Fantasy Premier League: More questions than answers as jam-packed festive period arrives
Last week started with Manchester City vs Liverpool, and while we were bracing ourselves for a rollercoaster ride, it turned into more of a tactical battle in the end. However, FPL players were able to watch this match with a bit more adrenaline as it featured Erling Haaland (14.0) and Mohamed Salah (13.0) - the two most popular captains of the previous round.
Who should be your captain?
Unexpectedly for many, both players picked up points despite there being only two goals in the match. Haaland opened the scoring in the match, while Salah picked up an assist for Trent-Alexander Arnold's equalising goal. So everyone was surely satisfied to some extent. Unless, of course, someone went against the tide and gave the captain's armband to Heung-Min Son (9.6), who had three goals disallowed for offside. Bad luck.
It now seems that the most sensible choice of captain will be Salah, who has a home game against Fulham. Marco Silva's team are not exactly comfortable defensively, so he should have little problem at Anfield. The Egyptian is at his best on home soil and scores regularly, especially against "weaker" teams.
Haaland has a slightly bigger challenge in the form of Tottenham. The Norwegian international is of course the top scorer this season and rarely disappoints, yet he will face a much stronger team led by Ange Postecoglou. It is likely that the Norwegian will once again feature as captain in a number of line-ups, but in our opinion, the choice should fall to Salah.
Moving central midfielders
The theme of the week in the FPL is, of course, the midfield situation. While we can rely on the performances of the main men in this position, like Salah, Son and Bukayo Saka (8.8), there are many question marks around the slightly cheaper players, who are the ones we pin our hopes on.
Jarrod Bowen (7.6) is injured. He was a consideration to start the last game, according to West Ham coach David Moyes, but he wasn't even on the bench in the end. The same was true for Kaoru Mitoma (6.5), but he did start in the Europa League on Thursday. Of course, James Maddison (7.9) is definitely out for a long period of time.
To make matters worse, there has also been an injury to Eberechi Eze (6.2), who has only recently returned from injury and looked great in Crystal Palace colours. If anyone bought him in, perhaps due to our recommendation last week, must now waste another transfer.
So who are the best replacements at a good price? For now, the main choices are Bryan Mbeumo (7.0), whose Brentford side host Luton. Anthony Gordon (5.9), who picked up 13 points against Chelsea last week, is a strong candidate. On the other hand, Jeremy Doku (6.7) and Cole Palmer (5.3) are slightly riskier but still worthwhile options.
Who to buy?
As we do every week, here are a few players worth you should take a look at:
Bryan Mbeumo (7.0) - Let's face it, this is a pretty obvious choice. Brentford play at home against Luton, who aren't nearly as bad as many of us think, but are still one of the worst teams in the Premier League. The Cameroonian is the star of his team offensively and will face weaker opponents in the coming rounds. With the current injury situation among the midfielders, it's a choice that doesn't need much comment.
Ethan Pinnock (4.6) - The Jamaican defender is one of five Brentford players who have started every league game this season, and the only one apart from Mbeumo who has started every minute. In addition to his reliability, he also offers a threat in attack. Despite being a central defender, only five of his teammates have taken more shots on the opposition goal. Pinnock has already scored one goal, is fifth in the team in regards to expected goals (xG), and has a good chance to keep a clean sheet as well.
Konstantinos Tsimikas (4.7) - If anyone doubted the Greek, they shouldn't now. Andy Robertson (6.4) will be without out for a little longer, and Tsimikas is a great option for a busy December schedule. Liverpool face games against weaker opponents and the former Olympiakos defender often ventures forward, while the Reds defence is one of the strongest in the league.
Harry Toffolo (4.4) - The Nottingham Forest defender could be an interesting option for you if you need a cheaper option. An average of 4 points per game makes him the 13th best defender in the league, which at a price tag of 4.4 million, is very impressive. In addition, their run of fixtures now includes Everton, Fulham and Wolves.
Morgan Gibbs-White (5.7) - Gibbs-White had a great game in the last round, claiming twelve points. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's too late to acquire him. Alongside a good run of games, he also takes penalties and corners. He is one of the most tempting midfielders under 6 million.
Dominik Szoboszlai (7.1) - Finally, I suggest Liverpool's Hungarian midfielder. He's already hit double figure points in two home games this season, and now Fulham come to Anfield, so why can't he do it a third time? If we look at the performances of Liverpool midfielders in recent rounds, specifically from GW8, Szoboszlai is the second best after Salah. You can definitely find more popular options in a similar price bracket, but if you want to differentiate yourself a bit from your rivals in the mini-league, he might be the right option for you.