We've once again enlisted the help of FPL expert AbuBakar Siddiq to help you out with tips and learnings from Gameweek 3.
It was a tough week, with plenty of the big names underperforming, leaving a lot of question marks going into GW3. Read on for @BigManBakar's five FPL tips from Gameweek 2, to help you with your team selections.
FPL: Learnings from GW2 and tips for GW3
1. Rodrigo is putting his hand up
Rodrigo has firmly cemented himself as the budget midfielder of choice along with Gabriel Martinelli. In terms of underlying statistics, Rodrigo has been head and shoulders above the other midfielders and is making a mockery out of his price tag. In the first three GWs, he is ranked first for shots, shots in the box, non-penalty XG and second for big chance involvements. Having said that, Rodrigo has overperformed on his statistics - so far he has five goal involvements from an xGi of 2.2. However, he remains a good pick regardless simply because his underlying statistics are still better than those of the other midfielders.
IT'S TWO! 🤯
What a header that is from Rodrigo! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/otDpmqw5WU— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 21, 2022
I think the concerns regarding his minutes once Sinisterra and Bamford are back are widely misplaced as well - there's no way that Jesse Marsch can possibly drop Rodrigo in this form. By his own admission, Rodrigo is an integral part of the team:
He's been massive. He's been all in, he's been getting better every day, every week. He's committed at the highest level. He was the captain today, rightfully so. I think he's potentially in the form of his life. He's adapted and risen to the challenge in difficult moments, so I'm really happy with him.
Even if at some point Marsch does decide to drop him, it would come at a point when most managers would likely Wildcard around GW9 anyway, so I don't think Rodrigo's minutes in the immediate term should be in doubt. Leeds face Everton, Brentford, and Forest between GW5-7 which is a run Rodrigo could do really well in. I think Rodrigo is a good buy keeping in mind those fixtures. However, I wouldn't necessarily go out of the way to buy him this Gameweek. Leeds have historically struggled in the past against Brighton under Potter - scoring just once in their previous four games against them.
2. Perisic is worth serious consideration despite rotation risk
I have seen the Perisic I know from Inter. For us he is very important because he has great experience. For Sessegnon, who is playing well this season, it is very important to have a player in front of you like Ivan.
These quotes from Conte basically imply that Perisic will start in the next Gameweek. He could be a rotation risk with midweek fixtures coming into play, but I would still think that he'd play at least two of the next three.
I personally believe that Perisic is a 15 pointer waiting to happen when he starts. No defender in the Serie A had a better xGi per 90 than Perisic under Conte in 20/21 - his xGi per 90 of 0.44 was seriously impressive. We saw last season that both Doherty and Reguilon were second and third for xGi per 90 after Trent Alexander-Arnold since the time Conte took over. I personally believe that Perisic's upside is too big to ignore - no defender has been given a better chance of scoring this week by the bookmakers as well.
Further, I highlight a defensive weakness that Perisic seems well suited to exploit - chances conceded on the right flank in the first three GWs:
- Nottingham Forest - 23!
- Bournemouth - 13
- West Ham - 13
- Aston Villa - 13
- Leeds - 12
If these stats are anything to go by, then Perisic could have a field day in GW4.
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3. The Ward and Iversen goalkeeper combo is not sustainable
If I had Ward and Iversen, I'd look to sell Iversen - even if for a hit. Iversen delivered a match-winning performance in the EFL Cup and there are a growing number of voices among the Leicester supporters asking for his inclusion as the first choice keeper. Ward has been very poor so far - conceding eight goals from a xGc of 4.3 this season. Rodgers has been very clear in the past that Ward is going to be first choice - so who gets to play now is still up in the air.
Fact of the matter is that no matter who plays, Leicester have a dreadful run of fixtures coming up - the Foxes are due to play Chelsea, Manchester United, Brighton, Aston Villa, and Spurs in the next five. I simply see no clean sheets there - so I would recommend all Ward and Iversen owners to cut their losses and spend more on their keepers.
4. There's plenty to like about Brighton
Brighton have started the season really strongly. The good thing from an FPL point of view is that they have a really strong fixture run to come - the Seagulls play Leeds, Fulham, Leicester, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in their next five.
There are plenty of options at both ends of the field - Robert Sanchez for £4.5m is the first name that stands out and at his price he presents terrific value! No team has conceded fewer big chances this season than Brighton. What I also like about Sanchez is that two of Brighton's midfielders are playing as wing-backs which means that there aren't too many contestants he is competing with when it comes to bonus points.
BRIGHTON LEAD!! 💥
Pascal Groß has gotten Erik ten Hag's era off to the worst possible start! 😮 pic.twitter.com/g6HSjS7LcJ— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 7, 2022
Further up the field, Pascal Groß will keep ticking along. It's a shame that he doesn't have penalties in his locker, but he is playing just behind Danny Welbeck and is on set pieces, which gives him plenty of routes to accumulate points.
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5. Andreas Pereira is an FPL gift
Pereira is the pick of the cheap midfielders we have at the moment. On the evidence of what we have seen so far, he is easily the best £4.5m midfielder in the game and could have a crucial role to play with fixture congestion coming into play soon.
He's on all set pieces and according to the average position maps has been playing almost as high up the field as Aleksandar Mitrovic.
So, there you have them, your FPL tips for Gameweek 4. It's a big week for those who struggled in GW3 - will you be ringing the changes, or holding firm?
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