The fixtures keep on coming in the closing chapter of West Ham United's thus-far remarkable 2021/22 season!
Little less than 65 hours after sealing a triumphant 3-0 win over Olympique Lyonnais in France in the UEFA Europa League, attentions return to top-flight duties when we host Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
And with just six Gameweeks of Fantasy Premier League remaining, every single FPL point could make a huge difference! Here's all the information you require…
(And a reminder that the transfer deadline this week is 11am BST on Saturday 16 April!)
Dominant Diop and Dawson
Although there were few star performers in last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Brentford, the same certainly could not be said for the Europa League heroics in Lyon.
The Irons, to a man, were superb.
One such widely-acclaimed figure, Craig Dawson (£4.9m) dominated at both ends of the pitch against the Ligue 1 side at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, not only scoring the opening goal from a corner, but also making no fewer than six successful blocks and four clearances for his side.
In tandem with incoming Issa Diop (£4.2m), who came in for the injured Kurt Zouma and himself made a whopping six clearances in France, the duo performed admirably to keep the competition's highest scorers to that point at bay.
Indeed, the Irons' shut-out against Lyon was the ninth clean sheet the centre-back combination of Dawson and Diop have enjoyed in 19 starts together in all competitions this season.
Add in the fact that, since his debut for West Ham in December 2020, Dawson has scored six headed goals in all competitions - a tally only Liverpool's Diogo Jota and Chelsea's Kai Havertz can better for Premier League sides in that time (seven each) - and this 'differential' partnership could prove the perfect points source against Burnley, the division's second-lowest scorers, at London Stadium this weekend.
Cash in your chips!
A reminder that, if ever there were a time to use your chips, it’s now!
Each Fantasy manager possesses four types of chips: the Wildcard, allowing unlimited transfers; the Bench Boost, in which points from all four substitutes contribute to your Gameweek total; the Triple Captain, in which points from your captain (or vice-captain) count for triple rather than double; and Free Hit, which allows you to make unlimited transfers for a single Gameweek. Only one chip may be active in a Gameweek.
As Premier League sides bid to complete their full 38 fixtures, one off-double Gameweeks will occur for a good number of teams meaning the potential to activate your chips and score high is big – but it’s Gameweek 33 - this week - that most players will be interested in!
Make a note of the transfer deadline of 11am on Saturday 16 April this time around, because no fewer than 12 clubs will be playing twice, including many of the sides at the top end of the table, and indeed including Burnley.
If you haven’t yet used your two Wildcard and two Free Hit chips, it’s a prime opportunity to scoop up plenty of potentially season-defining points!
Opposition report
For Burnley's chief point-scoring threat at London Stadium, it's hard to look past potential 'differential' player Maxwel Cornet, who remains available at just £5.9m.
The Ivorian has surprisingly been selected by only 1.3 per cent of managers ahead of the Claret's double Gameweek 33 against the Hammers and Southampton.
Despite injury limiting him to 20 appearances, the 25-year-old has made a major impact on Burnley’s attack in his debut Fantasy season, scoring seven goals (more than twice more than any of his teammates) and, in turn, 79 points overall since his summer transfer.
Leading the way on 96 points, however, is a safe pair of hands in goalkeeper Nick Pope (£5.4m) who is on seven clean sheets so far this season - with a battle in store to reach previous heights of eleven last season and 15 the campaign prior.
Nevertheless, the England international remains Burnley's top FPL scorer so far this season and recorded one of those shut-outs against the Irons in the 0-0 draw at Turf Moor earlier this season - so the Hammers will hope to have more luck in front of goal come this weekend.
Enter our supporters’ league!
In case you hadn’t heard, we’ve been inviting Claret and Blue supporters who enjoy a spot of casual FPL to take part in our own mini-league, where the top-scoring players each month could are in with a chance of winning West Ham-themed rewards.
If you’d like to throw your hat into the ring for April, all you’ll need is our league code: nlz9u2
