If your team is anything like mine you’re probably going to have to think about selling one of the 2 above players to fund Spurs or West Ham players for DGW22. Here we compare the 2 players to help you make a decision
Funding DGW22 – which to sell Morata or Hazard?
Here’s an article where we compare, in various categories, Morata and Hazard’s stats to help you make an assessment if you need to make a decision over which one to sell. Certainly to fund DGW22 I will need to sell one of them. At the end of each heading I assess a player to stay based purely on that category.
Joseph Crilley also compares them in his gameweek review of GW20
FPL Team Structure
If you haven’t got Harry Kane for DGW22 then this maybe a very short read for you and you’ll be swapping Morata for Kane possibly.
However if, like me, you already have Kane, then to fund DGW22 you will probably need to sell one of the 2. That’s assuming you don’t want to sell your City or Liverpool midfielders which possibly make up the other parts of your midfield.
The structural issue is like this. West Ham have no forwards with gametime at the moment and if you’ve got Harry Kane your additional Spurs attackers will be a choice of Alli, Eriksen or Son HM.
Therefore, funding the transfer of midfielders through the sale of Hazard will give you an immediate transfer in of a DGW22 player. Selling Morata will mean you will inevitable end up with a non DGW22 player for your trouble to replace him. Therefore selling Hazard has an immediate advantage
Morata to stay wins this point.
Returns
Morata has scored 10 goals and 4 assists in 14 starts and 3 sub or part games (I’m not counting the early injury sub v City as a start). He has scored an FPL point every 13.7 minutes
Hazard has scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 13 starts and 4 sub appearances at an FPL point every 13.1 minutes.
Hazard to stay narrowly wins this point
Consistency
I count 20 minutes or more as a sub as a qualifying game
Morata has scored a goal or assist in 9/16 games or 56%
Hazard has scored a goal or assist in 6/14 games or 43%
Morata to stay wins this point
Explosiveness
Morata has got 10+ FPL points in 3 of 16 games or 19%
Hazard has got 10+ FPL points in 3 of 14 games or 21%
Hazard to stay narrowly wins this point
Bonus points
Morata’s minutes/bonus points factor is 1.03. When Morata gets a goal or assist he’s got a bonus point in 67% of those times
Hazards minutes/bonus point factor is 1.08. When Hazard gets a goal or assist he has also got a bonus point in 67% of those times
Draw
Last 4 starts
Morata has scored 2 goals in his last 4 starts for 17 FPL points. He has produced acceptable goal threat stats in 3 of those last 4 games
Hazard has got 1 assist in his last 4 starts for 15 points. He has produced acceptable underlying stats in only 1 of his last 4 starts
Morata to stay wins this point
Average minutes in last 4 starts
Morata has averaged 88 minutes in his last 4 starts
Hazard has averaged 76 minutes in his last 4 starts
Morata to stay wins this point
Injury/rotation risk
Morata has often looked like he is always close to fatigue related injury but has had a recent rest through injury and through a 1 game suspension so should be the freshest.
Hazard didn’t play many minutes at the beginning of the season and is probably the more crucial player who can replace Morata as a false 9
Hazard to stay for me wins this point although it is very subjective
Set pieces/Penalties
Hazard has pens
The TV test
Hazard always looks great on TV and is currently playing as a support striker although formations and positions change. Morata tends to look like one of those strikers relying on service so isn’t as TV friendly.
Hazard to stay wins this point
Underlying stats
Morata’s xG 90 is 0.61 and xA 90 is 0.15. Morata has produced acceptable goal threat stats in 7/14 games. Morata has consistently outperformed his stats
Hazard’s xG 90 is 0.35 and xA 90 is 0.21. Hazard has produced acceptable goal threat stats in 6/13 games. Hazard has also consistently outperformed his underlying stats
Those stats are from the excellent and free understat.com who also produce this natty comparison graphic. They show Morata as the bigger goal threat and Hazard as the more involved player with greater assist potential
Morata to stay wins this point
Summary and FFGeek choice
So how you rate the importance of the different categories is obviously up to you but they won 5 each with 1 a draw.
Chelsea have some good fixtures ahead so I want to keep 1 of them. Hazard’s recent dip isn’t helpful but he can score big and get bonus points. However Morata seems to match him in these areas and is also backed up with better underlying stats. However Hazard has that class and proven FPL history which shouldn’t be underestimated.
Who would I trust with he captains armband? That’s a tough one but probably Morata marginally for consistency.
However for me I’m looking to probably use my planned 2 free transfers in DGW22 to get Arnautovic and 1 Spurs midfielder of Alli or Son HM. To me then the structural advantages of selling Hzard make alot of sense. There’s no way Sterling or Salah are going anywhere so I would have to take a -4 and take out Richarlison and Loftus Cheek to achieve those transfers in with a Morata sale. Now if I were to ignore the Spurs midfielder that would be different. With 2 free transfers I could get Arnautovic for Loftus Cheek easily with a Morata sale.
There’s still 1 more week to pontificate as neither are going anywhere with Stoke at home next in GW21. That could also have some bearing on the decision.
I hope you found that useful if you have to make a similar decision
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