It's Friday and that can only mean one thing: I will stay out too late tonight and regret it come 6:45 in the morning when I wake up to watch the first match. It happens every single week and I never learn. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me five hundred times, well, I suppose shame on me. The good thing is that it is college football season as well so the EPL matches go right into the college games. I am lucky enough to right now live in a college town (Auburn, AL) so my tailgating before home games coincides with some of the matches. Thank you to whoever invented DVR. I have yet to convince my tailgating buddies to let me switch it from College GameDay to the EPL. All in due time.
Here are some forwards to look at this week when it comes time to set your team:
- Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) - Just keep riding him until he cools off, if that ever happens. (VERDICT: Do I REALLY have to tell you?)
- Shola Amoebi (Newcastle) - Full disclosure: I have Amoebi on my starting squad so I might be a bit bias here but I am expecting a goal AND an assist this weekend for him against Aston Villa. It is a Stultz Guarantee*! (VERDICT: PLAY)
*A Stultz Guarantee is only valid in parts of Rwanda, Turkmenistan and North Korea.
- Danny Welbeck (Manchester United) - Welbeck with at least a goal or assist this week. Write it down. (VERDICT: PLAY)
- Dimitar Berba....you know what? I don't even want to discuss this bum right now. NEXT!
- Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace) - If Palace scores tomorrow at Old Trafford, I will let our esteemed leader Ray Guilfoyle pick my team for me next week. (VERDICT: BENCH)
- Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich City) - One of the more fun names in the league playing for the club with the best kits in the league. I swear, I would almost become a Norwich supporter just so I could wear the green and yellow. I also feel like Spurs' defending is ripe for a taking. (VERDICT: PLAY)
- Michu (Swansea City) - Liverpool kept Manchester United scoreless. Can they do the same against the Swans? I think a letdown is coming for Liverpool (but not for Sturridge). (VERDICT: PLAY)
I hope every one of you enjoy the matches and, if you happen to be in the area of southwest London, please give my Cottagers a nice kick in the back side. As always, feel free to Tweet (@brianjstultz) or email me (brianjstultz@gmail.com). I will get back to you as soon as I can get off my conference call with Putin.