Could Erling Haaland Beat Mo Salah’s Long-Standing FPL Record?
The 2022-23 Premier League season, and therefore the Premier League Fantasy Football campaign, is heading towards a thrilling finale, with the 20 clubs having either eight or nine games remaining. Fantasy players are frantically making last-minute changes to the team in an attempt to earn a few more vital points, while their real-life managerial counterparts are pushing for the title or fighting relegation. Manchester City are fighting tooth and nail to catch Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the top of the table, and a certain Erling Haaland will be key to whether or not that happens.
Everyone knew Haaland was an incredible striker before he put pen to paper with the Citizens this season. However, nobody could have predicted how amazing the Norwegian goal machine would be during his debut season in the Premier League. Haaland is, understandably, the clear favourite for the Golden Boot with the best American online betting sites and those closer to home. It is ridiculous when you realise that Haaland has scored more goals for City in his 26 league appearances than the entire Chelsea squad has managed in four more games! With 30 goals and five assists from 26 games played, it is easy to see why 80% of Premier League Fantasy managers have Haaland in their team.
Incredible Goal Scoring Record
To date, Haaland’s exploits in the famous sky blue of Manchester City have resulted in him accumulating 215 points, with him having nine more games to play. That is an average of 8.27 points per game, which is rather astonishing when you think about it. That average leaves him slightly short of Liverpool’s Mo Salah’s FPL record points haul from the 2017-18 season when Salah amassed 303 points; nobody has broken through the 300 points barrier before or since.
Salah scored 32 goals, made ten assists, and created 12 big chances while only receiving a solitary yellow card despite Liverpool languishing in fourth place, some 25 points behind champions Manchester City. Of course, Salah generally picks up more bonus points for his all-round play, while Haaland is a true out-and-out goal scorer, hence the record 303 points. Haaland has a maximum of nine Premier League games to add 88 points to his already impressive tally. It’s a tall ask, as he is on 30 goals, five assists, and five yellows right now, but if anyone can break Salah’s record, Haaland is that man.
Haaland and City’s Upcoming Premier League Fixtures
City has a relatively tricky run-in until the end of the season, in addition to still being in contention in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. They have home fixtures against champions-elect Arsenal, strugglers West Ham United and Leeds United, and goal-shy Chelsea. Haaland and his City teammates find themselves on the road against Brighton, Fulham, Everton, and Brentford. With an average of 1.11 goals per game, it is challenging to see a scenario where Haaland does not find the back of the next in at least half of those games, which would take his goal tally to 34-35 goals. That would not be enough to topple Salah, but again, is it outside the realms of possibility that Haaland scores in them all? He did, after all, after bagging a hat-trick against Leeds United at Elland Road state he had set himself a target of 40 league goals!
FPL Record Points Scorers
We already know Salah holds the all-time record for FPL points in a single season, with 303. But who are the other legendary figures? Luis Suarez amassed 295 points during the 2013/14 campaign, while now-Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard set a record with 284 points during the 2009/10 season. Before Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo hit 283 points in 2007/08. Can Haaland beat all those players? We wouldn’t bet against it happening.
