Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 2 analysis and best XI

The match of the week will be at Anfield when Liverpool face off against Burnley.

The Premier League 2021/22 season opened to a full house with newly-promoted Brentford shocking Arsenal 2-0 in the season opener. Manchester United then made a statement with a thumping 5-1 win at Old Trafford. Chelsea and Liverpool also registered comfortable victories. Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Manchester City stars shocked all Fantasy Premier League users by being beaten in the opening week itself.

As the gameweek 2 is set to begin, securing which players will have the biggest impact on the points tally? Let's find out.

Week 1 Review

The main problem makers were at it again. Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick gave him a week-high 20 points while Mohamed Salah got 17 points for his performance against Norwich. Paul Pogba’s four assists against Leeds also stood out.

In defence, Chelsea stars Trevoh Chalobah and Andreas Christensen stood out. The 3-0 win against Crystal Palace gave them the clean sheet. Marcos Alonso and Trevoh Chalobah also had remarkable goals to take away from the game. Ricardo Pereira was the star in Leicester’s game against Wolves, assisting Vardy while holding the opposition goalless.

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Antonio continued his flourish under David Moyes while Watford's Emmanuel Dennis also stood out against a post-Grealish era at Aston Villa. Hugo Lloris and Peter Schmeichel gave very good returns, with three and two bonus points respectively. The biggest unexpected losers of the week were Manchester City and Arsenal. Both teams failed to score a single goal, while the latter to an energetic and newly-promoted Brentford in disappointing fashion.

Week 2 Preview

The fixture to look at would be Liverpool against Burnley. Dyche’s men suffered a harrowing loss to Brighton after taking the lead and Liverpool are in ravaging form as well. Arsenal against Chelsea at the Emirates poses interesting conundrums but Arsenal’s inconsistent form could profit Chelsea players especially if Lukaku gets a chance to feature.

Manchester United travel to Southampton, a similar story could unfold like last year but the goal-hungry Red Devils are likely to continue their form. Manchester City’s game against Norwich is also likely to be a one-sided affair while Spurs will have the upper hand against Nuno’s former team Wolves, with or without Kane.

Khel Now's fantasy XI

Schmeichel was one of the standout keepers of Premier League gameweek 1 and he is expected to continue in the same vein of form. Joao Cancelo, Van Dijk and Luke Thomas form the three-man defence while Salah and Sterling occupy the midfield alongside Raphinha and Pulisic. A front three of attack has Brazil forward Richarlison, Newcastle's Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.

Top Selections

1. Raphinha

Everton is one of the favoured oppositions for the Leeds player. Raphinha scored in both league meetings against the Toffees last season. Leeds will be piling forward in a bid to get back on the winning run after a horrendous show at Old Trafford and Elland Road is the perfect setting for it.

2. Wilfried Zaha

With Eberechi Eze out for a long period, Crystal Palace’s main offensive creator role would fall on Wilfried Zaha. A disappointing Chelsea game means Palace are desperate to get back on track but the feisty Brentford are in their way. Zaha, however, is absolutely near unstoppable at Selhurst Park. He could turn up the tempo with the flick of the switch and contribute big numbers easily.

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3. Joao Cancelo

The Norwich tie has come at the right time for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. City’s defence needs to return to the unlockable gate it was last season and the Canaries seem like the best opposition to start the run. Cancelo will play a key figure in the endeavour.

His marauding forward runs could offer up more points than usual especially against an easily exposed Norwich side. The only catch that could go against his inclusion would be Pep’s tendency to make unpredictable changes to his lineup out of nowhere.

Top Captaincy Picks

1. Mohamed Salah

Salah is the easy choice to captain. The Egyptian was in blistering form in Carrow Road, playing a hand in all three goals. He scored one and assisted two as Liverpool went ahead with their usual opening day antics. The return of Virgil van Dijk seems to have bolstered the attack even more and a flailing Burnley seems ripe for the picking.

Burnley suffered an unceremonious loss to Potter’s Seagulls despite taking an early lead in the game. Dyche’s men seem likely to occupy the bottom half of the table and these teams would be a perfect opposition for teams who have Salah in their ranks.

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2. Raheem Sterling

An inglorious opening day against Tottenham would have been a shock to many Manchester City fans. But the Cityzens have the perfect bounce-back opportunity in Gameweek 2 as they welcome the newly-promoted Norwich City to the Etihad.

Sterling could very well turn up the goods after being forced into submission against Spurs. Norwich were brutally locked out in their home game against Liverpool and a City side desperate for a path to redemption will want to make the best of it.

3. Bruno Fernandes

You just can expect the Portuguese to show up every day. He is slowly becoming an unstoppable force for Manchester United and his potency and chemistry alongside Paul Pogba looks spectacular. Fernandes has had a total of 27 points in two games against the Saints last season, which includes two goals and three assists.

His fine form for his club could mean more of the same and Hassenhuttl’s team will need to be wary of the Portuguese.

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Key Unavailable players

Emmanuel Dennis and Edinson Cavani will likely not start their respective matches, the former out with a knock. In midfield, the biggest miss will be James Maddison. He is sidelined after a knock against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford are also going to be unavailable for long stretches.

Arsenal duo Lacazette and Aubameyang are likely to not play against Chelsea after missing the Brentford tie. Reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City’s Gundogan will also miss the tie against Norwich.

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