Should managers go against Salah to make up ground in FPL?

The Scout looks at the best ways to go against Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) with the captaincy over the final four Gameweeks of 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.

Salah’s massive 71 per cent ownership means he is near-certain to be the most-selected captain in each of the final four Gameweeks. 

If you need to take risks to make up ground in your mini-leagues, going against the Egyptian with the armband could be the most straightforward strategy.

Certainly, a look back at Salah’s output should offer encouragement here. Indeed, the last time he was the top-scoring player in a single-match Gameweek was back in Gameweek 19.

Arne Slot has also confirmed that he will rotate his line-ups now that Liverpool have clinched the title with four fixtures remaining.

"My line-ups will be different to the last 10 months," Slot said in his pre-match press conference.

"We are not going to change everyone, but there will be a few players that come into the team and there will be a certain rotation for the upcoming games."

Although Salah is still expected to start all of those matches as he chases a number of personal accolades, there is no doubt that a potentially weakened XI could dilute his prospects of returns.

The Reds’ tough run-in is another factor, with a visit to Chelsea and home match with Arsenal in the next two Gameweeks alone.

Gameweek 35

Newcastle United's Alexander Isak (£9.6m), Manchester City's Omar Marmoush (£7.6m) and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) are among the best alternatives in Gameweek 35, when Salah visits Chelsea.

Crucially, Newcastle and Man City have plenty still to play for as they are both involved in the battle for European places.

Isak faces a Brighton & Hove Albion side who have conceded at least twice in six successive league fixtures, while Marmoush has averaged 7.3 points per home match ahead of a visit from Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

Mbeumo, meanwhile, is the second top-scoring player in home matches this season and faces Manchester United.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), Salah has the toughest match this Gameweek among the mentioned players. 

Gameweek 35 opponents' FDR

*Fixture Difficulty Rating: 1= easiest possible match, 5 = hardest possible match

Gameweek 36

In a Gameweek when Salah is at home to Arsenal, Mbeumo and Marmoush each face bottom-three opponents and are again among the very best alternatives.

Both are on their travels this time, with Brentford facing Ipswich Town and Man City at Southampton.

Chris Wood (£7.0m) also comes into contention at this point, with Nottingham Forest looking to boost their prospects of a European place at home to Leicester City.

Gameweek 36 opponents' FDR

*Fixture Difficulty Rating: 1= easiest possible match, 5 = hardest possible match

Gameweek 37

Salah’s case for the armband is admittedly stronger in Gameweek 37 as Liverpool visit Brighton.

Again, the chase for European spots can provide stronger solutions – Marmoush hosts AFC Bournemouth, Wood visits West Ham United and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) entertains Tottenham Hotspur.

Mbeumo’s strong home form means he should remain in contention as Fulham visit the Gtech Community Stadium.

Gameweek 37 opponents' FDR

*Fixture Difficulty Rating: 1= easiest possible match, 5 = hardest possible match

Gameweek 38

A final-day home match with Crystal Palace suggests that going against Salah with the armband will carry the biggest risk in Gameweek 38. 

If you need to take the chance at this point, targeting the key players who face the relegated clubs looks the likeliest tactic to reward you - Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (£10.4m) travels to Southampton, while Bournemouth's Evanilson (£5.8m) and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) face Leicester and Ipswich respectively.

Gameweek 38 opponents' FDR

*Fixture Difficulty Rating: 1= easiest possible match, 5 = hardest possible match