FPL stats: Salah gets biggest captaincy backing for 95 Gameweeks

More than 3.5million Fantasy Premier League managers have captained Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) for Gameweek 12, his biggest backing since Erling Haaland (£15.2m) arrived in the Premier League.

Salah has been given the armband by 3.57m managers, his highest total for 95 Gameweeks, since Gameweek 31 of the 2021/22 season, when he was captained by 3.89m managers.

GW12 most-captained players

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Liverpool travel to Southampton on Sunday with Salah looking to add to his seven double-figure hauls, already the most he's had after 12 Gameweeks in any season.

That impressive form has seen managers shift funds to midfield, as the ownership gap between Salah and Haaland continues to narrow.

In Gameweek 9 there was a 35 per cent difference in favour of the Norwegian, but that's now down to less than nine per cent. In that time, over 1.4m have sold Haaland and 1.6m have bought Salah.

Haaland, however, will be looking to make his sellers pay for their lack of faith when Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur later on Saturday.

After scoring 10 goals in the opening five Gameweeks, Haaland has found the net just twice in six matches.

Barren runs

Haaland isn't the only player going through a dry patch.

With a third successive blank, Cole Palmer (£10.9m) is experiencing his worst period since making his first start for Chelsea in Gameweek 7 last season.

Palmer created three chances and took two shots as the Blues beat Leicester City 2-1 but emerged empty-handed from the contest. It doesn't get any easier for Palmer next up as he faces Aston Villa, a team he blanked twice against last season.

There was better news for owners of Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) as he managed to break this own poor spell. Watkins scored for the first time since Gameweek 8 as the Villans drew 2-2 at home with Crystal Palace.

Who are the most-bought players?

Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) is the most popular signing in Fantasy for Gameweek 12 ahead of Ruben Amorim's first match in charge of Manchester United.

The Portuguese has delivered back-to-back double-figure hauls following the departure of Erik ten Hag, and his 777,000+ new owners will be hoping he can continue that good form under his new head coach. The Red Devils visit Ipswich Town on Sunday.

GW12 most-bought players

Alexander Isak's (£8.5m) popularity is also on the rise following goals in each of his last three outings.

Since returning from injury in Gameweek 9, the Swede has had eight shots on target and seven big chances, compared with just two shots on target and two big chances over the first five Gameweeks. Newcastle United host West Ham United on Monday.

Top of the Fantasy defender standings going into Gameweek 12, Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m) has been the go-to replacement for the stricken Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6.9m). 

The Liverpool full-back is expected to miss the encounter at St Mary's Stadium with a hamstring injury, while his Dutch team-mate will be looking to add to his six clean sheets.

Who are the most-sold players?

Joining Haaland and Alexander-Arnold among the most-sold players are Spurs duo Dominic Solanke (£7.7m) and Brennan Johnson (£6.7m). 

Each have returned in just one of their last four appearances, and managers have clearly felt a trip to the Etihad Stadium wasn't the fixture for them to improve those records.

Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) may be the most-bought player overall this season, with a league-high price rise of £0.9m since the start of the campaign, but he has been dumped by more than 360,000 managers for Gameweek 12, and he went on to blank in Brentford's goalless draw at Everton.

Those sales may increase heading into December with Thomas Frank's side facing just two sides rated at two in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) over the next 10 Gameweeks.

GW12 most transferred-out players