FPL Spotlight: Game Week 21

This is a new series tackling the most hyped FPL assets at the moment. We’re here to help you judge whether they are worthy of their price tag and the hype.

FPL Spotlight: Game Week 21

Make sure you check out the FPL Player Rankings series to keep up to date with the best FPL assets.

 

The FPL Spotlight shines brightly on different players at different times throughout the season. This is a series tackling the most hyped FPL assets at the moment. We’re here to help you judge whether they are worthy of their price tag and the hype.

Green Light = Player I strongly recommend owning

Amber Light = Solid option with potential downsides

Red Light = Not a player I would recommend owning

 

Antony Gordon (MID):

Price: £7.5m

Ownership: 19.9%

Gordon had a slow start to the season but has been on fire as of late and is one of the most in-form wingers in the Premier League. He has a goal contribution in each of his last 5 starts (2 goals, 3 assists) and 7 in his last 8. That is elite levels of consistent output for a player with only a £7.4m price-tag.

The Liverpudlian winger has the ideal profile we look for in FPL for a Midfielder. He is a high level goal threat and chance creator. Gordon has scored 5 goals from 6.21xG which ranks 20th in the Premier League, and 7th of all Midfielders in FPL. This speaks to the quality of chances Gordon is getting on the end of and there is room for greater output. It also indicated he is due a game where he provides his owners with a big haul and that his consistency is no fluke.

Gordon is also 11th in the league with 4.0xA – ranking above other key FPL assets we value for their creativity such as Fernandes, Cunha and Robinson. This complete attacking profile makes Gordon such an attractive player to own, especially when paired with the fact that Newcastle are one of the most prolific attacking teams in the division over the past 7 Gameweeks. The Magpies have scored at least 2 goals in every league game since Gameweek 14, as well as in their EFL cup ties against Arsenal and Brentford during that period, and have climbed to 6th in xG on the season.

Simply put, Gordon is about as close to a must-own at the minute, especially with Saka and Bowen injured. There are very few Midfielders I can make a case for having the combination of talent, statistical profile, consistent output alongside playing for a high-level attacking team. Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures are also appealing, facing 3 teams in the bottom 12 for xG conceded – Wolves (H), Bournemouth (H), Southampton (A), Fulham (H) without Tete at right-back, and Man City (A) who Gordon has scored against in their last 2 league matchups. Get Gordon into those FPL teams and prosper!

Judgement: Green Light

Green circle Vector Images | Depositphotos

 

Jean-Philippe Mateta (FWD):

 

Price: £7.2m

Ownership: 3.4%

Mateta had been getting a lot of buzz of late in FPL circles due to Palace’s favourable schedule and the belief Mateta could return to the form he showed in the second half of last season. Yet, he was on his way to disappointing managers who owned him for a 5th consecutive Gameweek until he scored a last minute equaliser in Gameweek 20 against Chelsea.

In Mateta’s favour, he does rank 21st in xG, ahead of other Forwards like Cunha, Welbeck and Joao Pedro. So there is absolutely a case that Palace being in better form of late along with Eze’s return could lead to an uptick in output for the French striker. He has shown he can be one of the in-form strikers in the league before and his xG numbers indicate he is getting into the right places to finish high-quality chances. Palace also have a very favourable schedule over the next 3 Gameweeks. They face 3 teams in the bottom 7 of the league in xG conceded – Leicester (A), West Ham (A), Brentford (H), and so it is absolutely within the realm of possibility that Mateta could be a short term gamble that pays off.

However, 2 goals since Gameweek 9 is hard to argue in favour of, especially with the other Forward options in a similar price range. He offers very little creativity and chance creation for others – amassing only 0.89xA so his assist numbers will always be low. The greater issue for Mateta owners is that Palace are just not a great attacking side. They are 14th in xG, 12th in Big Chances Created and 11th in shots inside the box – where Mateta would thrive. Palace’s fixtures also get much more difficult from an attacking perspective from Gameweek 25-29 with 4 out of those 5 Gameweeks facing teams in the top 8 for xG conceded.

Judgement: Amber Light

File:Eo circle amber blank.svg - Wikimedia Commons

 

Bryan Mbeumo (MID):

Price: £7.8m

Ownership: 32.8%

Mbeumo has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 7 games, after a brief dip in production between Gameweek 10-14 that saw him being doubted and sold in FPL. He has been one of the best and most consistent players in the league this season and has carried Brentford at times.

Mbeumo is one of 5 players in the league, alongside Salah, Palmer, Gordon and Fernandes that rank top 20 in both xG and xA. He ranks 16th in xG with 6.25, and has incredibly scored 13 goals from that – more than doubling his xG total! That is a rare and staggering level of efficiency, accuracy and ruthlessness in front of goal.

Add to that his 4.65xA this season, which ranks 4th of all players in the league, and you have an FPL asset that should be owned by everyone. That is a statement I would rarely make as there is no one way to succeed in FPL. However, a player with this elite of an attacking profile who is in such brilliant form, with a price tag of only £7.8m, is the rare exception.

Mbeumo is one of the rare FPL assets where fixtures don’t matter as much, because he is so good that he produces regardless of opponent or even his own team’s overall performance in a game. But if there was a time to bring Mbeumo in over the remaining course of the season, it would be now. 5 of Brentford’s next 6 Gameweeks feature matchups against teams in the bottom 12 for xG conceded – Man City (H), Crystal Palace (A), Spurs (H), West Ham (A) and Leicester (A). Mbeumo could make FPL managers who don’t own him reconsider their life choices with the kind of hauls he could provide in this stretch. Don’t be one of those managers and reap the rewards Brentford’s star man often provides!

Judgement: Green Light

Green circle Vector Images | Depositphotos

 

 

Anthony Elanga (MID):

 

Price: £5.2m

Ownership: 3.8%

Elanga is in blistering form, having produced a goal contribution in Forest’s last 5 games (3 goals, 2 assists). He has been one of the key players in keeping Forest right in the thick of a chase for Champions League football next season.

At the cheap price-tag of £5.2m, with his recent consistent production, Elanga enters the “elite enablers” conversation along with players like Rogers, Amad and Enzo. But how does he compare to these other enablers and how likely is his form to continue? I would say the outlook is not as rosy as his recent form would indicate. His xG on the season is only 1.96xG which is 66th percentile for wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and is a lower total than Rogers, Enzo and Amad.

The other issue Elanga faces when compared to other enablers, is that Forest, while performing brilliantly overall this season, are 15th in the league for xG and 13th in Big Chances Created. They are simply put a bottom half of the league attacking team and their biggest strength is their defence and physicality.

The consistent producer in attack for Forest this season has been Wood, with Gibbs White being the second best attacking FPL option on the team due to his complete profile as a goal threat and chief creator in the team. It is hard to argue for owning the 3rd best attacking option in a team that struggles to consistently create high quality chances. Forest’s schedule also presents another red flag in regards to owning Elanga, as 6 of their next 8 fixtures come against teams in the top half of the league for xG conceded. There are simply put, better Midfield enablers available to FPL managers.

Judgement: Red Light

Red circle icon - Free red shape icons

 

 

For more Game Week 21 articles, click here!

Click here to check out our Assistant Manager Price reveal guide – with tips on the best Assistant Manager’s to target and when.

By Ahsan Ejaz

Last updated: 12/01