Get ahead of the Group Chat thanks to our new regular column from FPL expert Jonas Sand Låbakk.
By Graham Ruthven, in conversation with Jonas Sand Låbakk
Introducing our expert
Jonas is a 21 year old student who, like FotMob, hails from Norway. He was Fantasy Premier League champion for the 2023/24 season, finishing ahead of 11 million other managers. So who better to provide expert advice?
Read his expert advice every week.
*Don’t forget the early FPL deadline for this round – make your transfers and get your team sorted before 18:30 GMT on Friday 21 February*
The Eye Test vs. The Stats
Matheus Cunha (6.8m) has been a shining light for Wolves this season even as the Molineux outfit have struggled at the wrong end of the Premier League table.
The Brazilian is now the fourth highest scoring attacker in FPL at this moment in time. Only Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak and Chris Wood have tallied more points than him over the course of the 2024/25 campaign.
Wolves have come through a series of tricky fixtures during which many FPL managers sold him. Now, though, Vítor Pereira’s team have a more favourable run of games with an upcoming meeting with Southampton in GW29 most appealing.
In GW25, Wolves faced Liverpool at Anfield. Despite the tough task, Cunha still managed to catch the eye, finding the back of the net against the table-toppers.
Cunha offers a lot on the pitch and that is reflected in the FPL bonus points he has accrued this season. The Brazilian almost always collects three bonus points with every attacking return he delivers.
In nine of the last 11 matches he has delivered an attacking return, Cunha has also been awarded three bonus points.
On the statistical side of things, though, there is reason to believe Cunha is over-performing.
The 25-year-old has registered 16 goal involvements from an Expected Goal Involvements (xGI) of just 9.8 this season. Cunha is a prolific shooter, averaging 3.5 per 90 minutes, but many of them are typically low xG opportunities.
While some believe Cunha is a regular penalty taker for Wolves, he has only taken two from the spot this season with Pablo Sarabia usually their first-choice from 12 yards.
Leandro Trossard (6.9m) is one of a few cheap Arsenal attacking assets who are worth a look at in the coming game weeks.
The Gunners are in the midst of an injury crisis with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all sidelined. Trossard is therefore likely to start against West Ham this weekend.
Against Leicester City in GW25, Trossard contributed an assist in a 2-0 win, collecting six FPL points. There is more hype around Ethan Nwaneri (4.5m) (the 17-year-old was my long shot tip last week) but Trossard holds real value.
Trossard’s versatility could see him start as a centre forward against West Ham just as he did against Leicester. The Belgian was moved to the flank after Mikel Merino’s match winning introduction for Raheem Sterling.
Merino bagged a brace in his 21 minutes on the pitch, suggesting Mikel Arteta could start the midfielder up front against the Hammers. However, Trossard is still a solid bet to play 90 minutes in GW26.
Like Cunha, Trossard’s stats don’t make for the most positive reading. Nonetheless, he could be a crucial figure for Arsenal between now and the end of the season, with the Gunners chasing Liverpool in first place.
Arsenal also have Chelsea in GW29 when other teams have a blank game week. Trossard could be a good option for your team if you aren’t planning on using your Free Hit.
Long shot
Christopher Nkunku (5.7m) was a player many FPL managers (including myself) were excited to start the season with.
Many believed the Frenchman would receive regular game time after a positive pre-season. This, however, failed to materialise as Nicolas Jackson started the campaign in strong form as Chelsea’s first-choice number nine.
Now, though, Jackson is out until April through injury with Marc Guiu also sidelined. Subsequently, Nkunku, whose price has fallen to 5.7m from 6.5m at the start of the season, should get a run in the Chelsea team.
This makes Nkunku a potentially powerful differential with just 2% of managers owning him. Chelsea also have a run of favourable fixtures coming up with the highlights being home games against Southampton in GW27 and Leicester in GW28.
If he keeps his place in the lineup, Nkunku could be a smart pick for this stretch.
Upcoming games to follow
GW26 might be the most obviously compelling of game weeks from a FPL perspective, but there are still three standout fixtures.
Leicester City host Brentford, on Friday night, in a match that has some shock potential. The Foxes might be fighting relegation near the foot of the table, but Brentford have been broadly poor on their travels this season.
Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a good pick as an Assistant Manager while Bryan Mbeumo (7.9m) and Yoane Wissa (6.3m) are worth monitoring.
Saturday’s clash between Arsenal and West Ham should see the hosts claim three points, but their injury troubles could be a factor.
Nwaneri (4.5m), Trossard (6.9m) and Arsenal’s defensive assets including Gabriel (6.3m) should all be on your radar.
My last game to keep an eye on is the one between Bournemouth and Wolves at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries are favourites for the win, but Wolves have the potential to surprise. All three Bournemouth midfielders – Antoine Semenyo (5.7m), Dango Ouattara (5.1m) and Justin Kluivert (6.0m) are worth watching. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Cunha is an option too.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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