Scout Picks – Gameweek 21

The exhaustive festive schedule continues with another set of Scout Picks as we reveal our final decision on the cut made from yesterday’s Squad article.

With Spurs and West Ham’s Wembley Stadium encounter shifted into Gameweek 22, we are deprived of some key assets, most notably Spurs striker Harry Kane.

But Kane’s lack of a fixture allows us to invest in Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City assets as all three prepare for favourable upcoming head-to-heads.

To ensure we have enough in our 84 million budget, we have looked to save money in defence once more, starting in goal with Burnley’s Nick Pope (4.8).

The Clarets stopper has earned three clean sheets from his previous five run outs and visits a Huddersfield Town side that have recorded just ten big chances in home matches. Only Burnley themselves have mustered fewer with eight.

Newcastle United’s Jamaal Lascelles (4.6) is the first name in our four-man defence ahead of a home meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion. The Seagulls have been impotent of late, particularly on their travels, having failed to score in their last four away matches.

Lascelles was part of a determined Magpies rearguard that restricted runaway leaders Manchester City to a 1-0 victory on Wednesday. He also offers poses a threat at set-pieces, having scored from two Matt Ritchie dead-ball deliveries this season.

Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson (4.6) is another promising budget defender that offers broad points potential.

Since deputising for injured left-back Alberto Moreno from Gameweek 15, the Scot has ranked among the top three defenders in the final third for touches, passes received and successful passes, while topping the Liverpool ranks for attempted crosses.

This bodes well ahead of Leicester City’s visit to Anfield, with the Foxes having allowed more chances (93) and crosses (263) down the right side of defence than any other team. Claude Puel’s side are also without first-choice right-back Danny Simpson through injury.

Robertson is part of a Liverpool defence that has conceded just three goals in home matches – fewer than any other side – offering the prospect of a fourth clean sheet in five Gameweeks.

We turn, once again, to Marcos Alonso (7.2) as Chelsea welcome Stoke to Stamford Bridge.

The wing-back struck a fifth goal of the season at home to Brighton in midweek and, over the last four Gameweeks, no team-mate has produced more shots (12), efforts in the box (eight) or attempts on target (six).

A run of three clean sheets have helped Alonso deliver back-to-back 14-points and climb to the top of the FPL defender standings ahead of the Potters’ visit.

Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi (6.4) also earns a place in our lineup away to Crystal Palace.

Over the last six Gameweeks alone, the Argentine has supplied two goals, three clean sheets and nine bonus points, with his season total of 14 bonus more than any FPL defender.

That underlines his ability to deliver points in both boxes as Pep Guardiola’s men go in search of their seventh shut-out on the road.

Away to the only side yet to produce a single clean sheet in front of their own fans, Raheem Sterling (8.8) is our preferred Man City attacker for the trip to Selhurst Park.

With Sergio Aguero failing to score in four of his last six and Gabriel Jesus not on the scoresheet since Gameweek 12, Sterling’s output looks near-essential for the league leaders right now. With that in mind, we’re backing him to earn an eleventh successive start and continue the form that’s produced four goals and three sets of double-figures in the last three Gameweeks.

Eden Hazard (10.8) may not boast Sterling’s form but we fancy him to take advantage of a Stoke side beset by absentees at the back.

The Potters arrive with the league’s worst defensive record, conceding 41 goals, and are without Ryan Shawcross, Kurt Zouma and Bruno Martins-Indi. That’s enough to persuade us to back the Belgian, who has chalked up all three of his double-digit returns when Alvaro Morata has been in the same XI.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (10.1) more or less picks himself at home to a Leicester defence with a single clean sheet in 10 Gameweeks.

The Egyptian’s two assists against Swansea during the week means that he has delivered attacking returns in all but one of his last 12 league matches. Second only to Kane at home for shots (45), efforts in the box (32) and attempts on target (22), it’s no real surprise to see Salah claim first place in our Gameweek 21 Captain Poll ahead of the Foxes’ encounter.

The search for value drives our final midfield pick, with Jesse Lingard (6.1) continuing to belie his lowly price tag with a brace off the bench against Burnley midweek. This was the first time he’d failed to make the starting XI since Gameweek 14, but that stellar performance against the Clarets looks set to earn him a recall.

Over the last seven matches, Lingard has racked up an impressive six goals and earned two assists, as well as bonus on four occasions. Next up is a visit from a Southampton side that was heavily beaten 5-2 by Spurs on Tuesday and have a single clean sheet in 15 attempts.

Roberto Firmino (8.9)’s sensational form earns him a starting spot for the visit of Leicester to Anfield.

With four goals and two assists in his last three league run outs, he has – just like Sterling – delivered a trio of successive 10+ points hauls. Indeed, the Brazilian has bettered even Salah for points returns on each of those three occasions.

Another reason for selecting the Brazilian is that, like Robertson and Salah, he was substituted during the second half of Liverpool’s last league game, which indicates he should swerve the threat of rotation this weekend.

Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata (10.6) takes our final place and will be relishing the chance to collide with a Stoke backline that he destroyed at the Bet365 stadium back in Gameweek 6. The Spaniard notched a hat-trick on that day and has scored in three of his last four at Stamford Bridge. He looks primed to profit against Mark Hughes’ decimated defence.

The contribution of Christopher Schindler (4.6) will be vital as Huddersfield look to keep out Burnley at the John Smith’s Stadium. The Terriers have conceded more than one goal at home in just three of 10 matches, with the German’s ability to record clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) a significant factor. This has also helped Schindler claim eight of his nine bonus points in matches that David Wagner’s side have produced a clean sheet.

Watford winger Richarlison (6.5) also earns a bench role at home to a Swansea defence that have conceded more goals (13) and shots in the box (48) than any side over the last four Gameweeks. The young Brazilian has produced 11 penalty area efforts during that time – level with Firmino, for example – which suggests he could be set to end his eight-match scoring drought.

The fit-again Wayne Rooney (7.5) completes our line-up after recovering from the illness that kept him sidelined for the last two matches. With six goals and two assists in his last five appearances, he could punish a struggling Cherries defence that has shipped 11 goals in the last three Gameweeks.