Chelsea as is widely mentioned and known sit top of the season ticker for the next six games. Starting with Luton at home next, they play Forest in game week four at home followed by Bournemouth away, Aston Villa at home, and Fulham away and Burnley away. It is an incredible run of fixtures.
In some other universe with a copy of the earth by now Reece James has already had a half-a-million rise in his price in Fantasy Premier League. Unfortunately, in the earth that we inhabit James fails to string together a few games in a row. He is the club captain of the ever-increasing Blues side.
The consistent injuries are bound to be a source of headache both for the club and fans alike. His style of play bodes so well for modern-day football that the most ardent non-supporter of the club will still probably have a hard time disliking James outside the ninety minutes played.
For Fantasy mangers another season of a dream pairing of Chilwell and James is evaporating fast. James’s replacement Gusto did complete the game against West Ham, but his minutes will always be under threat with Pochettino confirming James’s suffering not from a long-term injury.
Much traffic and transfer has been directed towards Nicolas Jackson as well. The return of Broja for now doesn’t seem to test the threshold of worry amongst the engaged in FPL. Jackson hadn’t had more than thirty starts in his career at the time he joined Chelsea. He would have largely expected to be a more impact substitute from the bench. The role he performed greatly in Spain.
Nkunku’s injury in pre-season has meant he is now leading the line for a Chelsea team surely in need of some time to settle with each other’s compatriots. Jackson would have been preparing for a number ten role going by his position in pre-season. He is now the man to bag goals and in the opening two games despite all the huffing and puffing he is yet to manage any output.
This brings to a certain winger with a bucketful of memories for fans of the English league. The game against West Ham marked Sterling’s ten years in the topflight. His move to Manchester City from Liverpool at the time didn’t go well with the Scousers at all was a big money move. What transpired was an absolute success at City for the England winger.
He has had a trophy-laden career with a hundred goals in the league. He is part of that elite club. Sterling’s subsequent transfer to Chelsea has seen him be a shadow of the player he was at his former clubs. Maybe it was eventually the time for his powers to wane. It must be noted he is still young, but players who start early often have an early decline in their careers as well. It is rather common.
Sterling’s last season was almost a season where he looked disinterested. This year in pre-season as well, he was playing way off the goal, hugging the touchline as they. Something must have changed, maybe it was the Argentine head coach having had a conversation with him.
Against West Ham, Sterling looked back to his eclectic best. No more a shadow of his past self, he was playing direct, running into the box, creating chances, West Ham defenders had a torrid time in the first half of keeping up pace with him. It was as if Sterling had a nitro boost while the Hammers defenders had their feet stuck to the ground while defending against him.
Jackson is probably a viable option in the Fantasy Premier League because of Sterling’s resurgence in form. He is running off the defenders, looking to create chances for Jackson as the focal point of the Chelsea attack.
In the opening two games, he has played 170 minutes, with 0.53 shots in the box, 1.06 chances created, with 0.20 xGi non penalty. If he can maintain his performance and perform at half the level he used to, given the fixtures there is an absolute points haul waiting with very few managers going his way.
His price rival, Richarlison is 72nd in the midfielders’ chart despite playing out of position as a forward. He is the lowest pricewise he has ever been in FPL. Let him get a goal and he might be a bandwagon waiting to happen.
