Gameweek 35 began with a narrow Liverpool victory away at Newcastle, Naby Keita (£5.0m) scoring the only goal in a 0-1 win for the Reds, great news for the plethora of FPL managers who own Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk(£6.8m) and Andy Robertson (£7.3m). It was frustration however, for owners of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m) and Mo Salah (£13.3m), both of whom were left on the bench with the latter coming on for a one-point cameo. The 3pm kick-offs were consigned of matches containing little in the way of popular FPL assets, the highlights being Burnley’s 1-2 victory away at Watford and Aston Villa’s 2-0 home win against Norwich, which consigned the Canaries to relegation.
Saturday tea-time was all about Man City, who brushed aside Leeds 0-4 with Gabriel Jesus (£8.6m) continuing his excellent form with a fifth goal in two league games. Phil Foden (£7.9m) provided two assists, whilst centre-back Ruben Dias (£6.1m) reminded folk of his FPL credentials, recording an assist, a clean sheet and 12 points. Sunday was the Heung-Min Son (£11.0m) show, as Tottenham defeated Leicester 3-1 thanks largely to a brace from the South Korean, with Harry Kane (£12.4m) netting the other goal. It would also be remiss not to mention Everton and Arsenal, the former overcoming Chelsea 1-0 through a Richarlison (£7.5m) goal, whilst the Gunners defeated West Ham 1-2 in a match that saw Bukayo Saka (£6.7m) gain an attacking return for the third consecutive fixture.
Double Gameweek 36 looks like being one that could make or break an FPL manager’s season, with a whopping 16 fixtures on the menu over a six-day period. We assess those clubs who appear the most attractive in regards to their FPL points potential, alongside those players possibly set to shine.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 36 FIXTURES
Saturday 7th May
Brentford vs Southampton (15:00)
Burnley vs Aston Villa (15:00)
Chelsea vs Wolves (15:00)
Crystal Palace vs Watford (15:00)
Brighton vs Man Utd (17:30)
Liverpool vs Spurs (19:45)
Sunday 8th May
Arsenal vs Leeds (14:00)
Leicester vs Everton (14:00)
Norwich vs West Ham (14:00)
Man City vs Newcastle (16:30)
Tuesday 10th May
Aston Villa vs Liverpool (20:00)
Wednesday 11th May
Leeds vs Chelsea (19:30)
Leicester vs Norwich (19:45)
Watford vs Everton (19:45)
Wolves vs Man City (20:15)
Thursday 12th May
Spurs vs Arsenal (19:45)
LAMP STILL SHINING ON EVERTON SURVIVAL HOPES
When Everton dropped into the bottom three, fans were understandably fearing the worst. However, a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea has once again reignited their bid for survival and with matches away to both Leicester and Watford in Double Gameweek 36, Frank Lampard’s side will be hoping to glean more points, despite their poor away form. They face Leicester only three days after the Foxes’ Europa Conference League semi-finals second-leg and in Watford, they take on an opponent all but relegated.
Lampard has built his team around a number of key players, the main one being forward Richarlison who has scored four in his last five league appearances, accumulating 31 FPL points in the process. The Brazilian represents an enticing FPL pick in a position short of attractive options. At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£4.8m) was in top form against Chelsea, shutting out the Blues and accruing a score of 10 points. It would also be remiss not to mention the pace and direct forward play of Anthony Gordon (£4.6m), not to mention his cheap price.
WOUNDED MAN CITY ON THE PROWL
After being eliminated from the Champions League in the most dramatic of circumstances by Real Madrid, Man City will be looking to take out their frustrations on their Double Gameweek 36 Premier League opponents, Newcastle and Wolves. With Pep Guardiola’s men still in the driving seat in regards to the race for the title, both these matches are must win for the reigning champions and historically they have responded to defeat very strongly.
Their elimination from Europe should lead to Guardiola picking his best players from start in both Double Gameweek 36 fixtures. This means that Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m) immediately stands out as possibly a very lucrative asset. The Belgian midfield has racked up four goals, four assists and 56 FPL points from Gameweek 28 onwards. In terms of form players, forward Gabriel Jesus is finding the net with regularity, whilst Phil Foden offers a substantial attacking threat. At the back, the likes of Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo (£7.2m) and Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) offer multiple avenues towards gaining FPL points.
40 GOALS FOR MAGIC MO?
Mo Salah’s interview following Liverpool’s Champions League victory over Villarreal saw him express his desire to hit the 40-goal mark come the end of the season. With 30 goals so far and only six games in all competitions remaining, Salah’s insatiable appetite for goals may well see his vast FPL ownership profit, starting in Double Gameweek 36 which sees Liverpool face a home clash with Tottenham, before travelling to Aston Villa.
After coming off the bench and playing a huge part in Liverpool’s turnaround in Spain, Luis Diaz (£8.0m) must be a big contender to start both Double Gameweek 36 fixtures, whilst in contrast Sadio Mane (£11.8m) has not yet been afforded a rest unlike both Diaz and Salah, so it would be no surprise if the Senegalese star is left on the bench against either Spurs or Aston Villa.