Fantasy football
Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 8 is almost upon us, with those playing in Phakaaathi’s Private Fantasy League in with a chance of winning terrific monthly prizes. The prize for October is A Chiro master queen base set worth R6 000. You can still enter by following the rules in the competition advert at the bottom of this page. In the meantime, Phakaaathi Plus’ Emmett McConnell gives his tips as to a few players you might want to bring in for the new gameweek:
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley have favourable match-ups this week, facing the weakest defences (16 goals conceded) in Fulham, Cardiff, and Huddersfield Town, respectively.
Forwards Alexandre Lacazette (£9.5 million) and Harry Kane (12.5) are most likely to find the net for their North London clubs, who should both win by several goals.
Lacazette has provided either a goal or an assist in each of his last five games, despite only starting the last four. He was involved in five of the last nine Arsenal goals in an attack that has scored at least two goals in every match since losing 2-0 to Manchester City.
Mesut Ozil (pictured) (8.3) provides an overlooked Arsenal creative midfield option. Ozil has no assists yet this season but scored twice in the last three matches. He has averaged 13 assists over the past three seasons.
Kane, meanwhile, scored a brace last week for Spurs against Huddersfield, and gets a second chance for a big week against a weak Cardiff team.
Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are injured, so others will need to provide the England captain with service. Wing backs Danny Rose (5.9) and Kieran Trippier (6.2) both nabbed an assist and clean sheet last week, and are needed to provide service again.
Son Heung-Min (8.3) and Lucas Moura (7.4) have struggled, but have a great chance for a revival against a Cardiff side that has conceded 10 goals to midfielders.
With two straight wins, Burnley should continue the streak against Huddersfield. Johann Berg Gudmunsson (5.9) and Aaron Lennon (5.0) were the stars in a recent 4-0 rout of Bournemouth, and if Burnley strike again this week, those two will probably get involved.
Though they don’t play one of the worst defensive teams, another London side Chelsea are heavy favourites against an impotent Southampton.
In every match that Chelsea have scored in this season, Eden Hazard (11.1) has been involved with either a goal or assist. He is the centre of the attack and looks a completely different player under manager Maurizio Sarri. His six goals and two assists are already set to overtake last season’s haul of 12 goals and six assists.