After my 2 point fail from a player battling against relegation a few weeks back, I have decided to take a calculated risk and endorse another player in a similar situation.

My recommended player for Gameweek 35 is Bolton’s Martin Petrov. He may not have been a prolific goalscorer this season, but he is arguably Bolton’s most important midfielder. He has only scored 2 goals this season with 6 assists. Petrov probably should have done a lot better, but what else can you do in a struggling team that has lacked creativity and a natural goal poacher upfront?

Admittedly his last two matches were 2 pointers against a dogged Fulham (H) and high flying Newcastle (A) respectively. Though prior to that he managed a goal and an assist in the last two matches of March. To give you some peace of mind he has started Bolton’s last five matches, which is a rarity for a midfield that has been squad rotated and ravaged by injury.

Crucially, Bolton’s next 4 fixtures are played over the next 2 Gameweeks. This means that they have two consecutive Double Gameweeks (DGWs) that should act as an incentive for you to purchase him as follows:

DGW 1 – GW 35:

Swansea (H) – They have conceded 1.76 goals on average away
High potential for Bolton to score 1-2 goals

Aston Villa (A) - They have conceded 1.38 goals on average at home
High potential for Bolton to score at least 1 goal

DGW 2 – GW 36:

Blackburn (H) – They have conceded 2.41 goals on average away
High potential for Bolton to score at least 2 goals

Tottenham (A) – They have conceded 1.00 goal on average at home
Some potential for Bolton to score at least 1 goal

Bolton’s average home scoring record for this season: 1.19 goals per match
Bolton’s average away scoring record for this season: 1.06 goals per match

With the above in mind it’s possible for Bolton to score approximately 4-6 goals over the next four matches/two gameweeks. If that is the case, I believe that Petrov may at the very least be involved in some of those goals as an assister or scorer. The 33 year old Bulgarian international is no stranger to scoring goals. He has scored a respectable 19 goals in 89 matches for Bulgaria (21.3% strike rate) and has had similar success earlier in his club career with 31 league goals in 126 matches for Vfl Wolfsburg (24.6% strike rate).

Of course, it will be hard for Petrov to replicate his former high strike rates at his age. But sometimes when a team is under pressure and is battling against relegation their decent players’ true class emerges, regardless of age. I believe Petrov will play a pivotal role in Bolton’s next few matches. At 5.1 he is a steal and won’t harm your funds too much. Sometimes it takes a small investment to provide a big return. This could be your final chance to do so for this FPL season…

The above article was originally posted on FPL Hints