FPL: Top 5 Players To Watch For Gameweek 21

After a sumptuous double gameweek where FPL managers had to watch on nervously, we head back to normalcy again with an immediate turnaround of fixtures. Here are our top 5 picks for gameweek 21.

5. Rodrigo (£6.4m)

Rodrigo was one of the hottest picks at the start of the season where it seemed like he was scoring and assisting for fun and his ownership was sky-high. He’d scored 4 goals in 4 games until an injury derailed his campaign, but then he hit form once again only for the World Cup break to stop him in his tracks.

However, since the restart, Leeds have had a tough run of games. But after scoring against West Ham in gameweek 19, he will look to add to his tally of 10 goals this season as the Yorkshire club’s fixtures turn green. With Bamford now seemingly back in form and additions like Gnonto, Rodrigo could be back amongst the points. He’s a great differential owned by under 8%.

4. Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.0m)

Arsenal might be facing an in-form Man United side this weekend, but with Zinchenko back fit, the league leaders have kept 2 cleansheets in a row against 4th placed Newcastle and 5th place Spurs. With Trippier and Shaw already owned by most, FPL managers will want to look for an exit route from underperforming and bench-warming Cancelo.

The attack-minded Ukrainian fullback also has huge potential to gain points from assists. In his previous 2 games, he has been on top of the charts for final third passes (37 & 14). Against Newcastle, he made 24 forward passes, completed 14 passes between the lines, and enforced 11 forward passes under pressure. There’s a double gameweek and a sea of green fixtures with the odd difficult game, making him a very enticing pick.

3. Solly March (£5.1m)

What was March eating during the World Cup? Ever since the PL restarted, the Englishman has scored 4 goals and bagged 2 assists, scoring a remarkable 43 points in 4 games since then. His impressive performance against Liverpool saw him get a brace and an assist to help Brighton beat the Reds 3-0.

In the absence of Trossard who’s sought pastures anew, March seems to have taken on the mantle to become Brighton’s most potent attacking threat. With the possibility of a double gameweek on the horizon in the near future, Brighton players could be valuable. After switching to a 4-2-3-1 in Brighton’s 4-1 win against Chelsea, he’s accumulated 0.16 G+A per 90 min and 0.4 xG+xA per 90 min since then.

2. Riyad Mahrez (£7.5m)

Mahrez features in back to back gameweeks on our watchlist. The Algerian was the star of the show as Man City romped to a 4-2 comeback win against Spurs in a game they were trailing 2-0 at half time. In the absence of De Bruyne who was surprisingly an unused substitute in the game, Mahrez dazzled with 2 goals and an assist as his hot scoring streak continued.

With Pep seething at City’s lackluster form at the moment, a reaction is expected from City when they welcome 16th-placed Wolves at home. De Bruyne could be brought back into the fold which will only boost the chances of a haul for Mahrez who will look to increase his points tally of 39 since the restart.

1. Martin Odegaard (£6.8m)

Arsenal are 5 points clear at the top with a game in hand over 2nd placed City. Their amazing run even post the restart has been fueled by Odegaard’s excellent performances. Only 3 players have more points than the Norwegian this season.

13 & 8 – Martin Ødegaard has already surpassed last season's tallies for both goal involvements (13) and goals (8) in all competitions:

2022-23: 23 apps, 8 goals, 5 assists
2021-22: 40 apps, 7 goals, 5 assists

Captain. pic.twitter.com/31i2FaXoaJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2023

He’s bagged 2 goals and 3 assists in 4 games and leads the charts for the Gunners in terms of goals and assists at 8 and 5. The Arsenal playmaker has an incredible 79 SCA this season along with an xG of 4.9. At just £6.8m, he seems like a must-have for Arsenal’s double gameweek in gameweek 23 during a run that sees them play 3 games at home.

Also read: Manchester United v Manchester City (2-1): Tactical Analysis – Premier League 2022/23