Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are bracing themselves for the penultimate weekend of this season, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea all playing twice in Double Gameweek 37.
But while record-breaking sharpshooter Erling Haaland (£12.4m) appears the right favourite on paper, we examine whether a big-hitting Man United duo provide viable alternatives, before running the rule over options from the Seagulls.
As usual, the Captain Sensible article is here to highlight which assets have the best chance of hauling.
First, we will assess the fallout of the captain poll, before then analysing the best options, Rate My Team (RMT) and the Premier Fantasy Tools ratings ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 BST deadline.
THE CAPTAIN POLL
Man City’s Norwegian superstar Haaland tops the charts by a landslide ahead of Double Gameweek 37, backed by almost 55% of the total votes cast at the time of writing.
The main rivalry comes from the red half of Manchester with Portugal international Bruno Fernandes (£9.5m) sitting in second place, backed by around one in seven users.
The recently resurrected but possibly now ill Marcus Rashford (£7.2m) occupies third place with 6.72% of the vote, soon followed by Harry Kane (£11.4m).
THE CANDIDATES
ERLING HAALAND/KEVIN DE BRUYNE/JULIAN ALVAREZ
Normal service resumed when Haaland powered home a header from point-blank range against Everton, as Man City notched two late first-half goals at Goodison Park.
Haaland’s underlying numbers remain at gold-standard level, with 21 penalty area attempts, 12 big chances and 13 shots on target all being league-leading totals over the last six matches.
Surprisingly, he has been knocked off the summit of expected data tables from this period due to the heroics of Newcastle United marksman Callum Wilson (£7.2m).
Haaland ranks second-best for expected goals (xG) and expected goal involvement (xGI) during everyone’s last six games, with 6.24 and 6.57 respectively.
Above: Haaland leads the division for shots in the box (21), big chances (12), and shots on target (13) over the last six
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m) was an unused substitute at Goodison Park, as Pep Guardiola wrapped his creative talisman in cotton wool before Real Madrid.
The midfield maestro’s numbers remain strong, with eight attacking returns in a half-dozen outings, scoring three and supplying five others.
These 8.83 points per appearance highlight his importance to Guardiola’s attack as the season approaches its ‘crunch period’.
By creating seven big chances, he is bettered by only Fernandes over these six, with De Bruyne placing second for expected assists (xA, 2.51).
Meanwhile, those in search of an uber-differential could be tempted by Julian Alvarez (£6.1m) because the Argentina international is likely to see an upturn in game-time once the league title is wrapped up.
Despite a single goal during his last six, the World Cup winner has proven himself to be an explosive option when he starts – particularly on home turf.
With ten attacking returns, Alvarez has averaged a highly-respectable 83.4 minutes and 6.45 points during each of his 11 starts.
The reigning champions host Chelsea on Sunday, where a win sees them retain their crown. Frank Lampard’s team is without a clean sheet in six matches, despite ranking a respectable eighth for expected goals conceded (xGC, 8.98).
However, losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford mark the Blues out as a side to target. Shipping an xG of 2.94 at home to Brighton is a marker that Man City’s high-octane attack can follow.
After that, Pep’s side travels to the Amex Stadium on Wednesday with the common narrative suggesting that any possible roulette rotation is likely to occur.
Despite the Seagulls’ new-found status as one of the division’s best footballing sides, Guardiola will take solace in recent heavy defeats to Newcastle United, Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Brighton’s underlying defensive numbers are heavily influenced by these trouncings, ranking in the bottom half for xGC (11.11) over the last six matches.
BRUNO FERNANDES/MARCUS RASHFORD/LUKE SHAW
