You vs WhoScored: WhoScored Expert MondoGoal XI - Gameweek 31

 

Having announced our new fantasy football partnership with MondoGoal, this week we bring you the first of a weekly blog explaining our expert's choices ahead of gameweek 31 in the Premier League.

You will then have the chance to try and outdo said expert by joining this week's free-to-play ‘You vs WhoScored’ contest, with a £100 cash pot at stake for the winner. You can still reap the rewards just by beating our expert's team, however, earning a golden ticket in our one-off end of season contest for the chance to win some amazing prizes.

You must stick to a £100m salary budget, picking an XI of players from at least three different teams, with more information on how to play and MondoGoal's unique points scoring system available here.

Boaz Myhill - £5.8m (Home vs QPR)

He may not seem like an obvious choice for this or any other week for that matter but Boaz Myhill will be West Brom's first choice keeper in the absence of the injured Ben Foster. With QPR travelling to the Hawthorns, Pulis will be hoping to record a 5th clean sheet in the last 6 home matches against a Rangers side that boast the worst away record in the division.

Cesar Azpilicueta - £8.5m (Home vs Stoke)

The unsung Cesar Azpilicueta may not steal the headlines but invariably gets through the most work of the Chelsea backline and will likely be called upon to do the same against a tough tackling Stoke side. The Spaniard has averaged 3 tackles per game of his own this season and will hope to help Chelsea to what would be a 7th consecutive home clean sheet against the Potters.

Gary Cahill - £7.4m (Home vs Stoke)

Mark Hughes' side’s struggles in West London are such that we're confident enough to choose a second Chelsea defender, this time opting for the cheaper option of Gary Cahill. He may not have matched his exploits from last season but the England international tends to thrive in a physical battle and has notched twice in his career against Stoke already.

Federico Fernandez - £8.1m (Home vs Hull)

It understandably took Federico Fernandez a little time to settle in Wales but he is now in fine form, emerging among the top 10 defenders on form based on WhoScored.com ratings (7.73 over his last 3 appearances). Swansea, meanwhile, will be hoping for another clean sheet against a Hull side that have failed to score in 8 of their last 11 away games.

Joleon Lescott - £7.4m (Home vs QPR)

For much the same reasons as Myhill, we're backing Joleon Lescott to rack up a healthy points tally this week, with the Baggies skipper on the scoresheet in West Brom's reverse fixture with QPR. While a clean sheet is a real possibility, points may well be in the offing even if the Hoops do register themselves, with the Londoners scoring more than once in just 1 away game all season, with points also available if a team concedes a solitary goal.

 

You vs WhoScored: WhoScored Expert MondoGoal XI - Gameweek 31

 

David Silva - £15.6m (Away vs Crystal Palace)

Leading the way in the WhoScored.com form rankings for midfielders, David Silva will hope to keep it that way having earned a rating of 8.31 over his last 3 appearances. He'll come up against Crystal Palace this weekend and netted a brace the last time the two sides met, contributing to a career high 11-goal tally already this season.

Marouane Fellaini - £6.8m (Home vs Aston Villa)

Another player very much in form - placing fourth in the midfielder rankings over his last three appearances - and an absolute steal at under £7m is Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian was in fine knick on international duty and has now become a crucial part of how his club play, as well as his country. The midfielder, meanwhile, has scored 4 goals against Aston Villa in the past, which is a tally he can't better against any other club.

Stewart Downing - £8.6m (Away vs Leicester)

His form this season may have dipped, correlating with a disappointing run of results for West Ham, but a match-up with bottom club Leicester may well suit Stewart Downing. With 3 goals and 5 assists away from home this season he's generally been better on the road, although one of his two strikes at home this season did come against the Foxes. With WhoScored's match forecast suggesting the Hammers are 'very likely' to score from a set piece, Downing could be key.

Glenn Murray - £6.7m (Home vs Man City)

He's unlikely to be a popular choice again here, but Glenn Murray is in impressive form in front of goal, netting 4 in his last 4 to place seventh in WhoScored's form rankings for forwards. A match against City may not seem favourable but Pellegrini's men have not kept a clean sheet on the road in any competition since mid-December and a physical player of Murray's nature could unsettle a shaky defence.

Olivier Giroud - £14.3m (Home vs Liverpool)

Arguably the real in-form player in the Premier League right now, earning the highest WhoScored rating of any player over his last 3 appearances (8.70), we're backing Olivier Giroud to make the difference in the game of the round against Liverpool. The Frenchman has scored in 5 successive league matches and netted in the reverse between these two sides at Anfield.

Wayne Rooney - £10.5m (Home vs Aston Villa)

Having moved closer to becoming England's all-time record scorer last week Wayne Rooney will hope to be back among the goals for United when they host Villa on Saturday. The forward has struck 14 goals against the Midlands outfit in his career - failing to score more against any other side - with the vast majority of those coming at Old Trafford, netting 8 goals in his last 6 home appearances against them.



Think you can beat this team? Then why not prove it in this week's You vs WhoScored contest over at MondoGoal.

You vs WhoScored: WhoScored Expert MondoGoal XI - Gameweek 31