Calm down ladies and gentlemen – the wait is almost over. That awful period between one season ending and another kicking off is winding down, and the players are by now all but set to get things going for another grueling few months of week-in, week-out competition.
Traditionally, before the Premier League season kicks off we get a straight battle between the winners of the previous campaign’s FA Cup and the league champions – or league runners-up if a single team won both competitions. This Sunday, FA Cup holders Arsenal square up against Premier League supremos Man City at Wembley for the FA Community Shield – and fans of both sides will be keen to see how their players are shaping up after the World Cup in the summer, and especially to see how the new faces fit into their sides. With plenty of players turning out for their new club for the first time in competitive competition, this game seems a difficult one to call.
When Arsenal signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid around this time last year, many fans held out hope that the German could prove the catalyst to end their nine-year long wait for a trophy. Through a combination of team-work and dedication, the Gunners finally ended that hoodoo – and could claim another trophy in their next competitive game if they can overturn Manuel Pellegrini’s Citizens.
New Gunner Alexis Sánchez is valued at a cool €12.50m in our fantasy competition this season – some €4.00m more than the aforementioned Ozil – and this could be a risky investment considering the fact that he is only just arriving on English shores, having previously spent three years at Barcelona. Given his pace and general flair, it is not expected to be too much of an ask to see the 25-year-old settle in at the north London club fairly quickly and Arsenal fans will be hoping he can help the club sustain a serious title challenge this year. They were off to a great start last time around, but fell off in the later stages of the season.
Sanchez – the most expensive Arsenal player thus far in our new season’s game – held a value of €8.00m last season, but went on to earn a nice 475 points, ranking him as the 17th best overall player to have in your squad. This would certainly point to the fact that Arsenal have obtained a gem of a player, and one who can surely surprise City on the day if he is able to use his pace to catch them unawares.
The Blues, however, have their fair share of talent new and old on display as well – with former Chelsea veteran Frank Lampard potentially set to make his debut for the champions following the completion of his six-month loan move to the north west.
For any fantasy managers interested in throwing a couple of faces in their squads from the reigning champions – no doubt there will be a few – Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure are the joint most expensive City players, but with the Blues having seemingly won their battle to keep the latter at the club it seems sure that he will be wanting to ensure they have not wasted their time – both players are likely to repay any fantasy managers’ faith with their inclusion, but former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna could come in to face his old club, and his value of €7.50m means he may well represent a good value signing for your fantasy team.
