Top Captain picks for GW12

Venkatanarayanan
Nov 7 · 4 min read

Teemu Pukki v WAT (H)

Teemu Pukki’s last return was against Man City in GW5. Since then, only two norwich players have scored — Onel Hernandez and Josip Drmic — both the goals coming at home. However, during this period, only three other forwards have created more than Pukki(8 chances created as per ffscout)

In spite of going out of form, only Buendia has played more minutes than Pukki this season for the Canaries. The forward also has more than double the number of goals than any other Norwich player.

Watford are yet to keep a clean sheet away from home this season, in fact, their last clean sheet away from home was back in February and Norwich have scored in every home game this season.

Pukki has 7 goal involvements(joint 2nd) at home (Only Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in more goals at home). A watford side at home, who are yet to win this season and showing very little, but slow improvement is a fixture that Pukki will be looking to get back to form.

Jamie Vardy v ARS (H)

Jamie Vardy has 7 goals & 1 assist in his last 5 games — 3 goals more than any other player during this period. He faces an Arsenal side at home in GW12 against whom he has scored in the last two seasons at the King Power Stadium.

Image Courtesy: Ross Kinnarid / Getty Images

The forward has not taken as many attempts at goal as the other forwards (15th for attempts — per ffscout), but his shot-goal conversion ratio is the best among forwards who have taken at least 5 shots at goal & only 5 other teams have allowed more shots at goal than Arsenal away from home this season.

Arsenal’s struggles away from home has continued this season with them failing to win any of their last 4 away games.They have not kept a clean sheet away from home since the opening weekend of the season — 3 clean sheets in the last 25 on the road.

Mane vs MCI (H)

Sadio Mane has 1 goal in 6 league appearances for Liverpool against City. Salah also has only 1 league goal against Man City but has played fewer games than Mane.

Only Christian Pulisic has more points than Mane in the last 4 gameweeks(among midfielders) & the senegalese international is also the only midfielder to have returned two double digit hauls during this period.

Image Courtesy : AMA / Getty Images

Liverpool have scored 14 goals at home this season — Only Man City have scored more & Sadio Mane has been involved in 5 goals at Anfield. Mane has also failed to return only once in his last 7 starts at home.

Mane is the in-form midfielder in the league and with city struggling to cope with injuries, he is my standout captain pick for the week.

Jimenez vs AVL (H)

After failing to score for 4 straight gameweeks between GW5 & GW8, Raul Jimenez has scored in 2 of his last 3 games — Only Jamie Vardy more goals among forwards than Jimenez in the last 3 gameweeks.

Images Courtesy: Sam Bagnall / AMA

The forward has fewer returns at home than on the road, he is yet to score from open play at the Molineux this season. However, he seems to be hitting the form of last season. Only three players have attempted more shots at goal and only 2 players have created more chances than Jimenez in the last four gameweeks(as per — ffscout)

Aston Villa have conceded the most shots away from home this season and are yet to keep an away clean sheet this season.

Standout pick: Mane

Differential pick: Jimenez

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