With the 12th round of fixtures in the Premier League now done and dusted, it’s time to take a look at which strikers performed the best on top flight pitches up and down England.
We will be looking at the top five, counting from fifth to best. With that said, let’s get cracking!
In fifth place was Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle. He scored the Magpies’ only goal as they fell 4-1 victims to Man Utd at Old Trafford. That goal gives the former Crystal Palace striker four points for the week, tied with opponent on this occasion Anthony Martial. Martial is rated at 1.5m in the Euro Fantasy League game, however, while Gayle is only a cool 1m.
Gayle has had a rough season so far, and these four points only take him to three for the season – he was booked during Newcastle’s 1-0 win at Swansea earlier in the season, and up until this match that was his only point-changing involvement. Newcastle haven’t had a bad first season back in the Premier League, and find themselves 11th after the latest matches, having dropped from 10th. Their strikers haven’t been red hot though, as they’ve scored just 11 from those first 12 games – but Gayle’s goal could prove more important than the result implied, given that it could give him the confidence to add to his goalscoring tally – and consequently his Euro Fantasy League total.
Next up we have Burnley striker Ashley Barnes. Valued at 5m, much like Gayle he has struggled to exert much influence so far in the current campaign – the four points he won this weekend took his season’s total to only two, thanks to two previous bookings. He scored one of Burnley’s goals in their 2-0 win at home against Swansea.
Despite Barnes’ struggles, though, Sean Dyche’s men are performing magnificently this season, sitting 7th in the table and just one point behind Tottenham in the fourth Champions League spot. It’s little wonder that they will be wanting to do everything they can to retain the services of Dyche at their helm.
In third place, Man City striker Gabriel Jesus. The 20-year-old Brazil international seems to be a regular name in this weekly article, but it’s difficult to over-estimate the influence he has on his team. City sit atop the Premier League quite comfortably – they hold an eight point lead over city rivals Manchester United, and show little signs of slowing down as manager Pep Guardiola chases the first Premier League title of his career.
Jesus managed four points of his own thanks to scoring in the Citizens’ 2-0 win at the home of former champions Leicester, taking his season total to a great 32 points. There is surely still much more to come from the former Palmeiras striker, and it is a tad terrifying to consider just how good he could well become given his still relatively tender age.
In second place is Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata. There were some raised eyebrows when he first arrived from Real Madrid, and questions relating to his ability to adjust to life in the Premier League. He has silenced those questions and critics with his performances this season. His contribution has been a real bright spot for Chelsea in an otherwise hit-and-miss season.
His score of five points could have been one better however. He scored a goal and set another up in the Blues’ 4-0 win at West Brom, but was booked to lose one of those points he’d earned. At 7.5m he seems a great value inclusion for the Euro Fantasy managers out there – he’s not the cheapest, but seems a steal given his performance level when compared to his valuation.
Finally, it’s a big congratulations to Callum Wilson, who wins the award for the Premier League’s best striker this weekend. He was featured quite heavily in the latest episode of the Euro Fantasy League Podcast, having featured in both the Weekend Winners section and the Best XI of the Weekend as well.
He nabbed a hattrick in Bournemouth’s 4-0 win at home against Huddersfield – a result that lifts the Cherries to 13th, and drops the Terriers down to 10th. That performance means he ranks as the best striker not only in the Premier League this weekend, but also the entire Euro Fantasy League game. It goes without saying, that’s not a bad return considering his fairly modest 7.5m price tag. Those were his first league goals since January, though – he’s been out for a good while with injuries. It remains to be seen whether this is a springboard to more great things this season or simply a weekend in which anything the 25-year-old touched turned to goals.
So, why not take a look at revamping your strikeforce and getting your team going on Euro Fantasy League? The game features players from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Eredivisie and Ligue 1. Assemble your dream team and manage your fantasy squad to glory this season!
If you perhaps aren’t quite as familiar with the more continental leagues, then you are also able to play a Premier League-only version of the game. Fantasy Premier is a version of the EuroFantasyLeague game where you will put together your Premier League dream team and compete against others. Check it out now!
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