The Scout assesses whether Mohamed Salah (£12.8m) is now the MUST have player to own in 2024/25 Fantasy Premier Leagueafter the Liverpool Talisman increased its lead at the top of the general classification.

In a Gameweek where a number of big hitters disappointed, Salah continued his impressive start under Arne Slot by scoring the hosts’ winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Egyptian has just TWO shutouts in 10 appearances under the new head coach, averaging 9.3 points per game thanks to seven goals and five assists.

Salah has been much more consistent than his fellow big hitters Erling Haaland (£15.3 million) and Cole Palmer (£11.0m), who each suffered their FOURTH blank of the campaign this weekend.

This highlights the Liverpool star’s growing appeal as the most reliable captain option in Fantasy at the moment, while his potential to pick up huge points only adds to Salah’s prospects – indeed, his SIX double-digit scores are at least TWICE the total of any other player.

The recent and contrasting form of Salah and Haaland has had a big impact on the managers’ plans before Deadline Saturday 11:00 GMT.

While Salah is the second most bought player of Gameweek, with more than 157,000 new owners, Haaland – who has blanked in four of his last five appearances – is the most sold player, followed by more than 193,000 managers while others shift their funds to midfield.

Premium Star Production Comparison

How Salah’s goal threat compares

The underlying statistics show that Haalandas the focal point of Man City’s attack, is by far the player presenting the greatest goal threat in Fantasy.

The Norwegian’s 48 shots, 44 shots in the box and 16 big chances – situations where the player is expected to score – all constitute the best totals in the league. Despite his recent drought, Haaland’s 11 goals give him a three-goal advantage over any rival in his quest for a third consecutive Golden Boot.

Salah‘s numbers also draw attention here – his 28 shots in the box and 23.3 goal conversion each rank second in the analysis.

Notably, all but two of the Liverpool star’s 30 shots have come from inside the opposition’s penalty area, an indication that he is concentrating his shots in key areas.

Palmeron the other hand, managed two more shots than Salah’s 30, but only 19 of the Chelsea midfielder’s attempts came from inside the box.

Goal threat from premium stars 24/25

How Salah’s creativity compares

By combining each player’s scoring threat with their creativity, you get a better idea of ​​their overall Fantasy points outlook.

The assist potential of Saka and Palmer is particularly impressive here, with 13 and 10 big chances created respectively.

Added to his eight big chances, this means Palmer has been involved in 18 such chances, more than any other player this season.

Salah’s creativity also helps increase his production: he had 16 big chances, creating five out of 11.

Haaland’s stats also help to highlight the contrast in his attacking output – he goes from FIRST for goal threat to LAST for assist potential, with high-end midfielders offering far greater ability to provide assists.

The creativity of premium stars 24/7

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How does Salah compare to last season?

At first glance, the underlying per-game numbers suggest there isn’t much difference from last season, with Salah almost identical for shots in the box, big chances and big chances created.

The Egyptian has clearly improved his finishing skills this time around, with his goal conversion rate increasing from 15.8 percent to 23.3 percent.

Comparison of Salah’s threats and goals

Salah’s huge improvement in dribbling, however, is an indication that he has more freedom to influence things. Indeed, he has already completed more successful dribbles in the final third than in the entire previous campaign.

What’s also notable here is that Salah hasn’t completed a single through ball this season, while his tally of 18 in 2023/34 was a team high.

Combined with his resumption of dribbling, this suggests that the Egyptian is less focused on his teammates’ runs in the final third and is becoming a little more determined again when it comes to attacking.

Comparing Salah’s Dribbling and Through Passing

How does Liverpool’s goal threat compare under Slot?

Liverpool’s team stats can also help to better understand their strong start under Slot.

Last season, Liverpool made a record 790 shots, but only 129 of those shots – or 16.3 percent – constituted big chances. This is their lowest ratio for their statistics during Klopp’s seven-year tenure.

After the first 10 Gameweeks for Slot, the Reds lead the way with 37 big chances – that means 26.2% of their shots in 2024/25 have been big chances, more than Klopp’s ALL seasons at the helm.

There appears to be a clear move away from Liverpool players producing more speculative efforts and a focus instead on waiting for more golden goalscoring opportunities.

Slot against Klopp’s Liverpool

Could Salah set a single-season FPL record?

If Salah stays at the same rate of 9.3 points per game, he would finish with 353 points, a BIG increase from the current best single-season total in FPL history of 303 points, which the Egyptian himself- even established on his debut in 2017. 18th campaign for Liverpool.

While this is highly speculative at this start of the season, a look at the statistics certainly shows a steady decline in defensive resolve among Salah’s opponents since his debut.

In 2017/18, for example, only TWO clubs conceded at least 80 big chances. But last season this applied to 16 clubs.

Additionally, in 2017/18 Bournemouth’s 79 big chances were the THIRD WORST total, while last season Newcastle’s 79 big chances were the FOURTH BEST record.

As a result, clubs struggled to keep clean sheets last season – only seven of them managed at least 10, compared to 14 clubs in 2021/22.

This season already looks encouraging for attackers facing weaker defenses. Ipswich Town And Leicester City have conceded 45 and 39 big chances in the first 10 Gameweeks – more than the 38 of Sheffield United, who finished last in 2023/24.

Big chances (BC) conceded per season