Braveheart's Forward Look - GW25 - the long-awaited Leeds-Saints double
Introduction
This season FPLbet will have a weekly series of forward look articles designed to try and improve your points and profits. Whether you are an avid FPL player or whether you like to dabble in Football Index, Footstock or traditional betting, this article should be your first port of call before picking your teams or placing any bets for the week's Premier League fixtures.
All player data in this article is from the last six gameweeks. All data is correct as of 18 February 2021.
The forward look - GW25:
| Wolves | v | Leeds |
| 40% | Win % | 36% |
| 31% | Clean sheet % | 27% |
| Neves (2) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Bamford (4) |
| Neto (2) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Bamford (3) |
| Neto (29.4) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Raphinha (32.0) |
| 9 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 10 |
| 9 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 11 |
| Southampton | v | Chelsea |
| 21% | Win % | 58% |
| 18% | Clean sheet % | 40% |
| Adams (4) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Werner (7) |
| Ings (2) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Werner (2) |
| Ings (25.9) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Rudiger (37.0) |
| 11 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 14 |
| 18 (most) | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 9 |
| Burnley | v | West Brom |
| 51% | Win % | 25% |
| 40% | Clean sheet % | 25% |
| Barnes (2) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Diagne (4) |
| Westwood (3) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Diagne (1) |
| Pope (42.5) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Pereira (32.3) |
| 10 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 13 |
| 12 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 15 (joint third most) |
| Liverpool | v | Everton |
| 67% | Win % | 15% |
| 42% | Clean sheet % | 13% |
| Salah (5) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Calvert-Lewin (3) |
| Alexander-Arnold (3) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Doucoure (1) |
| Salah (41.0) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Digne (23.7) |
| 14 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 8 |
| 14 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 12 |
| Fulham | v | Sheffield United |
| 47% | Win % | 28% |
| 40% | Clean sheet % | 28% |
| Maja (3) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | McGoldrick (3) |
| Lookman (3) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Fleck (1) |
| Adarabioyo (39.6) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Ramsdale (26.5) |
| 12 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 6 (joint second fewest) |
| 16 (second most) | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 14 |
| West Ham | v | Tottenham |
| 40% | Win % | 36% |
| 31% | Clean sheet % | 28% |
| Antonio (5) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Kane (2) |
| Cresswell (4) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Son (1) |
| Coufal (38.3) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Son (28.7) |
| 16 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 6 (joint second fewest) |
| 10 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 13 |
| Aston Villa | v | Leicester |
| 36% | Win % | 41% |
| 23% | Clean sheet % | 27% |
| Watkins (5) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Vardy (6) |
| Grealish (2) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Albrighton (4) |
| Martinez (38.9) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Barnes (37.3) |
| 12 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 17 (third most) |
| 13 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 10 |
| Arsenal | v | Man City |
| 16% | Win % | 67% |
| 14% | Clean sheet % | 44% |
| Aubameyang (5) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Gundogan (8) |
| Saka (2) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Sterling (2) |
| Cedric (27.4) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Gundogan (52.1) |
| 11 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 21 (most) |
| 7 (third fewest) | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 3 (fewest) |
| Man United | v | Newcastle |
| 80% | Win % | 9% |
| 53% | Clean sheet % | 9% |
| Cavani (6) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Almiron (1) |
| Fernandes (6) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Fraser (3) |
| Fernandes (44.4) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Darlow (32.3) |
| 19 (second most) | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 8 |
| 10 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 15 (joint third most) |
| Brighton | v | Crystal Palace |
| 56% | Win % | 21% |
| 46% | Clean sheet % | 23% |
| Maupay (3) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Batshuayi (1) |
| Mac Allistair (2) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Eze (1) |
| Dunk (34.1) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Guaita (26.2) |
| 8 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 4 (fewest) |
| 4 (second fewest) | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 15 (joint third most) |
| Leeds | v | Southampton |
| 44% | Win % | 34% |
| 27% | Clean sheet % | 20% |
| Bamford (4) | Most big chances (last 6 GWs) | Adams (4) |
| Bamford (3) | Most big chances created (last 6 GWs) | Ings (2) |
| Raphinha (32.0) | xFPL (xG, xA and xCS combined) | Ings (25.9) |
| 10 | Team big chances (last 6 GWs) | 11 |
| 11 | Big chances conceded (last 6 GWs) | 18 (most) |
Braveheart's GW24 review:
Another game week in the bag with another green arrow! It was a small green arrow (up from 83k to 80k) but every move in the right direction is positive. The main reason for my green arrow was double captain Gundogan. He only needed one of his two matches last week to return 19 points with two goals, an assist, a clean sheet point and maximum bonus against Tottenham. It was disappointing to see him miss out against Everton but I guess I, like most FPL managers, was just being greedy! Gundogan was supported by returns for Pope (10), Cancelo (8), Coufal (6), Bruno (9) and Salah (7).
Braveheart's DGW25 reveal:
We now move on into the next double gameweek (for Leeds and Southampton). As I have for the last few gameweeks, I go into DGW25 with 2 free transfers and a good bit of money in the bank (£2.2m). I still have my triple captain and wildcard. In my team I currently have McCarthy from Southampton, with Dallas and Bamford from Leeds. The only two other players I like from the re-arranged double fixture is Raphinha and Ings. Given my money in the bank and transfers situation, I can quite easily get one (or both) of them but doing so might restrict my flexibility heading into GW26 (which, according to fixture guru Ben Crelin, is due to be the last big double gameweek of the season). We might get information about the fixtures ahead of the DGW25 deadline on Friday evening (at 6.30pm GMT - don't forget!) and so my advice is to leave pulling the trigger on your transfers until the last possible moment unless we hear about the re-arranged fixtures today (Thursday) or tomorrow.
At this point of the season, I like to look at how my current team is set up and then come up with a flexible plan as to how I will maximise my fixtures and chips in the coming gameweeks. I have two players from DGW25 (as I prefer Pope v WBA over McCarthy's double fixtures) and I have 8 players who will likely have a double in GW26 (Pope, Dias, Cancelo, Salah, Fernandes, Son, Gundogan and Watkins). For GW29 (it is useful to think this far ahead if you do not have a free hit, as I don't), I'm currently have 7 players who have a fixture that week (Coufal, Dallas, Son, Soucek, Bamford, Watkins and Antonio). The complication is that 5 of those players are likely to have a single game in 26, meaning that if I want to stack my team with doublers I will need to transfer one of my GW29-ers out of my team (or Justin, who I still have because I prioritised a downgrade elsewere last week).
At the time of writing, I'm thinking about moving Antonio (who is still yellow flagged) for Ings (who has a double). I'd save my other transfer with a view to making at least three transfers next week to maximise my team for the double and, I hope, bring in Kane for a triple captaincy. This is all subject to further consideration if the double gameweek fixtures come out. I may (but unlikely) even choose to wildcard this week to set up my team differently to make it easier for me to navigate the doubles and upcoming blank (this would be mainly to redistribute funds).
My squad heading into GW25 (if I make my planned transfer) is as follows:
- Pope v West Brom (h)
- Dias v Arsenal (a)
- Cancelo v Arsenal (a)
- Dallas v Wolves (a) and Southampton (h)
- Salah v Everton (h)
- Fernandes v Newcastle (h)
- Son v West Ham (a)
- Gundogan v Arsenal (a)
- Ings v Chelsea (h) and Leeds (a)
- Bamford (captain) v Wolves (a) and Southampton (h)
- Watkins v Leicester (h)
- My likely bench order:
- McCarthy v Chelsea (h) and Leeds (a)
- Soucek v Tottenham (h)
- Coufal v Tottenham (h)
- Justin - injured and out for season
The team is not set in stone until the deadline so please follow me at @FPLBraveheart on Twitter for any updates. All the best and I hope everyone reading gets green arrows in GW25. But, most importantly, stay safe out there (or, more accurately, at home)!
