Fantasy Football: Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny among this week's top picks
Everything you need to know heading into the weekend
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Your support makes all the difference.With just three weeks of the Premier League campaign remaining, fantasy football seasons up and down the country are either on the brink of glory or are looking for that all important late push towards the top. It's make or break time.
The Independent have teamed up with daily fantasy football game www.oulala.com and together we have analysed the key stats to identify four players that simply must be in your fantasy football team this weekend.
Oulala's game uses an extensive array of statistics, which comprises of 70 different criteria sourced straight from Opta. It offers the perfect platform to pick out the stars you cannot afford to be without for the final few weeks.
One stat Oulala's database doesn't include is ducking corners, if it had we may well have reconsidered tipping Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny this week. The Frenchman bizarrely moved his head out of the way while defending a corner against Sunderland last weekend. As Koscielny's form has been excellent in recent weeks we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Looking at the 30-year-old's stats from his last six Premier League games shows just how impressive Koscielny has been. He has helped Arsenal to four clean sheets, conceding just four goals. Individually, the Frenchman's stats are on another level. He ranks top of the Premier League for interceptions since mid-March (27). He also comes out on top in the Arsenal team for aerial duels won (23), blocks (4) and clearances (32). Arsenal welcome relegation candidates Norwich City to the Emirates on Saturday, a side that has failed to score in four of their last six league games.
Mesut Özil made history last weekend, breaking the record for chances created in a single Premier League season. Following the five chances he created in Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Sunderland last Sunday, the German has now reached 137, surpassing the record previously held by former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard during the 2008/09 season (134). Surprisingly, Özil wasn't included in PFA Team of the Year, despite being the Premier League's most creative ever player. It is no surprise that the 27-year-old is also the most creative player on current form over the past six game weeks. His teammates however have struggled to convert the chances that Özil has provided, resulting in the midfielder failing to add to his overall assist tally of 18. Looking further into his stats from his last six league appearances show the German is in fine form. He has completed an average of 67 successful passes per game, the second best at Arsenal. Özil has also been more active in front of goal than usual, taking 12 shots in six games, the third most at the club. He has also registered an excellent shot accuracy of 75 per cent, ranking second in the side once again, from players to have recorded more than five shots.
Following Chelsea's impressive 4-1 away win over Bournemouth last weekend, one player to shine again was Pedro. The Spaniard has appeared a man transformed since Guus Hiddink's arrival at Stamford Bridge and his recent form echos that. In his last five Premier League appearances the 28-year-old ranks top in a host of key areas for the Blues. Since mid-March the 28-year-old has scored the most goals for Chelsea (3), had the most shots (9), completed the most successful dribbles (13) and has the best shot accuracy (57 per cent) of any player to have registered more than five shots. He also sits second, behind only Cesc Fabregas, for key passes (7). Chelsea face Tottenham on Monday night, a game that may decide the destination of the Premier League title should Leicester fail to collect all three points at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Watford captain Troy Deeney has called on his teammates to put last weekend's FA Cup semi-final disappointment behind them and switch their concentration to finishing their Premier League campaign as strong as they possibly can. Deeney's attitude and work ethic cannot be questioned, a born leader who will always put in 110 per cent. Judging by recent form, Deeney's stats show he is leading in a host of key areas at the club despite the Hornets only picking up four points from a possible 21 in their last seven league games. The 27-year-old has had 11 shots in his last six games, the most by any player in the side. His shot accuracy of 78 per cent is also the best by any player to have had more than five shots. The fact he has scored just one goal in this spell should not put you off, he is getting in the right areas and his accuracy shows the potential is there. Deeney has also been the most creative player at Watford in recent weeks providing eight key passes. His dominance in the air, winning 37 aerial duels since early March, again the best at the club, makes Deeney a real threat at set-pieces. Watford face relegated Aston Villa at home on Saturday, a side who have lost all of their previous 10 league games.
Stats supplied by daily fantasy football game www.oulala.com
Follow Oulala on twitter @OulalaGames
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