Regular top 1% finisher @FPL_ElStatto joins us for a guest feature, attempting to answer that age old FPL conundrum � which of Tottenham's midfield maestro's should get the nod for your FPL starting XI… Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen?
Midfielders Head to Head - Alli vs Eriksen
It's been a debate that seems to have been rumbling on amongst FPL fans for about 18 months now, just who should I put into my side between Alli or Eriksen? Let's try and decide this once and for all by looking at the key elements of FPL scoring.FPL Performance so Far - First Three Gameweeks
Here's how both players stack up in the first 3 game weeks: Eriksen = Purple Alli = GreenEriksen leads Alli on overall points, 22 points to 19, with Eriksen shaving it on creativity and assists. Alli has presented the more direct attacking threat so far scoring 2 goals.Eriksen vs Alli after the first 3 game weeks. #FPL pic.twitter.com/7HPBAmrtvj
— ÉL STATTO (@FPL_ElStatto) September 3, 2017
Goals and Assists
I think it's well known that in general Alli will score more than Eriksen but Eriksen is the assist king. Looking at the past 3 years of stats backs this up:
But what it does show is that, is if you combine their goals and assists together they are involved in as many goals as each other, but with goals worth more in points Alli nudges slightly ahead.
FPL_ElStatto Result: Ali (just)
Bonus Points Scored (BPS)
Something often overlooked by players of FPL is how well a player does at picking up those bonus points after a match. This is something Eriksen wins each year over Alli.
Eriksen collected almost double the BPS than Alli did last year collecting 30 (Alli 17) which highlights that Eriksen is involved a lot more in each Spurs game, whereas Alli is less likely to be involved apart from popping up with a goal at the right time for you.
FPL_ElStatto Result: Eriksen
Total Points Scored (TPS)
As you would expect, both playing for the same side and pretty much playing in every game they pick up a lot of similar points (clean sheets etc.) But when you combine the effects of their goal scoring, assist making and BPS you once again see that the overall pattern is very similar. Eriksen outscored Ali in 2015/16 (largely due to playing 688 mins more) but in 16/17 Ali just pipped Eriksen by 7 points. So far this season Eriksen has just snuck ahead of Ali by 3 points, so you can expect a similar battle this year.
FPL_ElStatto Result: Draw
Post Match Summary
So that's a quick review of the major scoring factors of both players, and as you would have seen it was very close regardless of what element looked at. If we combined everything together and look at what their return per game is, once again you will see there is nothing in it.
With both players valued this season at £9.5M (currently) what I am concluding is it doesn't really matter which one you pick, they are both going to end up scoring you over 200 points in the season. Ali will score more goals but Eriksen will get more assists and BPS.
This season people have thrown in the question of “what affect Champions League will have on their PL time?”
