Mohamed Salah’s consistency continues to be a defining attribute in the armband debate though assets from Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United all offer attractive options for this midweek round of games.



PREMIUM OPTIONS

Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) vs Leicester (H)

The Liverpool midfielder delivered a fifth double-figure score in six gameweeks with a brace at home to Crystal Palace in GW23. Salah’s two strikes were his first from open play since a GW16 hat-trick.

91mins this season — SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) January 19, 2019

James Milner (£5.6m), the Reds’ recognised first-choice penalty taker, received two yellow cards against the Eagles and will serve a ban in GW24. Jurgen Klopp’s men were knocked out of the FA Cup by Wolves in the third round, meaning the club’s next fixture is the visit of Leicester on Wednesday.

Liverpool team have landed in Dubai for a short winter camp ahead of the next Premier League game in 10 days. Good way to rest and recharge ahead of the business end of the season. — Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) January 20, 2019

Both Milner’s absence and a long rest are just further reasons for backing Salah with the armband for Gameweek 24. The midfielder is now averaging 9.6 points per match (PPM) at home to non-top-six sides, while 10.6 is his average score over the past six gameweeks.

Loves playing the non-Top 6 — #FPL Manager 🇨🇽⚽ (@FPLHints) January 20, 2019

Leicester conceded four times to Wolves at Molineux last Saturday in a dire defensive display. Harry Maguire (£5.4m) is a slight doubt for the Anfield game after being substituted due to injury during that clash. Claude Puel’s team allowed Nuno’s men 12 attempts on goal last time out, with five of those opportunities deemed ‘big chances’.

Players by most goals plus assists 📈



2⃣4⃣ Salah

2⃣0⃣ Sterling

2⃣0⃣ Hazard

2⃣0⃣ Kane

1⃣9⃣ Sane

1⃣9⃣ Aubameyang

1⃣8⃣ Aguero

1⃣8⃣ Wilson

1⃣6⃣ Lacazette

1⃣6⃣ Pogba

1⃣5⃣ Son

1⃣5⃣ Rashford

1⃣4⃣ Firmino

1⃣4⃣ Fraser

1⃣3⃣ Jimenez

1⃣2⃣ Eriksen

1⃣2⃣ Sigurdsson

1⃣1⃣ Mane#FPL — Fantasy Football Secrets ⚽️📈 (@FPLSecrets) January 24, 2019

Salah was easily the most-captained player in GW23, with almost two million managers handing him the armband. The consistency offered by the 50.1%-owned midfielder will again be hard to look beyond in GW24, though there are several other appealing options for non-owners.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m) vs Cardiff (H)

The game’s highest-scoring forward (136) takes on the division’s second-worst defence in Gameweek 24. Aubameyang comes into the home tie against Cardiff on the back of consecutive blanks, having spurned a big chance against Chelsea at the Emirates in GW23. The striker tops the league for big chances missed (16) this season.

Aubameyang & big chances this season... pic.twitter.com/VcuKszT4Fe — David Wall (@1DavidWall) January 19, 2019

Auba’s record at home to teams outside the top six is encouraging, however. He has averaged 6.5 points per game against those clubs, while 12 of his 14 goals this season have come against non-top-six sides. Cardiff are conceding almost 15 goal attempts per fixture this campaign, which rises to 17 for the Bluebirds’ away days. Neil Warnock’s men have conceded six times in the past four gameweeks (three to both Spurs and Newcastle) while shutting out Leicester and Huddersfield.

Despite Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m) being the Arsenal striker that scored against the Blues last weekend, Aubameyang was the forward who remained on the pitch for 90 minutes. The Gabonese attacker has been substituted once – in the Gunners’ 5-1 hammering at Liverpool – since GW12. That guarantee of pitch time is a positive for owners considering handing Auba the armband.

xGunners: Does Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have a finishing problem? Looking at his historic conversion rates from 2015 to now. https://t.co/tGzefG2seZ — Scott Willis (@oh_that_crab) January 22, 2019

Leroy Sane (£9.7m) vs Newcastle (a)

While Sane is our pick of the Man City bunch for GW24, Raheem Sterling (£11.3m) is an equally viable option – particularly considering Riyad Mahrez (£8.3m) was left out of the Citizens’ matchday 18 for the 3-0 win at Huddersfield last Sunday as a “tactical decision”.

The Algerian also started the EFL Cup semi-final formality away to Burton Albion. City won 1-0 – confirming a GW27 blank for themselves and Everton – as both Sane and Sterling were handed the night off. Pitch time for the duo in City’s FA Cup tie at home to Burnley on Saturday could be the main decider for which asset is the most solid captain pick in GW24.

Sane’s PPM away to sides outside the top six now stands at 6.9 following a 12-point haul in GW23. The winger assisted Sterling’s diving header before netting from a Sergio Aguero (£11.2m) knockdown.

8 - Since the start of last season, Leroy Sané has both scored and assisted in eight @premierleague games for Manchester City, at least three more times than any other player at the club (Sterling and Agüero 5). Spectrum. #HUDMCI pic.twitter.com/xdYnBcAwpQ — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 20, 2019

The midfielder has bagged 31 points in the past four gameweeks, while starting every league fixture but one since GW13. The return of Benjamin Mendy (£6.1m) could impact Sane’s minutes – the defender was “not ready” for GW23 and made the bench for the Burton trip, coming on play 30 odd minutes. However, the German’s form and the use of Mahrez may offset any league selection issues for the time being.

Guardiola’s men take on a Magpies side with no wins and no clean sheets in eight games against top-six opposition this season. Rafa Benitez’s men conceded 19 times over those fixtures and have shipped nine goals in the past five gameweeks. A 3-0 win at home to Cardiff in GW23 was Newcastle’s first shut-out in that period.

City have scored 11 times since GW20, so goals are on the cards at St James’s Park in GW24. Sane has been directly involved in four of those strikes, an impressive stat considering he managed just six minutes off the bench against Southampton in the first game of that four-fixture run. The 17.1%-owned midfielder is a viable armband alternative to Salah considering his stellar recent form and City’s attacking prowess.

Leroy Sané in the Premier League since the start of last season:



• 53 games

• 24 assists

• 18 goals



Directly involved in a goal every 87.2 minutes on average. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NhxRZUphvQ — Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 20, 2019

Paul Pogba (£8.7m) vs Burnley (H)

The Frenchman continued his FPL scoring spree with an eight-point return in GW23, courtesy of a penalty. Including that spot-kick, Pogba fired off seven goal attempts (four inside the box) at home to Brighton but an inability to find his range that day – all six open-play shots were off target – meant the midfielder was unable to notch a third successive double-figure haul at Old Trafford.

xG map for Manchester United - Brighton. Solskjaer's United continue to win the easy ones. (Which is new and good!) pic.twitter.com/TxERRZq4TA — Caley Graphics (@Caley_graphics) January 19, 2019

Pogba’s freedom in attack is plain to see under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while penalty-taking duties mean he edges out Marcus Rashford (£7.7m) in our armband thinking for United’s home tie against Burnley in GW24.

Since Ole Gunnar Solskjær took charge...



62pts - Pogba (5 goals, 5 assists)

46pts - Rashford (5 goals, 2 assists)#FPL pic.twitter.com/u2pgqV9dK5 — Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 19, 2019

On United’s spot-kick pecking order and the France star’s technique, OGS said: “Paul is the penalty taker but we have got players who want to take penalties and that is the key. If they want to take it, they can argue among themselves but Paul is the nominated one. He scores them, which is what matters. I wouldn’t have done it that way. I would have run to the ball and smashed it, but he kept his calm. It took two minutes before he was allowed to take it so that shows how composed he is.”

Solskjaer’s side take on a Clarets outfit who have improved defensively since Tom Heaton (£4.8m) edged out Joe Hart (£4.4m) for the Burnley No 1 spot. Sean Dyche’s men have allowed opponents just over 10 shots per game since Heaton’s introduction in GW20, an average which had been sitting in or around 20 for the opening half of the season.

Are Burnley no longer whipping boys? Last 4 GWs (when Heaton has started):



Goals conceded - 2 (1st)

Shots in the box conceded - 29 (6th)

Big chances conceded - 5 (6th)

xG conceded - 3.8 (5th)



Small sample but it's a big improvement for them. Will be interesting vs United#FPL — FPL Joe🍺 (@FPL_Joe_) January 21, 2019

While Burnley have certainly improved at the back of late, conceding just twice in the last four gameweeks, taking on this United side at home will be a real test of that new-found defensive resolve. Pogba owners will no doubt be monitoring the Frenchman in the Red Devils’ FA Cup fourth-round clash at Arsenal tomorrow before making any final armband decisions.

Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford et al face Burnley in #GW24.



We study how the Clarets fared in Saturday's fixture against Watford, highlighting some impressive defensive (and attacking) stats from their four-match unbeaten run.https://t.co/Rqdl5ML3ri#FPL — Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) January 22, 2019

DIFFERENTIAL CHOICE

Christian Eriksen (£9.4m) vs Watford (H)

The Dane recorded an assist in GW23 as Spurs left it late to beat Fulham 2-1. Eriksen also picked up a bonus point from the Craven Cottage clash. In seven starts from GW17, the midfielder has recorded six attacking FPL returns (4G, 2A) while earning five bonus points.

⚡Christian Eriksen since GW13⚡



10 attacking fantasy returns on the quiet side pic.twitter.com/yVEgEmAb3d — #FPL Manager 🇨🇽⚽ (@FPLHints) January 20, 2019

That equates to a PPM figure of 6.3 ahead of Watford’s visit to Wembley in GW24. With Harry Kane (£12.5m) and Dele Alli (£8.9m) both sidelined until March – and Heung-Min Son (£8.6m) away at the Asian Cup – Eriksen’s attacking output will be vital to Spurs in GW24 and beyond.

Watford were fortunate to keep a GW23 clean sheet as Chris Wood saw a strike incorrectly ruled out for offside. The Hornets allowed Burnley 12 attempts on goal (nine inside the box) in that clash, including four big chances. Javi Gracia’s men conceded seven times in the preceding four gameweeks.

The return of Lucas Moura (£6.9m) means Eriksen will have another outlet for his assist potential, while the availability of midfielders such as Eric Dier (£4.7m) means the Denmark international will have more licence to get forward whether Pochettino goes with 4-2-3-1 or employs a three-man backline.

SCOUT: No player has recorded more #FPL assists than Christian Eriksen (54) since the start of the 2015/16 season#FULTOT pic.twitter.com/fdcum4H8ue — Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 20, 2019

Eriksen ranks fifth, just behind Son, on FPL’s form standings for midfielders going into GW24. The 7.4%-owned midfielder would certainly be a risky captain pick but for those seeking an armband differential, Spurs’ Danish star could be your man.