FPL tips: Son leapfrogs Salah as FPL’s top premium pick

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Anfield
(Image credit: Peter Byrne)

While Tottenham dented Liverpool’s title bid at the weekend, Son Heung-min cemented his place as the league’s in-form player.

The 29-year-old appropriately did so at Anfield, having overtaken Mohamed Salah as the most lethal FPL asset in recent weeks.

In his last seven games Son has scored nine goals and returned 80 FPL points, managing four double-figure scores in that period.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their side’s third goal of the game with team-mate Emerson Royal (right) during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 1, 2022

Son Heung-min has had another fine season for Spurs (Adam Davy/PA)

Salah, in contrast, has fallen off his early-season pace, scoring two and managing three assists in the same period for 37 FPL points.

The FPL’s form metric, which is defined as “a player’s average score per match, calculated from all matches played by his club in the last 30 days” tells the same story.

Son’s 8.8 points per game is bettered by no other player in the division at present, while Salah’s 5.5 points per game sees him seventh.

At £13.3m and 58.8 per cent, the Egyptian’s price and ownership numbers make him less appealing than Son too, who costs £11m and has an ownership of around 27 per cent.

The Tottenham man remains two goals behind Salah in the race for the Golden Boot, having reached 20 goals for the first time during a Premier League season, while his points total of 230 is also a personal best.

Salah, meanwhile, has 22 goals and 14 assists, amounting to a league-leading 258 points – his personal best is 303 points during the 2017-18 season after 32 goals and 12 assists.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah during a training session at the AXA Training Centre, Liverpool. Picture date: Monday May 2, 2022

Mohamed Salah meanwhile has 22 goals and 14 assists this season (Peter Byrne/PA)

In the first half of the season, Liverpool’s star man went 15 matches with at least one attacking return, but since then has endured nine blank gameweeks.

Son, on the other hand, has 12 goals and six assists in the second half of the season as Spurs – on occasion – flex their attacking muscles.

However, the contrasting form of the two teams may make one or two managers think twice about swapping Salah for his cheaper opponent.

Tottenham have two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games, scoring eight and conceding three as arch rivals Arsenal seize the initiative in the race for a Champions League spot.

Spurs face the Gunners next before two favourable looking fixtures against Burnley and Norwich to finish the season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have won three and drawn two in their last five, most recently held 1-1 by Tottenham at Anfield, scoring 10 goals in that time.

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate (left) and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Saturday May 7, 2022

Liverpool and Tottenham shared the points at Anfield (Peter Byrne/PA)

The Reds, who are three points behind Manchester City in the race for the title, will face Aston Villa, Southampton and Wolves in their remaining three games.

Both teams have everything to play for then, with winnable games in abundance between now and the season’s finale.

But for managers looking to make up any points gaps in their mini leagues, Son’s form, cost and ownership make him the more appealing prospect.

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