Antonio Conte’s appointment has been met with a great deal of excitement by Tottenham fans and it could prove to be excellent news for Fantasy Premier League managers too judging by his success at previous clubs.
The Italian has a superb track record when it comes to revitalising the fortunes of an underperforming squad. He won league titles with Juventus and Chelsea in his first season in charge after the clubs had finished seventh and 10th respectively the year before his arrival and in May, delivered Inter Milan a first Serie A trophy since 2010.
FPL managers have had little reason to invest in Spurs’ squad this season. Son Heung-min is the only Spurs player out of 44 in the game, to have over 10 per cent ownership. Beyond the South Korean, Spurs assets haven’t exactly made a strong case for selection.
Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Spurs ranked 18th in the Premier League for expected goals (10.3), 19th for goals scored (9) and joint-bottom with Norwich City for chances created (103). Things haven’t been much better at the other end of the pitch either, as Spurs are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 3.
However, the arrival of a world-class manager will not only reinvigorate the squad but give them a clear tactical identity that was sorely lacking under Nuno. If Conte is able to get his message across to his players, success on the pitch will invariably translate to FPL points too.
When Conte led Chelsea to the 2016-17 Premier League title, Eden Hazard was the third-highest scoring player in FPL (behind Alexis Sanchez and Dele Alli) and the three top-scoring defenders were all Chelsea players: Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill.
It isn’t just the Conte factor that will boost the popularity of Spurs’ players either, as they rank top of the FPL fixture difficulty rating chart. Spurs will play Everton, Leeds, Burnley, Brentford, Norwich and Brighton over the next six gameweeks.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane was the top-scoring player in FPL last season but is indicative of his form so far this campaign that he has been outscored by 23 forwards. The England captain has provided just a solitary goal and assist in nine appearances this season, both of which came against Newcastle. However, Romelu Lukaku’s record while playing under Conte at Inter could bode well for Kane’s prospects, as the Belgian scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in Serie A last season.
Price: £12.1m Points: 25 Ownership: 6.5 per cent
Son Heung-min
If Conte decides to use his tried-and-tested 3-5-2 system, it could lead to Son Heung-min playing “out of position” as a forward in FPL. Listed as a midfielder in the game, Son accumulates an extra point for each goal he scores compared to a forward and can also benefit from clean sheet points too. Based on recent form, Son is the go-to asset among Spurs players. Not only has he scored 15 more points than any of his teammates, but he also ranks top for shots (24), expected goals (3.46) and chances created (17).
Price: £10.2m Points: 55 Ownership: 17.6 per cent
Sergio Reguilon
Sergio Reguilon’s natural attacking tendencies will be well-suited to a wing-back role, if Conte decides to use a three-man defence. Since joining Spurs from Real Madrid last summer, Reguilon ranks third in the squad for assists (nine), only behind Kane (16) and Son (13). Conte instructs his wing-backs to push high and wide, so much so that they can at times, resemble out-and-out wingers. And if Conte succeeds in making Spurs harder to score against, Reguilon’s chances of earning clean sheet points will be greatly enhanced.
Price: £5.0m Points: 36 Ownership: 9.2 per cent
Hugo Lloris
Considering Spurs have shipped 16 goals in their last seven matches, it is miraculous that Hugo Lloris ranks fourth for points scored among all goalkeepers. Along with Son, the Frenchman has been his side’s standout performer so far which is reflected by his six bonus points in FPL. Inter kept the most clean sheets (14 in 2019-20 and 2020-21) in Serie A in each of Conte’s two seasons in charge. Considering he is significantly cheaper than Edouard Mendy (£6.2m), Alisson and Ederson (£6.0m, Lloris could emerge as a strong option.
Price: £5.4m Points: 40 Ownership: 8.2 per cent
Giovani Lo Celso
There is a case to be made for moving early for any of the aforementioned four players, but Giovani Lo Celso can certainly be filed in the wait and see category. Bar a short spell just prior to the pandemic, the Argentine hasn’t showcased his best form for Spurs since joining in a big-money move from Real Betis. However, he is the best stylistic comparison to Nicolo Barella, who played a key role under Conte at Inter, in the Spurs squad. Barella scored three goals and registered seven assists in Serie A last term.
Price: £5.9m Points: 8 Ownership: 0.1 per cent
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3CKwKVh
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