After another gameweek in which postponements dominated the schedule, with seven fixtures of a possible ten going ahead, plenty of big-hitting FPL stars still managed to get in among the points and with Liverpool out of action, this led to an intriguing spread of captain picks in Gameweek 19. Both Heung-Min Son (£10.5m) and Harry Kane (£12.1) were on the scoresheet in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, accruing eight and six FPL points respectively, whilst Raheem Sterling (£10.6m) bagged a brace and 14 points in Man City’s 6-3 beating of Leicester.
Arsenal assets enjoyed a wonderful afternoon away at Norwich, apart from Gabriel Martinelli (£5.4m) who failed to pick up an attacking return despite the Gunners’ 0-5 victory away at Norwich. Instead, there were two goals from Bukayo Saka (£6.3m), two assists from Martin Odegaard (£5.6m), plus both a goal and an assist for forward Alexandre Lacazette (£8.5m), whilst there was even time for Emile Smith-Rowe (£6.1m) to get his customary goal from the bench.
Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of Gameweek 19, Gameweek 20 commences and we’re ducking and dodging the postponements to bring you a collection of premium options worthy of the armband, alongside a differential pick ahead of Tuesday’s 13:30 deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Mo Salah (£13.0m) vs LEI (a)
After having Gameweek 19 off due to Liverpool’s match against Leeds at Anfield being postponed due to an outbreak of Covid-19 within the visiting camp, Mo Salah (£13.0m) is back in action against Leicester at the King Power Stadium in Gameweek 20. The highest scoring asset in FPL by a margin of 44 points, Salah is coming off the back of his first blank since all the way back in Gameweek 2 after he failed to gain an attacking return against Spurs in Gameweek 18.
With 15 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League so far this season, Salah has proven an irresistible force and it’s incredible to think that his price has recently dropped due to Liverpool not playing in Gameweek 19, making him even more attractive a captain pick for those who have held onto the Egyptian. Against a Leicester side who have conceded at least twice in five of their last six league games, a big haul could be on the cards for Salah.
Heung-Min Son (£10.5m) vs SOU (a)
One of our Gameweek 19 captain picks, Heung-Min Son did not let us down as he continued his recent run of goalscoring form, finding the net for the fourth consecutive Premier League game against Crystal Palace, acquiring eight FPL points. Son has now racked up 36 points across the last four gameweeks and with 96 points to his name overall, only Salah boasts more among midfielders.
Spurs travel to Southampton in Gameweek 20, a fixture which has served Son wonderfully well in the past. Last season, the South Korean netted an incredible four goals at St. Mary’s stadium in a 2-5 victory and after being substituted off immediately following the scoring of his side’s third goal against the Eagles, the expectation is that Son will not be rested and should once again take his place among the starting XI in Gameweek 20. With Southampton having shipped 14 goals across their most recent six league fixtures, the option to name Son as skipper must be a tempting one for FPL managers.
Michail Antonio (£8.7m) vs WAT (a)
After starting on the bench in Gameweek 19, Michail Antonio (£8.7m) made an instant impact for West Ham, coming off the bench to score for the Hammers, ultimately accruing five FPL points as David Moyes’ side fell to a 2-3 defeat at home to Southampton. This was Antonio’s first goal since all the way back in Gameweek 9 and both him and his significant FPL ownership will be hoping that this can prove the catalyst for more goals to come going forward.
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Watford in Gameweek 20 and after Antonio was benched against Southampton, the forward will surely start at Vicarage Road. Watford have proven defensively fragile for a long period of time now, conceding 11 goals over the course of their last five Premier League matches, shipping at least two goals in each of those fixtures. Antonio will surely be afforded chances to find the net here and this adds weight to his FPL captaincy credentials.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Raheem Sterling (£10.6m) vs BRE (a)
So often in the Premier League do we see Raheem Sterling go through a patch of red-hot form that sees him gain consistent attacking returns with consummate ease, usually whilst his ownership is low following a period of time where the England international has struggled in front of goal. This has proven the case once again in 2021-22 as Sterling heads into Gameweek 20 on a run of five goals in his last four Premier League appearances and an average of ten FPL points per game, despite commanding an ownership of less than 3% at the time of writing.
Man City face Brentford away from home in Gameweek 20 having scored a scarcely believable 17 goals across their most recent three league fixtures. The Bees are coming off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Brighton and have a number of key players out injured that affects their ability to keep clean sheets such as first-choice goalkeeper David Raya and centre-back Kristoffer Ajer. Any result other than a Man City victory by a significant margin would be a huge surprise and should Sterling start, the expectation is that once again, he will find himself among both the goals and the FPL points.
