Gameweek 22 who’s hot and who’s not

The General profiles two players – Marcos Alonso and Roberto Firmino – who are at the opposite end of the Fantasy spectrum at the moment. He has a look at why and if there is any potential change in the near future.

HOT

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) – £18

Form: 2 goals v Leicester last week

This week’s opponents: Hull City (H)

Chelsea fans raised their eyebrows when Antonio Conte signed Alonso during the Summer. The Spaniard had previous spells in the Premier League with Bolton and Sunderland but didn’t impress many. His career only took off when he joined Fiorentina from whom Chelsea forked out a reported £23m to secure his services. He’s been a revelation this season not just for Chelsea but also for fantasy football managers.

Alonso cemented his place in the Chelsea team when Conte reverted to a 3-4-3 formation after the heavy defeat to Arsenal in September. The Blues’ now set up with three centre backs and two wing backs – Alonso on the left and Victor Moses on the right. This system gives the two the freedom to attack without having to worry too much about their defensive duties and Alonso has flourished in the attacking third. He’s already registered 3 goals and 3 assists in the league this season. Two of those goals came last week at the King Power Stadium where he came within inches of an unlikely hat-trick with a superb volley. Alonso also takes some of Chelsea’s free kicks around the edge of the box, one of which hit the crossbar against Crystal Palace in December. Alonso is the dream defender for fantasy football managers, he’s a must have every week.

NOT

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – £25

Form: 1 goal in his last 10 league starts.

This week’s opponents: Swansea (H)

Firmino has struggled to replicate his early season form in recent weeks, scoring just once in his last 10 league games and failing to register any assists in the same period. His dip in form coincided with Philippe Coutinho’s injury lay off and Firmino has missed his fellow Brazilian more so than his team mates. The Samba boys have an excellent understanding and their link up play is a joy to watch. The Brazilians bring out the best in each other and Liverpool are a much stronger force when they are both playing. Luckily for Firmino, Coutinho has recently returned from his injury and is in line to start this weekend against a struggling Swansea. One thing is for sure, Firmino will score more than one goal in his next 10 league games. With his compatriot back to pull the strings in midfield, Firmino could again become a very attractive fantasy football option in the coming weeks.