FPL GW23 reaction: Shaw shows up but Perisic performs poorly

Drama, jubilation and confusion have been the themes in Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 23 so far.

West Ham held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw to kick-start the weekend, although VAR was at the centre of attention once again in England's top flight.

Elsewhere, Leicester romped past Tottenham and Southampton's defeat to Wolves proved to be the tipping point for Nathan Jones' short stint in charge at Saint Mary's.

Manchester City cut the gap in the title race to just three points after Arsenal drew with Brentford and Newcastle failed to cement their place in the top four as they settled for a point at Bournemouth.

The results will leave some fantasy players slightly concerned with their squad as we close out GW23 — we take a look at some of the best and worst performers ahead of tonight's Merseyside derby.

Gameweek 23 top performers

Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Manchester United left it late, but eventually overcame managerless Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday courtesy of goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Luke Shaw was asked to play as a centre-back by Erik ten Hag and looked to be a fantastic stand-in for Lisandro Martinez — ending the afternoon with a 12-point haul.

The England international helped the Red Devils keep a clean sheet and he even grabbed an assist for the opener, picking out the in-form Rashford.

Shaw will be hoping to carry this momentum into the home match against Leicester this weekend but they face a Foxes side who finally look to have found their feet in the 2022-23 campaign.

James Maddison (Leicester)

Whenever Leicester and Spurs meet there is a guarantee of goals and James Maddison was at the heart of the action as his side ran out 4-1 winners at the King Power.

The 26-year-old notched a strike and an assist against Antonio Conte's men and looked to have the beating of the North London club all day as he tallied 11 fantasy points.

With 14 goal contributions in the current season, the former Norwich midfielder will be desperate to cause another upset as the Foxes face United in GW24.

Miguel Almiron (Newcastle)

Although Newcastle were unable to record a victory over Bournemouth, fantasy players will be pleased to see Miguel Almiron back among the goals.

The talented forward netted for the Magpies for the first time since Boxing Day and was rewarded with a 10-point total.

His effort will also be a welcome sight for the Toon Army, who will be hoping to see him score once again when they host a struggling Liverpool at St James' Park next weekend.

Gameweek 23 worst performers

Ivan Perisic (Tottenham)

The less said about Spurs' performance in the East Midlands on Saturday the better and Ivan Perisic is just one player who will be eager to put the match behind him.

Croatia's veteran had no luck at either end of the pitch, missing a handful of opportunities and failing to keep out an impressive Leicester attack — ultimately earning him just one fantasy point.

With Ryan Sessegnon said to be out with a hamstring issue for up to six weeks, the wing-back will have to suck it up and bounce back in the next matches, starting with a derby against West Ham on Sunday.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)

Fulham's bullish striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has racked up a total of 87 fantasy points this season but could only muster two as the Cottagers saw off Nottingham Forest.

He played a crucial role as a target man for Marco Silva's men, although the Serbian is still looking for his first Premier League goal since January 3.

A trip to Brighton may be a bit daunting for the West London club in GW24 and there is no doubt that Mitrovic must be at his best if he is to recapture his goalscoring form on the South Coast.

Ederson (Manchester City)

Manchester City may have won the match against Aston Villa but Ederson failed to keep a clean sheet for the eighth time in 10 games.

His two-point return will not please the 14.4% of players who put their faith in the Brazilian this weekend, especially as his price tag is a hefty £5.4million.

Things do not get much easier for City's stopper as they travel to Arsenal next in what is set to be a huge match in the race for the title.