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Amad, mad GW! Goals galore, hattricks and a closer title race, GW21 did not disappoint! This is the best place to find all the essential information you need to know, to continue your march towards top spot in that work league!
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⚔️ Gameweek 21 Review – 62 Points (55 Average)
Heading in the right direction and finally, some points from my defence. Konsa (8pts) and Veltman (5pts) both with a clean sheet and even a few bonus points. Cucurella (1pt) conceded as usual and Raya (2pts) is becoming a slight concern, though it was a tight London derby. A very rare blank from Salah (2pts) but Palmer (10pts) with a double-digit haul as per, Sarr (6pts) chipped in with an assist and Bruno (8pts), though I expected far more for my captain especially as he played Southampton.
Isak (16pts) continues his great form, he’s going nowhere. Elsewhere, my bench all blanked bar Wissa, who scored against Man City, but I was never going to play him over Mbeumo in truth. Above average but it could have been a lot more… Onto the next one.
📋 Gameweek 21 Transfers Recap
Each week so you know @FplVeteran is doing the demanding work for you, we revisit key decisions from last week’s review. This GW we revisit my Transfers’ Out. A full house! Only 5 points from 3 players, hopefully, you read last week’s article and moved them on before the deadline passed.
| Captain | Points |
| Porro | 1 |
| Flekken | 3 |
| Maddison | 1 |
| Total | 5 |
✅ The Best 2 Transfers IN for Gameweek 22
🏴 Cole Palmer – Chelsea (£11.4m, 69%)
Mo Salah Mk 2 indeed. In a GW where Salah actually blanked for a change, the backup Salah or Mk2, continued to haul. Ice-cold Cole Palmer now only seems to deal in double-digit returns and there is a genuine argument to place the captaincy on the Chelsea midfielder more often. Captaincy pick aside, Palmer is a must-own. By now, we all know the extent of damage he can do against any team and the omens look unbelievable for the next set of fixtures.
In the reverse fixtures against Wolves, West Ham and Brighton, Palmer scored 17pts, 8pts and 25pts respectively. When I choose a player or captain I always look at the previous matchups for insight and some players just perform to a higher level against certain clubs and Palmer is no exception. I know by now everyone already has him in, but 70% owned says there are still a few with a Palmer-shaped hole in their side. Don’t wait any longer, get him in!
🇸🇪 Alexander Isak – Newcastle (£9.3m, 55.5%)
He just can’t stop scoring, 15 goals and 5 assists in 19 games including 11 goals in his last 8 appearances is red hot form. There is no doubt the sudden emergence of Newcastle into the top four is mostly down to the Swede, he’s almost involved in every single attacking return the Magpies muster.. Well almost.. 0.87xGI. In addition, 0.72 xG per 90 also supports this thinking and currently, it’s very difficult to go without.
With the next two fixtures against a poor travelling Bournemouth and the worst Premier League team in a long time, Southampton, I don’t see Isak not continuing to add to both his goals and assists tally for the season. He’s had his injury woes, but with no European football to worry about, he can stay fit and fresh to attack each GW. The only concern is will he be tempted away from St James’s Park in the January transfer window? It would take a sizeable bid but it’s definitely possible with top strikers currently at a premium in World football. In the meantime, if you don’t already, just get him in.
🇳🇿 Chris Wood – Nottingham Forest (£6.9m, 35.7%)
He is proving the doubters wrong! Chris Wood is the fourth most-owned player in the whole game… I never ever thought I would say that. Another goal and all 3 bonus points against Liverpool saw him collect 9 points against the current league leaders. If he can do this versus the tougher teams, what do you think he will do to Southampton who are up next? I genuinely enjoy seeing Forest back near the top of the Premier League, a throwback to the 80s genre.
Chris Wood is an option in his own right with his top-level performances and even I will admit, it took some time for me to take him seriously, but now I am. A good run of fixtures v Saints, Bournemouth and Brighton before Newcastle, Arsenal and Man City, but with him in this current groove who’s to say those are games in which he can’t return? I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to jump on the bandwagon, are you with me or do you already own the Forest favourite?
❌ The Best 3 Transfers OUT for Gameweek 22
🇸🇳 Nicolas Jackson – Chelsea (£8.1m, 19.7%)
At almost 20% owned this may seem counterproductive. As a previous owner of Jackson, I have seen the light and was tempted to transfer him in but honestly, it’s a hollow promise. He has hauled this season a few times but apart from Brentford, these have all been bottom-half clubs, I want my strikers to be firing against a wide range of teams, not just the poor ones.
Then let’s discuss his cons, in which there are more than a few. Constant yellow cards, affected by rotation, substituted early and the pièce de résistance, his finishing can be woeful. Again, this GW he had chances to score and haul, but it’s the same old story of a goal and assist here or there. As the season progresses through the second half you want a player in your squad you can count on, and Jackson just isn’t it that! For £8.1m you can spend your budget better and gain more FPL points.
🇧🇷 Matheus Cunha – Wolves (£7m, 12%)
This move is fixtures-based. Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the next four is a very tough ask, even for one return. Cunha this season has been scoring worldy’s against everyone, including Man United but a vital part of playing FPL is playing the fixtures and hedging our bets. Yes ok, over the next four, he may score a goal but in comparison with most other strikers, they have better fixtures and therefore more opportunity of scoring highly, firing us up the rankings.
This aside, all is not well at Wolves. As a team they are still unbalanced, short of quality players and there is increasing talk of Cunha moving during this transfer window, not helped by him sitting on the bench in GW21 until half-time. My advice would be to switch to Chris Wood (£6.9m), bank the extra £0.1m and have a stress-free January, you can always bring him back in later down the line.
🇫🇷 William Saliba – Arsenal (£6.3m, 28.5%)
In isolation, this is actually a player to hold but currently, the Arsenal double-up just isn’t paying off. If you own just one of either Gabriel or Saliba then keep but owning both premium-priced players currently just isn’t viable. The Arsenal defence has seemingly peaked so it’s time to remove one, but which one? In FPL, attacking defenders in the right GW is worth upwards of 15+ points, a huge opportunity to catch up with those above us in our work and fun leagues.
From the comparison below you can see Gabriel edges it in almost every single attacking metric and even wins penalties. For example, though not given as his goal v Spurs, Gabriel’s presence in the opposition box created the equaliser, paving the way for Arsenal to ultimately win the North London Derby. Back to the reason why Saliba is touted as a transfer out, with the added pressure of European football back upon us, I think Arsenal will continue to concede the odd goal here or there, making Saliba a very expensive asset to own for only 2 points. Transfer to a cheap asset and bank the remainder to afford you flexibility for the upcoming GWs.
Top Tip – Double GWs are upon us! It has been announced that Liverpool and Everton play 2 games instead of 1 in GW24. So start planning ahead to fill your team with players from one or both teams. Most already have Salah, but that still leaves 5 viable spots to capitalise on the opportunity..who will you choose?
🦸 Gameweek 22 Captaincy Selections
🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (£13.7m, 70%)
He is capable of blanking! A tough game last time out against the revitalised Nottingham Forest, who managed to keep him out of the points for a second time this season, kudos. But I imagine the blank, coupled with the fact Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea all closed the gap on leaders Liverpool, has pushed Mo Salah to remind all FPL managers who the real king of FPL really is.
Up next is Brentford who I agree are free-scoring, but they are also extremely poor at keeping clean sheets, especially at home. For context, the last time Brentford stopped the opposition defence it was v Fulham in GW36… Last season… That’s almost 9 months ago. Liverpool seem set to score at least and few and no doubt Salah will be at the heart of it. With ownership at over 70%, are you willing to risk it?
Alternative Captain Options
Though I am currently set on Salah for captaincy, it was a tough decision and with standout GW performances from Palmer and Isak, I had to really think this one through. Isak v Bournemouth and Palmer v Wolves are tasty fixtures and could well surpass Salah. I personally tend to captain a midfielder with an extra point for a goal or clean sheet resulting in a potentially higher ceiling score and more often than not those individuals also take penalties. Fringe options are the in-form Chris Wood v Southampton or Anthony Gordon v Bournemouth. It really comes down to what kind of a manager you are but either way, make your choice and keep those fingers crossed.
Top three for me this GW: Salah – Palmer – Isak
👁️ FPL Veteran’s Vision and Verdict
I am set up well for GW22, but I may strengthen my bench. With the games starting to mount up, no doubt rotation will start to creep in. After Amad’s heroics, I am starting to think cheaper is the way to go, quality over quantity! With more clean sheet sheets for my side I am feeling confident to play 4 at the back, risky but it could pay off big.
The only other thing on my mind is more Liverpool and Everton players due to the double game week, but which ones is the question. With a tight turnaround we will have to make our decisions quickly. Keep your options open but don’t leave it to the last minute team!
Conclusion
For my captaincy call, final GW22 team, and football insights/analysis throughout the 2024-2025 season. Look out for my special articles and follow me on X @FplVeteran_ for daily fantasy football content.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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