Last updated on November 18th, 2021
The international break is nearing its end, and FPL managers can look forward to fixing their teams ahead of GW12. Gameweek 11 saw Man City capitalise on their rival’s dropping points as they jumped up to 2nd place after a win in the Manchester Derby. Chelsea kept their spot at the top of the table despite a draw to Burnley, while Liverpool’s defeat to West Ham saw the Londoners leapfrog the Merseyside team into 3rd, with Liverpool in 4th place. Elsewhere, Arsenal climbed to 5th spot, ahead of a game against Liverpool this week. Norwich picked up their first of the season but stayed bottom, while Newcastle and Burnley take up the remaining relegation spots. On the FPL front, this gameweek had an average of 42 points where 4 of my 6 picks returned points. This week’s picks are picked on their recent form, favourable fixtures and passing the eye-test.
Gameweek 11 top 3 performers
1. João Cancelo – 14 points (90 minutes, two assists, clean sheet, 3BPS)
2. Trent Alexander-Arnold – 12 points (90 minutes, yellow card, one goal, one assist, 3BPS)
3. Pablo Fornals – 12 points (90 minutes, one goal, one assist, 2BPS)
Let’s take a look at the picks for this week, reviewing their GW11 performance and previewing their GW12 points potential.
1. Heung-Min Son – £10.3m (MID); 19.7% ownership
GW11 review – 3 points (84 minutes, clean sheet)
GW12 preview – Leeds (H)
Spurs’ South Korean ace could be one of the biggest benefactors of Antonio Conte’s appointment. He will be the main man alongside Harry Kane (£12.2m), who will also be hoping Conte’s appointment sees his fortunes change this season. Starting with Leeds this week, Spurs have a run of four games with a Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) of 2 which also includes Norwich at home. To avoid missing out, I think Son is a viable option to have for the next few weeks, at the least, due to the changes at Spurs and the fixtures ahead. He is a talisman in his own right and is fixture-proof too, and he will want to add to his four goals and two assists this season. Son is my pick but keep an eye on Kane’s performances too
2. João Cancelo – £6.5m (DEF); 28.8% ownership
GW11 review – performance noted under top 3 performers
GW12 preview – Everton (H)
João Cancelo has been such a consistent figure in the Man City team since his arrival and he is so key to the way Pep likes to play. Cancelo’s versatility to play in both full-back positions means he usually has a nailed down spot unless he is being rotated. He notched two impressive assists last weekend in the Manchester Derby to take his tally to four assists for the season. City’s next challenge is Everton, who have been inconsistent of late and not played the way they started the season. Cancelo owners will be hoping he continues this good run of form and notches another points return.
3. Wilfried Zaha – £7.0m (MID); 7.5% ownership
GW11 review – 8 points (90 minutes, one goal, clean sheet)
GW12 preview – Burnley (A)
Zaha has been the Crystal Palace talisman for the last five seasons and he continues to show his quality every season. Having scored twice in the last two weeks, Zaha now has four goals and an assist to his name already this season. Burnley have picked up five points in their last three games, including a draw against Chelsea last week but Palace do have scalps against Spurs and Man City this season too so both teams will be desperate for points. Due to Burnley being typically more defensive, I expect Palace to have more of the ball and for Zaha to be at the forefront of any chances they may create.
4. Adam Armstrong – £5.9m (FOR); 3.3% ownership
GW11 review – 9 points (90 minutes, one goal, 3BPS)
GW12 preview – Norwich (A)
Armstrong scored in the 1-0 victory over Aston Villa prior to the international break and is this week’s pick against Norwich. Despite Norwich picking up their first win of the season against Brentford, I do not think they have turned a corner yet so remain a target for many teams. Armstrong has been impressive this season and has been unlucky not to score more so far this season. Norwich presents a good opportunity to add to his two goals and two assists this season. Southampton do also have good value in defence so a double-up is worth the punt.
5. Leandro Trossard – £6.5m (MID); 2.5% ownership
GW11 review – 10 points (90 minutes, one goal, 3BPS)
GW12 preview – Aston Villa (A)
The Belgian’s performances this season have been excellent for an impressive Brighton side. He has thrived playing in the front three as an out-of-position (OOP) midfielder and has reaped the rewards with three goals and an assist to his name already. They are Steven Gerrard’s first test as Aston Villa manager and unless the inconsistencies in Villa’s defence get sorted out, Brighton will feel they can take their chances in this game and Trossard will lead the attack for those chances created. They also face Leeds next week so it could be worth holding onto Trossard for a few weeks too.
6. Aaron Cresswell – £5.5m (DEF); 15.1% ownership
GW11 review – 1 point (90 minutes)
GW12 preview – Wolves (A)
Cresswell was rather fortunate not to have been sent-off against Liverpool last week but starred for the team as they picked up an impressive win to go 3rd. They face a Wolves team whose performances on the pitch have not been justified by the results they’ve achieved. Cresswell is part of a resolute West Ham defence and is a key part to their attack as their free-kick and corner taker. This week could be Cresswell’s best chance at getting points, with a game against City on the horizon soon but he is worth keeping in the team for the long run considering West Ham’s form.
*All prices and ownerships stats are correct as of 17 November 2021*
To see last week’s picks, click the link below:
