The Hard Tackle helps you zero in on the best choice to don the captain’s armband in Gameweek 14 of this season’s FPL.
The Premier League resumes this weekend with Gameweek 14 of the 2023/24 season. The latest round of fixtures kicks off later than the usual lunchtime slot. So, FPL managers will have a few more hours to finalise their teams ahead of Saturday afternoon’s deadline.
Managers often concentrate on getting in differentials for their teams to get ahead of the curve. While that pattern will continue on Saturday, the latest round of fixtures also presents a conundrum for the punters on the captaincy front.
It is not often that multiple options emerge to don the captain’s armband. And while Mohamed Salah is seemingly the best choice for the most lucrative position, one can never discount Erling Haaland. But are there other eligible contenders for the privileged position? The Hard Tackle takes a look now.
Mohamed Salah
We start our list with the most obvious pick for Gameweek 14. Mohamed Salah and Liverpool will face a porous Fulham defence on Sunday, thus making it an attractive fixture for managers who have him in their teams.
Salah has rediscovered his best form after a hit-and-miss 2022/23 campaign. The Egyptian forward is once again striking fear his opponents’ hearts. He has a remarkable tally of ten goals and five assists in 13 appearances thus far in the FPL.
In addition, Salah has enjoyed double-digit hauls in nearly half of his outings thus far, another indication he is getting back to his best. The 31-year-old faces a Fulham defence that has been porous against the biggest teams, conceding two or more goals against all the top-five teams they have faced thus far this season.
So, going against Salah this weekend might be foolhardy. More importantly, the Liverpool talisman will likely have the highest Effective Ownership (EO), meaning you stand to lose big if your captain does not perform as well as him.
Erling Haaland
I've said it before. I'll say it again. Nothing happens without you all. Thank you for the endless support! We keep working 💙 pic.twitter.com/lLw45dYAfU
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) November 29, 2023
Our list continues with the other obvious pick for the captain’s armband week after week. We are talking about Erling Haaland, who has taken the Premier League and FPL by storm since arriving from Borussia Dortmund last year.
The Norwegian international came close to breaking Mohamed Salah’s record for the most FPL points in a single season. But Haaland being a forward meant his goals did not carry as many points, even though he shattered the record for the highest goal-tally in a campaign (36).
The 23-year-old will unlikely break the record this season after blowing hot and cold in the first 13 matches (by his enormous standards). But Haaland has still managed four double-digit hauls in the FPL this season.
Two of those have come against fellow “Big Six” clubs, suggesting he is fixture proof when he rises to the occasion. And with the Tottenham backline becoming porous in the last few games, Haaland will fancy his chances. So should you, with the Manchester City talisman worthy of a punt to solve the Captaincy Conundrum.
Others
While no other player will be as attractive as Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland, we should mention a few other appealing candidates to don the captain’s armband. We have picked Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins and Bryan Mbeumo to round off the list.
Saka has not been prolific thus far this season. But the English international and Arsenal face Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have conceded 23 goals thus far this season. In addition, Arsenal will be in the home comforts of the Emirates.
As for Watkins, the Englishman has been excellent this term, although his best performances have come in Europe. He has only two double-digit hauls but has a superb tally of seven goals and eight assists in FPL this season. So, with Aston Villa taking on Bournemouth this weekend, he is an option worth considering.
Finally, Bryan Mbeumo might be a choice that bewilders a few readers. But after two blanks against high-profile oppositions, the Cameroonian international faces Luton Town. The last time he came up against a newly-promoted club, Mbeumo produced a 14-point haul. So, he is a viable candidate to be the captain of your FPL teams.
