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Who are the best FPL Challenge GW35 picks? Players will be awarded 10 points for each goal they score this week. We use Opta data to find the top players to target in the Premier League.
Gameweek 35 of FPL Challenge, The Golden Boot, offers a simple proposition: all goals are worth 10 points.
Defenders are normally awarded six points for goals, midfielders five, and forwards four. This week, however, points will be equalised across all positions.
Let’s remind ourselves of the top scorers in the Premier League this season:
Erling Haaland is well placed to win a third Premier League Golden Boot in four seasons, though there is just about enough time for Igor Thiago to cause a huge upset.
A dip in output from players such as Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbeumo means the above list is even more forward-heavy than usual. In fact, Antoine Semenyo and Morgan Gibbs-White are the only players above who are classified as midfielders in FPL.
With that in mind, the optimal approach this week is clear: lining up in a 1-1-1-3 formation.
Goalkeeper
Dordje Petrović: Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace (H)
Nick Pope is the only goalkeeper to record a shot in the Premier League this season, so we won’t be targeting goals from that position this week.
In comes Bournemouth stopper Djordje Petrovic, who has a home match against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Bournemouth’s ongoing 14-game unbeaten run in the Premier League is the longest of any team this season, and with additional European places on offer, the Cherries – currently seventh – are well placed to qualify for the first time.
But it’s actually Palace, rather than the hosts, that are doing the heavy lifting for Petrović’s selection.
This match falls between UEFA Conference League semi-final matches against Shakhtar Donetsk for Oliver Glasner’s side, and he is highly likely to rotate his strongest players as a result. It also doesn’t hurt that Bournemouth rank second for expected goals conceded in home matches this season (14.2), behind Arsenal (11.8).
Defender
Gabriel Magalhães: Arsenal vs Fulham (H)
Nico O’Reilly leads all defenders for goals in the Premier League this season, with five, but we’ll be saving our Manchester City slot for someone else – you can probably guess who.
Instead, we’ll be selecting Gabriel Magalhães, who has scored three times this campaign.
Arsenal struggled to create chances from open play against Newcastle last weekend, relying instead on set-piece ingenuity to win the game. That pattern could repeat itself against Fulham.
The Gunners have found Fulham difficult to break down in recent seasons, just as they have Newcastle. The fact that this match is sandwiched between UEFA Champions League semis against Atlético Madrid will only intensify the issue.
We can expect set plays to play an important role again as a result, and Gabriel is a player who thrives in such situations.
Midfielder
Morgan Gibbs-White: Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea (A)
Our sole midfield selection is Morgan Gibbs-White – don’t worry, Bruno Fernandes will return to our side next week when assists take centre stage.
With seven goals in his last seven league games, Gibbs-White has a strong claim to being the Premier League’s most in-form player right now.
His last four goals – scored across one and a half games – have come since Nottingham Forest manager Vítor Pereira switched to a two-striker formation to accommodate Chris Wood and Igor Jesus, moving Gibbs-White out to the left from his usual No. 10 role.
There is a slight element of risk, with Forest balancing UEFA Europa League ties against Aston Villa. However, the Opta supercomputer still gives Pereira’s side a 1.9% chance of being relegated, so they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas in the league just yet.
Forwards
Erling Haaland: Manchester City vs Everton (A)
As tempting as O’Reilly was as our defensive pick, and likewise Semenyo in midfield, it would have been blasphemous to overlook ErlingHaaland in a gameweek built entirely around goals.
Haaland may well end his career as the Premier League’s all-time top scorer, but for now he can settle for owning the best minutes-per-goal rate in the competition’s history (99).
His output dipped considerably in the new year, perhaps linked to fatigue during Omar Marmoush’s involvement at AFCON, but he appears to have clicked back into top gear for the run-in, with five goals in his last four starts.
He should benefit from the nine-day gap between Man City’s win against Southampton and this upcoming match against Everton.
Igor Thiago: Brentford vs West Ham (H)
Before this season, no Brazilian had ever scored more than 15 goals in a single season in the Premier League. Thanks to IgorThiago, that record currently stands at 21.
He has four more weeks to increase his tally as he seeks to stake a claim as Brazil’s No. 9 at this summer’s World Cup.
Thiago has scored in 14 of his 33 starts this season, a return of 42.4% – Haaland, with 54.8%, is once again the only player to outrank him.
He won’t have it easy this week against a West Ham team battling relegation, but the Hammers’ desperation could play into Brentford’s hands – they’ve scored more goals from fast breaks (7) than any other side in the league.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Leeds United vs Burnley (H)
Our final pick is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who ranks third in the Premier League this season for expected goals (14.0), behind Haaland (23.5) and Thiago (19.1).
At home to a Burnley side whose relegation was confirmed against Man City last time out, Leeds have arguably the easiest fixture of any team this week.
It is therefore easy to understand why Calvert-Lewin ranks second for expected goal output (0.64), behind Haaland (0.65), on our Player Stat Predictions page for Gameweek 35.
Expect Leeds to react well to their disappointing FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
GW35 Honourable Mentions
Nico O’Reilly’s league-leading five goals from defence make him the obvious pick at the back for those who dare to leave Erling Haaland out of their side.
Casemiro has scored four times across his last six games in the Premier League, while also handily racking up additional points for defensive contributions.
Junior Kroupi has scored every 126 minutes in the Premier League this season, trailing only Haaland (112) among players with more than one start.
Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 35 FPL Challenge Picks
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