have a screw replaced in his previously broken leg, ruling him out for a few weeks.
Kevin Davies ruled out
Owen Coyle has revealed that Kevin Davies will be sidelined due to complications from an injury picked up against Wigan. He will hopefully return on the 25th for their clash with Chelsea.
Koscielny injured
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny joins Per Mertesacker on the sidelines after taking a knock during his clash with AC Milan in the Champions league.
Click here to go to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website and update your team.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Nani is on the brink of a return to action this week. The winger hasn’t played since limping out of the Gameweek 22 win over Arsenal with an ankle problem but, having been treated by Portugal national team doctor Antonio Gaspar, he has now returned to Manchester and is hopeful of appearing in United’s Europa League clash with Ajax on Thursday.
Arsene Wenger reckons Jack Wilshere could be back in a month’s time for Arsenal. The midfielder, who has yet to play this season for the Gunners, suffered a setback in his recovery last month, with some reports even suggesting he may not feature before the end of the campaign. Wenger, on the other hand, was in optimistic mood yesterday, explaining:
“Jack can be back within a month if all goes well. The recovery of his latest problems looks very good. The latest scan was very positive. We go cautiously step-by-step because we tried to push him back quicker in the first instance and he had a setback. So this time we have to be cautious and not go too quick. He can be back before then end of the season, of course.”
Ryan Taylor has tweeted that he expects to be available for Newcastle’s Gameweek 26 clash with Wolves. Taylor, of course, hasn’t played since a Stephen Warnock challenge saw him removed just after the half hour mark in the 2-1 win over Villa a couple of weeks ago but, having undergone a successful scan earlier today, has revealed:
“Happy Days. Buzzing I’m back for Wolves. Thanks for all the messages. Off to training now.”
Everton pair Seamus Coleman and Ross Barkley stepped up their respective recoveries from injury with a run out for the reserves yesterday. While Barkley has featured for the youth team in recent weeks and has also been an unused sub in the Toffees’ recent games against City and Chelsea, Coleman hasn’t played since Gameweek 17. The Irishman’s return will be a significant boost for David Moyes; with Landon Donovan’s loan deal almost at an end, the Merseysiders will be keen to bolster their options on the right side of midfield upon the American’s departure.
The Everton boss received more good news on the injury front, with Phil Jagielka revealing he is stepping up his recovery from a knee problem. With a blank Gameweek 26 meaning they have league games until the 3rd March, Jagielka and Leon Osman could both be in the frame for a return, according to the centre-half:
“I am out of the brace and starting to do more in training as well. I have had Ossie for company which has been good and we’ll hopefully be stepping it up in the next couple of weeks. I am getting there. We are itching to get back.”
Reports suggest Carlos Tevez’s hopes of a return to action for Man City may still be remote. The Argentine’s recent criticism of Roberto Mancini in an interview with Fox Sports has not been received kindly by those in charge at the Etihad, with the possibility of yet another club fine imposed for his behaviour. Unless he issues a public apology, Tevez’s chances look likely to remain slim.
Pavel Pogrebnyak has played down any injury fears after a foot problem saw him subbed off on 61 minutes in his Fulham debut. The Russian admitted he expects to return to action without any problems, saying :
“I twisted my foot a little bit. I wanted to go back but I understood that I can’t be useful 100 per cent for my team. In Germany my same foot was injured but this time nothing serious happened. My foot swelled a bit but I’m sure it will be alright.”
Sebastien Bassong hopes to be back in time for Wolves’ game at Newcastle in Gameweek 26. The on-loan centre-half was subbed off on the hour mark against West Brom with a suspected hamstring injury but revealed on twitter that he has since had a positive scan and is confident of recovering in time for the trip to Tyneside. The club confirmed the situation this morning, with Steve Kemp, head of the medical department, saying:
“The scan has revealed a grade one strain and Sebastien has started his rehabilitation at Compton. We’ll see how he progresses but if he makes a good recovery he’ll have a chance of being available for the trip to Newcastle.”
DJ Campbell has suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem in training. The QPR forward was on the mend from the injury –picked up in Gameweek 22 against Wigan – but is now expected to be out for another six weeks for Mark Hughes’ side. Campbell’s season for the London outfit has been blighted by injury, with just two starts all season and, with the likes of Bobby Zamora and Djibril Cisse ahead of him in the pecking order, could well find it difficult to see any more game time over the remainder of the season.
Norwich’s forgotten forward James Vaughan netted for the reserves yesterday as he continues his comeback from a knee injury. The former Everton man has had a difficult first season at Carrow Road and played just 48 minutes game time before damaging ligaments in the Gameweek 6 win over Sunderland. This was Vaughan’s second reserve showing in the last couple of weeks and, given Paul Lambert’s penchant for rotation, he could soon be pressing for an appearance in the Canaries first-team squad over the next month or so, providing his comeback continues smoothly. (Source: http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk)
Click here to go straight to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football site.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Per Mertesacker could be out for more than a month with an ankle injury sustained in Saturday’s win at Sunderland. The German slipped in possession, allowing James McClean to fire the Black Cats ahead, and was subbed off with the problem at the Stadium of Light. His absence looks likely to afford Thomas Vermaelen a return to centre-half, with Kieran Gibbs set to make his first appearance since October.
Chelsea have issued an injury update on defensive duo John Terry and Ashley Cole. Terry – who hasn’t played since Gameweek 22 – returned to light training, while Cole is set to be monitored, after picking up bruising of the calf in the weekend loss at Everton.
Carlos Cuellar admitted he is happy to play anywhere for Aston Villa right now. The Spaniard has started Villa’s last three games, stepping in for the injured James Collins, then, upon Collins’ recovery, moving to left-back against City on Sunday, as Alex McLeish shook things up after a poor performance at Newcastle the previous weekend. With Richard Dunne out for up to eight weeks with a fractured collarbone, though, Cuellar is likely to return to centre-half alongside Collins once again.
While Peter Odemwingie earned the plaudits for his hat-trick at Wolves, Roy Hodgson has praised another of his West Brom forwards- Marc-Antoine Fortune. The Frenchman had played no part in the Baggies league season until Gameweek 21, and has since started their last four, even playing in a withdrawn midfield role at Molineux, with Odemwingie the lone striker.
Emmanuel Adebayor has talked up his partnership with Louis Saha, after the pair dismantled Newcastle at the weekend. Starting for the first time together as a strike duo, they grabbed 3 goals and 5 assists between them, as both banished their recent poor form in sensational style. Saha hadn’t netted in any of his previous fourteen appearances for Spurs and former club Everton, while Adebayor went into the match with no goals in his last seven. The latter admitted they have struck up an instant understanding, saying:
“It was easy because I know him from France and I know how he plays. We talked a lot before the game. I know where he goes on the pitch and we talked a lot on the pitch. That made it easy for us.”
The papers have been full of the Carlos Tevez Fox Sports interview. While the Argentine heads back to Manchester, with Roberto Mancini expecting an apology in order to consider playing him again, Tevez – as always – was in defiant mood. By the looks of things, Mancini will need to be in a very forgiving mood if he is to turn a blind eye to Tevez’s ranting, with the player - despite insisting he wants to win back the fans’ support – going on to claim:
“He’s in the middle of an argument so then he tells me to keep on warming up and treats me like a dog. I was just sitting on the bench and you can see from the footage that I was calm and just talking with Zabaleta. Mancini said some horrible things to me.”
While Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye are regarded as crucial to the Magpies’ midfield, Alan Pardew seemed to allude to the loss of Ryan Taylor as significant, going on to say:
“We had three key midfielders missing, and when you play a team as good as Spurs, you need all of your best players. We didn’t have that and we were punished for not having round pegs in round holes.”
In Taylor’s absence on Saturday evening, Pardew started with Gabriel Obertan on the right, before introducing Shane Ferguson at half time in a damage-limitation exercise, with his side already four down. Judging by Pardew’s comments’ though, Ryan Taylor seems in the driving seat for that right midfield berth for the game against Wolves, providing he can recover from an ankle injury in time. (Source: http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk)
Click here to go to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Is Walcott worth a shot?
Theo Walcott has made 9 assists from 23 appearances. He is the one to watch!
Mertesacker injured
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is out for an unknown period of time due to picking up an injury in the game against Sunderland.
Odemwingie wings it!
Peter Odemwingie took the ball home on the weekend after scoring a hat-trick against a poorly-performing Wolves.
Taxi for Mr McCarthy!
Wolves have decided to sack Mick McCarthy after they let in 5 goals against West Brom.
Carlos Tevez will fight for his place in Man City squad
The Argentine striker returns from his home country and he’s looking to make a come back for Man City.
Jack Wilshere could return for Arsenal in a month
The 20-year-old England international had ankle surgery in September and is currently recovering well. The Gunners expect him to be back in action in a month if thing goes well.
Click here to visit the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Click here to go to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Saturday 11th February
Tottenham 5 – 0 Newcastle
Goalscorers: B. Assou-Ekotto, L. Saha (2), N. Kranjcar, E. Adebayor
Swansea 2 – 3 Norwich
Goalscorers: D. Graham (2), G. Holt (2), A. Pilkington
Sunderland 1 – 2 Arsenal
Goalscorers: J. McClean, A. Ramsey, T. Henry
Fulham 2 – 1 Stoke
Goalscorers: P. Pogrebnyak, T. Sorensen (og), R. Shawcross
Everton 2 – 0 Chelsea
Goalscorers: S. Pienaar, D. Stracqualursi
Bolton 1 – 2 Wigan
Goalscorers: M. Davies, G. Caldwell, J. McArthur
Blackburn 3 – 2 QPR
Goalscorers: A. Yakubu, S. Nzonzi, N. Onuoha (og), J. Mackie (2)
Man Utd 2 – 1 Liverpool
Goalscorers: W. Rooney (2), L. Suarez
Sunday 12th February
Aston Villa 0 – 1 Man City
Goalscorers: J. Lescott
Wolves 1 – 5 West Brom
Goalscorers: S. Fletcher, P. Odemwingie (3), J. Olsson, K. Andrews
Click here to visit the Fantasy Football site and check the progress of your team now!
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here
Van the Man
Arsenal legend Robin van Persie has scored an unbelievable 168 points this season. That’s 38 more points than last season!
Arsenal’s double take on Sunderland
Arsenal are set to play Sunderland this weekend in the Premier League, and again in the FA Cup on the 18th. Will they have a double victory?
Sessegnon looking doubtful
Sunderland’s star player Stephane Sessegnon could possibly be out for a bit after limping to the sideline during his FA Cup replay against Middlesborough.
Click here to go to the Mortgage Brain Fantasy Football website.
Mike Raybone
Chartered Marketer and emarketing specialist
Join the Mortgage Brain Linkedin group… click here