Cianan’s Column: GW22: And the walls came tumbling down

Am I allowed to start this week’s column with a moan? Well, the good news for me is that this column has my name on it, so that’s a rhetorical question. GW21 was a fun one for me; Keane got sent off, Dorgu had a goal cleared off the line, with his United teammate Cunha hitting the post, as did Gordon. So, with the thought that your humble columnist may in fact be a fraud kicking off this article, let’s (actually) talk FPL.

Given Keane is suspended for GW22 and GW23, it’s worth selling him. For some, this could even be a saving grace, as it removes the headache of knowing which of your defenders to sell to pick up the pre-eminent Gabriel. Since his first start since returning from injury three gameweeks ago, he’s averaged ten points per game, scoring twice in that time. Oh, and he’s a guaranteed starter (when fit) for the best defensive team in the league. Need more be said? Almost half a million managers have brought him in this week – they know what’s what.

In terms of optimal Arsenal assets to own, I’d rank them as follows (in descending order): Gabriel, Saka, Rice, Timber, Raya. We’ve discussed the Brazilian centre-back who heads the list, but some would doubt my ranking of Saka over Rice. Previous point performance doesn’t influence future scoring, and in general, Saka simply has higher attacking potential. But in all honesty, Rice is also a stellar option who sits at £2.9m cheaper, so if you were to argue for swapping those two around, that would be a fair suggestion. A defensive double-up from the Gunners also seems astute. Timber has potential for additional returns that Raya doesn’t, but the goalkeeper is likely to get more consistent minutes. Given that price rises haven’t been kind to Raya, who now costs an incredible £5.9m, I’d go for the Dutch fullback if I were buying new, but I’m not sure it’s worth swapping at this point in time.

Moving across London now, many managers will be looking at Chelsea players ahead of their upcoming fixture run. The next six fixtures for the Blues are fruitful hunting grounds, especially with a new manager bounce, so we need to consider who to bring in. The obvious answer is Palmer, but we aren’t sure about the consistency of his minutes, and thus, despite being an explosive asset, he’s quite a risk at his £10.4m price tag. There are three Chelsea players who have solid minutes consistency (generally) and sit at price points that mean they can slot into most outfits. Namely, Fernández in midfield, and Chalobah/Sánchez in defence. If you want to profit from a great run of fixtures, put simply, you need to be on the pitch. The combination of a triple up on Arsenal and a double up on Chelsea leaves your team extremely London-centric, but also primed for points across the next seven or so gameweeks.

Finally, we can shift away from the capital and head up north, specifically to the city of Manchester, where it’s a tale of two clubs set to face each other this gameweek. I’d sell your United assets, such as Cunha and Dorgu (though the latter is cheap enough to gather dust on your bench); the fixtures have soured, and, unfortunately, both ended up being poor FPL options despite their promise at one point in time. Conversely, I’d keep your City assets. Haaland is Haaland, that’s reason enough. Most managers will be captaining the Norwegian this week, and with United’s shoddy defence, it’s easy to see why. Foden, too, I’d keep. His form will turn, and this week is as good a time as any, especially since he scored in the reverse fixture.

Rapid recommendations

● Double gameweek alert: In GW26, Arsenal and Wolves are likely to play twice (though not guaranteed). The Gunners will face Brentford (A) and Wolves (A), whereas the Wanderers will duel with Forest (A) and Arsenal (H).
● Blank gameweek alert: In GW31, Arsenal, Man City, Crystal Palace, and Wolves are likely to blank (though not guaranteed). Plan accordingly.
● Not owning Thiago really hasn’t been fun this past two weeks. He just can’t seem to stop scoring! We always knew he offered value, but his upcoming fixtures remain tough.
● Fernandes has returned to the fold at United. We know he’s an electric asset, but his minutes are likely to be managed in the short term. He’s undoubtedly one to watch.
● Semenyo has transferred to Man City. If you still have him, I’d hold him for now and see how things unfold. Bear in mind, however, that Pep roulette is a powerful thing.

The Boar standings

1st: Dwight Club (1254) – managed by Cianan Sheekey
2nd: parths11 (1233) – managed by Parth Malik
3rd: Meganerd FC (1223) – managed by Megan Green