GM football fans. Route One here, we pluck the ripest stories from the football tree of news so you don’t have to.

Before diving in, we have an important warning for you.

Brace yourself and strap in tight for the rush of Premier League matches starting this week.

Premier League football is on Tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

So… let the family know that all plans are off until the avalanche comes to a halt Sunday night with Spurs vs Newcastle.

Today’s briefing is a ~6 min read:

1. Quick hit stats from the weekend… how many red cards already?! 📊

2. Key talking points from gameweek 14 🗣️

3. Fantasy Premier League… the complete guide to gameweek 15 🎯

QUICK HIT STATS FROM THE WEEKEND 📊

🛑 Clampdown! There have been 31 red cards so far this season which is already higher than the 30 given the whole of last season.

🤩 No other player has created as many chances as Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka this season (36).

🇸🇪 Dejan Kulusevski is only the second player in Premier League history to score away to the reigning champions in three consecutive seasons.

🧐 Anthony Gordon’s winning goal made him Newcastle’s first player to score in four consecutive home Premier League appearances since Joe Willock in May 2021.

🇳🇴 The Rusty Robot… Haaland registers five shots in one game without getting a single one on target for the first time in his career.

• 🥇 Arsenal retain top spot after beating Wolves 2-1. Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were both on the score sheet for the Gunners.

• 🥈 Liverpool overtake Man City for second after a surprisingly tough game against Fulham. It was a 4-3 thriller, with Alexander-Arnold securing three points with his 88th-minute winner.

• 🥉 Man City drops to third after a 3-3 draw with a depleted Spurs side. In what’s a rare sight now, Erling Haaland failed to make the scoresheet.

• 🏅 Aston Villa scored a late equaliser to secure a point versus Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw. Ollie Watkins is still showing good form with an assist and a goal.

MATCHDAY 14 TALKING POINTS 🗣️

Burnley’s 5-0 win in the relegation clash 😯

It was a game of firsts for Burnley. It was their first-ever five-goal victory and the first clean sheet this campaign.

Yes, you heard that right, five goals.

We’re not sure if this gives Burnley bragging rights… they’re still below a team that’s been deducted 10 points.

But, enough of that for now. Burnley showed signs of a team that can fight to stay up - though it’ll be a big mountain to climb.

Newcastle breeze past tough fixture run 🏃

Think about this… within one week Newcastle have faced Spurs, PSG and Man United. And, let’s be honest, they should’ve won all three… if it wasn’t for that poor penalty decision in the Champions League.

United looked tired. With only 96 off-the-ball runs (compared to Newcastle’s 185), it’s no wonder they struggled to make chances.

Eddie Howe’s men are on fire at home this season.

They’ve won seven of their eight league home games this season… and kept the most home clean sheets this season with five.

Interestingly, Antony Gordon’s winner was the first time United have conceded in the competition since Foden’s goal in October - ending their run of 334 minutes without conceding in the league.

City’s bogey team strikes again 😆

No matter how depleted Spurs are, they always find a way to ruin Pep’s day.

Before the game, the thought of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at centre-back versus City was almost comical. Yet, Erling Haaland - A.K.A the Robot - failed to convert any of his five shots… none of which were on target.

It’s written in stars when Spurs come up against City.

The biggest talking point from the game? The grandstand - and controversial - finish, with Jack Grealish through on goal… only for the referee to blow his whistle for a foul.

No doubt this will make a headline or two…

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

Kate Abdo reveals who she is flying to meet in Alabama… and Thierry Henry doesn’t look happy.

Super Sundays are always full of magic, especially when Dynamo the Magician visits. Roy Keane’s reaction is just as enchanting. 🤣

Sin bins should be scraped according to Paul Merson. The former Arsenal man explains why we should scrap the idea of introducing sin bins into football.

Video game or real life? Wes Burns scores a screamer for Ipswich Town that doesn’t look real.

Are POV player cams the future of football? Imagine seeing Erling Haaland’s perspective when he bulldozed defences first-hand… or Salah’s when he’s weaving in and out.

Fantasy Premier League 🎯

Ok, Router, we’re going to start with a quiz…

One rule: you must be honest!!

Either way, don’t sweat it, we have you covered.

We’ve created a full guide on our blog page which you find here…

But… in case you want to stay put, we’ve summarised some of it below.

Captaincy Pick 🫡

At Route One, we’ve been using betting odds to help decide our captaincy picks… and it’s been working a treat. 

Here’s a snapshot of the captaincy odds for gameweek 15:

The odds say Haaland is more likely to score… just.

But, let’s take a closer look at the best captaincy options.

Erling Haaland vs Aston Villa (A)

We get it… Haaland is Haaland.

But his odds of scoring in his next fixture are neck and neck with Salah for the first time this season.

There are a couple of explanations for this:

• Aston Villa's defence is fourth for expected goals conceded at home this season and third for actual goals conceded at home.

• Rodri is suspended against Aston Villa. Manchester City have struggled when the Spaniard has been unavailable this season.  

Mohamed Salah vs Sheffield United (A)

Sheffield United are the weakest home defence in the league this season, ranking lowest for expected goals conceded. 

Making this fixture a perfect pairing for Salah owners as he has the third-highest expected goal involvement away from home in the league.

The stats above combined paint a bleak picture for Sheffield United.

Son Heung-min vs West Ham (H)

Son looks to be another asset ready to return goals and assist given the stats. He is the second-highest goal-scoring midfielder this season, playing against the second-worst defence by expected goals conceded.

But Spurs have not been the same since their first team got crushed against Chelsea in gameweek 13. Three losses in a four for Spurs is poor form, to say the least. However, Son has been consistent throughout with three returns in the same period.

Verdict = Salah for captain.

TL/DR

• Salah’s looking like the best option for captaincy in GW15. 

• Salah faces Sheffield United who have the weakest defence in the league. 

• Haaland and Salah have almost identical goal-scoring odds but Haaland faces a strong Aston Villa side away from home without Rodri or Grealish. 

Differentials 🤫

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.9m) 

With only 9.6% of managers picking Trent Alexander-Arnold, he looks like a sure bet as a differential.

After his 13 pointer vs Fulham - with one goal and one assist - it’s likely that more managers will squeeze him into their squad for gameweek 15. 

But… don’t let that deter you. He’s on fire with three attacking returns in two games, as he often slips into the midfield position. 

Liverpool also has a favourable run of fixtures over the next three gameweeks. 

He’s darn expensive… but so worth it if you have the funds.

Hwang Hee-Chan (£5.6m)

Ok, ok… so you want a differential, but don’t have the funds for someone like Alexander-Arnold?

Look no further, my friend. Hwang Hee-Chan is a humble £5.6m and has three returns in his last five Premier League games. 

Most of Wolves’ attacking play goes through Hee-Chan and with a favourable fixture run upcoming - Burnley, Forest and West Ham - he could prove fruitful. 

Other assets are competing for the budget top pick. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (£5.3m) springs to mind. He has a higher xG than Hee-Chan, probably because he’s on penalties for The Blues. 

However, Palmer is selected by 13%, whereas only 5.6% have backed Hee-Chan… so it depends on how much you’re playing catch up.

Alexander Isak (£7.5m)

Five goals in five games… and only selected by 15% of managers?

Don’t mind if I do… 

Alexander Isak is only beaten by Haaland when it comes to xG per appearance. 

Managers were worried that he was a rotation risk previously. This was fair… but with Newcastle’s depleted squad, he’s nailed on to start for now. 

If Isak continues to outperform his xG, there’s no doubt his ownership will rise… as too will his price, so get in there fast.

As ever, good luck, Router!

MEME 😆