The biggest Double Gameweek of the season so far is upon us, with four teams playing twice.
Manchester City have two home fixtures, facing Chelsea and Brentford. As such, a significant consideration is whether to deploy the Triple Captain chip, with Erling Haaland (£14.4m) the leading candidate.
In this article, we look at some of the pros and cons of using the chip on Haaland in Double Gameweek 25.
THE PROS
- Man City have two home games against non-top-six sides in Double Gameweek 25. These are pretty good fixtures for Pep Guardiola’s troops, given that Brentford and Chelsea have combined for just five away clean sheets all season. In the reverse fixtures, Haaland plundered 16 points against Chelsea and five against Thomas Frank’s side, so you can see the appeal. He also racked up seven shots and four Opta-defined ‘big chances’.
- Haaland’s home form since arriving in England is extraordinary. In 27 Premier League outings at the Etihad, the Norwegian has scored 30 goals and assisted 10. The run also includes nine double-figure hauls, just four blanks when starting, and crucially, elite underlying numbers.
- Another advantage of using the Triple Captain chip on Haaland this week is his expected minutes. After nearly two months out with a foot injury, the Norwegian returned to action in Gameweek 22 and is now back to full fitness. It is by no means guaranteed, but Haaland could feasibly get two starts in Double Gameweek 25 and close to 180 minutes over the two fixtures. In future Gameweeks, once City presumably reach the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League, his game time is potentially going to be more uncertain. It’s also worth noting future Man City ‘doubles’ probably won’t involve two home matches.
- Using the Triple Captain chip now frees up Double Gameweek 34 and Double Gameweek 37, when it might be preferable to use other chips, like the Bench Boost or Free Hit. Remember, you can’t use two chips in the same Gameweek.
- Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m) has been on fire since returning from injury, notching an assist in four straight matches. The playmaker and Haaland combined perfectly for Man City’s final goal in the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday and have a unique partnership. De Bruyne makes Haaland a better FPL asset, so capitalising on that relationship when both players are fit and firing makes a lot of sense.
“With him [De Bruyne] I know I’m going to get it. Perfect and it [the second goal] is different from a lot of other goals because I have to take touches. I know the ball is going to come and you can see in the replay I don’t even look at the ball because I’m just focusing on running towards the goal. I think that’s a small difference. It’s nothing bad against the others but you know the ball is going to come. It’s natural. For me, I see a lot of football and I saw for many years where he plays the ball and he hasn’t changed anything for the last five years. For me, it was to come in and finish those actions.” – Erling Haaland
THE CONS/OTHER OPTIONS
- This section of our coverage will understandably be briefer. There simply aren’t that many reasons not to Triple Captain Haaland in Double Gameweek 25, but there are at least other factors to consider. Firstly, the gains you make with Haaland Triple Captain probably won’t be that significant, with his effective ownership likely to be well over 200%. So, if you’re having a bad time and looking for that season-defining moment to help shoot you up the rankings, this might not be it. However, it’s a risky approach and if Haaland does indeed rack up a tonne of points in Double Gameweek 25, you could be 20-ish points down by not using it, falling further behind.
- Will Haaland really get 180 minutes in Double Gameweek 25, given that he has only recently returned from injury? With Man City competing on three fronts (Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup) we could see a bit of minute management, potentially impacting Haaland’s output.
- Man City put a combined seven goals past Brentford and Chelsea earlier this season, so the fixtures won’t hold any fear. However, it’s worth noting these teams rank third and tenth respectively for minutes per expected goal conceded (xGC) in away matches in 2023/24. In fact, only Arsenal have allowed fewer ‘big chances’ than Brentford.
Above: Teams sorted by big chances conceded in 2023/24 (away matches only)
- As good as he is, there are alternatives to Haaland. Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) and Son Heung-min (£9.6m) are the next best premium players after the Norwegian and could have other Double Gameweeks further down the line. Salah, of course, plays Brentford and Luton Town this week. He’s been spotted in training on Tuesday but his fitness remains unclear at the time of writing and a bench role perhaps feels more likely this weekend. Using the Triple Captain chip on Dominic Solanke (£6.9m) in Double Gameweek 28 is another alternative option, with some of the pros and cons outlined below.
| Pros | Cons |
| Back-to-back home matches against Sheff Utd and Luton, two of the worst-performing defences | Two double-figure hauls in 23 starts, compared with Haaland’s five in 17, so his ceiling is arguably lower |
| A talisman who is on penalties and regularly plays 90 minutes | Bournemouth haven’t been prolific at home this season, scoring just 13 goals in 11 matches |
| The fourth-highest scoring forward in FPL, with 13 goals in 23 starts | Has blanked in 11 of his 23 starts, including the reverse fixture against Sheff Utd, so isn’t as reliable as others |
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is no right or wrong answer here, but it is clear Haaland in Double Gameweek 25 carries real appeal. The Norwegian is a reliable and proven FPL asset, playing for the best team in the country with two home matches, so it is a great opportunity to activate the Triple Captain chip. Even more so if you are happy with your overall rank and don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
If you want to gamble on a low-owned pick no problem, but managers should be aware it’s a risky approach given Haaland’s previous and you could find yourself falling further behind. It essentially comes down to risk tolerance.
You don’t even have to play the Triple Captain chip in a Double Gameweek, but in order to maximise the potential of the chip, it’s probably advisable to do so. As such, Haaland in Double Gameweek 25 is a great opportunity to play it.
COMMUNITY OPINION
There’s already been some great Triple Captain chat in the comments section this week, with some of those posts included below.
