Records continue to tumble for Harry Kane and Son Heung-min as their on-field partnership reaches new heights, but analysis shows they have not been as effective in recent weeks.
We’ve looked at the 10 players with the best attacking returns over the first 12 gameweeks of the season (FPL points earned from goals and assists) to see how their performances have evolved from gameweek six to GW12.
Nice one, Son’s crying
In the first six gameweeks of the season, Son was scoring an eye-watering 8.9 points per 90 minutes from his attacking contributions alone.
In the six weeks since then this has dropped sharply to a more modest 2.7, which is still almost an assist’s worth of points each week and not to be sniffed at.
However, it is the lowest of every player on our list apart from Patrick Bamford.
Kane has seen his output reduce less dramatically than that of his strike partner, but he has still experienced the second-largest drop on the list, recording fewer points from attacking contributions recently than cheaper options in the same position like Callum Wilson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Storm Bruno is brewing
While Kane and Son are starting to show signs of fatigue, Bruno Fernandes is quietly going from strength to strength.
Three goals and two assists in the five matches he played before GW7 were enough for a healthy 4.7 points per 90 minutes, but he has found another gear since then.
Four goals and three assists in just three and a half matches have sent the Portuguese playmaker sailing up the leaderboard, recording more points from attacking returns than any player on our list, bar one…
There’s Mo limit
Salah has proven himself to be a persistent FPL points scorer since returning to the Premier League in 2017, with an average of 24 goals and 11 assists per season translating to 4.7 points per 90 minutes.
This season he has surpassed his own average in both the first and second set of six gameweeks to date, scoring 5.5 and 5.6 points per 90 minutes respectively.
The only other player who has averaged over five points from attacking returns in both groups of matches is another long time FPL favourite: Jamie Vardy.
The Leicester striker’s goal and assist totals are well in excess of what you would expect from his Threat and Creativity totals, but this has been the case in every season since those metrics were introduced.
Give Vardy an inch and he’ll take a goal.
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
