With four gameweeks left, Gameweek 35 demands careful moves. Managers still chasing mini-league gains should prioritise reliable returns and inexpensive enablers that free funds for captains in the final stretch.

Goalkeepers: David Raya (£6.0m) remains the standout option among keepers after a 10-point haul last weekend and offers value alongside Arsenal’s defence. Fulham have blanked in four of their last six league games, making a home clean sheet plausible. At the other end of the budget spectrum, Karl Darlow (£3.9m) has accrued 24 points across his last five games and faces relegated Burnley at home, serving as a low-cost enabler. For managers planning ahead to double Gameweek 36, Dean Henderson (£5.1m) is an alternative given Crystal Palace’s two fixtures next round, despite a tricky away match with Bournemouth this Sunday.

Defenders: Gabriel (£7.2m) is a must, while Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m) has become increasingly attractive for managers preparing for City’s double in the next round; he has returned 27 points from his past three fixtures and faces low-scoring Everton away on Monday. Crystal Palace options include Jaydee Canvot (£4.5m) and Chris Richards (£4.4m) as budget routes into their backline, and Daniel Muñoz (£5.8m) offers more attacking upside after scoring in the defeat at Liverpool. Leeds defensive targets such as James Justin (£3.9m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Pascal Struijk (£4.3m) are also useful given a favourable fixture.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) stands alone as the essential midfield pick; he is chasing the Premier League assist record for a single season and has delivered returns in each of his past seven matches, even ahead of Manchester United’s home game with Liverpool. Other options highlighted are Eberechi Eze (£7.2m), who made an impact after being brought off the bench in Europe, Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) with 23 points across his last three matches, Ismaïla Sarr (£6.3m) ahead of a double, Noah Okafor (£5.6m) despite a slight injury concern, and Enzo Fernández (£6.5m) under Calum McFarlane.

Forwards: Erling Haaland (£14.5m) is essential following recent goalscoring exploits. Support options include Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.7m), who could benefit from Burnley’s struggles after Scott Parker’s dismissal, and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m), who has produced 24 points across his past two home games for West Ham ahead of a trip to Brentford.

Mohamed Salah left Anfield applauding all four sides after appearing to pick up a hamstring problem during Liverpool’s meeting with Crystal Palace. He pulled up shortly before the hour mark and was forced off, trudging from the pitch to a chorus of concern from the crowd.

Immediate fears surrounded the severity of the issue and whether the injury could end Salah’s season, and even his Liverpool career. With roughly one month remaining of the campaign, the forward faces a clear race against time if he is to appear again in a Liverpool shirt.

Liverpool have just four fixtures remaining this season. A trip to Manchester United next Sunday already feels too soon for Salah if he has injured his hamstring, while the extent of the blow will determine whether a return is possible before the end of the campaign.

Chelsea travel to Anfield on May 9 in a tense fixture in the race for Europe, and that will be the penultimate chance for Salah to play in front of a home crowd in a Liverpool shirt. Arne Slot’s side end the season at home to Brentford and Liverpool will undoubtedly use that fixture to pay tribute to Salah. Long-standing left back Andy Robertson can also expect a hero’s farewell, but fans will hope to see the Egypt international on the pitch one final time.

Complicating the club situation is this summer’s World Cup. Salah will be keen to hurry back to action and bid farewell to his club, but he will not want to risk exacerbating a problem that could affect his involvement this summer in what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance.

The coming days and medical assessments will be decisive. Liverpool’s remaining schedule and the timing of recovery will decide whether supporters will witness Salah one more time at Anfield before the season closes.

Gameweek 33 delivered decisive swings at both ends of the table and several standout individual displays. FotMob’s ratings identify nine players who shaped the round across a series of key matches.

Curtis Jones (rating 8.4) was deployed at right back by Arne Slot in the Merseyside derby and responded with a dominant defensive and possession performance. Jones recorded 28 defensive contributions, more than double any other player on the pitch, while also leading the match for touches (118), attempted passes (84) and completed passes (79). He emerged from his duel with Iliman Ndiaye unscathed.

Erling Haaland (8.4) produced the goal that pulled Manchester City back into the title race. The Norway forward played the full game despite heavy attention from Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel, endured his undershirt being ripped and an attempted headbutt, and finished with a memorable smirk at the camera after the final whistle.

Jaydee Canvot (8.4) has taken on greater responsibility since Marc Guéhi’s mid-season exit and impressed again in Crystal Palace’s draw with West Ham United. Canvot frequently won his confrontations with Jarrod Bowen and showed notable composure on the ball, repeatedly stepping into midfield to drive his team forward.

Leeds United produced three of the week’s top performers. Noah Okafor (8.5), 25 years old, forced an early advantage by assisting Leeds’ opener and then scoring the second inside the opening 20 minutes. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (8.6) sealed the win with a 95th-minute penalty after a game in which he was disruptive both on the ground and in the air and likely had earlier chances to score. James Justin (8.7) opened the scoring with an acrobatic overhead kick and combined attacking impact with a team-leading 17 defensive contributions.

Xavi Simons (8.7) stood out in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving the match with a goal and an assist, celebrating his stunning strike with real emotion before the late equaliser.

Elsewhere the round brought relegation heartbreak for Tottenham Hotspur and confirmation of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ tumble out of the top flight, emphasising the high stakes of Gameweek 33.