Howe says Newcastle are ‘still alive and fighting’ in Carabao Cup
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Gameweek 21, which ran from January 6th to January 8th, featured some high-scoring matches and some surprising results.
Igor Thiago continued his form at Brentford, scoring twice in the 3-0 win over Sunderland, while Manchester United summer signing Benjamin Sesco also scored twice in the 2-2 draw with Burnley.
In stark contrast, some reliable FPL players underperformed, including Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella.
Foden only picked up two points in the 1-1 draw against Brighton, while Cucurella was shown a red card against Craven Cottage and lost three points to his substitutes.
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Highlights: Liverpool overcome Barnsley Test to advance to fourth round
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Players like Erling Haaland, Gabriel Magalhães and Thiago may be non-negotiable, but choosing the right differential is more important than ever for the second half of the season.
With that in mind, here are three players who could make a big difference in Game 22.
As before, the categories are:
Player 1: Up to 10% ownership
Player 2: Up to 5% ownership
Player 3: Up to 2% ownership
FPL players have until 11am UK time on Saturday 17th January to change their squad ahead of every match.
1. Cody Gakpo, £7.3m (midfielder, Liverpool, 5.6%)
In recent weeks, the Dutch star has picked up six points from the 20th match and added a further three against Arsenal on January 8th.
The Reds face Burnley at Anfield on Saturday, with Arne Slott’s side expected to be heavy favourites.
Scott Parker’s side currently have the second-worst defense in the league, conceding 41 goals in 21 games.
Gakpo is always a goal threat and at £7.3 million, FPL players can add him to their squad without spending a fortune.
For these reasons, it’s definitely worth acquiring the all-round star for your FPL side in Gameweek 22.
2. Cristian Romero, £5m (defender, Tottenham, 3.8%)
Tottenham have had a rollercoaster start to the season under manager Thomas Frank, most recently losing 3-2 to Bournemouth on matchday 21.
Spurs may be languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, but their biggest problem lies in front of goal rather than defence.
Frank’s side face West Ham on Saturday, but their London rivals currently sit in the relegation zone, seven points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th place.
They will follow this up with a lucrative away game against Burnley.
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Highlights: Barça retain Supercopa de España with rollercoaster victory over Real
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Burnley and West Ham are two of the five lowest-scoring teams in the division, so it’s definitely worth having the Spurs defender on your side ahead of a crucial few weeks for the north Londoners.
Romero has already scored 73 fantasy points this season and will no doubt be hoping to increase that even more in the team’s next two games.
3. Enzo Le Fe, £4.9m (midfielder, Sunderland, 1.0%)
Sunderland have been one of the surprise packages this season and Enzo Le Fe has been key to their success.
The Frenchman has made 20 league appearances this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists, while also picking up fantasy points thanks to Sunderland’s solid defence.
The Black Cats have the third best defensive record in the league heading into their clash with Crystal Palace.
Sunderland and Le Fay will be hoping to twist the knife at the Stadium of Light this weekend, so be sure to add the midfielder to your squad.
