As predicted in Wednesday’s Squad article, our Gameweek 28 selections are focused on players from just two top-six sides boosted by an array of low-priced gems.
Our money-saving drive starts between the sticks, with Brighton’s Mat Ryan (4.5) getting the nod ahead of Swansea City’s visit to the Amex Stadium.
A fifth home clean sheet of the campaign could be on the cards for the Australian stopper; the Swans have scored just nine goals from 13 away matches, recording 25 shots on target – the lowest in the league.
With Arsenal hosting Manchester City and Chelsea travelling to Manchester United, the only assets from top-six teams we favour are from Liverpool and Spurs.
A visit from West Ham urges us triple up on Reds players, with centre-back Virgil van Dijk (5.6) earning a spot as he looks to earn a third clean sheet in as many starts in all competitions.
He’s part of a defence that’s allowed the fewest shots on target (26) at home, though the Dutchman also appeals for his ability in the opposing penalty area. He’s fired in five shots in his three league starts for Liverpool.
We have also opted for a trio of Spurs assets, which includes left-back Ben Davies (5.7).
Mauricio Pochettino charges face a Crystal Palace side that has struggled to take their opportunities at Selhurst Park, converting just four of 11 big chances recorded over their last four Gameweeks.
Meanwhile, based on their last four away trips, the Spurs defence is the meanest on show. They’ve allowed just 10 shots on target and four big chances, no side can better those tallies.
Davies looks to have seen off the threat of rotation that plagued him earlier this season. He’s started each of his side’s last seven league matches and his returns over that period also appeal, earning four clean sheets, two assists and a pair of maximum bonus returns.
Completing our backline is Ben Mee (4.9) as Burnley host Southampton at Turf Moor.
The Clarets have the fourth best defensive home record in the league, keeping six clean sheets and conceding just ten times in front of their own fans – a tally only bettered by Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United.
Although he has yet to score this season, we hold out hope that the centre-back will find the net – only Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso (30) has had more penalty area shots among defenders than Mee’s 20.
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah (10.5) is once again a shoo-in for selection.
A strike in the Champions League at Porto last week was his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, and he is particularly impressive at Anfield, having been involved in nearly two thirds (62%) of his side’s league goals when on the pitch.
With just one clean sheet in their last nine league matches, David Moyes’ charges look unlikely to silence the Egyptian, who scored a brace against the Hammers in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign.
Continuing our focus on Spurs, we have handed a midfield slot to Christian Eriksen (9.2), who has created more chances (12) and big chances (four) than any other player over the last three Gameweeks. A goal in last week’s Champions League encounter with Juventus underlines his form and confidence ahead of Sunday’s clash. The Dane scored the winning goal in the corresponding fixture last season.
Riyad Mahrez’s (8.6) return to the Leicester City XI following his transfer window wranglings makes the Algerian difficult to ignore for Stoke City’s visit. The Potters have the league’s worst away defence, having conceded a record 32 goals and kept a solitary clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Mahrez has been a consistent performer, delivering attacking returns in all but two of his last 11 league starts and registering an assist in the FA Cup against Sheffield United last weekend.
Watford’s on-loan winger Gerard Deulofeu (6.0) takes our final midfield berth ahead of Everton’s visit to Vicarage Road. He impressed in his previous home encounter, with a goal, assist and maximum bonus returns against Chelsea in Gameweek 26.
The Toffees’ defence looks to be similarly obliging, having shipped 11 goals in their last four away matches – an unwelcome league record they share with Stoke.
Harry Kane (12.8) completes our Spurs trio. The Golden Boot contender looks unstoppable on the road, having scored more goals (12) and recorded more shots on target (21) than any other player. He has also two goals and an assist from his last three trips to Selhurst Park.
Roberto Firmino’s (9.3) convincing form – three goals and two assists in his last five league starts – ensures he earns a Picks berth. Like Salah, he also found the net against Porto in the Champions League, which has helped swell his ownership by more than 92,000 since Gameweek 27.
Our final striker berth goes to Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson (6.0) as he prepares to take on a Newcastle defence with just one clean sheet in their last 11 road trips. The Cherries striker has four goals and two assists over his last eight run-outs, including double-digit returns against Arsenal and Chelsea.
The prospects of a clean sheet look strong for Wilson’s team-mate Charlie Daniels (4.7), who takes the first of our three bench spots. The Magpies have only scored six times in their last half a dozen matches – the fourth worst tally in the league over that timeframe.
Brighton’s Pascal Gross (5.9) earns a substitute role for Swansea’s visit to the Amex Stadium. The German playmaker has scored all his five goals on home turf and has been directly involved in nine goals overall, accounting for 60% of Brighton’s strikes.
Jamie Vardy (8.6) narrowly misses out on a first XI place, but more than merits a spot on our bench after scoring in each of his last four Gameweek. Only Wayne Rooney (30.3%) can better Vardy’s 28.9% shot conversion rate among forwards with more than five goals this season, and it seems unlikely that Stoke’s struggling backline can halt his prolific form.
The Community Champion
Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 26 is davidoff7, who has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: Pope; Davies, Van Dijk, Maguire; Alli, Gross, Salah, Stanislas; Vardy, Kane, Firmino.
The community member who beats us by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.
