Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 12 tips: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane top candidates for captaincy; Arsenal forwards in demand

Manchester City were the darlings of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) owners last week as the mauling of Southampton at the Etihad helped the average points score breach the 50-mark again. West Ham United, Everton and Chelsea provided helping hands, but the defending champions were at the forefront of point galore. Three City players made it to the gameweek 11’s dream team, the most from any team. This week, Manchester City will be the focus of attention once again, but possibly for reasons other than FPL. Jose Mourinho’s resurgent Manchester United come calling to the Etihad for the season’s first Manchester derby. Comebacks have been the theme for United this month, and last season’s 3-2 comeback win at the Etihad will be fresh in the minds of Red Devils faithful. Considering City’s form, a repeat seems unlikely, but expect goals in the game considering the wealth of talent on offer. [caption id=“attachment_5522781” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Gameweek 12 fixtures[/caption] United can’t defend for their lives and City just can’t stop hitting teams for sixes. Mourinho will surely come with a plan and City’s inability to keep clean sheets in the previous two matches will keep him interested. Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling will be licking their lips at the prospect of going against the United defence that has been uncharacteristically generous. As for the rest of the City attackers, FPL owners are advised to stay away from guesswork and go with the sure starters. Apart from Aguero and Sterling, David Silva is the only other player that seems certain to start. At a price of £8.5 million, the Spaniard would be a good bet if Sterling or Aguero is beyond your reach. For United, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata have been at the heart of most of their attacking endeavours and will pose City’s defence a big threat. However, with United most likely to play on the counter Martial’space gives him an edge over the craft Spaniard. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to avoid United players altogether this week and pick them for the coming weeks instead. A trip to Juventus would have taken a lot out of Mourinho’s men and their task at the Etihad is cut out. The other game that’s likely to garner the attention of FPL owners comes from Anfield. With Liverpool hosting a struggling Fulham side, the Reds who suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League in midweek would be keen to make amends. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane would fancy their chances against that leaky Fulham defence, and FPL owners would do well to hand the captain’s armband to one of these players for the coming week. Arsenal who had the better of the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last week also have a relatively easy game against Wolves at the weekend. The Wanderers have endured a dip in form of late. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will relish the prospect of having a crack at the Wolves defence. There are points there for the Gunners’ striking duo and keeping them out could prove to be a costly mistake. Callum Wilson and Marko Arnautovic who had good performances in GW 11 are the most purchased forwards this week. Wilson is up against struggling Newcastle, while Arnautovic and West Ham travel to Huddersfield. The forwards may not find the same joy on the road as last week. In addition, Wilson has a tough run of games coming up that may see his goals dry up. As for Arnautovic, the fixture list is pretty kind, but West Ham’s form this season has been pretty erratic, and a barren week even against Huddersfield might not be a big surprise. Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata has scored four goals in as many games for the Blues. His form has been noted by FPL owners who have him among the top 10 purchased forwards this week. At a price of £8.7m, the Spaniard might be a smart buy with Chelsea coming up against Everton, who have kept just two clean sheets all season. Eden Hazard played 60 minutes against BATE Borisov in midweek and is slated to start the encounter. The Blues playmaker would also be among the contenders for captaincy this week. Bargain buys for GW 12  Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) - The Argentine has scored twice in his last four appearances for Spurs and finally appears to have cemented a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s setup. Lamela has the potential to be a real steal if he continues his current form. Available at a price of just £6.4m, Lamela is certainly an option worth considering. Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion) - The Brighton defender is the most purchased defender this week. Brighton have an inviting run of fixtures in the coming weeks and Duffy who is available at a generous price of £4.6m is a very desirable option especially considering his ability to contribute in attack. Duffy already has two goals and two assists to his name playing as a centre-back, thus making a very attractive prospect. Rob Holding (Arsenal) - The Gunners haven’t looked reliable defensively this season with just two clean sheets so far. However, with Holding and Shkodran Mustafi have shown promise as a centre-back pairing of late. Wolves might be the exact kind of opposition against which Arsenal would feel confident of keeping a clean sheet. Available at a price of £4.4m, Holding is a steal. Grady Diangana (West Ham United) - The West Ham United winger has just one assist to show for a series of good performances in recent weeks. However, with Manuel Pellegrini putting faith in Diangana, the winger is likely to improve his return. Available at a paltry sum of £4.5m, Diangana can help you balance your midfield.