Menu
There were plenty of rule changes to FPL in 25/26, which we’ve explained here.
The most fun addition of the bunch is the addition of another triple captain chip. You now get one in the first half of the season, and one in the second half.
Normally, we have to be boring, and wait for most of the season before dropping our TC. Now, we can afford to enjoy ourselves. We don’t have to wait for doubles gameweeks – we can just… play it on whoever we like!
Obviously, we still want to use it on the right player. Is that player Erling Haaland, against Burnley?
Glad you asked, friend!
Here are the reasons for, and against, using your triple captain chip on Haaland in Gameweek 6. At the end, I (Joe) will stop sitting on the fence, and give you my personal take.
Firstly, as noted, we don’t need to wait for double gameweeks like normal. We can just play our first-half triple captain whenever we like.
We still, obviously, want as many points as possible. In recent years, two players are the most reliable sources of points – Haaland, and Salah.
Here are the reasons in favour of triple-captaining Haaland in GW6.
Salah is still getting returns, but isn’t actually scoring that many points right now, nor is he passing the eye test.
Haaland is both scoring a lot of points, and passing the eye test. He is in ridiculous form, scoring 15 goals already between club and country, including 6 goals in 5 Premier League games.
Basically, he struggled in the second half of last season, but he looks back to his best right now. And, when he’s in this kind of mood, he both scores most weeks, and is a constant threat to get a hat trick.
Again, you’d normally have Salah in any triple captain discussion.
I just don’t see it right now. His two goals have been a penalty and a very late one against Bournemouth. His xG hasn’t been great, and he’s just not taking that many shots.
Will this turn around?
Probably, sooner or later. But Liverpool’s next easy-peasy fixture isn’t until Gameweek 13, against West Ham. We have no idea how he’ll be playing by then, or if he’ll even be fit.
He’s just not an exciting or reliable option right now.
Apart from that, none of the big hitters are excelling right now. Through injuries, transfers, or lack of form, the likes of Saka, Palmer, Isak, etc. haven’t been getting points.
You could take a risk on a slightly less reliable player, like Semenyo or Joao Pedro…
But – even if we’re playing it relatively safe – I’d still rather triple captain a relatively sure thing.
Fair warning – I’ll give the counter-argument to this in a second.
But!
When using your triple captain, you obviously want a poor opponent. This year, our prime candidates are:
Now, City do play Leeds, Sunderland, and West Ham at home, all in the first half of the season.
(I.e. when you want to be using your first triple captain).
So, you could definitely wait for one of those fixtures.
The argument against that, however, is that… that’s a long way away! There are two concerns in particular:
If it’s the first one, you might already have missed out on Salah, because he’s off to AFCON around then.
If it’s the second, you’ll have to work hard to get the second-most expensive player into your team.
The argument for using it against Burnley, therefore, is that:
Triple-captaining Haaland this week isn’t a slam dunk. I’m struggling with it myself, in fact, as you’ll see shortly!
Here are the main arguments against dropping your chip.
I told you I’d argue with myself on this one!
I went into this season with Haaland in my GW 1 team. And, it was nailed-on that I was going to triple captain him this week.
A promoted side, away to Man City? Come on!
Unfortunately, I’m a bit worried that… Burnley aren’t that bad.
Unsurprisingly, they got smashed by Spurs in GW 1. After that though, they’ve generally looked better.
The Liverpool game – which I watched – has me particularly concerned. They just went all-out defence from the very start, and it almost worked for them. They got incredibly unlucky to finally give away an injury time penalty, and end up losing. Until then, Liverpool were struggling to break them down.
I expect them to do exactly the same against City. And, we’ve already seen City struggle to break down a well-organised defence in Gameweek 2, against Spurs.
Yep, they were all my counter-arguments.
I think there are several good reasons to triple captain Haaland, and only one real reason not to.
Sure, there are alternatives – different good players, with other good fixtures later in the season.
But we have Haaland now. And we know he’s fit, and in good form, now.
Also, while I’m somewhat worried about Burnley… they’ve also got the highest xGA in the league. It’s 10.75 after 5 games, around 1.5 higher than the next-worst team, West Ham.
Also also, we’ve just seen promoted/lower league sides go to the Etihad so many times over the years, and get absolutely destroyed.
Liverpool had an excellent chance very early. If they’d scored, the floodgates could have opened.
If City get an early goal here (which they just did against Arsenal – the best defence in the league), those floodgates could split wide, and the goals could flow.
Personally, I’m going for it. I think the timing is right, the opposition is right, and – quite simply – it’s fun, for once, to use a triple captain chip nice and early.
(You may also recall that a lot of people used their TC early last season… on Haaland… against a promoted side… and he scored a hat-trick).
I’m going for it.
I’m dropping the triple captain on Haaland in Gameweek 6. And, I must say, I feel excited to do so.
The best free website for FPL tips to beat your friends and win your mini-leagues
Follow us on Twitter for our latest analysis @Full90FPL
© 2025 Full 90 FPL
