TOTW 23 Predictions

TOTW 23 sees several big-name players make the cut while live upgrades could also be around the corner. A first Barcelona goal leading to a hat trick, a brace against Manchester City and yet another hat trick for a Man City loanee all feature alongside potential headliner/OTW upgrades for both Sancho and Savanier.
 

 

Goalkeeper

Albert Lafont – GK - OVR 78>>86
We start off with an easy selection after Lafont received the first a 10 from L’equipe. It was the first time a goalkeeper has received that match rating and only the third time in history that it has been given out! Although Nantes did concede the seven saves and a penalty save was enough to keep them in the match and secure a shock 3-1 win over the league leaders. There were several candidates from Nantes this week but the overall selection was as simple as can be

 

Defenders

Jurrien Timber – CB - OVR 75>>84
A lot of FIFA players have been calling for an IF Timber since early on in the game however he has yet to feature in either my predictions or EA’s side. It looks as though the Dutchman is finally on his way however after scoring the only goal of the game during Ajax’s 1-0 win against Willem. VI awarded him an 8/10 making him MOTM and with him being an in-demand card I wouldn’t be surprised to see him named as the featured option.

Bremer – CB - OVR 76>>81
I completely missed what was an easy Serie A inclusion in De Ligt last week which is disappointing but not to make the same mistake twice we have Bremer. Much like De Ligt last week the Brazilian received a 7.5 match rating from defence. With Torino playing away at Juventus it makes it that much more appealing and thus with the lack of gold defenders this week I would be surprised to see him miss out. 

Kyle Walker-Peters – LB - OVR 77>>84
Usually, I would avoid a player with only a four-week gap between IF’s but with a severe lack of options alongside not many from the PL I have decided to take the punt on KWP. The Southampton defender was moved back to LB with the return of Livramento but that didn’t faze him with the Englishman putting in a superb performance to help Southampton to keep their clean sheet during a 2-0 win over Everton and was very unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet too

 

Midfielders

Jadon Sancho – LM - OVR 87>>88
Although life under Rangnick has not been like many United fans would have hoped one positive which has come out of it is the performances of Sancho, having previously failed to break into the side under OGS the winger is now showing exactly why they splashed the cash on him. Another fine performance on the wing this weekend saw him claim MOTM with two assists from LM as United managed a 4-2 win over Leeds.

Teji Savanier – CAM - OVR 80>>86
Although this may seem cheap for a TIF you have to look way back to TOTW 12 for the last time Savanier was featured in a TOTW. With that in mind, I feel that it is more than long enough for EA to use him. With Nantes taking up half the slots in TOTW it made selecting Ligue 1 players very difficult. Savanier was one of the only golds outside of Nantes to feature in L’equipe’s side and thus after scoring the only goal in Montpellier's 1-0 win over Lorient I do feel he has a chance.

Dani Olmo – CAM - OVR 82>>84
There were several high scoring matches in the Bundesliga this weekend, one of those being Leipzig’s 6-1 win against Hertha Berlin. Nkunku and Henrichs are both good contenders but it is Olmo who really stood out. The Spaniard scored once and assisted another two in the convincing win to claim a 1.5 match rating from Kicker

Iker Munian – LM - OVR 83>>85
Although Munian missed a penalty he still looks to be a very strong shout for the upcoming side, midfielders were not as competitive as usual either which also helps his case. The Spaniard was named MOTM after scoring once and assisting another as Bilbao recorded a convincing 4-0 win at home to Sociedad

 

Forwards

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang – ST - OVR 76>>84
There is no questioning PEA’s natural ability but his motivation to play was simply not there towards the end of his time for Arsenal. Early signs since moving to Barcelona are strong though with performances drastically improving and thus we are reminded of the talent he has. Valencia felt the full force of exactly that on Sunday with the Gabon international scoring three times, helping Barcelona to a 4-1 away win.

Harry Kane – ST - OVR 90>>92
Previously I would have been put off by an IF Kane simply due to his recent SBC card but after what happened with Giroud recently, I can’t see any reason not to include him. It looked as though Spurs had blown an impressive three points against City after Mahrez scored in the 92nd minute to level the score but that was not the case. Kane then secured his brace with the second coming in the 95th minute to end a dramatic match in style. New signing Kulusevski also excelled but it was Kane who claimed MOTM and rightly so.

Julian Alvarez – ST - OVR 75>>86
I’m sure you have heard the name Julian Alvarez on numerous occasions this past year but having impressed Manchester City were the side who managed to confirm his signature, before then loaning him straight back to River Plate. The Argentine continues to excel for them, scoring a hat trick in their latest fixture during a 4-1 home win, enough to secure his third IF of the game.

 

Substitutes

Andrea Consigli – GK - OVR 81>>84
Although there is no topping Lafont this week Consigli still provided a very strong performance in the sticks. Sassuolo stunned Inter coming away with a 2-0 win away from home. It would have been a different story had it not have been for Consigli though. The Italian made a total of eight saves to keep his clean sheet, a performance which saw Gazzetta award him an 8/10

Konstantinos Tsimikas – LB - OVR 74>>80
It has been a while since EA has included a silver player on the bench but it used to happen on a regular basis and thus, I can easily see a silver defender sneaking onto the bench after I struggled to select even three gold defenders. Tsimikas has been a brilliant step in for Robertson when needed this season and has really made his mark on the club, although he will want regular first team football soon enough. This weekend was another convincing performance for him, assisting one of Liverpool’s three goals and remaining a constant threat down the left flank. Sky awarded him a 9/10 which really should see him in despite being silver.

Anthony Nwakaeme – LM - OVR 78>>82
With a real lack of midfielder options this week Nwakaeme really does stand out. Usually, with two goals in the Turkish Division it’s a bit hit and miss for TOTW but with the Nigerian receiving a 9.5 match rating he becomes very difficult to then ignore. Trabzonspor ended up winning 4-0 away from home but it was Nwakaeme who did the damage early on.

Moussa Marega – ST - OVR 77>>81
After a disappointing result in the club world championship losing to both Chelsea and Al Ahly, Al Hilal needed to bounce back strong, especially as they currently sit 4th in the table. A strong result is exactly what they achieved through scoring five without response against third placed Al Shabab. Marega was the main man, scoring twice and assisting another.

Serhou Guirassy – ST - OVR 77>>81
Rennes are real contenders for a Champions League spot this season and are recording some very strong results. Another came this weekend with a 4-1 win over Troyes from which Guirassy managed to score twice within. The striker went on to receive a 7/10 from L’equipe which could see him sneak into a heavily contested striker spot.

Arnaut Danjuma – ST - OVR 76>>84
Danjuma’s RTTK card is one of the best priced wingers out there and although this card won't match that stat wise, with the Dutchman playing centrally this weekend it does offer an alternative. Danjuma scored three times for Villarreal this weekend during their 4-1 away win over Granada and although two of those were from the penalty spot with it being a top five league, I can’t see him failing to make it.

Fabio Quagliarella – ST - OVR 78>>82
When you think that Quagliarella is now 39 years of age its crazy to think that he can still compete at the very top of the game and score on a regular basis. The Italian scored both Sampdoria goals this weekend as they recorded a 2-0 win at home to Empoli. Gazzetta went on to award the striker a 7.5 which should be enough to see him included.

 

Reserves

Trent Sainsbury – CB - OVR 72>>79
Sainsbury would actually make a fairly strong silver star option but it’s a normal IF I would expect him to receive, unfortunately. The Australian defender scored both the first and second Kortrijk goals before they went on to then score five without reply against 10 men Waregem.

Ben Garuccio – LB - OVR 66>>75
There were a few defensive options this week when it came to silvers and although three which is what I have selected is unlikely it's not impossible under the circumstances. The third one selected comes from the A-League and it's for another brace, the second of which was a scorpion kick! Western United went on to win the match 3-2 thanks to the defender's brace.

Gavin Whyte – CAM - OVR 65>>75
Oxford is on brilliant form at the moment which has seen them rocket up the table and now currently sits in fourth place on their quest for promotion to the Championship. Their latest win came via a 4-0 away win over Charlton. Whyte provided the assist on three of those goals and thus looks set for an IF on Wednesday.

Georgios Giakoumakis – ST - OVR 74>>80
It seems that no matter who ends up leading the line for Celtic that they end up performing well and it has been that way for several years now. It was Giakoumakis’s turn this weekend, who if I’m honest I have never heard of before this prediction. The Greek striker scored all three Celtic goals as they survived a couple of scares to claim all three points via a 3-2 win over Dundee.

Alfie May – ST - OVR 64>>74
As far as pure entertainment goes Wycombe v Cheltenham was the game to watch. With no less than ten goals there was always going to be an IF. May scored four of Cheltenham’s five and is the only option as a result.