Holly Shand from Fantasy Football Community returns with captaincy corner and her three player picks in three positions for Gameweek 4.
Gameweek 3 was certainly mixed for the captaincy with the Shield Pick Sterling bagging a goal in his third consecutive game. Things weren't as great for Harry Kane: Spurs were woeful against Newcastle, desperately missing Ndombele and Eriksen in midfield. Mohammed Salah showed his worth once more, returning in a fixture that looked difficult on paper. Pukki continued his party, clean sheets disappeared and Marcus Rashford became the next Manchester United asset to suffer the penalty curse.
It's a busy week for those not involved in Europe this season, with EFL Cup games taking place. At the time of writing, we've not seen any fantasy assets with high ownership receiving significant minutes. Wolves have a crunch Europa League tie, which could see them entering the group stage: it has had an impact on their performances to date. Rotation shouldn't be an issue for top six sides this week with the International Break approaching after this gameweek, but there may be some infamous injuries that mysteriously appear, with players exiting their respective International squads.
Captaincy Corner
The shield pick is likely to be the most captained player of the week, allowing you to play safe and keep pace with the pack. The sword pick will be a less popular selection: if they perform it can shoot you up the overall rankings, but the risk from failure is higher.
Shield Pick: Raheem Sterling vs Brighton (H)
Anytime Goalscorer Odds: 11/20
Those managers who have left the armband permanently on Raheem Sterling will have had an excellent start to the season, it's a strategy I wish that I had adopted myself. His ownership is now at 46%, the highest of all attacking players in the game, after overtaking Salah. He has a flawless record for the season, scoring five goals in three appearances, taking him to 34 points. The fixture couldn't really be any better: a home game against a Brighton side who have already allowed 31 shots on their goal. In this fixtures last season, Sterling managed one goal and one assist. With Jesus and Sane absent through injury, his starting berth is as secure as you could hope. Will you play safe with the Shield Pick?
Sword Pick: Mohammed Salah vs Burnley (A)
Anytime Goalscorer Odds: 17/20
Salah's haul in Gameweek 3 was tough to take for those managers who went with Mane instead and discounted him because of top six opposition. He was featured in the Holly's Hopefuls section last week and I warned not to overlook him: he duly delivered those FPL points. From past experience, Burnley could be difficult to break down, but they should be easier to take on at Turf Moor where they'll be more determined to score goals, the Clarets have conceded 43 shots so far this season. Salah has had ten shots, with four on target and five attempted assists. I'd assume that he's Liverpool's spot kick taker now, with Milner having a diminished role this season. Are you going to take a risk in selecting the Sword Pick?
Holly's Hopefuls
I share my top three players for each Gameweek, selecting one defender, one midfielder and one striker. These are players that I'm tipping for the FPL Dream Team and they could also make intriguing differential captain decisions for you to consider too.
DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta vs Sheffield United (H)
Could it be time for Chelsea to keep their first clean sheet of the season? A home game against a defensive minded Sheffield United side could be the ideal opportunity, although chasing clean sheets isn't something that's really paid off so far this season! It's good to see that Azpilicueta is establishing a relationship with striker Tammy Abraham, providing an assist for his opening goal last weekend. We've seen in the past how his link up with Chelsea's central striker can be lucrative, he had a similar partnership with Morata in previous seasons and Abraham is far more clinical at finishing.
MID: Kevin De Bruyne vs Brighton (H)
I was gutted that I looked past a double up on Sterling and De Bruyne to start the season with. He's had a great start to the season, with four goals in three games and his injury issues look to be a thing of the past. He's managed 90 minutes in his last two appearances too. His creativity is top notch, he's managed 14 attempted assists, as well as eight shots on goal: surely it won't be long before he get's on the scoresheet himself. With the pace of Sterling and Aguero up front, he's sure of more assists in these games.
FOR: Sergio Aguero vs Brighton (H)
A nailed on Aguero, on penalties, in a home game against a side that struggle defensively on the road? What's not to like! With Jesus likely to be back after the International Break, he's not a long-term pick, but could be an excellent selection for this weekend. His record against Brighton is impeccable, he has three goals in three games, scoring in every single appearance against the Seagulls. He could be a shrewd pickup for those FPL managers who play draft formats of the game or play in daily fantasy contests too.
Until next time…
Good luck!
Holly
Find even more Fantasy Premier League Tips over on Holly's website: Fantasy Football Community
