Double Gameweek 26 began with West Ham drawing 1-1 at home to Newcastle, a match which saw FPL heavy hitters Jarrod Bowen (£7.1m) and Michail Antonio (£7.7m) both blank as defender Craig Dawson (£4.9m) scored the Hammers’ only goal. Notable results later that Saturday saw Burnley beat Brighton 0-3 in a match that saw forward Wout Weghorst (£6.5m) score his first goal for the Clarets, whilst Liverpool triumphed 3-1 against Norwich in a game that saw their starting front three of Mo Salah (£13.1m), Sadio Mane (£11.7m) and Luis Diaz (£8.0m) all find the net. Elsewhere, Southampton overcame Everton by two goals to nil in a match which saw popular FPL asset Tino Livramento (£4.3m) record an assist plus a clean sheet for an overall score of 12 points. The day ended with Spurs stunning Man City, beating the Premier League leaders 2-3 at the Etihad Stadium in a match that saw Harry Kane (£12.2m) bag a brace, including a last-gasp winner whilst Heung-Min Son (£10.8m laid on two assists for his side.
The following day saw Man Utd beat Leeds 2-4 at Elland Road with midfielder Bruno Fernandes (£11.7m) starring from an FPL perspective, accruing 12 FPL points thanks to a goal and an assist. The following midweek was dominated by Liverpool, who thrashed Leeds 6-0. Salah set the tone for his side, scoring two penalties and laying on an assist, which led to him accumulated a massive score of 28 FPL points across the double gameweek. Mane also netted twice, boosting his Double Gameweek 26 score by 19 extra points. It would also be remiss not to mention defenders Virgil van Dijk (£6.7m) and Andy Robertson (£7.2m), the former scoring the sixth goal of the evening and Robertson gaining two assists, giving the two overall scores of 14 points and 13 points respectively.
Next up for FPL managers is somewhat of an anomaly with one club in action twice, whilst three teams do not feature at all. We break things down by analysing those teams that pose the most fantasy appeal ahead of Black & Double Gameweek 27, as well as the players who may find themselves among the points.
BLANK & DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 27 FIXTURES
Friday 25th February
Southampton vs Norwich (20:00)
Saturday 26th February
Leeds vs Spurs (12:30)
Brentford vs Newcastle (15:00)
Brighton vs Aston Villa (15:00)
Crystal Palace vs Burnley (15:00)
Man Utd vs Watford (15:00)
Everton vs Man City (17:30)
Sunday 27th February
West Ham vs Wolves (14:00)
Tuesday 1st March
Burnley vs Leicester (19:45)
WOUT’S NEXT FOR BURNLEY?
Burnley came into Double Gameweek 26 sat at the bottom of the table with many writing them off in the relegation battle. Two wins, two clean sheets and four goals saw Sean Dyche’s side answer those critics emphatically and as the only team in Blank & Double Gameweek 27 with two fixtures, this could prove the ideal opportunity for FPL managers to invest in their players. The Clarets begin with a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, before hosting Leicester three days later.
New signing Wout Weghorst has hugely impressed with his striking instincts and big physical presence in attack, giving Burnley a more dangerous dimension going forward. The former Wolfsburg star has now picked up two assists and a goal since joining the club and after gaining 14 points in Double Gameweek 26, is likely to command significant attention. Two clean sheets will of course attract FPL managers towards Burnley’s tried and tested defensive assets and Bee Mee (£4.8m) also gave an example of the attacking threat he poses inside the opposition penalty area last Wednesday, heading home the winning goal against Spurs. Both him and fellow centre-back James Tarkowski (£4.9m) alongside full-back Connor Roberts (£4.5m) are all worthy of considering, the latter having been given license to roam forward down the right-hand-side whenever possible.
PEPPED UP CITY EXPECTED TO BOUNCE BACK!
Hell hath no fury like a Man City scorned! Typical of Man City under Pep Guardiola is their ability to bounce back following defeat and after losing 2-3 against Spurs last time out, the expectation is that City will respond positively away at Everton this weekend. In each of the last nine times that these two teams have clashed in all competitions, Man City have come out on top. The reverse fixture saw Guardiola’s men triumph 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
FPL managers are spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting Man City assets. After coming off the bench to score against Tottenham, Riyad Mahrez (£8.7m) is likely to start at Goodison Park and is coming off the back of 19 FPL points across the last three gameweeks. Fellow midfielder Raheem Sterling (£10.7m) has three goals and two assists to his name across the same period, including a hat-trick against Norwich. Whilst he has not accumulated the points his vast ownership will have wanted, Everton (a) could be the fixture that sees Joao Cancelo (£7.1m) remind everyone why he is such a valuable FPL asset when considering that he gained an assist, a clean sheet and 12 FPL points in the return fixture.
RALPH’S REDS REIGNITED!
Man Utd have established themselves inside the top four after having gone unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games, most recently securing successive wins against Brighton and Leeds respectively, scoring six goals in the process. A home clash against relegation threatened Watford who were beaten 1-4 by Crystal Palace last time out, must be seen as an opportunity for FPL managers to capitalise on owning Man Utd assets.
Bruno Fernandes represents the most attractive pick, having accrued two goals, an assist and 24 FPL points across the last two gameweeks, whilst winger Jadon Sancho (£8.9m) has racked up a goal, two assists and just one less FPL point over the same period of time. From a defensive perspective, Harry Maguire (£5.4) is coming off the back of successive seven-point scores and combines both clean sheet potential, with an attacking threat from set pieces.
