A defining week in the Premier League as Liverpool provided a reminder of their might with a comfortable 3-0 win over Leicester City, while Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham defeated Manchester City to underline their credentials. Chelsea and Manchester United also recorded wins as the table began to take shape.
In the FPL world too it was a fairly high-scoring week with an average score of 55. Bruno Fernandes who was the most popular choice for captaincy delivered a handsome return of 11 points.
FPL’s Mr Consistent this season, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, continued his impressive run with two goals against Fulham to reward those managers who have still kept faith in him.
As the fixtures turn for a number of top teams from Gameweek 10 onwards, the transfer window ahead of the weekend holds greater significance.
Fixture Difficulty
Manchester City, who warranted at least two of their players in your FPL teams, have been a long way off their best form this season. Down in 13th place, City have scored just ten goals this season, only six other teams in the Premier League have done worse in front of goal.
However, that could be about to change as the Citizens face an excellent run of games in the coming weeks and their assets are once again on the radars of FPL managers.
Leicester City and Liverpool also have a favourable run of matches ahead, while the run-in gets a bit harder for Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.
Here’s the difficulty level of the fixture for all Premier League teams in the coming weeks.
| Team | *Combined Difficulty rating for GW 10-12 | GW 10 opponent(Nov 27) | GW11 opponent | GW12 opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 10 (3, 4, 2) | WOL(H) | TOT(A) | BUR(H) |
| Aston Villa | 9 (3, 2, 3) | WHU(A) | NEW(H) | WOL(A) |
| Brighton | 11 (4, 3, 4) | LIV(H) | SOU(H) | LEI(A) |
| Burnley | 11 (5, 3, 3) | MCI(A) | EVE(H) | ARS(A) |
| Chelsea | 9 (4, 2, 3) | TOT(H) | LEE(H) | EVE(A) |
| Crystal Palace | 8 (2, 2, 4) | NEW(H) | WBA(A) | TOT(H) |
| Everton | 8 (2, 2, 4) | LEE(H) | BUR(A) | CHE(H) |
| Fulham | 13 (4, 5, 4) | LEI(A) | MCI(A) | LIV(H) |
| Leeds | 10 (3, 4, 3) | EVE(A) | CHE(A) | WHU(H) |
| Leicester | 6 (2, 2, 2) | FUL(H) | SHU(A) | BHA(H) |
| Liverpool | 7 (2, 3, 2) | BHA(A) | WOL(H) | FUL(A) |
| Man City | 8 (2, 2, 4) | BUR(H) | FUL(H) | MUN(A) |
| Man Utd | 10 (3, 3, 4) | SOU(A) | WHU(A) | MCI(H) |
| Newcastle | 8 (3, 3, 2) | CRY(A) | AVL(A) | WBA(H) |
| Sheffield Utd | 9 (2, 4, 3) | WBA(A) | LEI(H) | SOU(A) |
| Southampton | 8 (4, 2, 2) | MUN(H) | BHA(A) | SHU(H) |
| Spurs | 10 (4, 3, 3) | CHE(A) | ARS(H) | CRY(A) |
| West Brom | 8 (2, 3, 3) | SHU(H) | CRY(H) | NEW(A) |
| West Ham | 10 (3, 4, 3) | AVL(H) | MUN(H) | LEE(A) |
| Wolves | 11 (3, 5, 3) | ARS(A) | LIV(A) | AVL(H) |
The ins and outs
Diogo Jota who has scored in three out of the last four matches is the most purchased player this week as Liverpool’s fixtures turn for the better. Jamie Vardy is also in demand along with Bruno Fernandes and Calvert-Lewin.
The purchases have been on the expected lines but Man City assets haven’t found too many takers despite an incredibly attractive run ahead. Maybe FPL managers are looking at form over fixtures.
Most transferred (in) players before GW10
| Pos | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| MID | Jota | LIV |
| FWD | Vardy | LEI |
| MID | Fernandes | MUN |
| FWD | Calvert-Lewin | EVE |
| MID | Grealish | AVL |
There’s a surprise right at the end there as Mohamed Salah finds himself to be the fifth-most sold player this gameweek. The rest are dictated by injuries and poor recent form. Zaha is out with coronavirus and Alexander-Arnold is sidelined with a calf injury.
James Rodriguez who was in hot demand at the start of the season now finds himself on his way out of FPL teams as Everton struggle to recreate form of old.
Most transferred (out) players before GW10
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| MID | Zaha | CRY |
| DEF | Alexander-Arnold | LIV |
| DEF | Saïss | WOL |
| MID | Rodríguez | EVE |
| MID | Salah | LIV |
Top five picks for Gameweek 10
Whether you bring them in through transfers or (luckily enough) have them in your squad already, these are the five hottest selections for GW 10:
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City): After quietly helping himself to eight goals and two assists this season, FPL managers have started taking note of just how reliable Vardy is in FPL. Vardy has the highest xG (Expected Goals) ratio in the league and with fixtures against Fulham Sheffield United and Brighton up next, he is a must-have in the coming weeks starting from GW10.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton): Everton assets have fallen out of favour with FPL managers recently, but Calvert-Lewin has emphatically beaten that trend. Leading the goal charts with ten goals this season, expect the English striker to add to his tally when Everton host Leeds United who have the second-worst xGA (Expected Goals Allowed) ratio in the division.
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City): While Manchester City have struggled going forward, they have been fairly solid at the back. The fourth-best defence in the league, City have actually given away more goals than they should. Their xGA of 9.2 is the best in the league and with an easy run of games coming up, expect Pep Guardiola’s men to keep clean sheets. In Cancelo, there’s an assured starter, a full-back who is heavily involved in attack and a defender who earns a fair bit of bonus points.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): While most FPL managers are getting rid of him perhaps still in the mindset that Salah hasn’t fully recovered. But after featuring in midweek, the Egyptian is fit and raring to go. He has an impressive record against Brighton having scored five times and assisted thrice in six matches against the Seagulls.
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): The Belgian may not be at his best and may have missed a penalty recently, but with the run of fixtures ahead of him, it’s just a matter of time before he hits his stride. Before his price goes up and City facing Burnley, it’s a good time to get De Bruyne this week.
Three differential picks for Gameweek 10
Che Adams (Southampton): With returns in six out of the last seven gameweeks, Adams has quietly been a real consistent performer in FPL. Owned by just 4.9%, Adams is a good differential to have especially in the absence of Danny Ings. At a price of £5.9 million, he will not burn a hole in your pocket.
Sebastien Haller (West Ham): West Ham are the form team in the league and up against an Aston Villa side that have been leaky this season, their only fit centre-forward Haller is a fine differential for this week. Owned by just 0.4% of FPL managers, the Ivorian who has been in good scoring form for the Hammers in pre-season and cup competitions is a good bet this weekend. At £6.1 million, he could offer great value.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City): Remember him? This certain Argentine is the highest-scoring foreign player in Premier League history. Struggling with injuries in 2020, Aguero is finally fully fit and raring to go. Owned by just 1.3% of FPL managers, the Man City forward could be a season changer, especially with City’s kind fixture list. At £10.3 million, you’ll rarely get him so cheap.
Captain’s conundrum
For most FPL managers, it was the captaincy choice that did the trick. And with some tasty fixtures for the league’s big guns, it is bound to play a huge role this weekend as well.
The top contenders for the armband this week are Liverpool’s Salah, Leicester City’s Vardy and Manchester City’s De Bruyne and Sterling.
Going by pure form, it’s a race between the former two. Salah and Vardy both have scored eight goals each and are also on penalty duties for their respective clubs. However, the quality of opposition gives Vardy the edge in this one.
Fulham have struggled defensively all season and up against an in-form Leicester attack that scored three in midweek are likely to crack. While Salah will be desperate to get on the scoresheet against Brighton after a few games out, Vardy is just likelier to get a solid return this week.
FPL Deadline for GW10: 12.00 am IST, Saturday, November 28, 2020.
(Stats Courtesy: Fantasy Premier League website, FBref.com)
