Fantasy Premier League 2021 – The Top 4 Preview
Liverpool
Fixtures (Next 6)
Attack 42%
Defence 0%
The best defence in the league faces the best run for defences, including Leeds, Aston Villa and Sheffield United. As long as Allison doesn’t pick up an injury again and we get stuck with Adrian, we’re golden!
Doesn’t look as good for the attack but can you really bet on teams to hold back the tide?
Main Pick
Mohamed Salah (MID, 12.0m)
Can you really look anywhere else? The only player to break 300 points in a season (or at least that I can remember doing it!), the top scorer in 2017/18 and 2018/19, 2nd only to KDB last year. He tops metrics such as goal attempts and shots in the box for weeks at a time and across the season, plus he’s still a midfielder, so he still gets that point for clean sheets and extra points per goal.
You could look to his teammate Mane as a differential, but with the prices coming in the same while Salah continually dominates there is no reason to look elsewhere. Plus, you have limited options with both Manchester clubs having a blank GW1 (we’ll get there in a minute), so if he does not start well there is an easy switch right there. Salah is the man.
Differential Pick
Joe Gomez (DEF, 5.5m)
Liverpool’s defence has been the rock upon which they have built their title challenges for the last two seasons. Naturally, Van Dijk gets a lot of the plaudits, but his central defensive partner is a key cog in that system, and none does it better than Gomez.
He’s still only young and has had some injury issues, hence his reduced minutes last season, but it’s no coincidence that his return coincided with Liverpool’s amazing run of 10 clean sheets in 11 Premier League games between December and February.
He is priced kindly at 5.5m and started the Community Shield, suggesting the spot next to VVD is his to lose. Obviously, there are bigger prizes in Liverpool’s backline, but Gomez is a cheaper option which could allow more investment into the midfield.
Defensive Pick
Trent Alexander-Arnold (DEF, 7.5m)
Like Salah, TAA really is the stand out option at the back for Liverpool and the entire league. He’s the most expensive defender in the game but he is the complete package. He can take free kicks, he can whip in deadly crosses and he is part of a solid defensive unit. No defender created more chances or more big chances last year, and no defender put in more crosses. He is expensive, but he’s worth every penny.
Steer Clear
Roberto Firmino (FWD, 9.5m)
It’s disappointing the people at FPL didn’t drop his price a little to make this more of a discussion. Firmino leads the line for one of the best attacks in the country and I’m aware he does a fantastic job in making space, allowing Salah and Mane to get in behind while he pulls defences apart with clever runs and neat flicks.
However, as a pure FPL asset, he is not worth that amount of cash. For the same money, you can take a punt on Timo Werner (again, we’ll get there soon) or for less money you can have Martial who looks like an excellent option if Man United can carry on their form from after the Project Restart.
The biggest reason not to get Firmino is that he takes up a Liverpool spot that is best used elsewhere. Double up with Salah and Mane, or Salah and TAA or even triple up and include Allison. Just admire Firmino and cheer when he sets up your main man in midfield.