MY ACCOUNT
It is Matchday 32. No midweek games and precious points to pick up in the run home.
It’s that time of the year when the unconventional pick can define one’s season. Who dares wins, in other words.
With that in mind, we lead you by the hand with Opta data as we pick four players who might just give you those precious extra points in the latest Premier League gameweek.
VICENTE GUAITA (Leicester City vs Crystal Palace)
The last time Leicester were kept scoreless at home by Crystal Palace in the Premier League was in December 2017, when Claude Puel was still manager of the Foxes.
In 2022, however, only Alisson and Ederson have kept more clean sheets than Vicente Guaita in the Premiership, with Guaita’s four coming in his last five appearances.
Of the seven highest rankings in the Premier League for clean sheets in the new year, Guaita also has the third-highest percentage of shots saved at 75.86 per cent.
REECE JAMES (Southampton vs Chelsea)
Despite the nature of their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, against Southampton this weekend, it is almost a certainty that Chelsea will have the bulk of possession.
As a consequence of how Thomas Tuchel’s side plays, Chelsea’s wingbacks are very prominent in and around the penalty area.
Among Premier League defenders this season, no player has scored more goals than Reece James this season, while Antonio Rudiger is also second.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (Brentford vs West Ham)
Needing to back up from Thursday’s tussle in the Europa League against Lyon, West Ham could be vulnerable.
Brentford’s Christian Eriksen has either scored or assisted in his last two Premier League games for the Bees, while the Dane last did so in three consecutive Premier League appearances in April 2019.
In three Premier League starts for Brentford this season, they have won all three games, and Eriksen has completed the most passes (111) in those games, played the most passes into the penalty area (26) and created the most chances (five).
HARRY KANE (Aston Villa vs Tottenham)
Tottenham are starting to find their rhythm under Antonio Conte, even despite March’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, and Harry Kane remains as pivotal as ever.
No player in the Premier League has contributed to more goals in 2022 than Kane, with eight goals and five assists over that period.
Kane has also been involved in a goal in each of his last six Premier League appearances, and only between July and November 2020 (eight games) has he been on a longer streak.
