We’ve put together our Scout Picks ‘bus team’ ahead of Gameweek 25 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
This upcoming round is unique, in that four teams will ‘double’ after previously postponed fixtures were rescheduled for March 1st. However, a further four will blank due to Sunday’s EFL Cup final.
The teams affected are as follows:
- Double Gameweek 25: Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Blank Gameweek 25: Manchester United, Newcastle United, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion
In this early selection, we select a first draft of our regular picks before they are finalised and published much closer to Friday’s deadline.
We are limited to an £83.0m budget for our starting XI, while our bench is also price-capped after a reader vote.
In the meantime, this ‘bus team’ article – a term coined by the duo behind the Always Cheating podcast – will discuss the players who are likely to be in the running.
GAMEWEEK 25 FIXTURES
Times given in GMT
THE LIKELY LADS
With Arsenal and Liverpool each having a Double Gameweek 25, we’ll almost certainly triple up on both sides in our final Scout Picks.
The Gunners visit Leicester City before hosting Everton four days later.
Brendan Rodgers’ troops have conceded 16 goals since the restart, at an average of 2.0 per game, while the Toffees have one of the worst rates of minutes per expected goals conceded (xGC) in away matches across the season. Yes, there has been improvement under Sean Dyche, with successive clean sheets logged at Goodison Park, yet it’s worth noting Liverpool racked up 2.33 expected goals (xG) against them in their last away trip.
As a result, it’s highly likely either Martin Odegaard (£7.0m) or Eddie Nketiah (£6.8m) will join Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.2m) and Bukayo Saka (£8.4m) in our final selection.
Odegaard and Nketiah have both suffered three blanks in their last four matches, supplying a solitary assist apiece. The latter, however, has underachieved his xG by a whopping 1.99 in that time. He’s getting chances, then, but needs to become much more clinical in front of goal.
ODEGAARD V NKETIAH: LAST FOUR MATCHES
Liverpool, meanwhile, travel to Selhurst Park before welcoming Wolves to Anfield.
Since the restart, their opponents have managed to create just 16 Opta-defined ‘big chances’ between them, two of the worst tallies in the division. So, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we end up with two Reds defenders in our side this week, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m), Andrew Robertson (£6.8m) and Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) in the running.
However, a Liverpool defensive double-up is an expensive proposition, and let’s not forget they have conceded 27 big chances from Gameweek 17 onwards, more than any other side bar Aston Villa (31).
Further forward, Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) is a shoo-in and could be joined by Cody Gakpo (£7.7m), Darwin Nunez (£8.7m) – fitness pending – or Diogo Jota (£8.8m). Fortunately, we get to see Liverpool in UEFA Champions League action against Real Madrid on Tuesday, allowing us another opportunity to scout their assets before we finalise our picks later in the week.
READ MORE: Darwin injury latest ahead of FPL Double Gameweek 25
Of the single Gameweekers, Erling Haaland (£12.2m) will surely make the cut, with Manchester City visiting a Bournemouth side who have failed to keep a clean sheet at home since the restart.
IN CONTENTION
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