This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
Despite playing out a slightly reduced slate over the weekend, the Premier League makes a quick turnaround that includes 11 matches in Gameweek 28.
Coming off their Sunday victory in the League Cup final, leaders Chelsea take a game-in-hand into Wednesday's match at rivals West Ham, while fellow Londoners Tottenham play twice this week – first hosting Swansea on Wednesday, before visiting Queens Park Rangers for another derby Saturday.
In doing so, QPR is the other team set for two appearances in Gameweek 28, with a home date versus Arsenal on Wednesday serving as their opening match against a North London opponent this week.
Besides that odd bit of scheduling, Tuesday kicks off the latest round with a sluggish Southampton hosting a pulsating Crystal Palace.
Concurrently, a pair of recently-appointed managers – Tim Sherwood (Aston Villa) and Tony Pulis (West Brom) – will clash horns in a West Midlands derby, while a relegation battle between Hull City and Sunderland also takes stage.
Come Wednesday, Manchester City will hope to rebound from losing at Liverpool when they welcome last-place Leicester, and their rivals United will be in Tyneside for a match at Newcastle.
Additionally, an enigmatic Everton will travel to play a Stoke City side that's accrued the third-most points since Christmas, while the only team unbeaten since then, Liverpool, will remain in Merseyside ahead of their meeting versus Burnley.
With those 11 matches in mind, here is the Best XI for Gameweek 28 of the Premier League.
Goalkeeper:
Hugo Lloris
Despite having made one fewer appearance than most of his fellow starting goalkeepers, Lloris' splendid total of 86 saves through 26 matches still ranks fourth in the league. This week, the Frenchman is slated for two games, which figures to make him yet an even better source of saves for fantasy owners. In his first match, Lloris takes on a Swansea City setup that has never scored more than one goal against him. Then, in his second outing of the round, he'll go versus Queens Park Rangers, whom he's blanked in consecutive appearances against.
Defenders:
Pablo Zabaleta
After almost exactly two months without a clean sheet, Zabaleta and Manchester City finally held their opponents scoreless in their most recent home league outing, a 5-0 trashing of Newcastle in Gameweek 26. Now, after unwittingly conceding a pair of picture-perfect goals at Liverpool over the weekend, the Citizens thankfully return to the Etihad Stadium for Wednesday's match against Leicester City. Scoreless against Man City in Gameweek 16, the Foxes have long occupied the Premier League's last-place position and only two teams have scored fewer times than them this season.
Martin Skrtel
As Skrtel has captained Liverpool on a tremendous run of recent form, the Reds' defense has adjusted nicely to manager Brendan Rodgers' three-man back-line. To that point, they have kept five clean sheets in their last seven Premiership efforts, bringing Skrtel's season total to nine. This week, Skrtel will strive to stymie a Burnley attack that was held scoreless at home over the weekend and has failed to score against Liverpool in three straight meetings. Coming off a sound performance versus the league's highest scoring team, Manchester City, Skrtel could be able to capitalize on a relatively easier pairing this time around.
Craig Dawson
In trademark Tony Pulis fashion, the veteran manager has placed emphasis on sealing the Baggies' defense since arriving at West Brom. In fact, the Midlands outfit has now secured four straight clean sheets across all competitions, with Dawson becoming Pulis' first-choice right back along the way. With two goals, Dawson is surprisingly West Brom's third-highest scorer, and on Tuesday faces a rival Aston Villa team that has been shut out in eight of their past 10 league matches. On fantastic form and up against the league's worst offense, Dawson makes for an atypical inclusion in the Best XI this week.
Midfielders:
Yaya Toure
With now two games under his belt following his return from winning the Africa Cup of Nations, Toure could use Wednesday's matchup against lowly Leicester to reclaim his club form. The Ivorian currently holds seven goals and nine clean sheets through just 19 starts, evidencing the strong impact he imparts on the Citizens both offensively and defensively. Last season's top-scoring midfielder, Toure will go against the league's worst team Wednesday and a defense that has surrendered at least three goals in two of their past three games versus Manchester City.
Christian Eriksen
Another selection due in part to the fact his team will play twice this week, Eriksen's first match of the round comes versus a Swansea City team he recorded one goal and one assist against earlier this season. While that game takes place at home, Eriksen's subsequent encounter versus Queens Park Rangers comes on the road, where six of Eriksen's nine goals have come this term. With an output like that, the 23-year-old Eriksen is currently tied with established Premier League stars Eden Hazard and David Silva for goals from a midfielder. Moreover, Tottenham fired four goals last time they played QPR this term, and the Rs' defense has allowed more goals on average than any other team to this point in the season.
Raheem Sterling
The supplier of both of Liverpool's goals versus Manchester City over the weekend, Sterling's seven assists now trail only five players league-wide. However, of players with at least seven helpers, only Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez boasts more than Sterling's six goals. Fresh off his most recent goal in Gameweek 26, the ever-impressive recent teenager's fourth goal of the campaign came on Boxing Day against Burnley, who head to Anfield for the reverse fixture this week. Fortunately for Sterling, no team in the Premier League has shipped more goals than Burnley this term, which could make Wednesday's trip against a confident Liverpool camp all the more difficult.
Mesut Ozil
Like Sterling, Ozil also set up both of his team's goals over the weekend. In doing so, the German has now registered five assists through merely 11 starts this season. Still, Sunday's game marked Ozil's 38th career Premiership performance, or the equivalent of one full season. Over that stretch, Ozil has offered up eight goals and 14 assists in 36 starting appearances, which is a commendable return by any standards. Since Ozil returned to Arsenal's starting lineup five games ago, no Premiership team has scored more than the Gunners' 12 goals. This week, that standing will be tested against Queens Park Rangers, who are tied for the most goals allowed this season, even with having a game-in-hand at the moment.
Forwards:
Charlie Austin
With 14 of Queens Park Rangers' 27 goals on the season, no player has scored a higher percentage of their team's goals than Austin thus far. While the Rs have only played 26 games, Austin has featured only 23 times, making his heroic efforts all the more impressive. Judging by that record, Austin averages more than one goal every two games, which is exactly the sort of schedule he faces this week. Sure, his opponents of Arsenal and Tottenham aren't exactly ideal, but the Englishman's account speaks for itself. What's more, both of QPR's matches in Gameweek 28 are at home, where Austin has found the scoresheet nine times on the campaign.
Harry Kane(C)
The captain of this week's Best XI, Kane has stunned by notching nine goals in only seven league games since the turn of the year. That total is easily the best mark in England over that span and could grow even further considering Kane plays twice this week. His first potential victim, Swansea City, is a team that Kane has already scored against this season, while his second opponent, Queens Park Rangers, presently sports the Premiership's worst defensive average. Furthermore, Kane has proved to be a derby darling lately, as he's tallied six goals in his last four games against inner-city opposition, making Saturday's game at QPR an even tastier tie for the rising Englishman.
Sergio Aguero
Although Aguero could not take the sole league-lead in scoring over the weekend, he did assist Manchester City's lone goal at Liverpool. By doing such, Aguero now totes six helpers in Premier League play, which ranks first among players at his position. On the whole, he has been the best pure striker in fantasy circles this season and now enters a sensational home matchup against last-place Leicester this week. While the Foxes' defense is presently tied for third-worst in England, no team has managed more goals than Manchester City this season. As the Citizens' top talisman, Aguero is undoubtedly a strong candidate to build his goal total on Wednesday and would be a fine captain's selection outside of the players with two games this week.
