Round 15 was considered an historic round of football as for the first time the Premier League would be streamed into the homes of fans thanks to Amazon Prime Video. That was the case of course if you were a football fan watching in the UK. Those watching on in Ireland had to contend with Premier Sports, a channel to which one can only subscribe by purchasing another channel - and they say football is for supporters?
Anyway, enough of the morals of modern day football on TV and more about the action. José Mourinho's return to Old Trafford transpired to be a bitter one as Man United inflicted the first defeat of his reign at Spurs, Liverpool battered Merseyside rivals Everton 5-2 at Anfield, and it was a case of a new man in charge but the same old result for Arsenal as they were gunned down by Brighton in north London on Thursday evening. The midweek results had huge consequences for the standings in the Advertiser Tribal League in association with Monroe's Tavern with it being all change at the top. Let's have a look.
Top three
1 Cian de Lamport - Chris Woodbines - 931
Cian de Lamport's men are smoking as they hit top spot for the first time with a solid score of 63 and it was the fab four of Sadio Mané (15 ), James Maddison (10 ), Tammy Abraham (12 ), and captain Jame Vardy (10 ) who did the business. An area which may be of concern for de Lamport will be at the back where only one of his defenders, Çaglar Söyüncü, managed to keep a clean sheet and with The Woodbines being the hunted and not the hunter, there will be a whole new type of pressure on de Lamport's charges.
2 Daniel Devaney - CTRL ALT DE LIGT - 928
CTRL ALT DE LIGT has erased nearly everyone before them as they make their first entry into the Tribal League's top three. Daniel Devaney's machine had an efficient midweek, garnering 70 points. Captain Sadio Mané and James Maddison were the main men for Devaney as his team moved to within three points of the summit. Frustratingly for Devaney, 21 points were missed out on as Tammy Abraham (12 ) and Diego Rico (9 ) were benched. Will CTRL ALT DE LIGT regret those missed points come May when the ribbons are put on the trophy?
3 Nigel Murray - The Crispsps - 926
Sixty-six points in gameweek 15 sees Nigel Murray's men make up our top three. The Crispsps' success is down to a tasty forward line that includes Tammy Abraham, Danny Ings, and Jamie Vardy. Firepower up front is something that Nigel Murray's outfit do not lack but a few more goals from midfield plus a tighter defence is what is needed if they are to stay challenging into the New Year.
Top picks
The final whistle of round 15 may have only been sounded at the Emirates on Thursday evening but round 16 is around the corner so let's have a look at those players who will get Fantasy teams moving back up the Advertiser Tribal League this weekend.
Dele Alli (Spurs - £8.6 million ) v Burnley
A player who seemed to be going through the motions towards the end of Mauricio Pochettino's reign, Dele Alli is flourishing under the tutelage of José Mourinho. The England international has three goals and an assist in Mourinho's first three league games in charge and has become far more influential in Spurs' attacking plan. On Saturday Spurs host Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Clarets are sitting healthily in mid table but have been incredibly inconsistent of late with three defeats and two wins in their last five outings. Sean Dyche's men got thumped by Man City on Tuesday and I cannot see them doing anything special in north London at the weekend. I am going with a home win and Alli to continue his scoring run.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton - £5.8 million ) v Newcastle
Southampton have picked up seven points in their last three league games which has seen them move out of the relegation zone for the first time since October. One of two reasons for the Saints' upturn in form has been down to the goals of Danny Ings. The other reason is the form of midfielder James Ward-Prowse. With three goals and an assist in the last five matches, Ward-Prowse has been excellent in Southampton's midfield in recent weeks. On Sunday, Ralph Hasenhüttl's men travel to the north-east of England to take on Newcastle. The Magpies have solidified recently with only one defeat in five outings. I believe it will be a score draw on at St James' Park with Ward-Prowse getting his name on the scoresheet.
Sadio Mané (Liverpool - £12.2 million ) v Bournemouth
If Liverpool don't win the league this season, then they probably never will. The Reds are still unbeaten with 14 victories and one draw and look like they are not slowing down any time soon. Liverpool's Senegalese midfielder Sadio Mané is currently in flying form with four goals and four assists in six league games. The only criticism that can be put towards Mané is he probably should have more in his goal column but as long as he is chipping in with at least one goal a game, he is must start for Fantasy managers. The next challenge for Liverpool is Bournemouth away. The Cherries have lost four on the bounce and on Saturday it will five. It is a Liverpool win for me with Mané scoring.
Don't miss a minute of action with Monroe's Tavern
Remember you can catch all of game week 16's action live at Monroe's Tavern where punters can enjoy wings and a pint or burger and a pint for €10 during the matches.
Saturday:
Everton v Chelsea (12.30pm ) BT Sport.
Spurs v Burnley (3pm ) Premier Sports.
Man City v Man United (5.30pm ) SKY Sports.
Sunday:
Aston Villa v Leicester City (2pm ) SKY Sports.
Brighton v Wolves (4.30pm ) SKY Sports.
Monday:
West Ham v Arsenal (8pm ) SKY Sports.
