The Scout picks out the MUST-HAVE players for the biggest Double Gameweek of the season, with SEVEN teams playing TWICE in Double Gameweek 34 (DGW34) of Fantasy Premier League.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) £6.0m
The Crystal Palace star strengthened his claim for a place in managers’ DGW34 midfields by scoring their winner away to Liverpool at the weekend.
Eze’s effort earned him a 10-point haul at Anfield and took his tally to two goals and an assist in six appearances for the Eagles’ new head coach Oliver Glasner.
Eze's goal v Liverpool
Football. 👇 pic.twitter.com/fwBKFoIwUk
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) April 15, 2024
The underlying statistics further show Eze’s all-round influence ahead of his back-to-back home matches against West Ham United and Newcastle United.
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Since returning from injury in Gameweek 27, his 12 shots and six shots on target both place joint-top for the Eagles, while his 11 key passes are four more than any team-mate.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) £13.5m
The Egyptian is expected to be the most-picked captain in DGW34 for Liverpool’s visits to Fulham and Everton.
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Salah totalled 21 points across his previous meetings with his upcoming opponents, producing two goals, an assist and three bonus points.
In away matches this season, his tally of 81 points is at least 20 points more than any team-mate, with the winger averaging 6.4 points per start on his travels.
Salah has also been the Reds’ standout goal threat recently, with his 23 shots, 16 shots in the box, six big chances and 10 shots on target all team-leading totals across their last four matches.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) £9.0m
The winger is likely to be Salah’s main competition for the armband for Arsenal's encounters with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea.
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Although he’s managed just a single goal in his last four outings, Saka remains seven points clear of the Liverpool star at the top of the midfield rankings on 193 points.
His appeal as the Gunners’ go-to attacker was arguably strengthened by events at the weekend; having thrived as a centre-forward, the in-form Kai Havertz (£7.4m) was moved back into central midfield against Aston Villa, while Martin Odegaard (£8.6m) is now an injury concern.
Similar to Salah, Saka delivered attacking returns in each of his meetings with his DGW34 opponents earlier in the campaign, producing a total of 13 points thanks to a goal and an assist.
Dominic Solanke (AFC Bournemouth) £7.2m
AFC Bournemouth’s forward is tied with Salah on 17 goals this season after his weekend strike against Manchester United.
Notably, Solanke scored two of those efforts against his upcoming DGW34 opponents Aston Villa and Wolves, with a goal on each occasion helping him total 13 points.
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As the focal point of the Cherries’ attack, Solanke’s 84 shots in the box and 25 big chances are both more than twice the tally of any team-mate.
His penalty duties, combined with a consistent goal conversion rate of 18.1 per cent, mark Solanke out as the most reliable forward with a DGW34.
Gabriel (Arsenal) £5.4m
Arsenal’s Brazilian is the standout defender for DGW34 due to his huge potential at both ends of the pitch.
Gabriel has been a key figure in a rearguard that has helped the Gunners to 14 clean sheets, at least four more than any other side.
His threat at free-kicks and corners has also been a significant factor in recent months.
At set-piece situations, Gabriel’s two goals, 16 shots and 14 headed shots all place among the top two players in Fantasy since Gameweek 21. By contrast, no other Arsenal player managed more than two headed shots from set-plays in that period.
Gabriel's goal v West Ham
Marking your 150th Arsenal appearance with a customary bullet header ⚽️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 12, 2024
Brilliant stuff, @biel_m04 👏 pic.twitter.com/NgggAgUeVa
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) £6.6m
If you're looking to invest in Liverpool's defence for DGW34, the centre-back is a more secure pick than Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m) and Andrew Robertson (£6.4m), who are more likely to have their minutes managed following their recent returns from injury.
There’s no denying Jurgen Klopp’s side have struggled for clean sheets, claiming only one across their last 11 league outings.
However, it is Van Dijk’s goal threat from dead-ball situations that can reward investors in Fantasy. His 32 shots in the box and 25 headed shots are both more than any other defender in 2023/24 Fantasy.
The Dutchman’s attacking potential was in evidence in the Reds’ recent Double Gameweek 25, when he scored his second goal of the season to earn 10 points across their two matches.