The Scout assesses the best armband alternatives to Haaland, with Mateta and Saka among the standouts
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.9m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) have the form and fixtures to outscore Erling Haaland (£14.8m) with the captaincy in Gameweek 11 of Fantasy Premier League.
Crystal Palace’s Mateta is the most-bought player ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 GMT deadline, brought in by 486,000+ managers for the Eagles’ home match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Frenchman has scored four goals in his last two league appearances at Selhurst Park, totalling 26 points.
Saka, meanwhile, has scored in two of Arsenal’s last three matches across all competitions.
The England star has a big share of set-pieces and is also expected to be on penalties for the Gunners’ visit to Sunderland.
Haaland’s relentless run of home form, however, shows why he is expected to once again be the runaway armband favourite for Manchester City’s home encounter with Liverpool.
Haaland’s home matches, 25/26
GW
Opp.
G+A
Bonus pts
Pts
2
Spurs
0
0
2
4
Man Utd
2
3
13
6
Burnley
3
3
16
8
Everton
2
3
13
10
Bournemouth
2
3
13
Scroll across to see the full table on mobile
The Norwegian has scored twice and returned 13+ points in each of his last four league outings at the Etihad Stadium.
That has helped Haaland total 98 points and earned him an ownership of 70 per cent, making him both the top-scoring and most-selected player in Fantasy.
Who are the form players in FPL?
Arsenal and Manchester United assets have been Haaland’s main rivals for output over the last four Gameweeks.
Indeed, Gunners centre-back Gabriel (£6.6m) claimed first spot ahead of Haaland, bettering him by 42 points to 36. The Brazilian has combined four clean sheets with two assists, four defensive contribution points and nine bonus points.
Those multiple routes to returns show why some managers are looking to captain Gabriel against Sunderland this weekend.
The table below also highlights why Declan Rice (£6.8m) has emerged as a key target, with his 34 points just two behind Haaland.
The Arsenal midfielder is the second most-bought player in the Gameweek, earning 417,000+ new owners.
Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo (£8.4m) has enjoyed his best form in his debut season for the club, with three goals, an assist and 32 points to his name.
Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes (£6.6m) has matched the 30 points and four attacking returns of Mateta, combining two goals with two assists.
Both players are on their travels this weekend, with Mbeumo facing Tottenham Hotspur and Guimaraes visiting Brentford.
Reece James (£5.5m) has been Chelsea’s top performer on 30 points and has a very favourable home match versus Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 11.
Top-scoring players, last four Gameweeks
Player
G+A
CS*
Bonus pts
Pts
Gabriel
2
4
9
42
Haaland
5
N/A
8
36
Rice
3
4
7
34
Mbeumo
4
1
5
32
Casemiro
3
2
5
31
Mateta
4
N/A
6
30
Guimaraes
4
1
6
30
James
2
2
4
30
*Defenders earn four points per clean sheet, while midfielders earn one point. Scroll across to see the full table on mobile
Who’s had the most attacking potential?
An assessment of the big chance statistics – situations where a player is expected to score – shows that Mateta is joint-top with Haaland on eight over the last four Gameweeks.
They also cannot be separated for shots in the box, with both having 15 in this spell.
Brentford’s Thiago (£6.2m) and Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade (£7.5m) both place among the top four for big chances ahead of their meeting at the Gtech Community Stadium this weekend.
Saka and Mbeumo also rank among the 10 players who have been involved in at least five big chances over Gameweeks 7-10.
The Arsenal star has had three big chances and created two more of them, meaning he’s been involved in five big chances. Chelsea’s Joao Pedro (£7.4m) has mirrored both those totals, as well as Saka’s six shots in the both.
Attacking threat, last four Gameweeks
Player
Shots in box
Big chances
Big chances created
Big-chance inv.
Haaland, Mateta
15
8
0
8
Thiago
11
7
0
7
Salah
10
4
2
6
Mbeumo
8
4
2
6
Gyokeres
7
4
2
6
Gakpo
8
3
3
6
Woltemade
8
5
0
5
Dango
9
4
1
5
Joao Pedro, Saka
6
3
2
5
Scroll across to see the full table on mobile
Who’s facing the weakest defences?
By bringing in the opposition defensive data over the last four Gameweeks, Haaland‘s prospects once again look very encouraging.
Certainly, there’s no denying Liverpool have made progress, with back-to-back clean sheets in all competitions over the last week. Yet their total of 14 big chances conceded is second only to the 16 of Everton over Gameweeks 7-10.
Spurs’ statistics also look promising for Mbeumo here. Thomas Frank’s side may have only conceded four goals in their last four matches, yet they’ve allowed their opponents an average of three big chances per match.
Elsewhere, West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) faces a Burnley side who have allowed the third-most big chances during this spell.
Team defensive stats, last four Gameweeks
Club
Goals conc.
Clean sheets
Big chances conc.
Everton
7
0
16
Liverpool
7
1
14
Burnley
6
1
13
Bournemouth
7
1
12
Spurs
4
1
12
West Ham
7
0
11
Scroll across to see the full table on mobile
So, who is the best captain?
It has to be Haaland again. His recent output, combined with the Norwegian’s home form this season and Liverpool’s poor defensive displays, indicate we can expect another successful Gameweek.
Mateta‘s identical goal threat makes him the best alternative to Haaland, with his visitors Brighton managing just one clean sheet this season.
Arsenal boast a number of form picks for their trip to Sunderland. Saka‘s dead-ball duties, added to his potential for goals and assists from open play, just about give him the advantage over Gabriel as their best option.
