Who passed the eye test in Gameweek 35?

We take a look at the Saturday matches to see who passed the eye test Gameweek 35. With a focus on the matches played so far, we highlight some of the standout performances of the current round, whether they returned in Fantasy Premier League or not.

Underlying stats will always be very useful for FPL managers in their chase for success. However, looking at who passed the eye test in Gameweek 35 could be a huge factor when looking at potential FPL assets to bring into our fantasy teams moving forward.

Riyad Mahrez

Many managers were expecting a goal fest for Manchester City in Gameweek 35. That wasn’t to be and although they dominated the game, the match ended 2-1 to the league leaders. Several performances caught the eye in the game but one of the best came from Riyad Mahrez (£7.3m).

Mahrez became one of Manchester City’s key creators in the game. The Algerian caused major issues for Leeds at the back, cutting in and picking out his offensive teammates surging into the box. Mahrez produced four key passes and two of which were converted. This helped him reach a cool 10 points in FPL. With a Manchester City double Gameweek approaching, he could well be the go-to midfielder.

Pedro Porro

Tottenham came into the new round knowing they had to win if they had any chance of breaking into the top four or maintaining a Europa League spot. It was a tight contest between Spurs and Crystal Palace but the hosts edged it, taking away a 1-0 victory.

The standout performance in the match came from Pedro Porro (£4.8m). The Spanish wing-back was absolutely relentless down the flanks, creating and becoming a a goal threat. Porro produced four key passes and two big chances which led to his assist. All in all Porro finished the game with a huge 12-point haul. Defensive assets have disappointed this season and with three Gameweeks left, some should consider Porro if looking to move on a differential.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool were also searching for a win to put them closer to breaking into the top four this week. We saw another tight score-line as the Reds won 1-0 against Brentford. One of the biggest take-aways from the game is the increasing confidence of Mohamed Salah (£13m).

Salah has been questioned for most of the season but the Egyptian could be getting back to his best as the season peters out. Salah was instrumental in the win, creating three key passes, completing his long balls and scoring the winning goal. He managed to collect 10 points this week and with some good fixtures coming up, he could even become an alternative captaincy option.

Kevin De Bruyne

It could be tough to leave out another player involved in Manchester City’s 2-1 win against Wolves. The league leaders front line put in a great showing this week and the score-line should have been bigger for the hosts.

Another player who performed brilliantly is Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m). The midfielder was fantastic, controlling the midfield, spreading passes and splitting the defence. Not only did the Belgian get stuck in, winning most of his ground duels but he also successfully completed most of his dribbles and long balls. Five key passes wasn’t enough to pick up an assist, but De Bruyne’s overall performance was simply one of the best amongst all players this week. With two Champions League games approaching and a heavy schedule ahead in general, could De Bruyne be too much of a risk in terms of investment?