The Scout Squad: Our top picks for FPL Gameweek 21

After a Double Gameweek 24 bulletin interrupted regular scheduled programming, attention switches firmly back to Gameweek 21.

It’s time for the Scout Squad, in which our in-house panel of Marc, Sam, Neale and Tom offer up their thoughts on the upcoming Gameweek’s best picks.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

In this article series, our team discuss who they think the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players are for the upcoming Gameweek in isolation. In other words, there’s no medium-term planning involved.

The players who get the most votes are likelier to make Tuesday’s Scout Picks.

Each of our writers must meet the following requirements for this feature:

• At least one sub-£5.0m goalkeeper
• At least one sub-£5.0m defender
• At least one sub-£6.0m midfielder
• At least one sub-£7.0m forward
• No more than three players from the same club

SCOUT SQUAD: GAMEWEEK 21 PICKS

Most popular picks: Daniel Munoz, Lewis Hall, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Bruno Fernandes, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, Jean-Philippe Mateta (four), Emiliano Martinez, Gabriel Magalhaes, Antonee Robinson, Anthony Gordon, Yoane Wissa (three)

MARC SAID…

I always feel uneasy about backing Newcastle to this extent, but I will repeat my Gameweek 1 team by tripling up on Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall. Such is the form of both the team and these individually, they hardly need explaining but Isak is aiming to score in his eighth successive league match. December’s Player of the Month also found time to set up the month’s most open play chances (19), so he definitely has captaincy potential at home to a Wolves defence that’s conceded the most times.

Gordon is here because he’s on his own streak of picking up an attacking return in each of the last seven starts while flying left-back Hall must be a dream to own. He sets up lots of attempts but also kept four clean sheets in five outings.

Nottingham Forest’s watertight defence also shares this statistic but I simply can’t go without Mohamed Salah. Not when he’s having arguably the greatest-ever FPL campaign. Then again, in Gameweek 4, Forest caused one of his only two blanks so far, so it might be a week to captain someone like Isak, Cole Palmer or Bruno Fernandes.

Chelsea’s attacker is the sole player to be within 70 points of Salah’s 209 and also pipped the Egyptian to being the top FPL scorer of 2024, straddled over two seasons. This one has him currently on the most chances created (57) and third-most shots on target (29). Although the Blues are winless in four and face a strong, seventh-placed Bournemouth, I think he and the frustrating Nicolas Jackson can deliver.

Meanwhile, a real differential boost can come from giving the armband to either Fernandes or Amad Diallo at home to Southampton. Man United’s penalty-taking Portuguese playmaker has four goals and five assists since Gameweek 10 but the much cheaper Amad is just six points behind over this period. Noussair Mazraoui makes it three Red Devils, a decision certainly not based on their form.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace have a great run of fixtures until early April and covering both ends of the pitch versus Leicester feels wise. Daniel Munoz is this season’s leading defender for big chances (eight), shots on target (eight) and expected goals (xG, 3.35), being such a threat that two goals in seven suddenly doesn’t feel enough. Ismaila Sarr would’ve been my sixth midfielder, if allowed, so I’ll instead go for Jean-Philippe Mateta after last week’s strike.

At the same time, Erling Haaland put a brace past West Ham to make it three goals in two. He should get chances at Brentford, though I don’t think there’ll be many between Everton and Aston Villa. That’s why I’ve chosen both goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martinez, alongside Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen who faces Ipswich. He kept a clean sheet against the Tractor Boys in Gameweek 4.

Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is always there for me because of Arsenal’s solidity at the back and constant set-piece threats, although the selection of two Fulham guys was due to a struggle to find other names. They have the uncertainty of facing West Ham’s managerial chance but Antonee Robinson regularly assists and Raul Jimenez has joined Haaland in recently rediscovering his touch.

SAM SAID…

Manchester United haven’t been a team you could rely on for consistency this season. However, with a fixture against bottom club Southampton, who have the worst points return in Premier League history by Gameweek 20, Andre Onana feels just about like the best goalkeeper pick of the round. Onana has registered six clean sheets this season, the sixth most in the league, and has made 51 saves in the process.

Jordan Pickford will be playing under new manager David Moyes in the Wednesday night fixture against Aston Villa, while Robert Sanchez has a home match against a Bournemouth side who have both centre-forwards out through injury. Pickford has made 61 saves this season, with Sanchez registering 65. All three goalkeepers have the potential for clean sheets as well as additional save points in midweek.

Dean Henderson also feels like a viable goalkeeper option this week but I have instead opted for the attacking threat of Daniel Munoz as my route into the Eagles’ backline. Of defenders, only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonee Robinson have created more chances than Munoz in the last four Gameweeks – despite Munoz making one fewer appearance. Speaking of Robinson, he has two attacking returns and a clean sheet in his last five Premier League run-outs so also makes the cut.

The north London derby is difficult to call. Spurs have struggled from set pieces so far this season, which has been Arsenal’s strength. With the arrival of new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, Spurs have been more solid, as he looks to have a better command of his box. I have added Gabriel Magalhaes regardless as if Arsenal score – and these derbies are normally high-scoring – you would not be surprised in the slightest if the Brazilian was involved from a set piece.

Finally at the rear, two left-backs. Lewis Hall combines great fixture and solid defensive form with corner-taking duty and creativity, while Leif Davis‘ tally of 39 chances is more than any other defender in the game this season.

Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer pick themselves for this week, as most weeks: Salah for his form and Palmer for the home fixture.

I didn’t need too long to think about the other three, either.

Bruno Fernandes has arguably got the fixture of the round this week, is on penalties and is ranked third among midfielders for chances created. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze have hit their strides heading into the midweek round of fixtures. Since Gameweek 13, Gordon has only blanked once in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Eze has returned in both of his last two matches, the last of which was a 10-point haul in Gameweek 19.

Up front, despite the injury concerns, Alexander Isak is still my first choice – and he will likely be my captain this week!

Jean-Philippe Mateta refound his scoring boots in Gameweek 20 and with Palace refining their form in recent weeks, he could be a good differential investment for managers.

Rodrigo Muniz was forced off through injury in the FA Cup on Saturday, which should mean that Raul Jimenez gets a start in midweek. Jimenez converted another penalty in the FA Cup and has returned in the last two Premier League matches.

Erling Haaland and Yoane Wissa make up the final two forward slots. Haaland was given a full rest in Manchester City’s 8-0 victory over Salford and Wissa played just 20 minutes in Brentford’s shock defeat to Plymouth.

TOM SAID…

I’m inevitably drawn to Old Trafford this week, where Manchester United host a Southampton side who are destined for the drop.

The triple-up is fairly self-explanatory, with Amad Diallo – who has been directly involved in seven of United’s 11 Premier League goals under Ruben Amorim (two goals, five assists) – and playmaker Bruno Fernandes getting the nod alongside Noussair Mazraoui.

Mazraoui’s selection is based on his advanced wing-back role and Southampton’s shortage of goals under Ivan Juric.

Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy has claims for inclusion this week but, in the end, I’ve opted for the highly unoriginal Lewis Hall, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak triple-up. Only two FPL defenders have created more chances than Hall over the last six Gameweeks, while there is an air of inevitability about Gordon and Isak right now, who have both returned in each of their last seven Premier League starts.

With Leicester City ranked 20th for headed chances conceded under Ruud van Nistelrooy, there is method behind the Jean-Philippe Mateta pick: the Crystal Palace forward’s total of 43 aerial duels won is the fifth-best among players in his Fantasy position.

The Foxes have failed to win any of their last six Premier League games, conceding 14 goals and scoring just twice, which also bodes well for Dean Henderson and Daniel Munoz in Gameweek 21.

Elsewhere, Kai Havertz, who has three goals and one assist in his last six league appearances, should lead the line in Gabriel Jesus’ absence and is up against a decimated Tottenham Hotspur defence. Arsenal team-mates David Raya and Gabriel Magalhaes are also backed.

Goals could be on the menu when Brentford and Manchester City’s squads collide at the Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday. I’ve gone for Yoane Wissa and Erling Haaland as my routes into their respective attacks, although I’d be surprised if either forward makes it into the final Scout Picks.

In the meeting between Ipswich Town and a Brighton and Hove Albion side potentially stripped of Joao Pedro, Leif Davis rounds off my defender picks. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Kieran McKenna’s side in recent weeks, especially from a defensive standpoint, so I’m willing to take a punt on him in Gameweek 21.

NEALE SAID…

It’s a tricky-looking Gameweek, this one, with even FPL’s leading men – Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah – having potentially difficult tests. Opponents Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest are among the top six teams for fewest goals conceded and lowest expected goals conceded (xGC) tallies.

Elsewhere, what had looked like favourable fixtures for Fulham and Aston Villa, away to faltering West Ham United and Everton sides, suddenly have an extra edge thanks to managerial changes over the last week.

Then there’s the unpredictability of the north London derby, while even Newcastle United v Wolverhampton Wanderers has the potential to cause headaches now that Gameweek 21 captain poll leader Alexander Isak is flagged (no doubt he’ll be fine).

Personally, for my own team, I’ll probably be leaving things untouched (despite flags for Isak and Joao Pedro) and letting the chips – not the FPL kind – fall where they may. There’s too much uncertainty this week to be making medium-term plans and I’m more in favour of banking a transfer with one eye on Double Gameweek 24.

Back to the Scout Squad, and starting with clean sheet prospects, I’m hoping that a few hours on the training ground with David Moyes hasn’t turned the Toffees into a free-scoring, clinical outfit that can threaten Emiliano Martinez‘s prospects of a shut-out.

Similarly, despite Graham Potter’s arrival, I’m keeping fingers crossed that the absences of Messrs Fullkrug, Bowen, Antonio and potentially Summerville are obstacles that even the new manager bounce can’t overcome. Antonee Robinson consequently gets the nod.

And speaking of attacking injuries, Ipswich Town have lost Sammie Szmodics, Omari Hutchinson and Conor Chaplin in recent weeks. Liam Delap remains a handful but in the absence of stand-out clean sheet opportunities elsewhere, Bart Verbruggen is also included – one of just three shut-outs he’s recorded this season came against the Tractor Boys back in Gameweek 4.

Three of my defensive picks, Daniel Munoz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall, join Robinson in the top 10 defenders for chances created this season. Alexander-Arnold and Munoz also feature in the top five for shots. Their respective Gameweek 21 opponents are in the bottom six for xG in 2024/25, hence why Palace, Liverpool and Newcastle feature highly in G-Whizz’s clean sheet odds list.

Topping G-Whizz’s weekly shut-out table are Manchester United, plucky results-getters one week and abject horror shows the next. I would not be surprised in the slightest if Southampton score at Old Trafford. So more fool me for going with Lisandro Martinez, who is suddenly posting Dalot-esque numbers: seven shots and five chances created in his last six run-outs.

Further forward, I’ve gone with both Yoane Wissa and Erling Haaland in the same fixture. While Haaland’s dinked finish against West Ham United suggests that confidence is returning to his motherboard, City were still defensively shoddy against the Hammers. Wissa sits fourth among forwards for big chances this season, and I think he’ll be getting a few more of those at the Gtech in midweek.

And I’ve got Dango Ouattara squaring off against Palmer, too. I quite fancy Andoni Iraola’s pressing machines to get a result of some variety at a slightly stuttering Chelsea, having outplayed them in defeat in the reverse fixture. While the Cherries are searching for a new striker in the market, Ouattara looks set to lead the line – and he bagged a brace when moonlighting as a centre-forward in the FA Cup.

The most appealing attacking match-ups (Man Utd v Southampton, Leicester v Palace) are covered by Bruno Fernandes, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze. Eze still flatters to deceive on the eye – Palace fans are lukewarm on his performances this season – but he’s turned into a trigger-happy ball hog in recent weeks, racking up 14 shots in the last three Gameweeks alone. As the Eagles’ set-piece taker, he’s also well-placed to benefit from Leicester’s ongoing issue of giving away chances at dead-ball situations (100 already this season).

Finally, in the tough-to-call game at the Emirates, I’ve sided with the red of Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus’ injury paves the way for Kai Havertz to start up front against a patched-up Spurs backline, while David Raya is on four consecutive clean sheets on home soil and shut out the noisy neighbours back in Gameweek 4. It won’t be easy, against that attack, but save and bonus points will surely follow if he manages it.

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