Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? During the most recent international break, i advocated the use of a back five in Fantasy Premier League due to the excellent form of a number of defenders in the league, compared to pricier midfielders and forwards.
That advice was vindicated when all five of our defenders for Gameweek 12 provided points. Trent Alexander-Arnold was the pick of the bunch, supplying 15 against Arsenal, but Reece James (12), Joao Cancelo (12), Sergio Reguilon (nine) and Tariq Lamptey (six), all delivering.
Thanks largely to the defenders, last week’s selected XI combined for a grand total of 75 points, 18 clear of the weekly average. A few of them have deservedly retained their places in this week’s FPL offering.
Considering how ruthless they were in picking apart an in-form Arsenal on Saturday, Liverpool look like the obvious team to target this weekend, as they host Southampton at Anfield. Elsewhere Chelsea will hope to pile the misery on managerless Manchester United, while Manchester City entertain West Ham at the Etihad.
Here is this week’s starting line-up which is priced at £0.1m below the weekly budget of £83m.
Jose Sa (Wolves)
After going five games without a clean sheet, Jose Sa kept his third of the season against West Ham, earning additional save and bonus points in the process. Although Wolves haven’t been as solid as Bruno Lage might like, their propensity to allow shots on their goal does at least keep Sa busy, as shown by his nine additional save points. He is also only one of two ‘keepers to register an assist so far, with Watford’s Ben Foster.
Price: £5.0m Points: 48 Gameweek 13 fixture: Norwich (a)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold was the top-scoring player of Gameweek 12 alongside Tyrone Mings, securing 15 points against Arenal after providing his fifth and sixth assists of the campaign and helping his side keep a clean sheet. That haul also meant the England right-back moved level with Joao Cancelo into second place in the top-scorers chart. Alexander-Arnold has created eight big chances – five more than any other defender – and is second only to Joao Cancelo for shots with 20. More points are on the way.
Price: £7.8m Points: 79 Gameweek 13 fixture: Southampton (h)
Joao Cancelo (Man City)
Even by his standards, Joao Cancelo’s outside-of-the-boot pass into Raheem Sterling’s path for City’s opening goal against Everton was something to behold. It was his fifth assist of the campaign and in the four games in which he has registered an attacking return, Cancelo has ended up with a double-digit return. Cancelo’s underlying numbers make for confusing reading; his five assists have come from only 12 chances created, while he has had 27 efforts on goal without scoring. Just imagine how good he’ll be when he rediscovers his shooting boots…
Price: £6.6m Points: 79 Gameweek 13 fixture: West Ham (h)
Reece James (Chelsea)
Another player rapidly becoming a must-have in FPL is Chelsea’s Reece James, after he provided a third double-digit haul in his last four games in the win over Leicester. Over the past four gameweeks, James has racked up a staggering 53 points, nine more than his nearest challenger Mo Salah. During that period, the 21-year-old has matched Alexander-Arnold for chances created with the England rivals managing 12 apiece. If Manchester United defend as poorly against Chelsea as they did at Watford, James could have a field day.
Price: £6.1m Points: 71 Gameweek 13 fixture: Man Utd (h)
Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Following a two-game goal drought, Mo Salah was back on the scoresheet in Gameweek 12, applying the finishing touch to a fine counter-attacking move against Arsenal. Salah, who was captained by over four million managers at the weekend, could have quite easily scored more than eight points after creating a big chance for Diogo Jota and having an effort from close-range smothered by Aaron Ramsdale. Salah has an excellent record against Southampton, scoring seven times in eight meetings with them.
Price: £13.0m Points: 125 Gameweek 13 fixture: Southampton (h)
Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)
Conor Gallagher was the most-bought player of Gameweek 12 and he rewarded his new managers by supplying an assist for Christian Benteke during a 3-3 thriller at Turf Moor. The pair almost combined for another goal and Benteke certainly seems to be benefiting from Gallagher’s eye for a pass. Over the past four gameweeks, the Chelsea loanee ranks top among all players for chances created with 13. With four goals and five assists in 12 matches, Gallagher offers exceptional value at just £6m.
Price: £6.0m Points: 67 Gameweek 13 fixture: Aston Villa (h)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Salah’s sensational form has meant that FPL managers have been guilty of overlooking Sadio Mane, who is in fewer than five per cent of teams. A goal and assist in the 4-0 thrashing of Arsenal took the Senegalese winger to 71 FPL points for the campaign, placing him second behind Salah in the list of top-scoring midfielders. Mane has been particularly effective in home matches, scoring 47 of his points at Anfield.
Price: £11.9m Points: 71 Gameweek 13 fixture: Southampton (h)
Bernardo Silva (Man City)
Bernardo Silva’s days at Manchester City appeared to be numbered during the summer transfer window, but after remaining at the club, he has re-established himself as a key member of Pep Guardiola’s side. The 27-year-old has started in City’s last 11 league matches and completed the full 90 minutes in each of the previous seven. A goal in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Everton took Silva to four for the campaign, doubling his tally from 2020-21.
Price: £7.2m Points: 57 Gameweek 13 fixture: West Ham (h)
Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
Arsenal were brought down to earth with a bump after suffering another big defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, but they will be confident of putting that behind them against Newcastle on Saturday. The Magpies have conceded the joint-most goals (27) in the Premier League this season which could be good news for Emile Smith Rowe’s owners. Only Salah and Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet have scored more FPL points among midfielders over the past four gameweeks than the young playmaker.
Price: £5.9m Points: 59 Gameweek 13 fixture: Newcastle (h)
Josh King (Watford)
Josh King has quickly emerged as one of Claudio Ranieri’s favourites at Watford, playing the full 90 minutes in the Hornets’ last four league games. A goal against his former club Manchester United on Saturday took the Norwegian to four for the campaign, all of which have been scored since Gameweek 9. During that period, King is level with Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke for big chances with seven which bodes well for Watford’s upcoming game against a leaky Leicester defence.
Price: £5.6m Points: 45 Gameweek 13 fixture: Leicester (a)
Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
With so many other forwards struggling for form, managers are turning to the reliable if unspectacular Raul Jimenez to provide a steady stream of points. Jimenez rarely racks up big scores in FPL, but he has registered six attacking returns (three goals and three assists) in his previous six starts. Since scoring his first goal of the season against Southampton in Gameweek 6, Jimenez has accumulated 43 points, 10 more than any other forward in the game.
Price: £7.8m Points: 51 Gameweek 13 fixture: Norwich (a)
How i‘s Gameweek 12 picks performed
- Alex McCarthy (Southampton) – 1
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) – 15
- Joao Cancelo (Man City) – 12
- Reece James (Chelsea) – 12
- Sergio Reguilon (Spurs) – 9
- Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) – 6
- Mo Salah (Liverpool) – 8
- Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace) – 5
- Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 2
- Harry Kane* (Spurs) – 4
- Callum Wilson (Newcastle) – 1
*selected as i‘s exclusive newsletter captain
from Fantasy Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3r1k8Wv
via IFTTT
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