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GW28 Top Five Key Players

The Editor 22 Feb. 2018

Headliner - Mohamed Salah (WHU)

Does the Egyptian international really need any introduction? Salah (10.4), contributed to both Liverpool goals during the 2-0 win over Southampton last gameweek, providing the assist for the first and scoring the second. The Liverpool man has now been directly involved in 31 of his team’s 61 league goals this season, with an astonishing Fantasy Premier League (FPL) record of 22 goals and nine assists to his name. Over the last five gameweeks Salah’s seven FPL involvements (goals and assists) is top amongst midfielders and only Agüero (12.0), with nine, has provided more amongst all players. The midfielder has been involved in seven big chances over the last five gameweeks which cannot be rivalled by any other midfielder and only Kane (12.8), with nine, has had more amongst all players. Liverpool will face West Ham at home in gameweek 28 and will be hoping to maintain their recent home league record which has seen them score 13 goals in their last four, earning 10 points from 12 (only drawing to Tottentham). West Ham have conceded eight goals in their last four away league games and Liverpool are predicted to score 3.07 goals with Salah projected to rack up 9.9 points via our Fix algorithm, the most we have ever seen for a single gameweek.

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Jamie Vardy (STK)

Vardy (8.6), continues to torment defences in the Premier League and has recently added a new record to his C.V., with the English international becoming the only player in history to score against all of last season’s top six clubs in one campaign this season. The Leicester City forward has shown consistency over the last four gameweeks finding a goal in each match and with games at home to Stoke and Bournemouth and a very favourable run beyond that, the blank in gameweek 31 should not deter new suitors away from Vardy (or Mahrez (8.6) for that matter). Vardy’s total of four goals in the last four gameweeks is more than Kane, who has three, and only Agüero, with eight, has scored more amongst forwards. His six efforts on target in that time also ranks him third amongst forwards, behind Kane, with nine, and Aguero, with 11. Stoke travel to the King Power stadium for gameweek 28 and carry with them a miserable away record. The Potters have picked up just one point on the road from their last five away games conceding 12 in the process. Leicester have scored eight goals in their last four league games and Vardy is therefore predicted to score 5.7 points via our Fix algorithm.

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Oumar Niasse (wat)

Niasse (4.9), is this week’s budget forward following big Sam’s recent statement which suggested “Oumar’s goals-per-game ratio is good and he appears, at the moment, to be the best player to score goals for us”. With a guaranteed game in blank gameweek 31 and a good run of fixtures up until that point, this further adds to the appeal. The budget forward made his third consecutive start during Everton’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in gameweek 27, contributing a goal and an assist. When comparing forwards priced at 8.5 or below only West Ham’s Chicharito (6.7) has found the back of the net more often during the last four gameweeks with three goals to Niasse’s two. Amongst the same group of players and timeframe, only Benteke (7.6) has been involved in more big chances, with five, compared to the Senegalese international’s three big chances. Watford will host Everton in gameweek 28 and the Hornets have looked bang out of form of late, picking up just one win in their last seven league games, conceding 12 goals in that time. Everton have struggled themselves recently, but have scored seven goals in their last four league games and Niasse and co. are predicted to go well here according to the Fix algorithm.

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Virgil Van Dijk (WHU)

Van Dijk (5.5), finally got the move he was longing for in January. That big money transfer carried a fee that broke the record for a defender but it still looks to be a shrewd piece of business from Liverpool. The Dutch centre-back is arguably the best in his position in the league, and alongside improving Liverpool’s clean sheet potential, he offers a significant goal threat on set pieces. The Liverpool defender certainly has a kinder set of fixtures than Alonso (7.2), Jones (5.7) or Otamendi (6.4), and the popular trio will have no game in gameweek 31, unlike Liverpool who will face Watford. Liverpool kept their 11th clean sheet of the season in gameweek 27, during their 2-0 win over Southampton and their home defensive record has been particularly impressive. Only Man. Utd have conceded fewer goals on home turf this campaign. Van Dijk may be priced 0.7 more than teammate, Robertson (4.8), who has been playing regularly, but, with Moreno (4.4) back there is a chance Robertson could be rotated. West Ham travel to Merseyside for gameweek 28 and have a daunting task on their hands trying to crack a resolute Liverpool back line who have only conceded three goals in eight home league gamess against teams outside of last season’s top six. Our Fix algorithm predicts that Liverpool have a 42% chance of a clean sheet, which looks favourable in comparison to Man. United (41%), Chelsea (32%) and Man. City (24%).

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Theo Walcott (wat)

Walcott (7.3), is another that welcomed his January move to Everton having found himself on the fringes at Arsenal over the last 12 months. The English attacker will be looking to do everything in his power to get himself on the plane to Russia and Everton’s promise of first team football provides him with that very catalyst. Walcott has been directly involved in three goals during his four starts for Everton so far, scoring twice himself and providing one assist. His total of five efforts on target over the last four gameweeks is also on par with Salah. During the same period, the 28-year-old midfielder has taken more shots, with nine, shots inside the box, with six, and shots on target, with five, than any of his teammates, while his four attempted assists is joint top amongst Everton players alongside Sigurdsson (8.0). Everton make the journey south for gameweek 28 to face an out of form Watford team as highlighted in our Niasse’ article. The Toffees are predicted to score 1.45 goals via our Fix algorithm in this away fixture, which is seventh best across all teams in the league. With favourable fixtures over the next three gameweeks and no blank in gameweek 31, Walcott, will surely be picked up by hundreds of thousands of managers in the coming weeks.

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