FPL GW20 reaction: Solly Marches on but Haaland fires rare blank

Mitchell Fretton
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Erling Haaland could not prevent Manchester City from losing the derby
Erling Haaland could not prevent Manchester City from losing the derby

The Premier League title race took another twist last weekend as Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table.

Manchester City suffered defeat at the hands of their age-old rivals Manchester United and Liverpool lost more ground on the top four with a 3-0 loss at Brighton.

West Ham fell into the relegation zone after a mediocre display saw them lose 1-0 to Wolves, while Southampton put more pressure on Frank Lampard's Everton with a crucial win.

Gameweek 20's results have left some fantasy players full of joy but others rueing their selection choices — we take a look at some of the best and worst performers from the latest round of fixtures.

Gameweek 20 top performers

Solly March (Brighton)

Solly March scored twice and grabbed an assist in Brighton's 3-0 win over Liverpool, making him the week's top scorer with a 19-point haul.

His previous best tally came in GW17 when he scored 13 before racking up 11 two weeks later, proving he is worth the £5million price tag.

Next up for the Seagulls is a trip to Leicester and for the 2.2% of owners with March in their team, there will be an expectation that the midfielder can provide the goods once more.

Solly March was the main man in Brighton's win over Liverpool
Solly March was the main man in Brighton's win over Liverpool

James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Much has been said of Nathan Jones' slow start as Southampton's new head coach but the Saints' victory over Everton at the weekend was a statement of intent from the former Luton boss.

There was not a better player on the pitch than James Ward-Prowse, who returned 15 points after scoring twice in the 2-1 win.

The England midfielder will face a tough test against an in-form Aston Villa next but with his set-piece mastery, there is a high chance that he could be on the scoresheet for two consecutive games.

Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)

After leaving the pitch in tears following the 1-1 draw with Wolves, Leon Bailey proved to the Villa faithful why they should stick with him by scoring and providing an assist in the 2-1 win over Leeds.

His 12-point haul is the Jamaican international's highest total since a 4-0 win over Brentford in October.

The forward is finally finding his feet in the Premier League and with Southampton away his next task, it may be worth considering the £4.5m man for a potential transfer.

Gameweek 20 worst performers

Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Harry Kane was unable to get on the scoresheet against Arsenal
Harry Kane was unable to get on the scoresheet against Arsenal

It is not often that Harry Kane fails to score in a North London Derby but his timid two-point return sums up a Tottenham side that look to be stuck in limbo under Antonio Conte.

Only one goal away from equalling Jimmy Greaves' record as Spurs' top scorer, you would expect the England skipper to get back on track sooner rather than later as he looks to catch Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race.

However, things do not look much easier for the London club as they face Manchester City twice in two weeks, as well as an in-form Fulham on January 23.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

City look to be stuttering in the league and they proved they are not invincible with two defeats in a week to Southampton and United respectively.

Haaland failed to score in either the cup fixture or the top-flight derby and has not looked as fearsome as he did before the World Cup.

A home tie against Spurs gives him a good opportunity to put his two-point tally in GW20 behind him and extend his lead at the top of the goalscoring charts.

Alisson (Liverpool)

Alisson was not able to stop Solly March and Co
Alisson was not able to stop Solly March and Co

Alisson and Liverpool have suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time this season after they were dismantled by Brighton on the South Coast.

Conceding six goals across the two matches has seen the Brazillian stopper pick up four points and next the Reds welcome Chelsea to Anfield in a tie that pits two underperforming sides against each other.

A backline without the injured Virgil van Dijk naturally makes things more difficult for Alisson but Liverpool are more than capable of turning their season around at any point.

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Premier LeagueBrighton & Hove AlbionAston VillaManchester CityTottenham HotspurLiverpoolSouthampton