A home encounter with promoted Southampton looks hugely encouraging for the prospects of Cole Palmer (£11.1m) in Gameweek 27 of Fantasy Premier League.
The Chelsea star has scored eight goals and supplied four assists across his 12 appearances at Stamford Bridge this season.
In home contests alone, Palmer has amassed 96 points, second only to the 103 points of Mohamed Salah (£13.7m).
The pair are near-identical for points per match (ppm) at home, too, with Salah having the slightest of advantages, with 8.6ppm to the 8.0ppm of Palmer.
Salah v Palmer, home matches
| Salah | Palmer | |
| Goals & assists | 14 | 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | 15 | 22 |
| PPM | 8.6 | 8.0 |
| Pts | 103 | 96 |
Southampton’s poor away record certainly enhances Palmer's appeal. They have kept just ONE clean sheet across their 13 away matches, conceding 24 goals.
Salah, meanwhile, extended his lead at the top of the player standings to an incredible 108 points over second-placed Palmer with a goal and an assist at Manchester City on Sunday.
The Egyptian collected 14 points at the Etihad Stadium, claiming his 16th double-digit haul of the season, TWICE the total of any other player.
Salah also has a home match on his Gameweek 27 agenda, with Liverpool entertaining Newcastle United on Wednesday night.
Although this seems the tougher of the two fixtures, a quick look at Salah’s last meeting with the Magpies only enhances his appeal. He delivered his second-highest score of 2024/25 Fantasy at St James’ Park in Gameweek 14, earning 18 points, thanks to two goals and an assist.
Who is in the best form?
Crucially, the pair approach Gameweek 27 in wildly contrasting form.
Salah has amassed 63 points over his last five matches, scoring six goals and supplying three assists.
Palmer, on the other hand, has just one assist across his previous five appearances, totalling 14 points.
Salah v Palmer, last five matches
| Salah | Palmer | |
| Goals | 6 | 0 |
|---|---|---|
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
| Bonus | 12 | 2 |
| Pts | 63 | 14 |
So, who is the best captain?
Palmer certainly appears to have the best fixture and his home form suggests if anyone can challenge Salah, then he appears the player most likely.
But Salah's extraordinary season simply shows no sign of slowing down and that momentum makes the armband decision a relatively easy one.
Watch out for Blank Gameweek 29, when Liverpool, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace won't have a Premier League match!