FPL Gameweek 27 was headlined by debate over Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah for the captaincy &#8211; but both were ultimately disappointing.
Here&#8217;s our rundown of some notable highlights from Gameweek 27 so far and key Opta <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> leaders. It concludes with West Ham v Leicester today (Thursday, February 27).
If you want details of every goalscorer and assister, plus bonus points and more, see our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-match-centre">Match Centre</a>, which updates live during matches. Below is some key takeaways from the fixtures so far.

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<h2>Salah&#8217;s assist gives him edge in Palmer captaincy battle</h2>
It was a case of form versus fixture in the Gameweek 27 captaincy battle, with Salah and Palmer the main choices for the armband.
Chelsea were odds on to score the most goals in the league, with struggling Southampton visiting Stamford Bridge.
Hub AI also gave Palmer the narrow lead over Salah for predicted points, with Newcastle expected to provide a tougher test for Liverpool.
The Blues backed up the bookmakers&#8217; faith, scoring four to Liverpool&#8217;s two &#8211; but despite encouraging <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a>, Palmer came away with no goal involvements.
Salah &#8211; the choice of nearly 73% of the top 250,000 FPL managers &#8211; grabbed an assist to give captainers a total of 12 points.
But in reality, both underwhelmed in terms of FPL returns and those who went for Palmer lost little, with his clean sheet point giving him three points &#8211; doubled to six.
<div id="attachment_71166" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71166" class="size-full wp-image-71166" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Captains-top-250k.jpg" alt="Captaincy split among the top 250,000 managers" width="800" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Captains-top-250k.jpg 800w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Captains-top-250k-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Captains-top-250k-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Captains-top-250k-610x496.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Captaincy split among the top 250,000 managers</div>
&nbsp;
Palmer had more shots on goal than any other player in the league this week, with the joint-most on target and in the box.
He racked up an expected goals (xG) of 1.07 and had two big chances, indicating captainers were unlucky to see him blank.
Salah meanwhile had a quieter night from a shots perspective, with three efforts on goal and an xG of 0.15.
He was superior creatively however, setting up two big chances and making four key passes.
Palmer&#8217;s expected points was 8.66, while Salah&#8217;s was 4.78.
The Egyptian last blanked in Gameweek 21 and has seven goals (3.21 xG) and four assists since. With 10 games to go, he is just 12 points short of the record 303 he set in the 2017/18 season.
By contrast, Palmer has just one assist in the same period and no goals from 2.18 xG.
Analytical managers backed the odds this week and were unfortunate not to profit from Palmer and Chelsea&#8217;s performance &#8211; but given Salah&#8217;s form, it&#8217;s hardly surprising to see him lead the captaincy split so convincingly.
The duo are likely to be the leading candidates once again in Gameweek 28, with Salah facing Southampton (H) and Palmer Leicester (H).
<div id="attachment_71165" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71165" class="size-full wp-image-71165" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Salah-v-Palmer-GW27.jpg" alt="Mohamed Salah v Cole Palmer in Gameweek 27" width="800" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Salah-v-Palmer-GW27.jpg 800w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Salah-v-Palmer-GW27-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Salah-v-Palmer-GW27-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Salah-v-Palmer-GW27-610x496.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Mohamed Salah v Cole Palmer in Gameweek 27</div>
<h2>Sarr and Rogers back among the goals</h2>
Crystal Palace scored eight goals in five games going into their match against Aston Villa, with Ismaila Sarr involved in none of them.
But the winger was one of the stars of Gameweek 27, scoring twice for a haul of 15 points.
The Senegelese led the way in several <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> categories, including shots in the box and expected points, with his chances against Unai Emery&#8217;s side amounting to a top-ranked xG of 1.84.
Between Gameweek 16 and 21, Sarr scored three and assisted two, with an expected goal involvement (xGI) of 3.3.
His xGI dropped to 1.1 from Gameweek 21 to 26 but is now boosted to a comparable 3.2 following Palace&#8217;s 4-1 victory.
A reminder for Palmer owners, perhaps, that &#8216;form&#8217; is temporary.
In a similar fashion, Morgan Rogers broke his run of six league games without a goal or assist by scoring Villa&#8217;s only goal of the game.
The midfielder also had a goal ruled out for a fractional VAR offside call.
<div id="attachment_71167" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71167" class="size-full wp-image-71167" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sarr-GW1-27.jpg" alt="Ismaila Sarr's stats" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sarr-GW1-27.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sarr-GW1-27-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sarr-GW1-27-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sarr-GW1-27-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Ismaila Sarr&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
<h2>Evanilson gets first pitch time since injury</h2>
Bournemouth fell to a 1-2 defeat to Brighton, with Justin Kluivert&#8217;s strike from outside the box not enough to rescue a result for Andoni Iraola&#8217;s side.
Both teams&#8217; forward spots were notable from a fantasy perspective.
Joao Pedro started his second game in a row amid Danny Welbeck&#8217;s fitness issues. Pedro converted a first-half penalty but was replaced by Welbeck &#8211; who scored three minutes later &#8211; in the 72nd minute.
The Brazilian&#8217;s place in the side will once again be under scrutiny when Gameweek 28 rolls around next weekend.
Bournemouth meanwhile welcomed back Evanilson, who came on for Dango Ouattara with 13 minutes to go.
Ouattara has filled in up front for the Cherries while Evanilson has been out with a fractured foot. It remains to be seen whether Evanilson will be fit enough to start come Gameweek 28.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66688" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Evanilson.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Evanilson.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Evanilson-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Evanilson-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Evanilson-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" />
<h2>Isak injury latest</h2>
Alexander Isak was a surprise omission from the squad for Newcastle&#8217;s loss to Liverpool, with a groin issue cited by Eddie Howe.
The Newcastle boss explained:
<blockquote>
&#8220;It goes without saying how important he is for us and you could see that. It was a late decision, he just didn’t feel right with his groin. He didn’t want to take the risk and we have big games coming up. We certainly hope he will be back for the [Carabao Cup] final, we don’t envisage it as a big thing.
“I had a chat with him around lunchtime to see how he felt. We knew he felt something yesterday and we thought it might improve overnight and obviously it didn’t.
&#8220;That prompted a tactical switch and we brought Callum [Wilson] in and he was OK.&#8221;</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_70497" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-70497" class="size-full wp-image-70497" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Isak-player-graphic.jpg" alt="Alexander Isak" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Isak-player-graphic.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Isak-player-graphic-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Isak-player-graphic-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Isak-player-graphic-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Alexander Isak</div>
<h2>Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 27: Players</h2>
Palmer ranks first in several of these categories but it was Christopher Nkunku, Marc Cucurella and Levi Colwill who shared the points in Chelsea&#8217;s win, scoring 12, 15 and 14 respectively.
Erling Haaland had a goal disallowed in Manchester City&#8217;s 0-1 win at Spurs, while Bruno Fernandes&#8217;s assists helped 10 men Manchester United edge out Ipswich 3-2.
Arsenal failing to score for a second game running &#8211; drawing 0-0 at Nottingham Forest, meant their players are not represented here.
Here are the gameweek&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> leaders in full so far:
<ul>
<li>Shots &#8211; Cole Palmer &#8211; 7</li>
<li>Shots on target &#8211; Seven players including Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer &#8211; 3</li>
<li>Shots in the box &#8211; Cole Palmer and Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 4</li>
<li>Big chances &#8211; Erling Haaland and Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 3</li>
<li>Goals &#8211; Jaden Philogene and Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 2</li>
<li>xG &#8211; Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 1.84</li>
<li>Non-penalty xG (NpxG) &#8211; Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 1.84</li>
<li>Key passes &#8211; Enzo Fernandez and Justin Kluivert &#8211; 6</li>
<li>Big chances created &#8211; Mohamed Salah, Enzo Fernandez and Jeremy Doku &#8211; 2</li>
<li>Assists &#8211; Bruno Fernandes &#8211; 2</li>
<li>Expected assists (xA) &#8211; Enzo Fernandez &#8211; 0.51</li>
<li>FPL points &#8211; Ismaila Sarr, Jaden Philogene and Marc Cucurella &#8211; 15</li>
<li>Expected points (xPts) &#8211; Ismaila Sarr &#8211; 13.36</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="mceTemp">Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 27: Teams</h3>
<ul>
<li>Most shots &#8211; Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth &#8211; 19</li>
<li>Highest xG &#8211; Crystal Palace &#8211; 3.85</li>
<li>Lowest xG &#8211; Newcastle &#8211; 0.21</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
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FPL Gameweek 27 notes: Palmer v Salah stats, Rogers and Sarr’s goalscoring returns, Isak injury latest

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