Fantasy managers have been served notice of another double Gameweek this morning after Liverpool confirmed they have rearranged their home match with Swansea for Sunday February 17. This means both clubs now have a double Gameweek 26 on their respective agendas, with Liverpool also playing host to West Brom in the same window, while Michael Laudrup’s men entertain QPR at the Liberty before making their way to Anfield.
The fixture was previously scheduled for Sunday February 24 but has since been cancelled due to Swansea’s Capital One Cup Final duties. With both clubs exiting the FA Cup, however, they are free to face off in the weekend prior to the start of Gameweek 27, which gets underway on Saturday February 23.
Swansea will be first out the blocks. Michael Laudrup’s side square up to QPR on Saturday February 9, while Liverpool’s Fantasy owners must wait two more days before the Reds welcome the Baggies to Anfield on Monday February 11. A further six days will then test our patience before the pair go head-to-head on Merseyside.
Liverpool’s home form is particularly enticing here. They have won five of their last six in front of their own fans, registering five clean sheets and scoring three or more goals on four occasions. While Swansea have scored in just two of their last six on the road, they have registered a clean sheet in four of those matches, however, suggesting a tight match could be on the cards at Anfield. Their home clash with QPR also looks tricky; Harry Redknapp’s side have kept clean sheets against Chelsea, Spurs and City in their last four matches, though the loss of Ryan Nelsen will hit them hard.
Nevertheless, significant investment can be expected from both sides, given the success of both Chelsea and Arsenal in the double Gameweek gone by. Michu and Ben Davies look primed for further investment for the Swans, while Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique all look likely candidates for Brendan Rodgers’ side. As always, we’ll have Scouting the Doubles articles on both, weighing up the main protagonists on offer.
Given that both clubs have a blank Gameweek immediately after, benches will be more crucial than ever. Those who have yet to wildcard may look to the likes of Reading for cut-price squad fillers – the Royals’ home match with Wigan in Gameweek 27 looks a decent shout for coverage, for example.
Both clubs also have strong looking schedules from Gameweek 28 onwards, suggesting many will be keen to hold rather than ship out immediately. Swansea have three home matches in the following four (NEW, ARS, TOT) and also have trips to West Brom, Norwich and Wigan. Liverpool travel to Wigan, Southampton and Villa and also play host to Spurs and West Ham – clearly, investment could be for the long-term, then.
Our Season Ticker has now been updated to reflect today’s news, while Members can check out the Rate My Team section – the double has now been factored into the tool.
