Brighton FPL Gameweek 22: Managers flocking to Van Hecke
After a month in which there have been only two FPL deadlines with the most recent two-and-a-half weeks ago, managers need to swiftly snap back into action – and a lot are doing so by looking at Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
The midweek Gameweek 22 leads quickly into Gameweek 23 at the weekend. The Albion face relatively kind fixtures away at Luton Town and home to Crystal Palace at a time when they seem to have discovered some defensive resolve.
Having not kept a Premier League clean sheet all season, Brighton now have two in as many matches from a pair of 0-0 draws. The Albion had previously gone over 14 months without a goalless stalemate in top flight action.
Brighton won 4-1 against Luton at the Amex on the opening day of the season. And whilst Roberto De Zerbi’s side will expect to find the back of the net at Kenilworth Road, assets at the other end of the pitch appear worth looking at for FPL managers.
Jason Steele (£4.2 million)
In goal for those first two clean sheets of the Premier League season was Jason Steele, also bagging five points to total 18 over Gameweeks 20 and 21.
Steele comes in at a very cheap £4.2 million, partly because Roberto De Zerbi has committed to rotating his goalkeepers through an even split of 50-50 games.
It puts Steele in the same sort of bargain category as Alphonse Areola (£4.2 million) and Martin Dubravka (£4.2 million). Most interesting, Steele costs less than his Albion teammate Bart Verbruggen (£4.4 million).
Should De Zerbi stick with the backline who recorded those back-to-back shutouts, then Steele will start against Luton.
It is also worth nothing that despite all the hysteria around the lack of clean sheets before Christmas, the Albion’s underlying defensive statistics have been far better than results suggest.
Brighton are the fifth-best side overall in the Premier League this season at preventing both attempts (254) and shots on target (84).
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.0 million)
The return from injury of full back Pervis Estupinan (£5.1 million) has seen many managers transfer in the Ecuadorian for the threat he poses in defence and attack.
His cost though might be off putting for some, in which case the reliable Van Hecke (£4.0 million) is an excellent alternative.
The Dutchman has started 11 matches in a row and comes at at bench-worthy price for those fixtures that look less promising.
He has recorded seven goal attempts from inside the penalty area in his last seven outings, two of which were labelled as big chances.
That is why Van Hecke is the second most-bought Brighton defender after Estupinan going into FPL Gameweek 22.
Captaincy
The Asian Cup and AFCON mean Mohamed Salah (£13.1 million) and Son Heung-min (£9.7 million) remain absent. Not only that, but the injury status of Erling Haaland (£13.9 million) remains unknown at the time of writing.
Manchester City players are naturally the first place to look for captaincy ahead of a home game against newly-promoted Burnley.
Should Haaland not be passed fit to start, putting the armband on either Kevin De Bruyne (£10.6 million), Phil Foden (£8.0 million) or Julian Alvarez (£7.0 million) makes sense.
Elsewhere, perhaps Jarrod Bowen (£8.1 million) could be a maverick shout. He disappointed owners by blanking at Sheffield United but is on an 11-goal tally that only four others have bettered.
West Ham could well be facing Bournemouth at a good time too. The Cherries have seen their recent great form halted by consecutive defeats to Spurs and Liverpool.
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