FPL GW17 stats: Salah disappoints with armband as home run ends

A combined 3.5million Fantasy Premier League managers were left frustrated as their captain Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) blanked at home for the first time since Gameweek 21 last season.

Salah was captained by 2.7m at the start of the Gameweek and picked up a further 766,000+ armbands as the vice-captain of managers who initially backed Erling Haaland (£13.9m), who missed Gameweek 17 with injury.

Salah had produced an attacking return in each of his previous 16 matches at Anfield, registering 17 goals and four assists across those games. 

Not only did Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Manchester United end his magnificent home record, it also brought his outstanding recent run against the Red Devils to a halt.

Salah had averaged 18.0 points per match over his previous four appearances versus Man Utd, which included two hauls over 20 points.

GW17 most-captained players*

*including vice-captains for managers who captained Haaland

The third-most captained player, Son Heung-min (£9.8m) was also unable to take advantage of Haaland's absence, suffering a fifth blank in seven matches.

The South Korean ranked joint-first for shots in Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest, with four, but was unable to find the back of the net.

Ollie Watkins (£8.6m) was the only member of the top five captains to return.

He notched nine points and his 18th attacking return of the campaign as he scored in Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Brentford. Only Haaland has more goal involvements this season, with 19.

Watkins will have the chance to match the Norwegian in Gameweek 18, when Manchester City are without a Premier League fixture due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.

More than 1.6m Fantasy managers parted company with Haaland in Gameweek 17, making him the most-sold player of the round. He missed Man City's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace because of a foot injury.

Julian Alvarez (£6.9m) entered the leading captain quintet with Haaland missing out. He, too, blanked, having had a free-kick goal ruled for offside. 

Finally, despite Brighton & Hove Albion once again failing to keep a clean sheet, Bukayo Saka (£9.0m) came away empty-handed from Arsenal's 2-0 win.

Saka created three chances and had a match-high four shots in the box against the Seagulls so the 788,000+ Fantasy bosses who entrusted him with the armband may feel a little aggrieved at his second successive blank.