Fantasy Premier League: Five players to consider in week 19

Christmas is coming, but we have one last round of Premier League fixtures coming up this weekend before the big day.

Arsenal and Liverpool will kick off at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night in one of the biggest games of the festive season.

Nine games will then take place on a packed Saturday, with Everton and Chelsea opening the day and Leicester City and Manchester United concluding in the evening.

Aim has five players to consider adding to your fantasy team for the upcoming weekend.

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James Tarkowski has been suspended for three games, meaning cheap centre-back Kevin Long will get more minutes over the Christmas period.

The 27-year-old replaced the injured Ben Mee for two games earlier this month and the Clarets kept a clean sheet in both games, so he will return to the line-up with no shortage of confidence.

Burnley’s defensive record is based on structure rather than exceptional individuals, meaning Long is an easy choice if you need to replace Tarkowski or are looking for a cheap addition to free up funds.

He will face a tough test against Tottenham this weekend but Sean Dyche’s men have knocked out top-flight opponents before.

Next match: Tottenham (D)

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CHARLIE TAYLOR

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Like Long, Charlie Taylor is a cheap defender who will start for Burnley in the coming weeks due to an absence – in this case of regular left-back Stephen Ward.

Taylor also has two Premier League appearances to his name this season and, you guessed it, two clean sheets.

The interesting thing about the former Leeds United player is that he is only 24 (Ward is 32) and could play more games if he can impress in Ward’s absence.

If Taylor can become a regular member of Burnley’s defence he will represent excellent value for money.

Next match: Tottenham (D)

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WILLIAN

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Alvaro Morata was shown a fifth yellow card of the season in the League Cup in midweek, which likely means Eden Hazard will continue to be a false nine this weekend against Everton.

This opens up space for Pedro and Willian to play on the wings, and both represent interesting fantasy options.

Willian has scored two goals in his last three games in this system and presents the added threat of being an expert in set-piece situations, making him a slightly more attractive choice.

He is unlikely to feel the effects of the midweek outing too much, having been taken off after an hour, indicating he will start against Everton.

Next match: Everton (A)

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ILKAY GUNDOGAN

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A place in Pep Guardiola’s midfield has secured him Fantasy points this season.

Beyond the exploits of Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, the Catalan’s substitutes have also put in superb performances. Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan have both scored a goal and provided an assist in their last two starts.

Their chance to shine came thanks to the schedule congestion and the absence of David Silva, who appears unavailable again this weekend.

As a result, Gundogan will likely continue to play in central midfield against a Bournemouth side who have been less than watertight in defence this season.

Next match: Bournemouth (H)

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MARKO ARNAUTOVIC

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Marko Arnautovic cost West Ham a lot of money and always seemed like a risky signing given he will be 29 at the end of the season and can blow hot and cold.

But once or twice a season the Austrian flies off the mark, and the arrival of David Moyes in east London seems to have sparked that news.

Arnautovic has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games – including the winner against Chelsea – and has shot 13 times in that period.

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Furthermore, he has played as a striker in the last three games against fellow summer signing Chicharito. It would be surprising to see Moyes change that setup after a run of two wins, one draw and three clean sheets.

Next match: Newcastle United (D)