Every week this season, two West Ham fans will compete at Fantasy Football to win money for their chosen charities.
Will’s Team
GK: Areola
Def: Lascelles, Mitchell, Saliba
Mid: Gordon, Saka, Salah, Bowen
FW: Wissa, Haaland (C), Watkins
AND just when we thought all hope was lost, WE. ARE. BACK. IN. THE. GAME!
An enormous 21 point drubbing of plagiarising Fun Vaccum James Jones sees me close the gap on him to a mere 28 points.
This contest really is far from over with me on 762 and Jonesy on 790.
I carded a respectable 60 last week with recent additions Anthony Gordon and William Saliba chipping in with 19 points between them and skipper Bukayo Saka providing another 16.
I said this battle was going to come down to who is better at picking captains after James copied my team with his wildcard a few weeks ago and so it is proving with Jonesy’s armband wearing Son Heung-min returning a quite pathetic four.
Oddly, West Ham fan James’ Tottenham-heavy team looks far weaker than it did a few weeks ago. Turns out the more he has to think for himself, the less points he gets.
Just one transfer this week and Eddie Nketiah finally gets the boot. I thought he’d be a good differential but he’s absolutely pants and makes way for an emotional reunion Yoane Wissa from Brentford who welcome Luton.
Wissa did well for me at the start of the season but fell off when Brentford did so I axed him but the Bees have had a tough run of games and I back him to add to his paltry two goal contributions in 11 matches with the Hatters having bagged just four points away all season.
Erling Haaland only just about gets the armband ahead of Mo Salah this week because I fancy City to put a truckload past Spurs’ makeshift defence.
But I feel nervous about It because Fulham at home screams Salah hat-trick.
Jamaal Lascelles gets the nod ahead of James Tarkowski as he remained on the bench last week and scored against Chelsea for seven points which was annoying.
And it’s James Ward-Prowse as no 1 sub ahead of the Everton man so it will be him and then Tarkowski who come in if Jarrod Bowen’s injury keeps him out for West Ham again and Ollie Watkins’ problem also rules him out of Villa’s trip to Bournemouth.
Here’s to another 20-point victory and closing the gap to within spitting distance.
James’ Team
GK: Raya
DEF: Schar, Cash, Gabriel
MID: Bowen, Salah (C), Son, Ward-Prowse, Palmer
FW: Watkins, Haaland
What a complete and utter disaster GW13 was. Just 39 points, 21 fewer than Will, is a woeful return and it all came down to my captain choice.
I was convinced Heung-min Son was a stronger pick than Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland last week given his good goal record against Villa. But he blanked while Haaland scored and Salah bagged an assist. That said, even if I had given one of those the armband instead, I still would’ve barely scraped 50 points, which isn’t good enough.
So we go again in GW14 and the decision-making is a little easier.
David Raya returns in goal for Sam Johnstone, while Marc Guehi is also benched and replaced by Matty Cash. Palace travel to West Ham this weekend and although they’ve kept the join most clean sheets in the league so far this season (5), the Hammers have only failed to score once in their last 23 games in all competitions. Therefore, I don’t see a clean sheet for Palace this weekend.
I’m staying strong and sticking with Jarrod Bowen in my starting XI, despite there still being doubts over his fitness. My first sub is Divin Mubama, who I think has a strong chance of starting after his impressive cameo against Burnley last weekend, so he’s a decent option should Bowen not feature.
The only real concern I have is Pedro Porro in my defence. Spurs have lost three in a row and travel to Man City this weekend, so that run is likely to be extended. That means no clean sheet for Porro. As a result, he’s being replaced by Newcastle’s Fabian Shar, even if it’s for one week only. The Magpies host a Man United team that appears to be in all sorts of bother at both ends of the pitch at the moment, and I think there’s a chance for defensive returns from the Swiss this weekend as a result.
As for my captain, it goes back to Salah for GW14. I do think Haaland has potential at home to Spurs but Liverpool host Fulham, who the Egyptian has scored four times against in six career appearances.
My lead over Will has been cut to 28 points so this week is vital to ensuring I don’t let him back to within touching distance. It would be unfair to give him any false hope after all.
