The relentless Erling Haaland (£12.2m) continued his attacking exploits and fantasy profits in Gameweek 31, bagging a brace and 12 FPL points before being subbed off at half time as Man City defeated Leicester 3-1. Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m) continued his recent run of returns, recording an assist and 5 fantasy points, although his Arsenal side gave away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 away at West Ham. However, Harry Kane (£11.7m) drew a blank as Spurs fell to a shock 2-3 loss at home to Bournemouth, whilst our Gameweek 31 differential pick Michael Olise (£5.5m) also failed to gain an attacking return despite Crystal Palace beating Southampton.
FA Cup semi-final weekend ensures the likes of Haaland draw a blank on Gameweek 32, so a number of FPL managers will be forced to pivot in terms of captaincy. So, with that we’re here to help as always, highlighting three premium options alongside a differential pick ahead of Friday’s 18:30 deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Mo Salah (£12.8m) vs NFO (H)
After Liverpool’s 1-6 demolition of Leeds, we’re forced to ask the question, are Jurgen Klopp’s side back in business? Well, it may be a little premature to say that after one game, but Mo Salah (£12.8m) will have certainly rekindled interest in his services from FPL managers. The Egyptian netted twice at Elland Road, ending with a haul of 14 fantasy points which was his first double-figure points haul since Gameweek 26.
As it stands so far this season, Salah has accumulated 180 FPL points, including 15 goals and eight assists. Blank Gameweek 32 opponents Nott’m Forest have lost five of their last six Premier League games and are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 22, a run of ten top flight fixtures. Expect Salah to be named skipper by many FPL managers, as he appears to be one of the best premium options available.
Gabriel Jesus (£8.2m) vs SOU (H)
Another premium asset taking on an opponent struggling badly ahead of Blank Gameweek 32 is Gabriel Jesus(£8.2m). The Arsenal forward has unsurprisingly made a huge impact since returning from injury not just for the Gunners, but also from an FPL perspective as well. His last three Premier League starts have yielded four goals and 26 fantasy points as Arsenal remain top of the table.
Southampton at home is a fixture that will have many FPL managers desperate to capitalise on owning Arsenal players and the best way to take advantage of having Jesus would be via naming him your captain. The Saints have lost each of their last three, conceding seven goals and at this point, are now surely Championship bound, so expect Jesus to be afforded further joy in front of goal.
Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m) vs SOU (H)
No one has been more consistent than Gabriel Martinelli when it comes to Arsenal attacking returns over the past few weeks. Both him and Salah boast 180 fantasy points to their name, more than any other midfielder listed on FPL. His assist last time out against West Ham means that Martinelli has now managed to accrue at least one attacking return in all bar one Premier League fixture since Gameweek 24, scoring seven times and gaining three assists.
Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have picked up more fantasy points over the course of the season so far than Martinelli and with Arsenal desperate to bounce back after giving up consecutive two-goal leads against Liverpool and West Ham respectively, expect a free-flowing offensive display from Mikel Arteta’s men with young Brazilian Martinelli at the heart of it. He’s certainly one to ponder when it comes to a Blank Gameweek 32 captain.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Cody Gakpo (£7.6m) vs NFO (H)
With a number of injured Liverpool attacking players returning to full fitness, it’s not easy to predict their starting line-up. But following his performance against Leeds in Gameweek 31, it would be a surprise if Cody Gakpo (£7.2m) was not among the starters for Liverpool in Blank Gameweek 32 against Nott’m Forest. The Dutch international contributed a goal and an assist, earning 10 fantasy points in total.
We’ve had previous success selecting Gakpo as a differential and are hoping for further attacking returns from him here against a struggling opponent. Whilst most FPL managers are expected to put all their eggs into Salah’s basket, those looking to make up ground with a differential pick should look towards Gakpo instead, although as stated above, Jurgen Klopp does have a plethora of attacking options available for selection.
