Must-Have or Missed Opportunity: Is Haaland a Game-Changer for Blank Gameweek 29?

Some Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are poised to unleash a Free Hit for Gameweek 29, allowing them to snap up Erling Haaland (£14.7m) without the need for any painful sacrifices. Using a Free Hit means there’s no requirement to part ways with blanking heavyweights like Mohamed Salah (£13.8m), Alexander Isak (£9.4m), or Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m). Even Cole Palmer (£10.9m), who’s been off form and now faces a trek to Arsenal, could be let go. However, those opting for free transfers to welcome the Manchester City star may need to cut ties with several of these top performers, creating potential headaches when the fixtures take a different turn in Gameweek 30/31. Let’s dive into the Members Area stats to determine if the eye-popping price on Haaland is justified, especially with upcoming home fixtures against Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City. **SEASON SO FAR** It’s easy to overlook the fact that Haaland was once the most popular £10.0m+ pick at the onset of the 2024/25 season. Over his first two Premier League campaigns, he racked up a whopping 63 goals, and with back-to-back hat-tricks in Gameweeks 2 and 3, he netted another 10 goals in his opening five matches, reaching a peak ownership of over 7.84 million. But alas, as Manchester City stumbled in their form, so did Haaland’s popularity. The reigning champions hopelessly lost nine out of thirteen matches across all competitions, managing just a solitary win in that spell. Haaland himself struggled during a dismal stretch of 13 league matches, registering a mere three goals and one assist from Gameweeks 6 to 18, never exceeding seven points in any match. Truth be told, City’s form still leaves much to be desired. They’ve peppered their season with an embarrassing 5-1 drubbing at Arsenal and suffered defeats against Real Madrid, Liverpool, and a frustrating loss at Nottingham Forest. On the flip side, while Haaland is doing reasonably well with seven goals in nine matches, bringing his tally to 20—trailing only Salah—he ranks second for penalty area touches (176) and third for attempts (99) and expected goal involvement (xGI, 21.65). Palmer even outshines him here. However, the rising star does lead the league for shots on target (56) and big chances (37). His performance at Forest, devoid of significant output, serves as a sobering reminder that he might not be the necessity some are banking on.   Above: Premier League players sorted by big chances this season   **ROLLING SIX-MATCH AVERAGES**