Arsenal were superb during their away victory over Everton and managed to score five goals at Goodison Park. The previous weekend’s defeat to Watford raised doubts about the commitment and quality of the current squad, but they responded in the perfect way with a dominant display. During the match, they had 67.6% of the possession and attempted 30 shots. The defence was ropy at times and conceded two avoidable goals, but there were a lot of positives to take.
For Draft Fantasy managers, this was a reminder of the quality Arsenal possess in attack and two notable fantasy favourites were launched back into relevance. Mesut Ozil has been producing good underlying numbers this season without reward, but he grabbed a goal and an assist on Sunday to improve his own contribution. Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez did the same and delivered an overall performance that suggested he is set to become a real fantasy option once again. It was the first time that the pair started alongside Alexandre Lacazette and the potential is there for all to see.
Ozil is one of the players heavily criticised by the English media for his perceived lack of effort and fight on the pitch. However, he is a hugely talented player and that was on show against Everton. Draft Fantasy managers that picked up the German at the beginning of the season may have grown frustrated and dropped him from their squad, but his stats always indicated he was set to improve his contribution.
The German is averaging 4.67 chances created per ninety minutes. To provide context, Kevin de Bruyne is averaging 3.6 chances created at the beginning of the new season and he is regarded as the best midfielder in the Premier League. Ozil is creating a whole chance more than the Belgian and could be set for a significant improvement in output over the coming weeks. This performance will have given him confidence and he needs to push on now.
As mentioned above, his team-mate Sanchez could be set to become a prominent Draft Fantasy player from now. The Chilean didn’t start the season in the team due to the ongoing speculation regarding his future, but he is now back in the starting eleven and performing for the Gunners. His underlying numbers are even more sensational than Ozil as he creates 3.71 chances and attempts 5.44 shots per ninety minutes. He offers a goal threat and creativity, which makes him one of the best fantasy options when he is fit and on form.
Like Ozil, the 28-year-old has had a slow start to the season, but his performance on Sunday will provide him with real confidence. Those that have persisted with Sanchez will be set to benefit during the coming weeks. If he continues to achieve his underlying numbers, goals and assists are inevitable.
The Gunners look a much more potent attacking force with Lacazette, Sanchez and Ozil all in the starting eleven. Their defence remains a problem, but in terms of attack, they should start to thrive in the final third which means Draft Fantasy points. Sanchez remains the outstanding fantasy option at the Emirates Stadium, but Ozil could be a sneaky play if you believe he will push on from here. The next few fixtures pose difficulty as they are set to face Manchester City and Tottenham in two of their next three, but they now look a real threat.
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