Captaincy options for Gameweek 8: Time for gaffers to revert to the safety of Erling Haaland?

DREAM TEAM managers who chose to skipper Bukayo Saka (£6.5m) implicit Erling Haaland (£9.1m) successful Gameweek 7 were handsomely rewarded.

Just anterior to the planetary break, Arsenal's 'Star Boy' took Southampton for 20 points portion Manchester City's No9 mustered conscionable 4 against Fulham.

This result meant those who opted to treble Saka's instrumentality benefited from a important plaything implicit those who backed Haaland.

In fact, the England planetary has outscored the Norwegian poacher since the commencement of Gameweek 4 and the latter's pb astatine the apical of the rankings has been chopped to conscionable 9 points arsenic a result.

It's simply a information that gaffers who person captained Saka implicit Haaland for the past period person had their actions justified.

Now the pertinent question is whether the Gunners' No7 is the optimum skipper for Gameweek 8?

One imaginable blockade is that Saka is an availability uncertainty having been forced disconnected with an wounded portion connected work for the Three Lions.

In this morning's property conference, Mikel Arteta offered immoderate reassurance erstwhile helium told reporters: "Not a superior injury, he's evolving truly well. We are hopeful."

Arsenal are acceptable to look Bournemouth and Shakhtar Donetsk successful Gameweek 8 and fixed Saka is statistically the astir in-form subordinate successful Dream Team (based connected points earned crossed past 3 games) helium would evidently beryllium a beardown captaincy prime if passed fit.

That being said, this whitethorn beryllium the Gameweek to revert to the acquainted information of Haaland.

Pep Guardiola's broadside question to Molineux this weekend, wherever they were beaten past season, but a repetition of that upset seems improbable with Wolves presently bottommost of the array having conceded the astir leagues goals this season.

City volition past big Sparta Prague successful the Champions League successful midweek - different comparatively favourable match-up.

Haaland whitethorn not person scored successful his past 2 league outings (a drought by his standards) but it's worthy remembering helium has 11 goals to his sanction successful each competitions successful 2024/25 - nary different Dream Team plus has scored much than six.

Certainly the lawsuit for captaining Haaland is simply a beardown one, arsenic is usually the case.

Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah (£7.6m) is ever among the most-selected skippers but his fixtures aren't arsenic appealing connected paper.

Liverpool big fourth-placed Chelsea successful the standout Premier League crippled of the play earlier travelling to RB Leipzig connected Wednesday - the German outfit are level connected points with Bayern Munich astatine the apical of the Bundesliga astatine present.

Bold gaffers mightiness look to people Tottenham's treble header of West Ham and AZ Alkmaar, some to beryllium played successful North London, by captaining Dominic Solanke (£4.4m), James Maddison (£4.5m) oregon the in-form Brennan Johnson (£3.8m).

It's a tempting punt connected insubstantial but 1 that volition lone entreaty to managers who bask taking risks and going against grain.

With Saka seemingly not 100% fit, Haaland appears to beryllium the harmless prime for Gameweek 8.