A new gameweek of Fantasy Premier League kicks off 2022 with plenty of managers confident of starting the New Year with a bang.
The top four face off as Arsenal host Manchester City and Liverpool travel to Chelsea, while several teams contend with injury problems, Covid outbreaks, and the hectic fixture schedule.
Here are our top tips for GW21 in FPL ahead of the 11am deadline on January 1...
Son Heung-min | Tottenham | £10.5m
Six goals in 11 meetings with Watford make the Korean forward a tantalising prospect ahead of Tottenham’s New Year’s Day visit to Vicarage Road. The Hornets have also lost five in a row, conceding 15 goals.
Oleksandr Zinchenko | Man City | £5.3m
Arsenal have only scored one goal against City in their last eight Premier League meetings. Sure enough, the Gunners have improved this season but Zinchenko, rested in midweek, is a sound budget option from the league leaders.
Neal Maupay | Brighton | £6.5m
The Seagull’s last-gasp draw at Chelsea underlined the sheer difficulty even the best of teams have in beating Graham Potter’s side and a trip to Rafa Benitez’s wavy Everton is next. Maupay has scored the bulk of his seven goals on the road this season, with three in his last five.
Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | £7.8m
The old star player scoring on his return to former club trick could be played on Brentford this weekend as Watkins leads the line for Aston Villa in West London. Well-rested after the Leeds postponement in the week, the striker faces a Bees team suffering an injury and Covid crisis.
Raphinha | Leeds | £6.5m
There is simply only one Leeds player reliably putting points on the board this season and that is the Brazilian winger, who faces Burnley after the midweek off and has scored in five of his last nine Elland Road appearances.
Roberto Firmino | Liverpool | £8.7m
Where to look for Chelsea’s game with Liverpool? Two teams on a dodgy run left searching for improvements in the hectic Christmas schedule. Yet to start since his return from injury, Firmino is a good bet for a place in the XI at Stamford Bridge as Jurgen Klopp looks for an injection of energy, and is a big differential option this week.
Mason Holgate | Everton | £4.2m
If you are not tempted to back Brighton in Sunday’s clash with Everton, it may be wisest to predict the scores staying low and the cheapest Toffees defender likely to start is Holgate. The Seagulls’ attack is fairly limited and one of Everton’s three Premier League clean sheets this campaign came at the Amex.
