Captaincy options for Gameweek 7 – Bukayo Saka has outperformed Erling Haaland over last four games

IT’S that time of the week when Dream Team managers start mulling over their captaincy options for the upcoming Gameweek.

Gameweek 7 is a simple one in the sense that it only features a full round of Premier League fixtures so there’s no midweek action to factor into the equation.

But the captaincy debate is set to divide gaffers with several familiar favourites vying for the armband.

Getty

Erling Haaland (£9.2m)

Manchester City’s No9 mustered just four points against Newcastle last weekend before normal order was restored in midweek with a goal against Slovan Bratislava, his 11th of the season in all competitions.

The Norwegian poacher was substituted soon after and Pep Guardiola later referenced a heavy knock the striker suffered against Magpies but, at this stage, there’s no suggestion he’ll miss out against Fulham on Saturday.

Haaland at home against any team will always be a strong captaincy option but it’s worth noting the Cottagers have started the campaign in fine form.

Marco Silva’s side are currently sixth in the table and only league-leaders Liverpool have conceded fewer goals across the first six fixtures.

Haaland will be the most-selected skipper for Gameweek 7, as is always the case, but it’s not a complete no-brainer on paper – it still requires a certain degree of courage to bet against him.

Bukayo Saka (£6.4m)

PA

Dream Team’s top midfielder[/caption]

Dream Team bosses who captained Arsenal’s Star Boy in Gameweek 6 were handsomely rewarded.

The England international earned 14 points against Leicester via five bonus points (the maximum for a single outing), FOUR big chances created, two shots on target and two tackles.

Saka followed that up with an 11-point return at home to PSG in the Champions League – he scored his side’s second goal on Tuesday night.

His grand total of 82 points has propelled him up to third in the overall rankings and first among midfielders.

What’s really interesting is that he’s outperformed Haaland by seven points across the last four games.

Those tempted to captain Saka in Gameweek 7 will only be encouraged further by his fixture: Southampton at the Emirates.

Saints have mustered just one point since promotion to the top flight – only Wolves and Everton have conceded more goals.

Mohamed Salah (£7.5m)

Like Saka, Liverpool’s talisman banked a whopping 25 points in Gameweek 6 at the expense of Wolves and Bologna.

Suddenly, Salah is within striking distance of Haaland at the top of rankings, ten points shy of the machine-like poacher.

The Egyptian hero has scored six goals and registered five assists in his first nine outings this season – he’s the definition of modern Dream Team legend.

PA

Salah rarely misses out against Crystal Palace[/caption]

Gameweek 7 brings a trip to Selhurst Park and while such a match-up will still send shivers down the spine of fans old enough to remember ‘Crystanbul’, Arne Slot’s side head to South London as strong favourites as the only team to have won five of their first six league games.

In contrast, the Eagles are languishing in 18th and are yet to register their first win of the campaign.

Salah has eight goals and five assists against Palace in 12 league meetings since he joined Liverpool.

Cole Palmer (£6.2m)

Any player who scores four goals in one half automatically becomes a leading captaincy candidate the following Gameweek.

Chelsea host Nottingham Forest on Sunday and while Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops have kept it tight at the back so far this season, Palmer is seemingly a rare game-breaking talent.

The Blues’ main man is by far and away the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 7 and the third most-selected captain at the time of writing.

Alamy

Elsewhere, Kai Havertz (£4.9m), Ollie Watkins (£5.9m) and Dominic Solanke (£4.2m) all deserve to be in the captaincy conversation based on recent form but it’s hard to look past the usual suspects for this weekend’s action.

If we had to single out one player we’d probably edge it to Saka based on his 25-point haul in Gameweek 6 and the way Southampton crumbled in first half at Bournemouth on Monday night.

But of course Haaland is capable of severely punishing those who place the armband elsewhere.

---