It is hard to imagine a more appealing prospect on paper for the triple captaincy than Mohamed Salah heading into gameweek 26 of the season.
A number of teams have two fixtures in GW26, and Liverpool’s games could hardly be any more appetising for FPL point chasers.
Meanwhile, anybody intent on using their TC chip on non-Liverpool players might like to consider Arsenal for a differential pick.
According to an analysis of Premier League players and their average points returns against opponents with the same Fixture Difficulty Rating as they face in GW26, the players below are among the top prospects for big returns.
Three cheers for Salah
Salah’s form this season has been little short of sensational, while Liverpool will host Norwich and Leeds this week.
Both opponents are rated two out of five on the FPL’s FDR system – against opponents with this rating, Salah averages 9.2 points per game.
If he were to hit this average with the triple captain’s armband on his sleeve, the Egyptian would return more than 50 points.
Salah managed a combined 25 FPL points against Norwich and Leeds in the first half of the season – with just one goal in his last five PL appearances however, not everyone will be convinced.
Club colleague Andrew Robertson is enjoying a fine run of form, however, with three clean sheets and three assists in his last four appearances.
The Scot is owned by just 6.4 per cent of managers ahead of GW26 and costs £7.1m – his average against opponents rated two out of five by the FDR suggests he could bag around 15 points this week.
Similarly, Robertson’s fellow full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold averages well against such opponents, while the Englishman is only bettered for FPL points by Salah so far this term.
With two goals, 10 assists and 12 clean sheets Trent’s lofty £8.5m price tag is well deserved, while he ranks first for Creativity among defenders and second for Threat.
Arsenal options
Liverpool will no doubt be popular options for anyone looking to play their triple captain chip in GW26, but Arsenal could provide a few differential options for anyone looking to catch up with their rivals.
The Gunners face Brentford and Wolves at home this week, games rated two and three out of five respectively.
Emile Smith Rowe‘s averages suggest he could return more than 12 points in those games – not bad for a midfielder priced at £5.8m.
The England playmaker ranks just 46th for Creativity and 31st for Threat among midfielders this term but has eight goals and two assists, as well as three goals in just 44 minutes of play between GW17 and GW19.
The Gunners boast options at the back too in the shape of defender Gabriel and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Gabriel returned his third double figures score of the season in GW24 thanks to a goal and a clean sheet against Wolves.
Ramsdale, meanwhile, became the first Arsenal player to cross the 100-point mark this season thanks to a nine-point haul in the Gunners’ 1-0 win.
Both players’ averages against sides rated two and three out of five for difficulty suggest they could score more than 11 points this week – but do any of them deserve the triple captaincy more than Salah?
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