Gianni is back with his expert FPL research, as he explains why FPL managers should consider Phil Foden as a replacement for Bukayo Saka.
Gianni FPL Tips: Why Phil Foden Is The Perfect Replacement For Bukayo Saka
Very few predicted Manchester City’s downturn in results to be as bad as it’s been. In fact, no team in the league has picked up fewer points than City since 1st November.
It’s fair to say they’ve been close to useless. Many however, expect their fortunes to turn as they enter an outstanding fixture run which run which sees them take on Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Brentford and Ipswich.
Under Pep Guardiola, City have been flat tracked bullies when they’ve come up against weaker Premier League opposition.
With their next group of games, many could argue this is actually a good time to take a punt on a City attacker despite their terrible form and in Phil Foden, there is an opportunity to jump on a player with proven FPL pedigree.
Foden, who only has 30 FPL points so far this season has dropped in price to 9.1 million and is owned by fewer than 5% of managers.
The 2023/24 player of the season has struggled since the summer and managers have rightly avoided him. Fixtures however are a crucial component of how and why we make our FPL picks and Foden’s fixture run shouldn’t be dismissed as easily as he has been.
After Saka’s injury, very few premium midfield options outside of Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer exist, and Phil Foden is now a legit replacement off the back of a bright performance last time out in the defeat to Aston Villa.
Historically, Foden’s risky minutes have been a barrier to entry but last season saw things change as Guardiola trusted him playing the 10 position.
This increased responsibility in the team saw the Englishman produce 19 goals and eight assists – a season’s best by a long way.
With only two returns so far this season, it’s clear as day that Foden has seen a huge slump in form but his performances in the last couple of weeks have caught the eye and he’s been City’s bright spark, playing 90 minutes on both occasions.
Surely, he’s set to start on Boxing Day and then again three days later, and if he is, would a return in each game be a surprise? Absolutely not.
