Team Of The Season – Christian Eriksen

On the back of his best ever Fantasy Premier League (FPL) campaign in 2015/16, when he registered 178 points, Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen raised the bar again to earn his place in our Team of the Season.

The Spurs midfielder produced eight goals and 20 assists in FPL to total 218 points – the fourth consecutive season he has improved his overall points tally.

The Dane joins team-mate Dele Alli in our line-up’s midfield, with the pair enjoying fantastic campaigns as Mauricio Pochettino’s side recorded their highest ever Premier League finish of second.

The Statistics

Priced at 8.5 at the start of the campaign, Eriksen was initially drafted in by 401,033 FPL managers ahead of Gameweek 1.

But the midfielder got off to a sluggish start, registering three successive blanks, while an 11-point haul in the 4-0 win over Stoke City wasn’t enough to stem the sales.

Indeed, Eriksen would only muster a single assist over his next seven outings as his price in FPL fell to 8.1 ahead of the Gameweek 13 trip to high-flying Chelsea – a match in which he was owned by a season-low of just 184,409 FPL bosses.

It was the clash against the Blues that would prove to be the turning point for Eriksen’s faltering campaign, as he recorded his second double-digit score from a first goal of the season and maximum bonus points.

Over the next eight Gameweeks, Eriksen produced a sensational run of form of four goals, eight assists and 10 bonus points to average an eye-catching 9.25 points per match.

By Gameweek 22, his value had shot up to 8.7 and he was owned by 696,107 managers.

The playmaker did then register four consecutive blanks, before embarking on a stellar run of form over the rest of the campaign.

Eriksen showed remarkable consistency, blanking in just three of his final 12 appearances while producing three goals, nine assists and 15 bonus points.

His total of 218 points placed him fourth among FPL midfielders and he finished with an impressive 30 bonus points – 13 more than team-mate Alli.

The Denmark international’s price peaked at 8.9 during the final few weeks of the season, but he remained a differential throughout most of the season, with the midfielder never owned by more than 845,000 managers.

While Eriksen enjoyed his most productive campaign yet, his underlying statistics suggest he could still have room for improvement.

The 25-year-old registered more shots (133) than any other FPL midfielder, although only 40 were from close range.

He also created more chances (112), outshining star midfielders such as Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil.

The Prospects

With Eriksen’s output improving season on season, there looks a reasonable chance he could again better the 218 points he managed in 2016/17 next season.

Spurs scored more goals (86) than any other side in the top flight, meaning their attackers are likely to be high on our wishlists when it comes to formulating our initial squads.

One potential concern could be Spurs’ slow starts to their last two campaigns, managing just three goals in their first three matches last season, while in 2015/16 they only netted five times in their first six encounters.

Another issue may be the move to Wembley, given White Hart Lane was such a fortress last term.

They won 17 and drew two of their 19 home fixtures, scoring 47 goals.

It could take a few wins at Wembley for Pochettino’s side to gain confidence in their new surroundings following their disappointing European performances at the home of English football last season.

So some Fantasy managers may not want to take the risk on doubling up on the Spurs attack, particularly bearing in mind the wealth of premium options from other clubs.

Given Eriksen’s strong performance during the 2016/17 campaign, a price hike to either 9.0 or 9.5 looks likely.

Team-mates Alli and Kane are also set to rise in price, making it more difficult to load up on the Spurs attack as many FPL bosses did during the second half of last season.

It’s therefore likely from the outset that managers may only look to start with just one Spurs attacker. Given Kane’s outstanding form during the run-in, he looks in pole position to earn the bulk of that investment.

Eriksen’s consistency shouldn’t be underestimated, with his excellent delivery from set-pieces always likely to ensure a steady stream of attacking points, although many Fantasy managers may initially ignore his claims at the start of next season.

But with his numbers improving year on year, there’s every chance he’ll once again be among the top-scoring midfielders on offer.