Is Saka an alternative to Haaland as captain? The FPL talking point

When Arsenal host Wolves this Saturday it will be a meeting between the club sitting top of the Premier League and one rooted to the foot of the table.

It will also pit the English top flight's second most potent attacking side against the worst defence.

And with second-placed Manchester City visiting a Crystal Palace side that go into the weekend occupying a top-four spot - and having lost once at home this season - could it be time to switch the captaincy away from Erling Haaland to Bukayo Saka?

The England forward has watched his value rise to £10.2m after some consistent performances, and the Gunners' remaining December fixtures may present some opportunities for Saka, with a trip to Everton followed by home matches against Brighton and Aston Villa .

Meanwhile, Haaland has scored once in his last four league outings and his one shot in the box against Leeds and Sunderland were his worst displays since City's opening home defeat to Tottenham in gameweek two.

So we are asking: Is Saka a genuine alternative to Haaland perma-captain this weekend?

Unsurprisingly, Haaland is the most selected player in FPL, appearing in 73% of teams.

But across gameweeks 12, 13 and 15 he mustered just six points due to a drop off in big chances. But given he is less likely to be rotated by Pep Guardiola, would it be a risk to remove him?

@ Let's Talk FPL Andy said: "I'm almost certainly in the camp for Saka. Watching Wolves against Manchester United cemented the deal.

"They were so bad, and Arsenal are so much better than United, there could easily be four, five or six goals there. He has to be number one choice with that fixture. For me it is Saka or nobody."

Statman Dave added: "Saka is already my captain."

There's momentum quickly gathering among serious FPL managers to captain Saka as the league leaders face bottom side Wolves at the Emirates.

It's the best fixture on the calendar this season from an attacking perspective: Wolves are without a clean sheet this season, conceding a league-high 33 goals, including four at home to Manchester United last time out.

Saka has delivered an attacking return in three consecutive league games, and his underlying numbers are equally compelling, with 12 shots and three big chances.

We know he has vast routes to points, given his set-piece responsibility, including penalties, plus he's never far away from the defensive contribution bonus points.

Saka was rested against Brentford , scoring from the bench, which bodes well for his minutes in this game. It's a key game for the Gunners following defeat at Aston Villa last time out, with Manchester City reducing the gap at the top to just two points.

However, Haaland remains a very solid captaincy option and will likely be the most-backed player once again this week. It's dangerous to go against him, because if he does deliver, you'll likely be faced with red arrows.

A trip to Crystal Palace appears tough on paper, but Haaland has scored on all three visits to Selhurst Park, with Manchester City scoring a leading 15 goals in the last four gameweeks alone. Haaland has blanked in three of those last four games, with his one goal and two assists from this spell coming in the 5-4 win away at Fulham .

His underlying numbers remain high, with 11 shots in the box and five big chances on goal.

Managers who have tripled up on City, especially with the attacking double up with Phil Foden, could be better covered for not giving Haaland the armband this weekend.