To paraphrase the great Neil Warnock, by all means enjoy Christmas, but enjoy it by being disciplined. Your Fantasy Premier League team isn’t going to pick itself now, is it?
Admin is the last thing that anybody needs over the holiday period but if you are planning on cutting loose over the next few days – and no judgement here if so – it might be worth setting a couple of alarms to make sure your FPL team doesn’t suffer.
There are two transfer deadlines in quick succession: a devious 11am one on Boxing Day, and a 1pm on 29 December, plonked in the post-Xmas, pre-New Year’s Eve slumber period. Both will be easy to miss.
With such a tight turnaround between fixtures, we’ve decided to do things a little differently this year by selecting a full team for Gameweek 18 and 19, rather than focusing on just one. It’s a Boxing Day bonanza!
Finally, from all at The i Paper, Merry Christmas and here’s to a successful FPL festive period!
Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures
- Arsenal: Ipswich (h), Brentford (a)
- Aston Villa: Newcastle (a), Brighton (h)
- Bournemouth: Crystal Palace (h), Fulham (a)
- Brentford: Brighton (a), Arsenal (h)
- Brighton: Brentford (h), Aston Villa (a)
- Chelsea: Fulham (h), Ipswich (a)
- Crystal Palace: Bournemouth (a), Southampton (h)
- Everton: Man City (a), Nottingham Forest (h)
- Fulham: Chelsea (a), Bournemouth (h)
- Ipswich: Arsenal (a), Chelsea (h)
- Leicester: Liverpool (a), Man City (h)
- Liverpool: Leicester (h), West Ham (a)
- Man City: Everton (h), Leicester (a)
- Man Utd: Wolves (a), Newcastle (h)
- Newcastle: Aston Villa (h), Man Utd (a)
- Nottingham Forest: Spurs (h), Everton (a)
- Southampton: West Ham (h), Crystal Palace (a)
- Spurs: Nottingham Forest (a), Wolves (h)
- West Ham: Southampton (a), Liverpool (h)
- Wolves: Man Utd (h), Spurs (a)
Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)
Chelsea’s winning streak ended at Goodison Park on Sunday and while that draw will have frustrated Enzo Maresca, he will have been pleased that his side kept only their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
Robert Sanchez played his part in that shutout by making four saves, an effort that earned him two bonus points. Chelsea’s Gameweek 19 opponents Ipswich have scored fewer goals at home than any other side in the league.
Price: £4.8m Points: 64 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Fulham (h), Ipswich (a)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
That pinpoint assist for Luis Diaz against Spurs alone should convince you to snap up Trent Alexander-Arnold if you’ve not got him already. It was as sweet a delivery as you’re likely to see all season and a reminder of what sets him apart from the other defenders in FPL.
Nostalgic FPL managers may remember that Alexander-Arnold produced a monstrous 24-point score against Leicester on Boxing Day in 2019 courtesy of a goal and a hat-trick of assists. With the Foxes in disarray, a repeat performance is on the cards.
Price: £7m Points: 66 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Leicester (h), West Ham (a)
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
Although Arsenal haven’t been quite as imperious in defence this season as they were throughout last season they have shown signs of rediscovering their resolve in recent weeks.
The Gunners have given up just 4.19 expected goals over the last six gameweeks, which is by far the best record in the division. A clean sheet at home to Ipswich looks likely, while Gabriel will always pose a threat from set-pieces.
Price: £6.3m Points: 63 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Ipswich (h), Brentford (a)
Nikola Milenkovic (Nottingham Forest)
Nottingham Forest have been this season’s surprise package, as shown by their lofty position in the top four at Christmas. Summer recruit Nikola Milenkovic has played a key role in their surge towards the top of the table.
The giant Serbian offers points potential at both ends of the pitch. Only Everton and Liverpool have kept more clean sheets (with seven each) than Forest (six) so far, while Milenkovic has scored twice and registered five big chances.
Price: £4.6m Points: 56 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Tottenham (h), Everton (a)
Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Mo Salah is simply on a different planet from every other FPL asset. His 21-point heroics against Spurs in Gameweek 17 means that he has opened up an enormous 46-point lead at the top of the leaderboard.
Incredibly, he has produced 11 double-digit scores in his first 16 games of the campaign. A 12th could be forthcoming considering he is up against a Leicester side that has conceded 37 goals in 17 games.
Price: £13.5m Points: 177 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Leicester (h), West Ham (a)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Cole Palmer has disappointed his FPL managers by producing back-to-back blanks after his 18-point exploits versus Spurs in Gameweek 15, but he has the form and fixtures to bounce back over Christmas.
The 22-year-old had six shots and created seven chances against Brentford and Everton and was unfortunate to not add to his goal and assist tallies. Another big gameweek score is surely imminent given Chelsea’s fixture list.
Price: £11.2m Points: 131 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Fulham (h), Ipswich (a)
Dejan Kulusevski (Spurs)
Spurs are shipping goals for fun in defence, but they are also scoring plenty at the other end. Despite languishing in 11th in the table, Ange Postecoglou’s side are the Premier League’s top scorers.
Investing in the league’s most potent attack makes sense and Dejan Kulusevski is a great option given his price and form. The Swede has scored in five consecutive games in all competitions, including in each of his last three in the league.
Price: £6.3m Points: 72 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Nottingham Forest (h), Wolves (a)
Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
On the hunt for a bargain differential this Christmas? Look no further than Crystal Palace wideman Ismaila Sarr. The Senegalese will only set you back £5.7m and is currently owned by just 1.2 per cent of the game.
Sarr, who joined the Eagles from Watford in the summer, has impressed since establishing himself in Oliver Glasner’s starting line-up, scoring four goals and setting up two more in his last six outings.
Price: £5.7m Points: 61 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Bournemouth (a), Southampton (h)
Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
Arne Slot has got so many attacking options at his disposal that rotation over the Christmas period is inevitable. Still, Liverpool’s matches are so enticing that it is difficult to overlook the treble-up.
Luis Diaz ranks second for shots on target and chances created per-90 minutes among Liverpool’s midfield and forward options this season, making him the most obvious pick for that third slot.
Price: £7.4m Points: 86 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Leicester (h), West Ham (a)
Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Not even the indomitable Salah can better Alexander Isak’s FPL form over the past four gameweeks. Newcastle’s main man has accumulated 47 points since Gameweek 14, three more than FPL’s leading scorer.
Isak has averaged two attacking returns per game in his last four appearances, combining six goals with two assists. That hot streak can continue given he will face Aston Villa, Manchester United and Spurs in his next three fixtures.
Price: £8.9m Points: 89 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Aston Villa (h), Man Utd (a)
Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
It says plenty about Gabriel Jesus’s sudden return to form that he is the second-most bought player ahead of the Boxing Day deadline behind only Isak.
The Brazilian tormented Crystal Palace last week by scoring five goals against them in consecutive matches in the Carabao Cup and Premier League. Jesus is brimming with confidence and faces an Ipswich side that have recorded the fourth-worst defensive record in the league next.
Price: £6.8m Points: 26 Gameweek 18 and 19 fixtures: Ipswich (h), Brentford (a)
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