A tough upcoming schedule for Manchester City could persuade many managers in Fantasy Premier League to look for replacements.
Pep Guardiola’s side have only four matches in the next five Gameweeks, as they have a Blank Gameweek 29 (BGW29) due to their progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
All four of Man City’s next opponents currently sit in the top six, with matches against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Man City's next five Gameweeks
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | MUN (H) | 3 |
| 28 | LIV (A) | 5 |
| 29 | No fixture | N/A |
| 30 | ARS (H) | 4 |
| 31 | AVL (H) | 3 |
Who are City's top performers in FPL?
Sales of Kevin De Bruyne (£10.7m) have escalated after he managed a mere six minutes across the last two Gameweeks. The Belgian is the most-sold player ahead of Saturday’s 13:30 GMT deadline, moved on by over 289,000 managers.
Since the recent return to action of Erling Haaland (£14.4m) in Gameweek 22, it is Phil Foden (£8.1m) who has been Man City’s standout performer in Fantasy.
The England star has produced four goals, an assist and 45 points in those last six matches, including Man City's two outings in Double Gameweek 25.
Foden has started all six of those contests, whereas De Bruyne has started on just three occasions, earning more minutes off the bench twice.
Haaland has equalled Foden’s five goal involvements, scoring three and assisting a further two.
Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez (£6.6m) has mirrored Haaland’s five starts and one substitute appearance in those encounters. But it is Rodri (£5.6m) who ranks third among Man City players in Fantasy in this spell, scoring twice to collect 31 points.
Man City's top attackers GW22-26
| Points | Player | G | A | Apps | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Foden | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 34 | Haaland | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| 31 | Rodri | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 25 | Alvarez | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 18 | De Bruyne | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Who’s had the greatest goal threat?
The underlying statistics highlight Haaland’s role as the focal point of Guardiola’s team.
His total of 24 shots in the box since his return in Gameweek 22 are at least 11 more than any team-mate, while his nine big chances are more than double any other Man City player.
Although he has blanked only once, Haaland’s lowly 10.7 per cent goal conversion rate shows his backers have been unfortunate not to get more attacking returns from him.
Foden’s numbers also show his growing influence on the Man City attack. He places second to Haaland for shots, shots in the box and big chances, with his 16 per cent goal conversion rate still very sustainable.
De Bruyne, by contrast, has managed just three shots in the box, trailing Alvarez, Rodri and Bernardo Silva (£6.3m) in the analysis.
Best attacking stats GW22-26
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Goal conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 28 | 24 | 9 | 10.7% |
| Foden | 25 | 13 | 4 | 16% |
| Alvarez | 17 | 19 | 2 | 11.8% |
| Rodri | 12 | 4 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Silva | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0% |
| De Bruyne | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0% |
Who has been the most creative?
De Bruyne’s place at the top of the creativity charts is all the more remarkable given his restricted pitch time.
The Belgian’s 14 key passes and four big chances created since Gameweek 22 are both more than any other Man City player, while his average of 22 minutes per key pass is almost twice as quick as the 40 minutes of Foden.
Nonetheless, Foden’s all-round potential is highlighted further by his second place here. Notably, as many as six Man City players have created 10+ scoring opportunities in this spell.
City's top creators GW22-26
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created | Minutes/key pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Bruyne | 14 | 4 | 22 |
| Foden | 13 | 2 | 40 |
| Rodri | 12 | 2 | 45 |
| Alvarez | 11 | 2 | 38 |
| Silva | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Doku | 10 | 0 | 36 |
So, what should managers do?
Haaland’s peerless goal threat statistics clearly show why he is the one must-have Man City asset.
Certainly, owners of either Foden or De Bruyne should look to hold for their home meeting with Man Utd this weekend and reassess afterwards.
Foden scored a hat-trick in the corresponding match last season, while De Bruyne’s four assists in the FA Cup fifth round against Luton Town on Tuesday were a timely reminder of his potential for huge hauls.
De Bruyne certainly looks the most disposable of the trio unless there is a dramatic change in his pitch time, with Foden finally appearing to profit from a secure starting role.
However, from Gameweek 28 to 30 there’s an argument for having only Haaland, particularly when teams such as Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United all have in-form midfield replacements who will all play in BGW29.
View all the latest FPL tips ahead of Gameweek 27 in Fantasy Premier League