Brighton FPL Gameweek 33: Solly can March back from Wembley woes

Many FPL managers were forced to move their Brighton assets to the bench for gameweek 32 because they were in FA Cup semi final action Manchester United, a game which ended in disappointment for the Seagulls and in particular, Solly March.

March missed the decisive penalty, sending United through to an all-Manchester final against City on June 3rd. He was left in tears at full time, although the support of his teammates and the 37,000 Brighton fans singing his name after the game will have provided a little consolation.

Many FPL managers may now be wondering what impact such a crushing moment could have on Solly March and his Brighton performances over the remaining five weeks of the season.

The good news is March has already bounced back from firing a must-score spot kick over the bar this season. He missed at the Valley when the Albion were eliminated from the Carabao Cup against Charlton Athletic in December.

There are other good reasons to invest in March beyond the fortitude he has previously shown. Whilst most teams have six fixtures left to play, Brighton have nine.

The Albion will face doubles in gameweeks 34, 36 and 37. This gives FPL managers the potential for more minutes and a bigger chance of points returns by sticking with March and his Brighton teammates.

Deep dive into Solly March in FPL 2022-23
March (£5.2 million) is one of only three Brighton assets to have started all 29 league games so far. He is currently Brighton’s third-highest-owned player but is still in just 10.8 percent of squads.

He has scored seven Premier League goals, better than all teammates except the eight of Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5 million). However, March is on top for total attacking returns, with 16.

March has had 67 attempts on goal so far, 40 of which have come since the Premier League restart of gameweek 17. That was the game immediately after his first penalty heartbreak of the season at the Valley.

All seven of his goals have come since the resumption and he has created 40 chances over the same period, 13 of which have been classified as big chances.

Additionally, March is Brighton’s best for successful passes in the final third. As a result of these underlying statistics, March has collected the most bonus points at the club since gameweek 17.

He was voted as WAB Brighton Player of the Month for March (the headline wrote itself) having finished runner up through February, January and December. Nobody has performed as consistently as March since the World Cup.

With multiple routes to points and a huge potential for grabbing additional ones, March is an excellent option for FPL managers.

Captain fantastic
Even with a difficult fixture in gameweek 33 against Arsenal, Erling Haaland (£12.2 million) will likely remain a popular captaincy pick.

The forward has 38 attacking returns this season and is averaging 8.2 points per match, more than any other player in the game.

Manchester City and the Gunners playing each other could make this midweek round of matches a good opportunity for a different captain.

Liverpool’s Mo Salah (£12.8 million) will likely be a popular option. The midfielder has 12 attacking returns since Gameweek 23, more than any other player in the league.

You can pick up expert advice throughout the 2022-23 Fantasy Premier League season with Fantasy Football Scout