More than 5.7million Fantasy Premier League managers were rewarded for handing the captain's armband to Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) as he produced his 31st attacking return of the campaign, one better than he managed across the whole of last season.
Salah earned seven points after converting a penalty in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United to remain on course to break the record for the most points in a season.
The Egyptian needs to average exactly 5.0 points per match over his remaining 19 matches to surpass 303 points and set a new all-time season-best tally.
Gameweek 20 was also Salah's largest EVER backing with the armband.
It's the third time this season that Salah has been captained by over 5m managers, having only achieved the feat once prior to the current campaign, when 5.1m selected him for Gameweek 17 of 2021/22 Fantasy.
Salah's top five Gameweeks with captaincy
| Gameweek | Captained by | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| GW20 2024/25 | 5,760,186 | 7 |
| GW18 2024/25 | 5,395,998 | 9 |
| GW17 2021/22 | 5,139,561 | 8 |
| GW19 2024/25 | 5,094,441 | 16 |
| GW13 2021/22 | 4,882,177 | 6 |
His goal in Sunday's encounter extended Salah's excellent record against Man Utd.
In 15 Premier League meetings, he has amassed 135 points, more than he has versus any other team.
His record in recent seasons is especially impressive. His last nine matches have yielded four double-figure hauls and just one blank, for an average of 12.7 points per match.
Salah's recent record v Man Utd
| Gameweek | Breakdown* | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| GW35 2020/21 | 1G | 7 |
| GW9 2021/22 | 3G, 1A, 2B | 24 |
| GW33 2021/22 | 2G, 1A, 3B | 19 |
| GW3 2022/23 | 1G, 1B | 8 |
| GW26 2022/23 | 2G, 2A, 3B | 21 |
| GW17 2023/24 | - | 3 |
| GW32 2023/24 | 1G, 1B | 8 |
| GW3 2024/25 | 1G, 2A, 3B | 17 |
| GW20 2024/25 | 1G | 7 |
*G = Goal, A = Assist, B = Bonus
Salah can now be found in 7.7m squads - also a record-high for Liverpool's talisman.
One more price rise would also make it the most expensive he has ever been in Fantasy.
Salah's Fantasy price
| Season | Starting price | Max price |
|---|---|---|
| 2013/14 | £6.5m | £6.5m |
| 2014/15 | £6.5m | £6.5m |
| 2017/18 | £9.0m | £10.7m |
| 2018/19 | £13.0m | £13.6m |
| 2019/20 | £12.5m | £12.8m |
| 2020/21 | £12.0m | £12.9m |
| 2021/22 | £12.5m | £13.3m |
| 2022/23 | £13.0m | £13.1m |
| 2023/24 | £12.5m | £13.6m |
| 2024/25 | £12.5m | £13.6m |
Who are the other popular captains?
Elsewhere among the top five captains, Alexander Isak (£9.3m) extended his scoring streak to seven matches with a goal in Newcastle United's 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur for a seven-point return.
Erling Haaland (£14.8m) produced his first double-figure haul since Gameweek 4 as Manchester City beat West Ham United 4-1. The Norwegian scored twice and was rewarded with maximum bonus for a 13-point return.
Haaland has now racked up 62 points in six matches versus the Hammers, having scored a hat-trick in their Gameweek 3 encounter earlier in the campaign.
Cole Palmer (£11.4m) rewarded the near-890,000 managers who handed him the armband for Chelsea's trip to Crystal Palace with a goal and 10 points as the Blues drew 1-1. Palmer, who amassed a league-high 295 points in 2024, has returned in each of his last three appearances against Oliver Glasner's side.
So far the only member of the top five to blank in Gameweek 20 is Ollie Watkins (£8.9m).
The England international was a popular choice having racked up 12 points in last Monday's draw with Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to a goal, an assist and maximum bonus. But he was unable to repeat that performance on Saturday, spurning a big chance - a situation where a player is expected to score - as Villa won 2-1 at home to Leicester City.
Watkins will face a challenge to hold on to his starting role in Gameweek 21 with positional-rival Jhon Duran (£5.8m) set to return from suspension.
GW20 most-captained players
| Player | Captained by | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| Salah | 5,760,186 | 7 |
| Haaland | 2,048,104 | 13 |
| Palmer | 889,651 | 10 |
| Isak | 393,250 | 7 |
| Watkins | 249,879 | 2 |
