We’ve been asking for your votes on the greatest Fantasy Premier League asset of all time.
Thirty-two of the most popular FPL players had previously been separated into eight groups of four, with Fantasy Football Scout users voting on which two assets from each group qualify for the knockout rounds.
We’ve reached the end of that process today, with four more hall of famers joining Frank Lampard, Robin van Persie, Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Wayne Rooney, Marcos Alonso, Luis Suarez and John Terry in progressing.
GROUP G – FINAL STANDINGS
- Kevin De Bruyne | 36.8%
- Leighton Baines | 23.6%
Jamie Vardy| 21.7%Cesc Fabregas| 17.9%
This foursome was arguably the tightest group in the competition.
While there were close shaves elsewhere, including Trent Alexander-Arnold edging out Eden Hazard by half a percentage point, there wasn’t a great deal to separate positions two to four in Group G.
Leighton Baines ultimately pipped Jamie Vardy and Cesc Fabregas to second spot, finishing just 22 votes ahead of the Leicester City striker.
While Baines’ glory days are behind him and he has long ceased to be a viable Fantasy option, John Terry is the only defender who has appeared in FPL’s end-of-season Dream Team on more occasions than the Everton full-back.
The veteran left-back was arguably the go-to premium defender at the beginning of the last decade, registering five goals and 11 assists in the 2010/11 campaign and banking at least ten attacking returns in four other seasons.
Vardy’s rise from £5.0m budget option to popular premium asset has been a fairytale one and he has delivered at least 20 attacking returns in each of his last five seasons, including this one.
Both he and Fabregas had valid qualification claims, with the Spanish midfielder another asset who has racked up three appearances in the FPL Dream Team.
Fabregas was intermittently an attractive option at Chelsea, twice registering more than 20 attacking returns in his four full seasons with the Blues, but it was his form at Arsenal that particularly stood out: he registered 20 assists as a £9.5m midfielder in 2007/08 and then plundered 30 attacking returns two seasons later.
Kevin De Bruyne finished top but, to emphasise how split the vote was, he polled fewer votes than any other group winner in our World Cup of FPL.
The Belgian has played fewer Premier League games than any of the three players above but he has been a reliable supplier of points when he has been fit, registering 53 attacking returns in 2016/17 and 2017/18 combined.
De Bruyne’s regular contributions from a bargain starting price of £9.5m this season won’t have done his popularity any harm, either.
GROUP H – FINAL STANDINGS
- Sergio Aguero | 46.0%
- Mohamed Salah | 41.3%
Alexis Sanchez| 8.3%Petr Cech| 4.5%
The highest-scoring FPL assets of the last three seasons and decade both made it through to the last 16.
Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero coasted through Group H, with both earning over 40% share of the vote.
The only question was over who would nab top spot.
The Argentine’s consistent returns in the 2010s saw him ultimately edge out Salah, although the Liverpool winger still polled more votes than any other group runner-up in our tournament.
Aguero has thrice made the end-of-season FPL Dream Team, while Salah is also on course for the hat-trick if and when 2019/20 resumes.
The Egyptian’s score of 303 in 2017/18 remains the highest tally that any player has managed in Fantasy Premier League history, while Aguero has racked up more FPL points (1,557) than any other asset since his Manchester City debut in 2011.
Alexis Sanchez might have fared better in a weaker group but was practically out of the running on the first day of our poll, with Salah and Aguero racing ahead.
No player finishing in third position in a World Cup of FPL group polled fewer votes than the Chilean.
The Manchester United winger’s recent displays won’t have done his legacy any favours, with Sanchez averaging just 2.35 FPL points per match for the Red Devils in 2018/19.
The former Arsenal star’s 2016/17 campaign was his high point, as he finished as FPL’s top scorer on 264 points.
Petr Cech, like Sanchez, has twice featured in FPL’s Dream Team but realistically stood little chance of progressing from Group H.
The only goalkeeper in this 32-strong tournament, Cech arguably did better than expected in gaining 4.5% of the vote.
The Full Group Stage Results
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
1. Frank Lampard | 1. Thierry Henry | 1. Harry Kane | 1. Cristiano Ronaldo |
2. Robin van Persie | 2. Gareth Bale | 2. Didier Drogba | 2. Trent Alexander-Arnold |
3. | 3. | 3. | 3. |
4. | 4. | 4. | 4. |
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
1. Wayne Rooney | 1. Luis Suarez | 1. Kevin De Bruyne | 1. Sergio Aguero |
2. Marcos Alonso | 2. John Terry | 2. Leighton Baines | 2. Mohamed Salah |
3. | 3. | 3. | 3. |
4. | 4. | 4. | 4. |
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
We’ll be launching our knockout stage polls next week, so keep your eyes peeled for the relevant articles.
The ties in the round of 16 are as follows:
- Frank Lampard v Gareth Bale
- Harry Kane v Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Wayne Rooney v John Terry
- Kevin De Bruyne v Mohamed Salah
- Thierry Henry v Robin van Persie
- Cristiano Ronaldo v Didier Drogba
- Luis Suarez v Marcos Alonso
- Sergio Aguero v Leighton Baines
4 years, 11 days ago
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