Florian Wirtz, Liverpool, £8.4m – Burnley (a)
Wirtz hasn’t lived up to the FPL hype yet but underlying data says he has been unfortunate not to return.
His xG and xA are higher than any other Liverpool midfielder, at 0.37 and 0.44, and only Cody Gakpo has taken more shots.
Add to that tough fixtures against Newcastle and Arsenal, and you can see why he hasn’t come flying out of the blocks.
But if you trust the data, then a return is coming and Burnley is the perfect opportunity. The Clarets have conceded a league high number of shots, shots in the box and their expected goals conceded (xGC) is a whopping 6.63.
Mohamed Salah (captain), Liverpool, £14.5m – Burnley (a)
For reasons stated above, Salah is also in the team this week as captain.
I’ve got long-term concerns about whether he will be worth the investment, with the arrival of Alexander Isak and a slow-ish start to the season.
We’ll discuss Liverpool attacking assets in Friday’s Talking Point article but for now Salah v leaky Burnley is an easy pick.
Jack Grealish, Everton, £6.7m – Aston Villa (h)
Grealish has been on fire since arriving at Everton with his 21 points (four assists) in the past two games bettered only by Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez (22).
It’s a very short sample size but underlying data suggests Grealish is going to be a valuble FPL asset this season.
While two assists per game is not sustainable, he’s a bargain price, has created 2.5 big chances per game, had a shot in the box per game and missed out by one point on defensive contribution bonus in each of his starts.
And Everton have the third-worst xGC this season, suggesting David Moyes’ side might be involved in more open games – which will suit Grealish.
Anthony Elanga, Newcastle, £7m – Wolves (h)
You’ve got to target Wolves this week if you can, with Gary O’Neil’s team having conceded eight goals so far.
They have allowed 34% of their chances down the right flank, which is why Elanga makes this team.
While Newcastle’s wingers could rotate flanks, Elanga played mostly on the right against Liverpool and was dangerous. He could haul against Wolves.
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