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Fantasy Football advice: Week 37

Sports Mole takes a look at week 37 of the Premier League from a fantasy football point of view.

If Christian Benteke had been able to continue his recent form in front of goal last weekend, we would have been celebrating a clean sweep of selections for week 36. However, with the season racing towards a close, five out of six isn't bad as we look to aid your quest to end the campaign on a positive note.

The decisions to pick Sergio Aguero and avoid Richard Dunne were easy, but we came up trumps with the riskier options of John Terry, Harry Kane and Jose Fonte. We backed Terry to accumulate more points for Chelsea in their game with Liverpool, while we predicted that Kane and Fonte - who have been excellent for their respective clubs - would fall short as Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton struggle towards May 24.

Below, Sports Mole serves up a further offering of fantasy football advice for the penultimate weekend of the season.

Who to pick

1. Steven Gerrard

Throughout his career, Steven Gerrard has showed that he is a man who believes in fairytales, and we believe that he is ready to complete the final chapter of his 17-year stay at Liverpool in suitable fashion. Saturday represents Gerrard's last opportunity to walk out at Anfield in a competitive fixture and he will be as determined as ever to go out with a bang. That said, scoring the 185th goal of his Liverpool career wouldn't come as a surprise after finding the back of the net in his last two appearances against Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea, and with Crystal Palace having lost their last four fixtures, who would be brave enough to back against the 34-year-old getting on the scoresheet in front of the Kop?

2. Aleksandar Kolarov

Newcastle United's English midfielder Jack Colback vies with Manchester City's Serbian defender Aleksandar Kolarov during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, nort© Getty Images

A few weeks ago, selecting Aleksandar Kolarov probably didn't cross your mind and after a disappointing season that had seen the Serbian fail to register a goal, your decision would have been justified. However, the former Lazio man has turned things around in the last three games, scoring two thunderous free kicks as well as helping City to a couple of clean sheets. He appears to have established a starting role at left-back for the remaining two fixtures of the season, and while Swansea City will push City's backline more than Queens Park Rangers did last weekend, he's worth having in your side for his threat from dead-ball situations.

3. Alexis Sanchez

Soon after the start of 2015, it appeared as though Alexis Sanchez was suffering from his exhausting schedule during the first half of the season, but over the past five games, the former Barcelona winger has returned to the goal trail. After scoring against Liverpool at the beginning of April, Sanchez netted doubles against both Reading and Hull City to take his tally for the season to 24 in all competitions, while he is just four short of reaching 20 strikes in the Premier League. Reaching that figure will be a tough ask, but he will relish the chance to perform at Old Trafford this weekend when the Gunners travel to Manchester United, and it would come as a surprise if he didn't create chances for himself or his teammates throughout the game.

Who to avoid

1. Harry Kane

We made the bold decision to advise against selecting Harry Kane last weekend, but it paid off as Spurs slumped to a 3-0 defeat against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. That made it just one goal in six games for Kane, and after featuring in 49 club games as well as a number of international fixtures since August, he doesn't look the same player that terrorised defences earlier in the campaign. With Hull City the visitors to White Hart Lane on Saturday, the 21-year-old should get openings to add a 31st strike to his tally for the season, but with the Tigers fighting for survival, they may find a way of neutralising the England forward.

2. Robert Green

Robert Green of QPR watches on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley and Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor on October 26, 2013© Getty Images

After shipping six goals against Manchester City and playing behind the worst defence in the Premier League, it probably seems an easy decision to leave Robert Green out of your team, but with Newcastle United the visitors to Loftus Road, the temptation is going to be there. Several matches this weekend look like they will be closely-fought affairs, making it difficult to select players with a great deal of confidence. After a horrendous run of form, the Magpies might not offer much threat to QPR but they are fighting for their top-flight lives and with the reported disharmony behind the scenes at QPR, they may be capable of ending their dismal run of just one point in nine games.

3. Sebastian Coates

We very much doubt that Sebastian Coates has been under consideration by anyone in fantasy football land since August, and his injury record and lack of games tell you why. However, the 24-year-old's inclusion in the Sunderland starting lineup has been instrumental in their escape out of the relegation zone, with seven points being recorded from their last three games. Dick Advocaat's men will be confident of another positive result against Leicester City at the Stadium of Light, but given the recent form of the Foxes, a clean sheet looks unlikely and the on-loan Liverpool centre-back may struggle to deal with Leicester's forward line.

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Chelsea captain John Terry celebrates after giving his side the lead against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on May 10,2015
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Premier League in numbers: Week 36
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
2Arsenal32225575264971
3Liverpool32218372314171
4Aston Villa33196868491963
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham33139115258-648
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32127134651-543
12Fulham33126154951-242
13Bournemouth32119124757-1042
14Crystal Palace3289153754-1733
15Brentford3388174758-1132
16Everton3298153248-1627
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3379174258-1626
18Luton TownLuton3367204670-2425
19Burnley3348213368-3520
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3237223084-5416


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