FPL Gameweek 34: Captain picks
By Holly Shand
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It’s double gameweek season in FPL, with six sides having additional fixtures after this weekend. This means a big captaincy decision, while it is also a prime opportunity for those still holding the Triple Captain chip.
So who are the top picks?
Erling Haaland vs Fulham (A) & West Ham (H)
Erling Haaland has to be a key consideration here and it looks like he’s hitting his best form patch of the season with double digit hauls in three consecutive games. He left it late to score against Arsenal but now has five goals in three and shows no signs of slowing down on his way to becoming the highest scoring FPL player in a season.
The signs of goals across the doubles look strong with a brace in the reverse fixture against West Ham in Gameweek 1 and a penalty from the bench against Fulham in Gameweek 15. He sits top for shots on target over the last three gameweeks with seven and second for big chances with five.
Riyad Mahrez is now first choice on penalties for Manchester City but Haaland might still take them if the Algerian is absent.
Mohamed Salah vs Aston Villa (H) & Fulham (H)
A pair of home games for Mohamed Salah makes him an attractive option, especially since he’s been so prolific at Anfield since the restart. He’s found the back of the net in his last five home games, notching five goals and two assists in total.
He has the pedigree in the reverse fixtures, with a goal and an assist against Fulham in Gameweek 1 for 12 points and a goal and an assist against Aston Villa in Gameweek 17 for another dozen.
As a midfielder, Salah can accumulate points more quickly than forwards and is also eligible for clean sheet points. For managers chasing in mini leagues, Salah provides a vital differential in order to make up ground this week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Aston Villa (H) & Fulham (H)
If Mo Salah as captain doesn’t feel differential enough, then Trent Alexander-Arnold becomes a real contender. Captaining a defender rarely feels comfortable in FPL but Trent’s new midfield role nullifies that.
Since his inverted full-back switch in Gameweek 30 he has delivered five assists in four games and has also scooped up four bonus points in that time. He’s now on double digits for attacking returns for the season and shows no sign of slowing down.
The only thing missing from Liverpool’s game is clean sheets but we could see an improvement over the double with Spurs having plenty of defensive problems of their own. Fulham have also failed to score in three of their last six games.