Van Persie not a banker to bag big again, warns top tipster Tim Clement
Two of the Premier League's form forces clash this weekend, prompting a conundrum over whether it's time to take the armband away from Sky Sports Fantasy Football's star man.
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie pulled further clear as the game's top scorer with a whopping 30 points for his hat-trick heroics against Blackburn last weekend, taking his tally for the season to 221 points.
However, the Gunners face a far more testing proposition this week with a visit to a Sunderland side riding on the crest of rejuvenation under the leadership of Martin O'Neill, making the trip with a wretched away form, both recently and at the Stadium of Light.
Arsene Wenger's men have failed to win any of their last three away games in the Premier League and have also failed to win in their last three trips to Sunderland, netting just twice.
The ominous indications get worse for Van Persie's side, with the Black Cats winning their last three home league games without conceding.
In the interest of fairness, it's also worth pointing out that the Dutchman has netted 40 times in his last 41 Premier League matches, but don't let that insignificant stat sway you.
So, if Sunderland are destined for to another win, it's worth looking at who is likely to do the damage for them.
Sess appeal
Well, Stephane Sessegnon, who is fantastic value at a mere £4.8m, has been in fine form with four goals, three assists and a man-of-the-match award in his last eight games.
The Black Cats also had three members of their backline in last week's team-of-the-week, with goalkeeper Stephane Mignolet and defenders Phil Bardsley and Michael Turners all hitting double figures thanks to successive clean sheets in the double gameweek.
Moving away from the action at the Stadium of Light, Saturday's headline clash between Manchester and Liverpool struggles to muster any obvious candidates for the armband.
Wayne Rooney looks a decent option after bagging a brace at Chelsea last weekend, but failed to score in four previously.
Luis Suarez, who was the most popular player pre-season, could be back in Liverpool's starting line-up after returning from his eight-match suspension with a substitute appearance against Tottenham, but with just five goals to his name before the ban, struggles to appeal.
The Reds' clash with Spurs was far from an eventful encounter, and Harry Redknapp's absence provided a warning as to how important his influence is.
Ba to bag
With speculation over Redknapp heading to England providing an unwelcome distraction, I fear Spurs could be vulnerable when high-flying Newcastle visit.
Magpies frontman Demba Ba has been the most popular player in the transfer market this week, which is hardly a surprise given he has netted 16 goals in as many games and costs a mere £6m.
New boy Papiss Cisse impressed on debut with a goal and a man-of-the-match award against Aston Villa, and is an appealing alternative at £0.2million less.
For those expecting Spurs to show their boss just what potential they possess, Gareth Bale is the obvious choice as the game's top scoring midfield, although his performance at Anfield was far from his usual high standards.
Looking elsewhere, Swansea's loan signing Gylfi Sigurdsson might be worth sneaking in against Norwich after running the show against West Brom last weekend.
Manchester City's galaxy of attacking options normally appeal, but their recent struggles on the road make the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva somewhat unattractive propositions ahead of the trip to Aston Villa.
