Scheduling deadlines have led to us writing this fixture analysis article before the conclusion of Double Gameweek 28, but it’s safe to say that it has been an enthralling round of Premier League fixtures so far with plenty to ponder ahead of a fifth consecutive double gameweek of the season. Aston Villa brought to an end Southampton’s unbeaten run with a 4-0 beating of the Saints, whilst Chelsea triumphed by the same scoreline away at Burnley with Reece James (£6.2m) and Kai Havertz (£7.8m) both starring for Thomas Tuchel’s side. Brentford accrued a crucial three points as an Ivan Toney (£6.5m) hat-trick led them to a 1-3 win over Norwich and Wolves boss Bruno Lage had plenty to ponder as his team lost out 0-2 to Crystal Palace.
A Sadio Mane (£11.7m) goal from a Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) cross was enough for Liverpool to edge past West Ham at Anfield, while local rivals Everton suffered humiliation two days later as they were thrashed 5-0 against Tottenham in North London. Elsewhere, Sunday’s football saw Arsenal overcome Watford 2-3 before Man City made a statement as to who the dominant force is in Manchester as they crushed Man Utd 4-1, with midfielders Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.7m) each bagging braces.
With another double gameweek right around the corner, once again we evaluate those clubs with the most enticing fixtures ahead, alongside those players who could be set for some big individual scores from an FPL point of view.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 29 FIXTURES
Saturday 12th March
Brighton vs Liverpool (12:30)
Brentford vs Burnley (15:00)
Man Utd vs Spurs (17:30)
Sunday 13th March
Chelsea vs Newcastle (14:00)
Everton vs Wolves (14:00)
Leeds vs Norwich (14:00)
Southampton vs Watford (14:00)
West Ham vs Aston Villa (14:00)
Arsenal vs Leicester (16:30)
Monday 14th March
Crystal Palace vs Man City (20:00)
Wednesday 16th March
Brighton vs Spurs (19:30)
Arsenal vs Liverpool (20:15)
Thursday 17th March
Everton vs Newcastle (19:45)
SON SHINING OVER SPURS AGAIN?
Whilst it’s fully understandably why no one would want to get too caught up in Spurs’ 5-0 triumph over Everton when taking into account their inconsistent nature that has stunted them heavily under Antonio Conte, their two fixtures in Double Gameweek 29 appeal hugely to FPL managers. Their first match sees them face Man Utd at Old Trafford, their first visit to the Theatre of Dreams since that 1-6 victory last season. Following that is another away game, this time against Brighton have not kept a clean sheet since December.
Conte seems to have settled on his three preferred attacking players going forward and all three represent enticing FPL options for Double Gameweek 29. The credentials of Harry Kane (£12.3m) speak for themselves with the Spurs and England forward racking up five goals, one assist and 39 FPL points across the last three gameweeks. Heung-Min Son (£10.8m) has netted in successive Premier League fixtures and has accumulated 28 points since Double Gameweek 26, whilst fellow midfielder Dejan Kulusevski (£6.1m) is averaging over 10 FPL points a game over the same period of time. A mention also for wing-backs Matt Doherty (£4.7m) and Sergio Reguilon (£5.2m), both of who gained attacking returns against Everton last time out.
MANE ON MY MIND AS LIVERPOOL SEE DOUBLE!
The last time Liverpool boasted two fixtures in a double gameweek, their FPL assets took full advantage. A 3-1 victory over Norwich was backed up by a 6-0 hammering of Leeds and whilst Double Gameweek 29 isn’t expected to prove as comfortable for the Reds away to Brighton and high-flying Arsenal, they are still expected to provide a large source of FPL points via their players in both attack and defence.
Unsurprisingly, Mo Salah (£13.2m) will court the most interest as the highest scoring FPL player this season who accumulated 28 points in his last double gameweek. However, teammate Sadio Mane has outscored the Egyptian across the last two gameweeks in which Liverpool have competed in, registering four goals, one assist and 34 FPL points. Four clean sheets in five Premier League matches leading into Double Gameweek 29 makes the Reds’ defensive assets also hugely appealing, especially when you take into account the attacking threat of both Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) and Andy Robertson (£7.2m) on the flanks, not to mention Virgil van Dijk (£6.7m) from set pieces.
TOFFEES CHEWING OVER RELEGATION FEARS!
Make no mistake about it, Everton are in a relegation battle! It’s easy to brush them aside as certainly survivors when considering their status as an ever-present in the top flight. However, the fact remains that this is the worst Everton squad in many years with a manager in Frank Lampard who faces a challenge different to anything he will have ever experienced before in his relatively short managerial career. Toffees fans will rally in support of their side regardless of their disgust at certain players and two home fixtures against Wolves and Newcastle in Double Gameweek 29 are now crucial in terms of their survival prospects.
To Everton’s faint credit, they have looked far superior under Lampard at Goodison Park compared to their showings on the road and with that in mind, a selection of their players could appeal from an FPL perspective. Brazilian Richarlison (£7.5m) has the quality to play a defining role offensively, which could lead to him gaining a significant FPL score, as does Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.7m) provided he is fully fit. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£4.9m) has racked up 19 saves across the last three gameweeks and will likely be called upon numerous times once again.