FPL GW10 Best Captain: Palmer, Salah, Haaland & More
Navigating the captaincy choices for FPL GW10 Best Captain can be a game-changer for managers looking to pull ahead in their leagues. This week’s Premier League fixtures present several tantalising options. With Mo Salah, Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, and Jamie Vardy all in contention, there’s a chance to gain real ground in mini-leagues. We’ll break down their stats, expected returns, and match-ups to help you pick the best captain for Gameweek 10.
Following another midweek of Carabao Cup action, we’re looking at the best captaincy picks ahead of this week’s round of Premier League fixtures. Here are the best captaincy choices ahead of FPL GW10. Our surprise pick for GW9 was Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins and despite being on the end of a number of chances, the England International was unable to get on the scoresheet as Villa were held to a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Bournemouth arrived at Villa Park full of confidence after an impressive 2-0 victory over title chasers Arsenal in GW8. Despite going a goal down through Ross Barkley’s 76th-minute strike, they never panicked and equalised late into injury time when substitute Evanilson got on the end of a Marcus Tavernier free-kick to the delight of the away end.
A frustrating afternoon for Villa as the unexpected result stops their good early season form in the race to secure Champions League football again this season. This week presents another opportunity to gain some ground within your FPL mini-leagues and we’re confident this week’s surprise pick will be popular among supporters. Let’s get into the action!
FPL GW10 Best Captain Options: The Usual Suspects
- Mo Salah (12.6m)
Expected Points: 8.1
In his last two Premier League appearances against this week’s opponents Brighton, Mo Salah has scored 3 goals. A good sign for Saturday afternoon’s clash as the Egyptian showed last weekend against fellow title challengers Arsenal that he is always a threat.
The Reds travelled to the Amex to face Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, even though Salah only made a cameo appearance in the 3-2 victory for the Reds, there were warning signs throughout the final 20 minutes that he would be a danger when they meet again this weekend.
As he leads the way in this season’s FPL points scoring charts, Liverpool has an appealing-looking fixture list over the next few weeks and giving the captaincy to the Egyptian looks a no-brainer to us.
- Cole Palmer (10.8m)
Expected Points: 7.0
In his career, Palmer has only lined up against this week’s opposition Manchester United twice, scoring 4 goals during the 180 minutes.
In last season’s clash at Stamford Bridge, the England international was on fire and bagged a hat-trick that included 2 injury time goals as the Blues romped to a 4-3 victory.
Chelsea make the trip to Old Trafford this weekend on the back of United reportedly appointing Rúben Amorim in place of Erik Ten Haag after his sacking following last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham.
On the back of their convincing 5-2 victory over Leicester City in midweek, there is likely to be an improvement in the majority of United’s players form as they look to impress the newly appointed manager. For that reason, we feel it would be best to hold off on the potential captaincy of Palmer as the likelihood of him being allowed to control the game is slim.
The midweek thumping of Leicester will also give United much-needed confidence ahead of this weekend’s clash.
- Erling Haaland (15.4m)
Expected Points: 7.7
Erling Haaland got on the scoresheet after 5 minutes in Manchester City’s victory against Southampton last weekend, most fans would’ve thought at that stage the floodgates were about to open on a Saints side that was struggling throughout the first couple of months of their return to the Premier League.
But that wasn’t the case, the match finished 1-0 with the Norwegian’s early goal proving the winner in an impressive display from Russel Martin’s Southampton side.
After Liverpool and Arsenal drew 2-2 over the weekend, City sat at the top of the league as they headed to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon. A fixture that Haaland has failed to score in his last 2 appearances.
In the last month, the big man has not seemed himself, which may be due to the fact that assister-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne is injured, with chances drying up for the league’s top scorer.
For 15.4m, it’s hard to justify keeping Haaland with tricky ties against Brighton, Tottenham and Liverpool all coming up within the next few weeks.
- Bukayo Saka (10.0m)
Expected Points: 6.7
With questions over his fitness ahead of last week’s crucial clash with title rivals Liverpool, Bukayo Saka answered them in emphatic fashion as he pounced in the 9th minute to give Arsenal the lead.
Throughout the 85 minutes he was on the pitch, the England international was a torn in Liverpool’s side and gave Andy Robertson a number of headaches as the Liverpool left-back struggled to contain Saka’s influence on the game.
Arsenal make the trip to St James Park at lunchtime on Saturday in what is notoriously a difficult away fixture. Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have struggled to string a number of good results together at the start of this season and Mikel Arteta will feel it’s an opportunity to close the gap on league leaders City before they play at 3.00 pm.
Saka has played away to Newcastle 4 times throughout his career and is yet to register a goal against the Toon Army. For that reason alone, we are very hesitant to give the 23-year-old the captaincy ahead of this weekend.
FPL GW10 Best Captain Options: The Surprise Pick
Jamie Vardy (5.7m)
Expected Points: 4.5
37-year-old Jamie Vardy continues to produce when needed most for Leicester as they have amassed 9 points in as many games in their return to the Premier League.
This weekend, Leicester travel to fellow promoted side Ipswich Town in a massive match for both clubs in their fight against relegation.
We feel Leicester’s number 9 will perform as he so often does in this huge game, he has already hit the back of the net 4 times this season and has scored in his last 2 Premier League appearances so is in good form for Steve Cooper’s side.
Vardy has yet to line up in the Premier League against Ipswich but he will hope to add the Tractor Boys to the list of clubs he has scored against this weekend.
We feel now is the perfect time to bring the veteran striker into your FPL team and trust him with the captaincy as he approaches top form for the Foxes.
Final Thoughts
With Gameweek 10 offering several enticing captaincy options, FPL managers have the opportunity to make strategic choices that could make or break their rankings. Here’s a quick recap of our top recommendations:
- Safe Picks: Mo Salah and Erling Haaland both offer consistent points potential, with Salah slightly edging Haaland due to Liverpool’s fixture appeal and Brighton’s defensive vulnerability.
- Differential Pick: Jamie Vardy provides a bold, budget-friendly option with plenty of upside against Ipswich, making him an ideal choice for managers seeking a differential.
- Cautionary Picks: Cole Palmer’s impressive record against United is hard to ignore, but the recent managerial change and an expected boost in United’s defence mean he’s a riskier captaincy shout this week.
Captaincy Verdict: Salah Gets the Nod, but Watch Vardy
For those looking to solidify points, Mo Salah is this week’s standout captain, thanks to his record against Brighton and consistent FPL returns. For the braver manager, Jamie Vardy represents a thrilling gamble that could yield big rewards if he extends his scoring form against Ipswich.
In a week that could see unexpected twists and turns, remember that calculated risks can often make all the difference in FPL.
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