Erling Haaland (£14.0m) and Mohamed Salah’s (£13.0m) head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium could persuade many managers to captain Son Heung-min (£9.7m) in Gameweek 13 of Fantasy Premier League.
Manchester City’s Haaland and Liverpool’s Salah face off in Saturday’s 12.30 GMT kick-off, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Son entertains Aston Villa the following day.
See: FPL experts: Who is the best captain for Gameweek 13?
Son has averaged 8.2 points per match since being moved up front by Ange Postecoglou, claiming four double-figure hauls in those nine encounters.
Salah and Haaland certainly have the edge for form, nonetheless. They are the top-scoring players over the last four Gameweeks, with 42 and 41 points respectively.
They have each scored five goals in that period, Haaland also supplying two assists.
Son has delivered two sets of double-figure returns over the last four Gameweeks, yet trails the duo on 28 points, scoring two goals and supplying an assist.
Players' form compared GW9-12
| Player | Points | Goals | Assists | Clean sheets | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 42 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Haaland | 41 | 5 | 2 | N/A | 8 |
| Son | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
The underlying statistics show Haaland has boasted the greatest potential for goals of the three.
His 12 shots in the box is joint-top among all players in Fantasy and double the six of Son.
Haaland’s eight big chances is also a league-high, while his nine shots on target are only one fewer than the combined 10 of Salah and Son.
Who has the best goal conversion rate?
Salah’s seven big chances have helped him match Haaland’s goal output, although both players have profited from very high goal conversion rates.
The Liverpool star is the standout contender for creativity, with his nine key passes more than double the four of Haaland.
Son’s single big chance across the last four Gameweeks is somewhat concerning here, though, particularly with James Maddison (£7.9m) sidelined until January for Spurs.
Who’s been the biggest GW9-12 threat?
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Shots on target | Goal conversion % | Key passes | Big chances created |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 14 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 35.7% | 4 | 1 |
| Salah | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 41.7% | 9 | 2 |
| Son | 8 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 25.0% | 6 | 1 |
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Who has the best home/away form?
Haaland also has the upper hand for goal threat in the home/away analysis.
His 15 shots and 14 shots in home matches lead the way here, with Son matching the Norwegian's eight shots on target.
Despite playing over 100 minutes more in away matches, Salah lags behind Haaland for goal threat. Indeed, he has managed only three shots on target in six encounters.
Salah does boast a creative advantage over his fellow premium picks again, though.
His 14 key passes are more than the combined 11 of Haaland and Son. Furthermore, Salah’s seven big chances created in away matches is joint-top among all players in Fantasy.
Stats compared home/away in 23/24
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Shots on target | Goal conversion % | Key passes | Big chances created |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland (H) | 15 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 33.3% | 3 | 1 |
| Salah (A) | 14 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 14.3% | 14 | 7 |
| Son (H) | 13 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 15.4% | 8 | 2 |
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Assessing the opponents’ defence
Analysing each player’s Gameweek opponents can help identify any weaknesses to target.
Haaland hosts a Liverpool side who arrive in their best defensive form of the season.
See: How revitalised Van Dijk can stand up to threat of Haaland
The Reds have kept three clean sheets in their last four fixtures, conceding only one goal.
The underlying numbers certainly offer encouragement to Salah backers here, with Man City conceding 10 big chances, double the five of Liverpool.
It must be noted, though, that all three of those clean sheets were recorded at Anfield, with Liverpool conceding against Luton Town in their only road trip in that period.
Son’s visitors Villa have conceded the fewest shots in the box and big chances in the analysis.
Indeed, they place among the top two for both statistics, indicating they were unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet.
Opponents’ stats last four matches
| Team | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Shots in the box conceded | Big chances conceded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man City | 6 | 1 | 26 | 10 |
| Aston Villa | 5 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 3 | 22 | 5 |
The team home/away statistics give Son the greatest boost of all three.
Villa have conceded an average of two goals per away match this season. They have also conceded 22 big chances on the road, the joint-second worst record in the league.
The contrast in Man City and Liverpool’s defensive numbers add more weight to Haaland’s appeal here.
Pep Guardiola’s side have conceded 30 shots less than the Merseysiders here, albeit in one less match.
They also boast a far superior record to Liverpool for conceding goals and big chances, with Jurgen Klopp’s side yet to keep an away clean sheet.
Opponents’ home/away form 23/24
| Team | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Shots in the box conceded | Big chances conceded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa (A) | 12 | 1 | 46 | 22 |
| Liverpool (A) | 8 | 0 | 53 | 15 |
| Man City (H) | 3 | 2 | 23 | 8 |
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So, who is the best captain?
It has to be Haaland. The Man City star has scored twice in four of his last five in all competitions and has the clear advantage for goal threat here.
The contrasting home/away defensive data of Man City and Liverpool also give Haaland the edge, although there's no doubt that the champions' recent defensive displays should offer plenty of encouragement for Salah owners.
The Egyptian’s creativity and potential for assists can also help ensure he extends his run of returns.
Son is clearly a big risk, particularly with Maddison sidelined. The recent underlying player and team data also go against the idea of captaining the Spurs man, although Villa’s record on the road suggests there should be no surprise if he does deliver.