Brentford hosts Arsenal at the Community Stadium on Friday night to kick off the 2021/22 Premier League season. This means Fantasy Premier League is back, and we're here to assist you in your quest to win the mini-leagues. It appears to be a thrilling few weeks as we, as spectators, are subjected to a never-ending barrage of football games. There are a number of factors at work here. Manchester City will start their title defence on 15th August when they face Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best picks for FPL GW 1:
1. Mohamed Salah (Midfielder) – Norwich vs Liverpool
Current Price: £12.5m
In a 2–2 away draw against Everton last season, Salah scored his 100th goal for Liverpool in all competitions. Salah is the quickest Liverpool player to achieve 100 goals despite just scoring in England's top division. He ended up scoring 22 goals last season, which is an incredible feat. There’s no reason to leave Salah out of the squad for the first gameweek. He had an xG of 0.59 per game last season and he is set to continue his incredible form against Norwich City away from home. In fact, Salah could be picked for the next 5 games as Liverpool doesn’t have any tough fixtures and Salah could be the first one on the scoresheet.
2. Bruno Fernandes (Midfielder) – Manchester United vs Leeds United
Current Price: £12m
Bruno Fernandes was the highest-scoring player in the FPL last season. It’s incredible considering it was his first full season for Manchester United in the Premier League. He scored 18 goals last season for United and managed to bag 16 assists as well. He had an xG of 0.51 per game last season. Leeds are a tough opponent but they have a leaky defense that is vulnerable to counter-attacks. Manchester United could pounce on the opportunities and it’s hard stopping Bruno. It won’t be a surprise if Bruno hits the ground running from the first game itself.
3. Robert Sanchez (Goalkeeper) – Burnley vs Brighton
Current Price: £4.5m
The bargain of the gameweek, Robert Sanchez racked up more than 100 points last season. The Spaniard had a fantastic 2020/21 campaign. He never looked back after taking the number one shirt from Maty Ryan at the start of the year. In his first season with the Seagulls, the Spaniard kept ten clean sheets in 27 games and scored 101 points, a total he will undoubtedly increase on this time around. Brighton faces Burnley away from home and have pretty decent fixtures in the start. It should not stop Robert Sanchez from keeping some clean sheets and hit the ground running from the first game itself.
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Defender) – Norwich vs Liverpool
Current Price: £7.5m
This is where you might make a lot of points. He will not take any negative points at least from conceding, considering Liverpool have a top defense ready for Norwich. He is one of the highest-scoring players in the FPL and could easily continue in that vein against the Canaries. He had 2 goals and 7 assists last season. He had the 2nd best points tally for a defender in the FPL last season. He's a high-priced FPL defender, but he has to be in your lineup right now.
5. Danny Ings (Forward) – Watford vs Aston Villa
Current Price: £8m
In the mid-range forwards, Danny Ings is a must. We all know what Ings is capable of. He scored 12 goals last season for the Saints and also bagged 4 assists in the process. He has a knack for outperforming his xG. Aston Villa have a good round of fixtures as they face Watford, Newcastle, and Brentford in the first three games. This makes Ings an excellent option in the mid-price bracket. He contributed a lot of FPL points last season. Combine that with the fact that he will get no penalty for conceding and he could prove to be a bountiful choice.
Stay tuned to fantasy football updates for the upcoming season.
