Pep Guardiola’s rotation may ultimately determine the fate of managers’ captaincy decisions in Double Gameweek 37 of Fantasy Premier League.
Handing the armband to Erling Haaland (£12.4m) when Manchester City play twice would usually be a very straightforward choice.
However, the league leaders’ push for a treble means Guardiola may well choose to protect the pitch time of his key players.
Haaland’s massive 83 per cent ownership should be encouraged by the fact he is only one of three players, along with Riyad Mahrez (£7.4m) and Julian Alvarez (£6.1m), to start each of Man City’s last four matches.
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The Norwegian will surely start against Chelsea as Guardiola looks to clinch the league title on Sunday.
If the league is sewn up over the weekend, though, the Spaniard may well make many changes to his side against Brighton & Hove Albion, which is just four days before their Gameweek 38 trip to Brentford.
Managers’ captaincy decision has been further hampered by the news that Marcus Rashford (£7.2m) is now doubtful for the first match of Manchester United’s Double Gameweek 37 against AFC Bournemouth due to illness.
While that could persuade many to consider Bruno Fernandes (£9.5m) as an alternative route into the Red Devils’ attack against the Cherries and Chelsea, it also raises the merits of considering an in-form, single-Gameweek player with plenty still to play for, such as Mohamed Salah (£13.1m) or Callum Wilson (£7.2m).
FPL points last four matches
| Player | G | A | Pts |
| Salah | 3 | 3 | 40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 5 | 1 | 38 |
| Gundogan | 4 | 1 | 37 |
| Mahrez | 0 | 5 | 27 |
| Haaland | 3 | 0 | 25 |
| Rashford | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Mac Allister | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| Fernandes | 1 | 1 | 21 |
While Haaland has scored three goals in his last four outings to collect 25 points, he has been overshadowed by Ilkay Gundogan (£7.4m) and Mahrez.
Both midfielders were involved in five goals; Gundogan scored four and assisted one to amass 37 points, while Mahrez earned 27 points thanks to five assists.
Rashford and Fernandes delivered 22 and 21 points respectively, with Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister (£5.6m) matching the former’s tally.
Salah and Wilson’s credentials as single-Gameweek options are highlighted by their totals of 40 and 38 points respectively.
Both also play at home, with Salah hosting Aston Villa and Wilson entertaining Leicester City.
Attacking stats last four matches
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Shots on target | Big chances | Chances created |
| Rashford | 18 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 15 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Haaland | 14 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
| Salah | 14 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Fernandes | 14 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 17 |
| Mitoma | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Gundogan | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Alvarez | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Mahrez | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
Haaland’s 12 shots in the box were more than any of his Double Gameweek rivals, with Rashford and Kaoru Mitoma (£5.7m) his nearest challengers among that contingent on 10 and nine respectively.
Rashford’s 18 shots lead the way in the analysis, while Fernandes offers an all-round threat; the Portuguese combined 14 shots with 17 key passes.
Mahrez’s creative contribution is also in evidence, with his 12 key passes more than double the total of any team-mate.
Alvarez’s seven shots and five shots on target, meanwhile, both rank second only to Haaland for Man City in the same period.
Wilson and Salah again impress here, placing first and joint-second with 15 and 12 shots in the box respectively.
Top three picks
Despite the threat of rotation against Brighton, it’s difficult to look beyond Haaland.
If Man City are to triumph this weekend, there is every chance the Norwegian will be involved.
Indeed, his totals of 14 shots, 12 shots in the box and seven big chances are all at least double the total of any team-mate in Man City’s last four matches.
Mahrez looks the best alternative from Guardiola’s side, while the doubts over Rashford lend more weight to Fernandes’ appeal as the top non-Man City option.
Also in this series
Part 1: Scout Selection: Best FPL team for Double Gameweek 37
