FPL Gameweek 17 Q&A: Sake, emem + Is Ektike a must-have?

Q: Can Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) be sacrificed to target the terrible teams? Mainly because we want to land Hugo Ekitike (£8.6m) next week and need the money.

(via Defcons are for Kinnear)

A: The last time Saka failed to get fewer than four points was in Gameweek 10, against Burnley, when he was unlucky not to come away with a brace after missing two big chances.

In the last six Gameweeks he has scored two goals and four assists and reached the defensive contribution threshold (DefCon) twice. Granted, he’s only reached double figures a few times in that time, so you could say he’s not an ‘explosive’ pick, but I think the routes to points with DefCons, set pieces and likely penalties mean he can go big in any game.

You can also make a business of that Call MaduykeThe £6.8m impressive form could eat into his minutes/starts, but with the title race now well and truly underway, I don’t think Mikel Arteta will rest his best player, especially as the festive period opponents – Everton, Brighton and Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Bournemouth – are far from accommodating.

Assuming you already own it Bruno Fernandes (£9.3 million) and Phil Foden (8.8 million euros), I don’t really see a striking midfielder that you can relegate him to now. Maybe you’re looking at Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.7m), but I’m still not entirely convinced of the Hungarian option as a long-term FPL option. Perhaps as a short-term choice for Gameweeks 18-20.

So all things considered, I’d try to keep Saka, but we live in a very different FPL ecosystem right now. Tying up all your money with transfers in hand can feel a bit stifling, and you want to move players to teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, so I’m moving on from him too. Of the popular midfield trio (Fernandes, Foden and Saka), I think he is the one who would be the most replaceable as you don’t see Arsenal scoring many goals in any of the above matches.

Q: Is Ekitike a must-have alongside Erling Haaland (£15.0m)?

(via Snoopydog))

A: The absence of Mohammed Salah (£14.0 million) at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the injury to Cody Agat (£7.4m) was always going to offer one of Liverpool’s forwards a chance for consistent game time, and Ekitike has firmly established himself as the frontrunner for the number nine role. Given what we’ve seen with their new diamond formation, I think the Frenchman will play alongside Alexander Isaac (£10.3m), not instead, at least in the short term.

Those last three words are relevant though – I don’t think Ekitike is a long-term choice apart from their Gameweek 22 match against Burnley. You could even argue that his minutes could be in jeopardy after matchweek 19 against Leeds United, as the turnaround time for matches will decrease. The distance between Gameweek 17 (seven days), Gameweek 18 (seven days) and Gameweek 19 (four days) is quite generous.

However, the form does increase in minutes, and if he continues to shoot, the expected minutes will increase each week. However, there are some fitness concerns. He had cramps after playing 70 minutes in the last game and close games could mean fewer minutes even if he starts them all.

But in the short term it certainly has benefits and it may be worth making the move, especially if you still have most of your transfers from last week. In his last two starts, no player has attempted more shots into the penalty area (11) or created more big chances (four) than Ekitike, and he also tops the charts for expected goals (xG). Despite their defensive problems, Liverpool have still done well in attack, ranking fifth in terms of goals scored (26) and fourth in terms of shots in the penalty area.

Additionally, their next three opponents have struggled defensively; Wolves have conceded 35 (20th), Leeds have conceded 30 (17th) and Fulham have conceded 26 (15th). There is currently no standout fourth midfielder alongside Saka, Fernandes and Foden, so I like the idea of ​​potentially switching to a three-striker formation to accommodate Ekitike alongside Haaland. Igor Thiago (£7.2 million). Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) is an easy exit if Ekitike doesn’t live up to expectations.

Getting him in place of Thiago will be trickier, assuming the Brentford striker is fit. That’s a big assumption though, and I think we’ll give him the Wolves game anyway. If Thiago is not available for Gameweek 18 or there are still doubts about his fitness, I think moving Thiago to Ekitike will almost be a no-brainer move. At the moment, Ekitike is not a must next to Haaland. But maybe he’ll be there by Gameweek 18!

Question: Should we sell Antoine Semenyo (£7.6m) after Burnley at home?
Question: Is Semenyo still a good long-term choice?

(via FPL Virgin and @TheFPLManiac)

A: As previously mentioned, with the lack of a consistent fourth midfielder – Harry Wilson (£5.6m) could indeed be an argument – ​​there’s nothing wrong with sticking with Semenyo after the Burnley game.

Bournemouth showed against Manchester United that they are capable of scoring goals even away from the ‘big dogs’, and Andoni Iraola is not a manager who will ever park the bus.

Are there potentially better options with short term ranges to target like Szoboszlai, Matheus Cunha (£7.9 million), etc.? Yes. But there is also nothing wrong with keeping Semenyo. I think he wants to further showcase his talents this term before his likely move in January.

Question: Is Bowen as good a choice as Ekitike? He’s 100% nailed and his Gameweek 18 matches don’t get much better, while Ekitike could make way for Isak in one match.
Question: Bowen or Ekitike?

(via Pompel and @NZFPL1)

A: Bowen’s stats don’t make for much reading, but the caveat is that this data set is under two different managers. He has only had two (!) big chances all season. That is an absurdly low number. I couldn’t believe it when I checked, especially considering Ekitike has conceded four in the last two games alone.

However, he has largely played wide and Nuno Espirito Santo has adjusted his system a bit to get the England international more central, so these numbers could improve. Nevertheless, West Ham United have remained in the bottom six for xG (6.93) over the last six gameweeks, and I don’t think this number will improve significantly in the coming period given the way Nuno is portraying his team.

His attackers will never have great underlying numbers, such as Chris Wood (£7.2m) I think last season. But this does mean that if he does score, it will likely be a seven-point goal as this also provides a bonus. The appeal of consistent 90 minutes during a busy period is also strong.

The fixture list is also satisfactory, especially after Fulham and Brighton. If you can’t stretch to Ekitike, I can understand going with Bowen, but I don’t think Isak is a threat in the short term as previously mentioned. Ideally, if you’ve made a number of transfers, go for Ekitike in Gameweek 18-19, with a move to Bowen for Wolves in Gameweek 20.

Question: Cunha or Szoboszlai?

(via @FPLBilly1001)

A: Over the last four gameweeks, Cunha has beaten Szoboszlai in xG (2.10/0.73), touches in the penalty area (28/6) and shots in the penalty area (13/2), while the Hungarian international led the way for chances created (5/9).

Meanwhile, Manchester United are top with xG (12.96) over the last six gameweeks, while Liverpool are ninth (9.03). However, it remains to be seen how the Red Devils will deal with the absence of Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2 million), Amad Diallo (£6.3 million) and Noussair Mazraoui (£4.9 million) to AFCON.

Either way, I expect Cunha’s minutes to increase now, and he will likely be part of United’s front three regardless of how they line up. Szoboszlai will always offer a limited goal threat thanks to lower touches in the penalty area. He may have his fair share of penalty kicks though, as he took the penalty in the Champions League when Isak wasn’t on the pitch, so that adds to his appeal. Szoboszlai is also threatened with a suspension after four yellow cards.

Taking all of the above into account, I would go with Cunha. I think there is a greater chance of an outbreak there.

That’s it from me for this week. I’m on holiday with my family over Christmas and will be back for another Q&A in Gameweek 19.

I wish everyone and their families a Merry Christmas!