Pras: With the extra set of chips we have been handed for the first half of the season, there is certainly a temptation to use one every week. This is especially true with triple captaincy, where there isn’t much planning involved.
If you own a player who has a great fixture, it’s a chip you can just play on a whim.
There is a framework I try to follow when judging a good week and that is – are the player and team in form? Does he have a good match-up? Is he likely to play 90 minutes? And is there a better future week?
Haaland triple captaincy is a real temptation this week, so let’s analyse this week’s triple captain opportunity in the context of my framework:
Form: Haaland has started the season in his usual fine form. He has six goals in five Premier League appearances, averaging 9.2 points per match – involved in 75% of the goals Manchester City have scored when on the pitch.
Fixture: Burnley so far have shown to have one of the weakest defences in the league, especially away from home. The Clarets have suffered defeats in both of their away games this season. Their two matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United ended in losses of 0-3 and 2-3. They are also bottom for expected goals conceded.
Minutes: Haaland was substituted in the 75th minute on Sunday due to “fatigue and back pain”. However, with a full midweek rest, I expect him to be back in the team. The deeper we go into the season, the opportunities for such rests become few and far between.
Are there better weeks?: Remember, we only have until gameweek 19 to use the chip, and personally I always prefer a home game.
Haaland is up against Leeds United (h) in gameweek 13, Sunderland (h) in gameweek 15 and West Ham United (h) in gameweek 17.
Mohamed Salah takes on Sunderland (h) in gameweek 14. He is expected to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations in gameweek 17, which would prevent him from participating in the matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds.
