As a year like no other in football draws to a close, a feast of Premier League action is on offer and presents a chance to pick up some crucial fantasy points.
With others potentially focused on New Year s resolutions or shifting their turkey-belly from Christmas Day, there is an opportunity to get ahead of the curve with your fantasy line-up before rivals catch on.
Navigating such a congested fixture schedule is never easy, made even more problematic by the late returns of many players following the World Cup in Qatar and the likely rotation on the mind of managers across the league.
Fortunately, Stats Perform is here to help, delving into the Opta data to find four players who could be shrewd additions for your team ahead of the latest round of fixtures.
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Harry Kane scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser as Tottenham twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw in an ill-tempered London derby against Chelsea.
Antonio Conte had twice looked set to finish empty-handed on his Stamford Bridge return, with Kalidou Koulibaly opening the scoring with a sumptuous volley on his home debut for Chelsea early on.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg levelled with a long-range strike in the second half, but Chelsea again looked to be on course for the win when Reece James side-footed home after racing onto Raheem Sterling s pass.
But Kane was on hand to head home from a late corner and spark wild celebrations from Conte, before both he and opposite number Thomas Tuchel were promptly sent off amid a touchline clash as Spurs claimed a pot…
According to a recent report from Marca, Real Madrid could be tempted to allow James Rodriguez to leave the Santiago Bernabeu during the summer transfer window for a low fee of around £22 million. The belief is that the Colombian himself has inspired this decision, with the former Bayern Munich star noting that he wants a new challenge.
He was close to completing a £45 million switch to Atletico Madrid last season before it eventually fell through, and now, it looks much more likely that he’ll end up in the English Premier League.
Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Everton are all reportedly in the mix in the race to sign him, but it may come down to who is willing to go that extra step.
Rodriguez has been searching for the form that put…
Real Madrid missed the chance to move back to within three points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona after being held to a goalless draw by unlikely title challengers Real Sociedad.
Carlo Ancelotti s side dominated for large parts but drew a blank at Santiago Bernabeu just three days after downing rivals Atletico Madrid in Thursday s Copa del Rey quarter-final.
Goalkeeper Alex Remiro starred with numerous fine stops amid a somewhat one-sided encounter, with Madrid unable to break the impressive resistance of Imanol Alguacil s team.
The stalemate left Los Blancos trailing fierce rivals Barca by five points, with third-placed La Real three behind Ancelotti s men after Sunday s clash.
FT: 0-0 |
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
Chances were…
Mohamed Salah does not need extra motivation to break records and achieve potential legendary status, according to Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds cruised to a 3-0 victory against Norwich in their Premier League opener on Sunday, Salah scoring one and assisting twice.
His 74th-minute curler marked his fifth consecutive goal on the opening day of a Premier League season, a feat never achieved before.
As Klopp s men prepare for Saturday against Burnley, who ended Liverpool s 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield last term, Salah nears another Premier League milestone.
The Egypt forward has scored 98 goals in 159 Premier League games, with only four players ever reaching 100 in their first 160 matches in the competition – Alan Shearer (124), Harry Ka…
Manchester United have named their 25-man squad for the Premier League season and there is no place for Phil Jones or Sergio Romero.
Last February, Jones signed a new contract at Old Trafford to run until June 2023 and containing the option of a further year.
However, he has not featured in the Premier League since a 2-0 loss to Burnley at Old Trafford in January – a defeat that proved to be United s final reverse in the top flight in 2019-20.
Romero has served as David de Gea s understudy since joining from Sampdoria in 2015 but has slipped down the pecking order since Dean Henderson s return from his successful loan stint at Sheffield United.
Jones and Romero were axed from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s Champions League squad this month along with Marc…
Harry Kane took his Bundesliga goal tally to 20 by scoring twice as Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart.
Top-scorer Kane struck after only two minutes and the hosts could have been out of sight by the break but for Bayern loanee Alexander Nubel in the Stuttgart goal.
Kim Min-jae and Thomas Muller both had efforts ruled out by VAR in the first half, but Kane doubled their lead early in the second before Kim headed home the third as Bayern remained four points off league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Kane s domain
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)
Bayern were out to bounce back from their 5-1 thumping by Eintracht Frankfurt weekend and got off to the ideal start as Leroy Sane squared the ball for Kane to steer int…
Skipper James Tavernier scored a second-half double as Rangers swept into the Viaplay Cup final with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Hearts at Hampden Park.
The Gers right-back opened the scoring with a penalty five minutes after the interval before substitute Scott Wright fired in a second five minutes later.
Tavernier’s superb 20-yard free-kick in the 64th minute effectively clinched a place in the December 17 final against Aberdeen, giving Philippe Clement – unbeaten in his first five games as Rangers boss – his first chance to win silverware.
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— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)
Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland scored a penalty with 10 minutes remaining but it proved no more than a consolation for the Jambos who had conceded two lat…
According to Fabrizio Romano, AS Roma are close to signing Houssem Aouar from Olympique Lyon as a free agent at the end of the season.
Aouar is a product of the Lyon academy and has never played for another club yet. However, a number of clubs were credited with interest in his services in the past, most notably Arsenal, and as his contract approaches its expiration date this summer, it seems he s finally set to leave his boyhood club. He was reportedly keen on joining the Gunners a few years ago, but the two clubs couldn t find common ground regarding the transfer fee.
The central midfielder, who can play as a No. 10 behind a striker as well, has made a total of 231 appearances for Lyon across all competitions, scoring 41 goals and contributing 36 assists. His only app…
Gerrard embarrassed, Lineker´s early finish and Zidane seeing red – unfitting farewells for legendar
Have we seen the last of Gianluigi Buffon in the Champions League? If so, Wednesday s red card against Real Madrid was a miserable end to the goalkeeper s rocky relationship with the competition.
Juventus great Buffon was dismissed for his reaction to referee Michael Oliver after the English official awarded the hosts a crucial penalty in the closing stages of a titanic quarter-final clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot to clinch Madrid a 4-3 aggregate victory, knocking the Italian side out after they astonishingly fought back from a 3-0 home defeat in the first leg to level the tie.
With the veteran keeper hinting he could be set to retire at the end of the season, he may never get his hands on the trophy. The 40-year-old w…