Captain Erling Haaland all season? A talking point in the Premier League

For many, the prolific Haaland has been a consistent captain’s choice in the last few weeks, but I was willing to bet against him and consider alternatives heading into Week 12 with a trip to Newcastle.

That was until I saw how well City and Haaland performed against Liverpool. Haaland continued his strong scoring form during the international break, and it seems that going against him this time is very dangerous.

It is worth noting that Haaland played with Newcastle six times in the league and cup and scored only one goal.

The trip to St James’ Park is widely considered one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar, so in a week when Arsenal (Tottenham at home), Manchester United (Everton at home) and Crystal Palace (Wolves away) have attractive fixtures, Bukayo Saka, Mbeumu or Jean-Philippe Mateta could be considered for those with an appetite for risk.

As we look forward to the festive schedule, there are weeks where I might be brave enough to defend against Haaland – trips to Fulham in Week 14 and Crystal Palace in Week 16.

Midfielders Saka and Mbeumo looked impressive last time out, and if their form continues, they offer an alternative to Haaland. In the aforementioned two weeks of play, Mbeumo plays West Ham at home and Saka faces Wolves at home.

Historically, we have relied on Mohamed Salah as our preferred captain when backing against Haaland, and Liverpool’s matches offer some hope for those backing the out-of-form Egyptian.

Most of the managers involved have sold Salah, but with plenty of Free Hit chips in play in the next few weeks, Salah is once again a legitimate option with the captaincy for many.

The chart below shows two replacements for Haaland over the next six weeks. In bold is who I would most likely choose as leader.