Last updated on April 22nd, 2022
By MATTHEW PETERSEN @Matt_Petersen13
Gameweek 33 saw some incredible results across the board. The weekend started off with Brighton upsetting in-form Tottenham 1-0 to halt their battle for the top 4. Arsenal had a topsy-turvy DGW as they lost 1-0 against Southampton and then thumped Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge. In the exciting battle for the title, Liverpool and City both exchanged big wins to stay within a point of each other as City beat Brighton 3-0 and Liverpool beat arch-rivals Man United 4-0 at Anfield to secure a season aggregate 9-0 win. The GW saw an FPL average of 61 points with some big names firing and others failing. Managing DGWs will be crucial come the end of season run-in.
Gameweek 33 top 3 performers
1. Bruno Guimares – 20 points (14 vs Leicester; 6 vs Crystal Palace)
2. Mohamed Salah – 19 points (90 minutes, two goals, one assist, clean sheet, 3BPS)
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – 17 points (17 vs Norwich; DNP vs Liverpool)
Let’s take a look at the top picks for this week, reviewing their GW33 performance and previewing their GW34 points potential, based on recent form and favourable fixtures
1.Mohamed Salah – £13.2m (MID); 57.7% ownership
GW33 review – performance noted under top 3 performers
GW34 preview – Everton (H)
The Egyptian has seemingly overcome his recent slump and returned to the scoring sheets with an absolute bang! After Tuesday’s game, he’s now registered five goals against Man United this season and with Everton up next, he will have more incentive to score as Liverpool look to one-up their Merseyside rivals while still chasing the Premier League title.
2. Riyad Mahrez – £8.6m (MID); 4.0% ownership
GW33 review – 14 points (90 minutes, one goal, one assist, clean sheet, 3BPS)
GW34 preview – Watford (H)
The second North African winger this week is City’s Mahrez. He’s been sensational this season when picked by Pep and has managed 11 goals and six assists this season. City need to keep winning to win the title and with Mahrez’s recent form, Pep would want to utilize that in a game against Watford, who were on the receiving end of an 8-0 hammering the last time they visited the Etihad. Watch out for any other City assets.
3. Virgil Van Dijk – £6.8m (DEF); 19.8% ownership
GW33 review – 6 points (90 minutes, clean sheet)
GW34 preview – Everton (H)
Liverpool’s defensive performance have been stark contrasts in the last two seasons and that’s largely down to the fact that this season, Van Dijk has been back to marshal the defence again. Liverpool have conceded only 22 goals in 32 games this season and this week, they face the same side that caused the near-career ending injury only 18 months ago. This will feel like a personal victory for Van Dijk too.
4. Leandro Trossard – £5.8m (MID); 1.4% ownership
GW33 review – 12 points (11 vs Spurs; DNP vs Man City)
GW34 preview – Southampton (H)
Brighton managed six points from three games away from home against Arsenal, Spurs and Man City which is impressive enough of a feat. Trossard featured in two of those games and impacted heavily as he scored the winner against Spurs. This fixture, on paper, should see Southampton run riot and should he be fully fit after his illness, Trossard could be a big points scorer this GW.
5. Timo Werner – £8.6m (FOR); 2.5% ownership
GW33 review – 8 points (90 minutes, one goal, 2BPS)
GW34 preview – West Ham (H); Man United (A)
The German forward has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism since he joined the club in 2020. He struggled to adjust to playing in a new country with no fans in the stadium for his first season and Romelu Lukaku’s (£11.6m) return didn’t make things easier for him either. However, in recent weeks he seems to have found his footing and the form that made Chelsea splash the cash for him. He’s managed four goals and two assists with limited playing time across the season so I expect him to play a big role going into the end of the season.
6. Marc Guehi – £4.5m (DEF); 1.6% ownership
GW33 review – 2 points (90 minutes)
GW34 preview – Leeds (H)
Guehi has been playing at a level far higher than his tender age of 21 suggests. He’s been a mainstay at the heart of Palace’s defence and his performance must leave the Chelsea board scratching their heads as to how they let him go. A fixture against a Leeds side, who managed to put three past Watford, will be a tricky challenge but certainly not one that Palace couldn’t weather.
*Prices and ownership stats correct as of 22 April 2022*
To see the picks of last week, click the link below:
