We’ve included a decent sized contingent of Double Gameweek players in our Scout Picks for the weekend.
With Manchester City and Everton both playing two matches, that is reflected in our handpicked best XI.
This week we line up in a 3-5-2 formation, and at £83.4m we have come in just £0.1m under our budget.
Goalkeeper
We may have our doubts about Manchester City’s defence, but Ederson (£5.6m) still gets the nod in goal for the Scout Picks this week. If we’re looking for certain starters in Pep Guardiola’s team you don’t get much more secure than their goalkeeper, who has 10 more points than any of his defensive colleagues this season.
Defenders
Andrew Robertson (£6.7m) has the potential to benefit at both ends of the pitch against West Ham. The Hammers did not register a single shot in the box or on target against Wolves last time out with Manuel Pellegrini revealing he would have to go back to the drawing board with his team. Meanwhile, West Ham still have just clean sheets at home all season,
An ongoing groin injury to Ben Davies means that Danny Rose (£5.8m) looks set for another start in the Spurs defence against Newcastle. The Magpies come to Wembley with the lowest number of shots in opposition boxes over the last four away matches. Only two teams have recorded fewer big chances in that time than Newcastle while, Spurs have conceded the fewest since Gameweek 21. A clean sheet looks likely for Rose then, who has created a chance every 45 minutes in the last four Gameweeks, getting an assist against Watford.
James Tarkowski (£4.7m) is our representative from the Burnley squad this week as Southampton come to Turf Moor. The Clarets have two clean sheets in their last four at home, while the Saints come to Lancashire with just 19 shots on target in their last four away matches. Only Newcastle have fewer in that time.
Midfielders
Raheem Sterling (£11.3m) kicks off our Manchester City attacking contingent ahead of their Double Gameweek fixtures. The England international scored on his last league meeting with Arsenal, all the way back in Gameweek 1, and has four goal involvements in his last five outings. Having started the last six Premier League matches in a row, while Riyad Mahrez has been used heavily in the cups, we are backing Sterling to start at least one of City’s next two and play a decent number of minutes across the Gameweek as Guardiola’s men look to keep the pressure on Liverpool in the title race.
Leroy Sané (£9.7m) completes our Manchester City representation in this first Double Gameweek of the season. We believe he is actually more likely to start both matches than Sterling or Sergio Aguero, as Benjamin Mendy works his way back to full fitness following his latest long lay-off. The German international has two goals and two assists in his last four Premier League outings and has a higher expected assist score in that time than any other player in the division.
For the first time since the autumn, Sadio Mané (£9.5m) comes into the Scout Picks as our chosen representative for Liverpool. It has been a long time in coming but the Senegalese international is now outperforming Mohamed Salah statistically over the last four Gameweeks. He has had one more effort on target than his Egyptian colleague, 10 shots in the box to Salah’s seven, and 11 total efforts to his team-mate’s eight. They are pretty close for chances created too, Salah ahead by one. Therefore, we can justify saving £4.1m of our budget by picking Mané ahead of a trip to West Ham in Gameweek 25.
Mauricio Pochettino appears optimistic that Son Heung-min (£8.6m) will play a part in Spurs’ Gameweek 25 meeting with Newcastle on Saturday lunch-time, which is enough for us to include him in the Scout Picks. The South Korean is still on an incredible run of form that has seen him average nine points per appearance since Gameweek 13, while he has registered an effort on goal every 25.6 minutes in the last four round of matches. With Spurs’ key attacking men still out until March, the stage is set for Son to continue operating as their main man.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.4m) is our chosen representative from Everton as they play Wolves and Manchester City over the course of the Gameweek. Richarlison was in consideration after ending his goal drought against Huddersfield but with just two efforts on target in the last four matches, we had to look elsewhere. Sigurdsson has a superior accuracy (36% to 18%) and his role in set pieces means he has created seven more chances than his Brazilian colleague since Gameweek 21.
Forwards
Marcus Rashford (£7.7m) leads a cheap forward line for us this week as Manchester United travel to face a Leicester side that has struggled at home of late. They have lost all but one of their last four at the King Power Stadium, conceding six goals in the process. Meanwhile, Rashford is joint-top of the league for shots on target in the last four Gameweeks, notching attacking returns in eight of his last 11 Premier League outings.
Josh King (£6.4m) has been a hugely exciting resurgent figure in the last few weeks, relishing the role as Bournemouth’s key front man in the absence of an injured Callum Wilson. In the last four Gameweeks, only Paul Pogba and Rashford have had more shots on target, while the Frenchman is the only player to have registered more efforts in the box than King. As a very versatile player, the Norwegian also comes with seven chances created in that time, the exact same number as Pogba.
Substitutes
Patrick van Aanholt (£5.4m) gets a place on the bench this week ahead of Fulham’s visit to Selhurst Park. While Fulham have found their shooting boots in recent weeks, Crystal Palace still have three clean sheets in their last five home matches. Meanwhile, van Aanholt has played the same number of key passes as Pogba and King in the last four Gameweeks, taking six shots too, so could capitalise on Fulham’s woeful defence.
Ryan Fraser (£6.1m) will almost certainly enjoy his trip to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday. The Bluebirds remain susceptible to set pieces, only two clubs allowing more chances from dead ball situations in their last four home outings. Fraser is currently joint top of the league for key passes played since Gameweek 21 and is a designated corner and free-kick taker for Bournemouth.
Glenn Murray (£6.3m) has the advantage of facing the leaky Watford defence this week. The Hornets have recently slipped to the foot of the table for shots allowed in the penalty box over the last four, only Fulham conceding more big chances in that time too. Meanwhile, Murray gets most of his work done at the Amex Stadium, with seven of his ten goals coming there this season.
Community Champion
Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Double Gameweek 25 is Joax2. They have opted for a 4-4-2 formation of: Alisson; van Aanholt, Laporte, Duffy, Trippier; Sané, Hazard, Sigurdsson, Sterling; Higuain, Ayew.
The community member who beats our picks 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.
The Scouts were defeated in Gameweek 24, AK winning by a 48-46 scoreline.
fclackless‘s winning margin of 33 points (77-44) in Gameweek 10 is the current target to beat.
