FPL Talking Point – Who should be your second striker?

Premier League managers have been flirting with a second-forward spot in their squad all season, and while Erling Haaland is a regular and forgettable player for almost every team, signing a second striker who justifies his price and consistently produces points has been an issue for most teams.

Pre-season favorite Joao Pedro has scored two goals in nine goals, on one occasion Jean-Philippe Mateta has not been able to find the form we saw last season, Victor Gioqueris has had as many attacking returns as has fellow centre-back Gabriel (five goals) and Nick Woltmad now shares minutes with Yoani Wissa.

Set and forget the second striker we could leave in our squads for the foreseeable future would be a welcome addition to most teams and there are arguably two major contenders getting their hands on them in Ollie Watkins and Igor Thiago.

Watkins is the in-form striker in the league at the moment, and after a slow start that saw him produce just one goal in his first 13 games, he now has six goals and two assists in his last seven league games. Pundits will talk about confidence and hot streaks, and Watkins is no better example of a player you can trust when he’s in the middle of a purple patch.

Villa have been enjoying excellent fixtures too, and although the entry point to Crystal Palace away from home may look tough on paper, they have gone seven games unbeaten and had the toughest fixture schedule of all teams over the festive period.

From Gameweek 22 Villa have four home games in six with Everton, Brentford, Brighton and Leeds visiting Villa Park, where 10%-owned Watkins has an impressive record.

Thiago was the second best-selling player last week and will be one of the most bought players this time around after his 17-pointer at Everton.

With 14 goals, only Haaland has scored more than the Brazilian and in a similar way to the Norwegian, Thiago is a talisman for his team. Goals are not being shared at Brentford and chances are being directed to Thiago. The strikers and midfielders around him often seem to have one goal in mind: to create big chances for their number nine.