FPL gameweek eight is almost here, and BBC Sport’s Holly Shand has the answers to the biggest dilemmas facing Fantasy Premier League managers. The headline question: stick or twist on Erling Haaland’s captaincy?
Erling Haaland of Manchester City (Credits: BBC Sport)
Enzo Maresca confirmed on Tuesday that Haaland (£13.7m) is fit to start against Aston Villa on Saturday after being an unused substitute in City’s 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens. That immediately puts him top of the captaincy pile — he has eight goals in seven league games — though he hasn’t scored in his past four Premier League appearances against Villa.
FPL Gameweek 8 Captaincy: Haaland vs Chelsea Attackers
Chelsea attackers headline the alternatives. Joao Pedro (£7.9m) is their best fantasy asset so far with five goals and three assists, while Cole Palmer (£9.7m) carries the higher ceiling thanks to penalty duties. But with Haaland fit and Villa’s record against him the only doubt, the Norwegian remains the safest armband.
Best FPL Replacements for Saka, Semenyo and Szoboszlai
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (£9.6m) picked up a quadriceps injury in the Champions League on Wednesday, joining Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.8m) and City’s Antoine Semenyo (£8.3m) — both ruled out long term — on the treatment table. City’s midfield is drawing the most transfer traffic: Rayan Cherki (£8m) leads the clicks, but Phil Foden (£6.8m) shone with a midweek hat-trick and Jeremy Doku (£7.5m) has three goal involvements in three games.
Don’t sleep on Brighton: three of the game’s top five players are Seagulls. Out-of-position defender Maxim de Cuyper (£5.3m) is the highest-scoring asset in the game, Pascal Gross (£6.2m) leads all players with nine goal involvements, and centre-back Luka Vuskovic (£5.1m) keeps banking defensive-contribution bonuses. With Brighton scoring a league-leading 23 goals and conceding a league-low five, their assets look like season keepers.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
