The Premier League’s current top three sides unsurprisingly dominate the FPL scoring charts. As such, we’re taking a closer look at Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea’s assets ahead of strong runs of fixtures.
As always, we’re consulting our popular FPL Fixture Tracker to help us!
FPL GW 16 Tips – Attack
Liverpool
The Reds are head and shoulders above every other side for expected goals over the next five with 14.68.
With an ownership of around 73%, the only surprise is that Mo Salah (13.1m) isn’t owned by more FPL managers. A single blank in gameweek 2 tells you why many have left the armband on the Egyptian for the majority of the campaign.
Three consecutive blanks has done Sadio Mané (11.9m) no favours. Still ranked in the top five FPL mids, Mané is a great differential but will take up a significant chunk of your budget, as well as a precious Liverpool spot ahead of the looming African Cup of Nations in January. Instead, with four goals in four, Diogo Jota (8.0m) is surely the best Reds’ midfielder to pair with Salah.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s side rank second for expected goals in the next five with at least 1.69 expected goals per fixture.
Ferran Torres (6.7m) and Gabriel Jesus (8.7m) have each had their time in the FPL spotlight for City, but it’s arguably their player of the season so far, Bernardo Silva (7.5m), who is the pick of the bunch right now. The Portuguese international has scored five in five and is currently level with his best scoring season in sky blue.
Phil Foden (8.1m) is the most compelling alternative with three goals and three assists in eight league starts this season. Rotation is likely to be rife during this period, so Kevin De Bruyne (11.8m) will remain a wait-and-see prospect as he regains match fitness.
Chelsea
The Blues fell to third after twice surrendering the lead to West Ham last gameweek. Yet, two goals in that game highlights Chelsea’s attacking potential ahead of fixtures with struggling Leeds and Everton.
Mason Mount (7.5m) has managed a goal and an assist in each of his last two games, taking him to five goals and five assists. Injuries, rotation, and wisdom teeth have prevented a clear run of games, but Mount’s current form should see plenty of minutes in the near future.
The Blues easily have one of the strongest squads in the league with an abundance of attacking options, resulting in very few standout FPL picks. Romelu Lukaku (11.5m) is certainly worth monitoring as he rebuilds his match sharpness, but aside from that, defenders may be the way to go for Thomas Tuchel’s side…
FPL GW 16 Tips – Defence
Chelsea
The Blues have an expected clean sheet total of 3.32 over the next five with every fixture registering a score of at least 0.56 on the fixture tracker.
After just two points over gameweeks 13 to 15, Reece James (6.2m) has fallen in price. Sellers will most likely regret that decision given the kind schedule ahead and James’ continued attacking displays. The wing-back has four goals and four assists from just seven 90-minute appearances and is quite possibly Chelsea’s best attacking option right now.
In the same vein, Marcos Alonso (5.7m) managed 8+ attacking returns in four consecutive seasons before last and will now have a clear run in the side with Ben Chilwell (5.7m) out injured.
Meanwhile, an injury to Trevoh Chalobah (4.8m) brings Andreas Christensen (4.8m) into contention, whilst Antonio Rüdiger (6.1m) and Thiago Silva (5.5m) remain reliable options.
Manchester City
City’s defence have been leaking goals in the last few weeks, but like Chelsea’s, remain one of the best in the league.
The best pick in the Man City defensive ranks is undoubtedly João Cancelo (6.8m). Five assists has helped put the versatile full-back way ahead of his teammates in defence. Rotation is always a threat at City but having started every league game so far this season, Cancelo looks as safe as you can get with a Guardiola team.
Security of starts is the main reason behind Ederson (6.0m) and Rúben Dias’ (6.0m) appeal, with the pair virtually guaranteed to start every game for an exceptionally strong defence. Anyone happy to take more of a gamble on gametime in exchange for a cheaper price should look at Kyle Walker (5.5 m) and Aymeric Lamporte (5.5m).
Liverpool
We end with the most defensively in form side (in terms of clean sheets) of the top three. Liverpool face underperforming Newcastle and Leeds after the visit of Steven Gerrard this coming gameweek.
No defender comes close to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s (8.1) price tag, but that is reflected in a 15-point lead over his peers. One goal and seven assists is reason enough for investment, with eight clean sheets a very welcome bonus.
Three assists in three brings Andrew Robertson (7.0m) and his 2.4% ownership into the picture. The Scottish left-back registered 32 FPL assists over his last three campaigns and could prove to be a fantastic differential.
Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk (6.6m) offers attacking threat of his own nine goals over his last two full seasons whilst Joel Matip (4.9m) provides a rather inconsistent (four starts in seven) route into the side.
Photo by Prapoth Panchuea on Unsplash
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