Chelsea centre-forward Tammy Abraham celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
After an intriguing round of FA Cup and EFL Cup fixtures, Premier League action is set to resume once again this weekend as the teams gear up for their respective Matchday 22 clashes.
Matchday 21 on New Year’s Day wasn’t the most riveting from the perspective of the FPL fanatics, with West Ham skipper Mark Noble netting a brace in the Hammers’ 4-0 drubbing of Bournemouth to emerge as the highest points scorer of the game week.
Most people would certainly have taken a punt on Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane on New Year’s Day but neither managed to fetch any points.
However, those who thought out of the ordinary and opted for Danny Ings as their preferred centre-forward option would certainly have been delighted, with the former Liverpool man scoring the only goal in Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham.
Without further ado, it’s now time to run the rule over 3 top captaincy picks for Matchday 22 ahead of Friday’s 7 p.m deadline.
Indeed, Rashford failed to find the net in Man United’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Matchday 21 but he had fetched points with goal contributions in four of the past six game weeks prior to New Year’s Day.
Matchday 22 will see the Red Devils return to Old Trafford and there is a high probability that Rashford will definitely find the net this weekend, having already scored 8 goals in 10 league fixtures at home so far this season.
United’s opposition this weekend are none other than bottom-table Norwich City, who have failed to register a clean-sheet in the Premier League since Gameweek 13, meaning that the Red Devils’ top-scorer could be in for a real feast.
Rashford scored a consolation in United’s 3-1 defeat against Man City in the EFL Cup semi-final on Tuesday night and his return to scoring ways is a massive boost for the FPL managers.
Having missed Leicester’s last two league fixtures against West Ham and Newcastle United with a calf problem, Jamie Vardy returned to action in the Foxes’ 1-1 draw against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old wasn’t at his clinical best and didn’t manage to find the net but few would back against him doing so when the Foxes play host to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Vardy, who is currently the top-scorer in the Premier League with 17 goals, has already bagged 8 goals in 10 home league outings and he certainly has some fond memories of the Saints, having scored a hat-trick in a 9-0 rout of the same opposition back in October.
Hence, having Vardy as your captain for Matchday 22 should be an absolute no-brainer.
The Senegalese international has probably become a consistent pick for the FPL managers this season and those who had chosen him as the captain on Matchday 21 did not come away empty-handed, with Mane finding the net in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Sheffield United on New Year’s Day.
As a matter of fact, Mane hasn’t failed to register goal contributions in any of his last 5 Premier League appearances and Liverpool’s trip to Tottenham could possibly see him add to his tally of 11 league goals this season.
Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham have failed to keep a clean-sheet in any of their last five PL games and Mane is surely worth a punt against a team with a questionable defensive record.