Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0 Million)
Despite the club enduring a turbulent few months, Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been in fine form, scoring 17 Premier League goals so far in the 2019/20 season. In fact, since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2018, the Gabonese International has scored 49 league goals in 74 games. Only Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah has managed more in that time.
More recently, Aubameyang scored two goals and earned himself a 13-point haul in his last league outing, at home against Everton. Now, fresh off a week break, Arsenal are preparing for a Double Gameweek. On Saturday, The Gunners welcome a West Ham side to the Emirates Stadium that has conceded nine goals in their last three games. They must then travel to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to face Manchester City, who are struggling to reach the levels of consistency that they have previously enjoyed under Pep Guardiola.
By far the most popular transfer of the round, the 23.7% of managers that own the 30-year-old may well be rewarded with another double-digit return — especially if they choose to captain the in-form forward.
Verdict: Win
Adama Traore (£5.9 Million)
Adama Traore first caught the attention of FPL managers when Wolverhampton Wanderers stunned Manchester City, winning 2-0 at The Etihad in October, courtesy of two Traore goals. Since then, the winger has produced some varied performances, but has proved great overall value for a player in his price bracket — earning a total of 107 points so far this campaign.
Currently priced at £5.9 Million, the 24-year-old has been struggling for minutes after a change in formation from manager Nuno Espirito Santo saw the Spaniard dropped to the bench against Norwich and Leicester. He was also forced to leave the pitch early on Sunday’s 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, later confirming that he had dislocated his shoulder.
It is unsure what the immediate future holds for Traore, and FPL managers may find some joy in similarly priced replacements such as Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka (£4.6M) and Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish (£6.6.M).
Verdict: Bin
Nick Pope (£4.8 Million)
Burnley Goalkeeper Nick Pope has been in inspired form this season, and his eleven clean sheets is a league-leading tally. Burnley currently sit at 9th place in the league table and Pope’s continued run of form will be essential if they are to achieve their ambitions of playing European football in the 2020/21 season.
Priced at a mere £4.8 Million, Burnley’s number 1 is only owned by 17.7% of FPL managers and is the top-scoring goalkeeper in FPL this term with 126 points. In his last six Gameweeks alone, the 27-year-old has scored 49 points – an average of around eight points-per-game – keeping four clean sheets and conceding two goals in the process.
Burnley are a team that are known for their defensive resilience, and they seem to be going from strength to strength each season under Sean Dyche. FPL managers who are still looking for a solid goalkeeper without breaking the bank will likely find just that in Pope.
Verdict: Win
Jamie Vardy (£9.8 Million)
Owned by over 50% of FPL managers at his peak, Jamie Vardy has undoubtably been Leicester City’s standout performer this season. The Ex-England Striker became a necessity for any serious FPL manager after some dazzling performances saw the Foxes embark on an 8-game winning streak between October and December 2019. Vardy recorded 11 goals and 2 assists in that time, including a hat trick in Leicester’s iconic 9-0 demolition of Southampton. However, things have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks for both Vardy and Leicester.
The former Premier League winner has managed only one assist since scoring in a 3-1 defeat against Manchester City back in Gameweek 18. This complete U-turn in form has seen a sizeable chunk of Vardy owners jump ship on the striker, taking his total ownership down to 31.7%.
Leicester face struggling Aston Villa and Watford sides in the next two Gameweeks. Although there is a chance that Vardy could rise to the occasion and reverse his form, FPL managers may prefer to invest in some cheaper options such as Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.4M) or Wolves’ reliable frontman, Raul Jiminez (£8.0M).
Verdict: Bin
Marcus Alonso (£6 Million)
All but out of the UEFA Champions League after suffering a devastating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 First-Leg, Chelsea’s hopes of securing a place in the competition next year will likely soon be resting entirely on their league performance. Fortunately, Chelsea are about to embark on a favourable run of upcoming fixtures, with all of the next five matches ranking only two on the Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR).
After being left out by Frank Lampard for most of the season, Marcus Alonso has cemented his place in the starting XI after scoring 24 points in his last two Gameweeks — finding the back of the net three times. The Spaniard’s mixed threat from open play as well as dead balls makes him a great potential asset for FPL managers.
The 29-year-old is owned by only 3.2% of FPL managers, making him a real differential. As a result, managers looking to climb up their mini league rankings may need to look no further than Alonso.
Verdict: Win