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Welcome to the Gameweek 22 FPL Staff Roundtable, RotoBallers! It's another quick turnaround for FPL managers this week after Gameweek 21 ended on Thursday night. Our team will answer all your questions before the next deadline.
The Premier League has felt a little sluggish after the fixture pile-up, and it could be a weekend of rotation for the top clubs. Arsenal is dealing with many injuries to its forward line, while Liverpool hasn't fired on all cylinders for a couple of weeks. So, be ready to use some of your bench players.
The Gameweek 22 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, January 18, at 6:00 a.m. EST, when Newcastle and Bournemouth battle. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 22 Preview
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the minds of our FPL writers. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So, without further ado, let’s kick off Gameweek 22!
Who is Keeping a Clean Sheet in Gameweek 22?
Euan Leith: Leicester has failed to find the back of the net in four of their last six Premier League contests. Meanwhile, Fulham is coming off the back of shipping three goals to West Ham. I expect Bernd Leno (£5.0m) and the Cottagers to close the gates and keep the Foxes out again.
Jamie Steed: Nottingham Forest’s success has been built on a resolute defense and counter-attacking football. Liverpool ended Forest’s run of four consecutive clean sheets in the league on Tuesday, but it’s difficult to see Southampton stopping them from starting another run. Forest should win to nil.
The FPL Manual (Wale): I’ll be backing Nottingham Forest to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 22. The Reds have kept the most clean sheets in the league and are on a solid run of form with a seven-game unbeaten streak. The upcoming weekend home tie against bottom-of-the-table Southampton would be a good time to target Forest's defense for FPL returns.
What Defensive Player is Providing Attacking Returns?
Euan: Kostas Tsimikas (£4.6m) came off the bench during the midweek fixture and promptly assisted Liverpool's equalizer. With Andy Robertson's (£5.9m) form nosediving, I envision Arne Slot giving the Greek left-back a starting shot versus Brentford.
The Bees have the fourth-worst defense at home and love to play attractive, attacking football at the Gtech Community Stadium. This will create some gaps at the back and allow Tsimi and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) to split the defense with some slick passing.
Jamie: Lewis Hall (£4.9m) let me down midweek, failing to provide a return despite Newcastle scoring three goals. He did have two shots and has now had five efforts on goal in his last three games. Hall also had 24 shot-creating actions in his last eight games and continues to be an attacking threat for the free-scoring Geordies.
Wale: I was impressed with Aaron Wan-Bissaka's (£4.6m) sprints into the final third, which resulted in contributing an assist in Gameweek 21. It'll be an uphill battle against a rejuvenated Crystal Palace next, but Wan-Bissaka is my go-to defender for an attacking return in the London Derby.
Arne Slot subbed on Jota and Tsimikas, who combined for Liverpool's equalizing goal in 22 seconds 🧠 pic.twitter.com/pOuse330lc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 14, 2025
Best Midfielder or Forward Who Isn't Rostered
Who is rostered in 10 percent of teams or less who can grab those FPL points?
Euan: Man City has plugged the holes and steadied the ship (a bit) over the last four gameweeks, and it's coincided with the rise of Savinho. The 20-year-old winger had an adjustment period to the Premier League but has flourished since Pep Guardiola stationed him on the left wing.
Over the last four gameweeks, the Brazilian has accumulated 2.5 xGI and bagged six attacking returns. While that's not a sustainable rate, a fixture versus Ipswich should keep the overperforming times rolling. Plus, he's become a mainstay in the team by playing at least 79 minutes in each of the previous four matches.
Jamie: I’m taking a punt on Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m) this week. In midweek, Leandro Trossard (£6.8m) and Raheem Sterling (£6.7m) got the starts for Arsenal against Tottenham.
While Trossard scored, Sterling was dreadful, so Martinelli should regain his spot in the starting XI with a point to prove. Aston Villa has conceded the third most away goals this season (19), so the Brazilian winger is an interesting option.
Wale: With 39 points accumulated in his previous five matches for Nottingham Forest, Anthony Elanga (£5.1m) has been in a rich vein of form, contributing two goals and three assists in that timeframe. With less than 5% ownership, Elanga is a solid differential option to count on going forward.
Savinho in Gameweeks 1 to 18: 4️⃣0️⃣ points
Savinho in Gameweeks 19 to 20: 2️⃣7️⃣ pointsHe's now joint-top of Man City's midfield standings in #FPL this season! pic.twitter.com/eGhw1rndHv
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 8, 2025
Who is a Player You Want But Can’t Get for Gameweek 22 in FPL?
Euan: I am trying to build up my transfers in preparation for Double Gameweek 24 when Liverpool and Everton have two fixtures. However, if I were to use a transfer this week, it would be to bring back Diogo Jota (£7.2m) for Liverpool.
The Portuguese striker looked fantastic in his limited minutes versus Nottingham Forest, and I reckon Arne Slot rewards him by putting his name in the starting XI for the first time since October.
Jamie: Wolves have conceded three goals in their last eight EPL games. They go to a Chelsea side that put six goals past them earlier this season, so stacking Chelsea assets this week looks like the move. Other than Cole Palmer (£11.4m), I don’t have any other Blues player in my squad and need to bring in a goalkeeper.
Nicolas Jackson (£8.1m) got an assist in midweek and will fancy ending his goal drought on Monday, which will ultimately make me regret not rostering him.
Wale: Delivering another clutch moment for Man United, Amad Diallo’s (£5.4m) hat-trick amassed a 20-point haul for FPL managers in Gameweek 21. I’m left in a weird spot; on one end, I want to take a point hit to ship out Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m), but he is rumored to play as a striker for the Gunners soon.
As it stands, I might have to ignore the Amad train and give Martinelli one more week to prove his worth against Aston Villa in Gameweek 22.
On course for the maximum three bonus points, Amad becomes the sixth-player this season to take home 20 points from a single match 😮💨#FPL #MUNSOU pic.twitter.com/PhT1WmCilz
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 16, 2025
Who’s Getting the Captain’s Armband?
Euan: While Alexander Isak grabbed three returns against Wolves, I couldn't help but notice him wincing quite a bit throughout the evening. That makes me nervous enough to return to the old, reliable duo of Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer. I'm leaning towards the Chelsea talisman because Wolves look so lost at the back, while Brentford can be formidable at home.
Jamie: Isak will be the popular pick again this week. But I’m leaning toward Palmer. As mentioned, Chelsea scored six against Wolves earlier in the season. Palmer scored one and had three assists in that game. He’s scored in back-to-back EPL matches and feels like a lock to provide a return again.
Wale: It’s a tight call to make this week between Isak and Salah. However, with Newcastle having the early fixture, I’ll be backing Mo Salah with the armband and expect the Egyptian king to return to goal-scoring form against Brentford in Gameweek 22.
What’s Your Bold Prediction for Gameweek 22?
Euan: It took a 12-minute barrage and a Southampton collapse to save Man United's blushes on Thursday night. Brighton will not be so kind and win at Old Trafford for the third year in a row.
In FPL world, Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.4m) has been underperforming his peripherals, and I see him regressing to the mean with a return at Stamford Bridge versus Chelsea.
Jamie: Liam Delap (£5.6m) haunts his former club and ends up scoring more points than Erling Haaland (£14.8m) this weekend.
Wale: Newcastle and Nottingham Forest secure home victories against Bournemouth and Southampton, respectively. Regarding FPL returns, Cole Palmer gets a double-digit return against Wolves on the Monday fixture.
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