Erling Haaland (14.0) and Mohamed Salah (13.1) are slowly becoming twins in FPL. Players rotate giving them the armband, and very often they end up with a similar number of points. This midweek they both did absolutely nothing, with the Liverpool player only getting slightly more points because of his team's clean sheet. Furthermore, he came off during the match, which is extremely rare. Haaland meanwhile was near-invisible against Aston Villa as Manchester City produced one of their worst performances of recent years.
Who to captain
Obviously the previous round changes nothing and the choice for captain is still between the Norwegian and the Egyptian. Any other decision is a huge risk, especially as Heung-Min Son (9.6) will play against Newcastle and Ollie Watkins (8.4) against Arsenal.
Undoubtedly, the easier schedule is for Haaland in the next round. Luton are admittedly not as weak as they might have seemed pre-season and at home, Rob Edwards' side snatched points from Liverpool and almost did the same against Arsenal, but there is no doubt that Manchester City will be favourites for the clash at Kenilworth Road. After a lacklustre performance, the Citizens must not stumble and must score goals to win. Who is most likely to fidn the back of the net? Haaland. Simple? Simple.
Of course, you might be tempted to pick Salah and that's probably what some of the players will do, but a trip to Crystal Palace is not easy for Liverpool. All of their fans will remember the now infamous match at Selhurst Park that all but ended the Reds' title hopes in 2014 as they went from leading 3-0 to drawing 3-3 in the final minutes. Roy Hodgson's team don't exactly park the bus but nevertheless base their football firmly on defence. It's hard to expect Salah to score double digits.
Injuries
The midweek turnaround did not spare players, and we all learned of injuries to popular choices in the game. First and foremost, Bryan Mbeumo (7.1), who has been a much-bought player lately, is out for a few weeks after leaving the encounter with Brighton with an ankle injury. Thomas Frank said in the press conference that it is not yet known how bad the injury is, but that it looks bad and it will keep him out for a minimum of a few weeks.
As a result, we'd better get rid of the winger as soon as possible. An injury for a few weeks in December in the Premier League causes a player to miss a lot of matches.
Who should replace him? Well, just take a look at the most frequently bought players before this round. They are Cole Palmer (5.4) because Chelsea have a very good schedule right now; Hee-Chan Hwang (5.7) because the Korean is in solid form; Anthony Gordon (6.1) because of the price and minutes he gets; and Jarrod Bowen (7.6), if only someone has some pennies saved in the bank. There's plenty to choose from!
The second wake-up call for many players was the situation of Alphonse Areola (4,3). The Frenchman did not feature in West Ham's team for the match against Tottenham. However, David Moyes has already announced that he has only picked up a mild wrist injury and may be ready to play as early as the weekend, with the Scot himself hoping for his appearance as early as Thursday. More than 36% of FPL players can therefore breathe a sigh of relief - it is still possible to keep him in the squad.
Who to buy
Yoane Wissa (5.9) - A sly plan to capitalise on Mbeumo's absence. Of course, Brentford will certainly look worse without Cameroon and Ivan Toney, but over the Christmas/New Year period it is Wissa who should be the Bees' focal point. Granted, he started the game on the bench last time out, but that was the first time he has done so this Premier League season. He'll now take the lead in the Brentford attack and he has only taken two fewer shots on goal than Mbeumo this season. Circumstances make him a temptation at this price.
Hee-Chan Hwang (5.7) - The Korean knows where to position himself and how to take advantage of opportunities that come his way. Wolves have looked very solid this season and the regular scoring Hwang in a midfield role is an interesting option that is still not very popular. If someone is looking for a replacement for Mbeumo, they should consider buying him. However, there is another option to think about...
Cole Palmer (5.4) - probably the most rational choice as a replacement for Mbeumo. His price is an unusual one - after all, it was set when the Englishman was a reserve for Manchester City at the start of this season. He now has a first-team place at Chelsea, where he takes penalty kicks and is a key player. Not enough? He has a great schedule to go with it in December and, despite Chelsea's varying form, should grab some points in those weeks.
Radim Horák (one of the best Czechs playing in FPL)
Phil Foden (7.5) - Manchester City haven't won any of their last four games in the league and Unai Emery has prepared Aston Villa brilliantly for their duel with the English champions. In the meeting with Luton, however, I expect a reaction from the defending champions. In addition, a number of players are selling Mbeumo, so if anyone has the cash to spare, they can bet on Foden. Admittedly, Manchester City are away at the Club World Cup soon, but they will still play against Luton, Crystal Palace, Everton and Sheffield United before the end of the year. Obviously, Haaland is the safest option from this team, but I'd put Foden next in line.
Cole Palmer (5.4) - Inexperience and uncertainty are evident in Chelsea's squad and The Blues' defence in particular cannot be relied upon. Nevertheless, Mauricio Pochettino and co have the kindest schedule in the Premier League and it's a shame not to have their penalty taker and a member of their starting eleven when he's so cheap. Palmer scored his fifth league goal of the season at Old Trafford last time out and will play against Sheffield United, Wolves and Luton in the coming rounds.
