FPL: Foden v Saka

In this article we take a look at one of the biggest debates within the FPL community, Foden v Saka. To find out which player fantasy managers should buy or keep we head over to the Fantasy Football Scout Members Area and use some of its brilliant tools.

Budget is getting tighter as we progress into the latter stages of the season. With the likes of Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Ollie Watkins and Son Heung-Min, we may have to make a decision between Foden or Saka.

Arsenal v Manchester City

A huge factor when picking between Foden and Saka is how their teams stack up against each other.

Both Arsenal and Manchester City are having fantastic seasons and both sit just one point between each other in the Premier League.

When comparing both sides in terms of underlying attacking data, Arsenal better Manchester City for goals scored, goals scored in the box, total shots in the box. Manchester City do however better Arsenal when it comes to total attempts on goal, big chances and shots on target.

We should also factor in both schedules for the remainder of the season. We can see that from now until the end, Manchester City have a slightly better schedule than Arsenal.

Foden v Saka

Both Foden and Saka have proven to be excellent FPL assets this season. Saka sits as the second highest scoring midfielder in the game with 178 points and Foden the fifth highest scoring player with 160 points.

When comparing their key stats we can see that Saka edges Foden for six of the metrics below including starts, goals and assists. Meanwhile, Foden is ahead of Saka for five of the key stats below including time played, subbed on and subbed off.

Comparing their underlying data is also extremely important. It gives us indications of sustainability when it comes to their output.

So far this season, Saka has bettered Foden for all but two key metrics including big chances created, big chances total, shots in the box, expected goal involvement and more. In fact, Foden only beats Saka in goal attempts and BPS baseline.

We can see that Saka dominates Foden for most attacking metrics. But when it comes to actual points over the next five Gameweeks how do they compare?

Using the Fantasy Football Scout projected points we can see that there is less than a point between them from now until Gameweek 35.

Other Factors

There are other factors that come into play when comparing both players, let’s take a look at some below:

Penalty duty – Saka takes his sides penalties which adds huge appeal. In comparison, Foden does not. Knowing a player takes penalties adds even more attraction when it comes to investment because it’s an additional route to points.

Talisman role – For many Saka is the beating heart of his side and their standout option in FPL. However, Foden is one of the several excellent assets in his team who could all pick up returns.

Attacking coverage – Having attacking coverage from two of the best attacks in the league could be crucial. With many opting for Erling Haaland some may believe it not necessary to go for the Manchester City attacking double up.

Rotation – Both sides remain in the title race and in the Champions League. The Manchester City manager, historically, has been known to heavily rotate key players where-as the Arsenal manager has not. In fact, many believe that Mikel Arteta overplays his key assets.

Foden v Saka

In conclusion, Saka is way ahead of Foden and edges him for most comparisons including goals, assists, penalty duty, underlying attacking data and more. If managers have to decide between both assets long-term then all signs point to the Arsenal man.