This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
With the latest round of FA Cup play in the books, the Premier League returns this weekend for a two-week stint before an international break forces another brief layoff.
Gameweek 29 features a number of top-heavy matchups, as first-place Chelsea hosts seventh Southampton and fourth-positioned Manchester United welcomes a Tottenham side currently just three points behind in sixth.
Similarly, third-place Arsenal awaits tenth West Ham for a heated London derby, while red-hot Liverpool visits ninth Swansea City on Monday in hopes of rising even further from their fifth-place position.
Compared to those ties, second Manchester City has easily the most favorable pairing for a top-10 team, as Manuel Pellegrini's men get to face bottom feeders Burnley, albeit on the road.
Besides the City match, Stoke City could potentially take advantage of teams around them dropping points by capitalizing on their match at West Brom.
While Tony Pulis has certainly helped improve Albion's recent form, Alan Pardew has done the same at Crystal Palace, who open the weekend by hosting 18th-place Queens Park Rangers in another all-London encounter.
Just ahead of QPR and out of the drop-zone, Aston Villa travels to Sunderland in a matchup of 17th versus 16th, while last-place Leicester hosting Hull City is another game that both teams will look to avoid losing.
Likewise, Sunday's Everton-Newcastle affair pits two of this season's most enigmatic teams, with just three wins over their last 12 league matches combined.
Now that the weekend slate has been touched upon, let's take a deeper look at some fantasy difference-makers in the Best XI for Gameweek 29.
Goalkeeper:
Thibaut Courtois
Yes, Chelsea allowed two goals at home to 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in their midweek Champions League dismissal, but Courtois can't be faulted for either instance. In fact, the young Belgian actually made four saves, which gives him 17 over his past four outings. As Chelsea look to rebound this weekend, Courtois is gifted with a home matchup against Southampton, who have scored merely twice over their past six games. Meanwhile, no team has conceded fewer goals than Chelsea over that same span.
Defenders:
Branislav Ivanovic
Arguably the best defender in the Premier League, Ivanovic joins his teammate Courtois in boasting a bright outlook for this weekend, as they face a Southampton side whose top scorer hasn't found the back of the net in league play since just before Christmas. However, along with his defender-high 13 clean sheets, Ivanovic's four goals ranks first among players at his position. With that offensive potential at hand, Ivanovic is a fine selection most weeks, but Sunday's game versus a severely sliding Southampton improves his stock even further.
Joel Ward
While it's no secret that Queens Park Rangers have been abysmal on the road – having won just one game all season away from Loftus Road – the Rs have also scored fewer road goals than any team not named Aston Villa. So though Crystal Palace can't claim to be remotely close to watertight at the back, this weekend's matchup is a rare opportunity for Alan Pardew's men to secure a clean sheet. One of two Palace players to have played every Premier League game thus far, Ward totes six clean sheets on the campaign, one of which came in his previous match against one-trick pony QPR.
Pablo Zabaleta
After sitting out last round's clean sheet victory over Leicester, Zabaleta could return to the fray for this weekend's match at another relegation candidate, Burnley. The Clarets have gone seven league games without a win and have been held scoreless in their past two outings. Overall, Burnley's attack dwells in the bottom-five league-wide. That certainly bodes well for Zabaleta and Manchester City's defense, especially considering the Citizens rank second in England's top-flight in fewest road goals allowed.
Midfielders:
David Silva
With a goal versus Leicester in Gameweek 28, Silva brought his season tally to 10 in Premiership play. Moreover, the Spaniard has been particularly hot lately, as he's now notched three goals in his past three league contests. This weekend, Silva will get to test a Burnley defense that has surrendered more goals than all but one team thus far on the campaign. Man City has also scored an astounding 20 goals over their past five competitions against Burnley, and Silva opened the scoring when his team played the Clarets earlier this season.
Christian Eriksen
While an assist last gameweek made for a decent contribution across two games, Eriksen is still known for scoring goals. Although some may struggle under the bright lights of Old Trafford, Eriksen scored what turned out to be the match-winning goal last time he visited Manchester United. In fact, Eriksen also scored at Manchester City earlier this season and has netted seven away goals to boot. With Man United currently reeling from their FA Cup exit on Monday, Louis van Gaal's pressured team may be more vulnerable against a Spurs side with 14 goals over their last six league appearances.
Yannick Bolasie
A player with solely one goal and four assists this season, Bolasie has understandably flown under the radar. However, those who actually watch Crystal Palace's matches will be well aware of the lovely threat he poses running at defenders from wide areas. This weekend, the tricky winger will get to go against the league's worst defense, Queens Park Rangers. The Rs have shipped the most total goals, as well as the most road goals this season, making Saturday a prime opportunity for Bolasie to come to the forefront with the sort of stellar performance he's shown to be capable of producing.
Alexis Sanchez
Another midfield-eligible player with an eye for goal, Alexis' 13 goals lead Arsenal, who lead the Premier League with 30 goals scored in 13 home matches thus far. Furthermore, the Gunners have scored the most overall goals over their past six matches, which further bolsters their confidence ahead of Saturday's game versus West Ham. In a horrible stretch of recent form, the Hammers have allowed nine goals in their past six games, a mark that is only better than the table's current bottom-four teams. Combine those factors of Alexis leading the Gunners' charge against a declining West Ham, and the Chilean could do damage in Saturday's derby.
Forwards:
Daniel Sturridge
When Liverpool has played Swansea City in recent seasons, high-quality entertainment has ensued from the two possession-based attacking setups. However, Liverpool often gets the needed result, as their aggregate advantage of 17-7 over the past five meetings might suggest. Since joining Liverpool, Sturridge has been healthy for three of those matches, and scored in all three, including a brace versus Swansea last February. Coming off a goal for Liverpool in their last Premier League game, Sturridge's form and his team's history against Swansea makes for an intriguing proposition.
Olivier Giroud
Although Giroud was dropped for Arsenal's FA Cup triumph at Manchester United to begin this week, he's still scored in his past three Premier League appearances. Sure, a nightmare Champions League performance was sandwiched in that span, but manager Arsene Wenger would be wise to not drop Giroud again this weekend. That's when Arsenal play hosts to West Ham, who have fallen apart in recent times. The Hammers have gone six away matches without a league win, while Arsenal have scored at least twice the past six times they've faced their London rivals. Giroud scored against Sam Allardyce's side last year at the Emirates and should be raring for a duplicate performance.
Sergio Aguero (C)
Somewhat shockingly, Aguero failed to register either a goal or an assist against last-place Leicester City last time out. On the heels of that goose egg, it's even harder to imagine the Argentine being held down yet again versus the league's next-worst team, Burnley. To that point, Aguero's total goals (23) plus assists (seven) this season exceed his 29 total appearances, which will surely pose a problem for Burnley. It's also worth mentioning that Man City is England's highest-scoring team, another factor that helps Aguero earn the Best XI captain's armband for Gameweek 29.
