With Gameweek 25 completed it’s time to take a gander at our Sky teams using the usual info, including the Man of the Match (MoTM) awards, bonus point beneficiaries and current market trends. As always, we also look ahead to the forthcoming fixtures, offering our preferred captain setup for Gameweek 26.
Gameweek 25 Man of the Match Awards
Listed below is a match-by-match breakdown of the players who won the plaudits from the Sky Sports reporters last time out, earning five additional points for the Man-of-the-Match award.
| Fixture | MoTM |
| Newcastle vs Sunderland | Jack Colback |
| West Ham vs Swansea | Kevin Nolan |
| Cardiff vs Norwich | Wilfried Zaha |
| Everton vs Aston Villa | Steven Pienaar |
| Fulham vs Southampton | Jay Rodriguez |
| Hull vs Tottenham | Shane Long |
| Stoke vs Man United | Charlie Adam |
| West Brom vs Liverpool | Raheem Sterling |
| Arsenal vs Crystal Palace | Alex Ox-Chamberlain |
| Man City vs Chelsea | Nemanja Matic |
Midfielders came roaring back to claim eight out of the ten awards this week with only two forwards – Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long – breaking the mold. A few budget midfielders came onto the radar this week with Sterling (4.8m), Zaha (4.9m) and Adam (4.9m) all staking a claim. If the trio can continue to nail down first-team duties, they potentially offer great value. Speaking of value, Jay Rodriguez (7.9m) is now the fifth highest forward in the game and continues to impress.
Gameweek 25 Bonus Points
Only two goalkeepers managed five saves or more this week – Joe Hart and Vito Mannone were the men in form. Mannone has consistently featured since he was installed as the number one at Sunderland and his nine saves this week means he cements his place at the top of the bonus rankings with14 additional points to his name.
In defence, a total of seven players gathered bonus, four for tackles and three for passes completed – centre-back Per Mertesacker was the player closest to achieving both, just missing out by a single challenge. Full-back Joel Ward picked up an additional two points, having returned to his favored position and is now the top scoring defender in terms of bonus with 20 extra points.
In midfield, 19 players earned bonus points – 14 for tackling and 8 for passes. Central midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin, Yaya Toure and Mikel Arteta were the three players to sweep up points for both passing and tackling – Toure has now joined Cheick Tiote on 32 additional points.
One forward also managed bonus points this week with Marouane Chamakh hassling his ex-teammates, completing four challenges and earning himself tackling bonus.
A reminder that Fantasy Football Scout members can access all the data regarding bonus points using player stats and clicking the Sky Sports tab.
The Transfer Trends
Top Transfers Out
| Name | Team | Value | % of Managers |
| Aguero | Man City | 9.8 | 12.52% |
| Coleman | Everton | 6.5 | 7.88% |
| Lukaku | Everton | 8.6 | 6.77% |
| Ramsey | Arsenal | 5.8 | 5.95% |
| Lovren | Southampton | 5.2 | 4.58% |
All of the above five players have been injured in recent weeks, although Seamus Coleman is back for Everton and looks set to feature this weekend at White Hart Lane.
Top Transfers In
| Name | Team | Value | % of Managers |
| Negredo | Man City | 8.6 | 6.37% |
| Sturridge | Liverpool | 9.2 | 6.25% |
| Lallana | Southampton | 5.9 | 5.05% |
| Van Persie | Man Utd | 10 | 4.26% |
| Shaw | Southampton | 5.3 | 3.28% |
As predicted last week, Alvaro Negredo goes from the most transferred out player to the most transferred in after Sergio Aguero’s setback. Daniel Sturridge has been drafted in by 6.25% of managers after his recent return from injury and good goal-scoring form, similarly to Robin van Persie who will be looking to add to his tally against a Fulham side who sit bottom of the table. Southampton duo Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw again feature here this week as Southampton’s form and fixtures warrant some serious attention.
Gameweek 26 Proposed Captain Strategy
A double Gameweek is the in offing this week, meaning there is an opportunity for four captains if you wanted to use a couple of transfers.
Our Strategy:
Luis Suarez (Arsenal at Home) → Robin van Persie (Fulham at home) → Robin van Persie (Arsenal Away)
There is a multitude of options this week and it really depends on how many transfers you’re willing to use – Man City and Chelsea players offer alternative routes as they also have favourable fixtures.
However, the above strategy provides three captains out of a possible four, without the use of a transfer, if you’re lucky enough to own the players involved and looks a reasonably safe bet.
The Fantasy Football Scout League
Our own Fantasy Football Scout League is on top of the Private League rankings. With a £1000 prize to the winner, you’d be mad not to get involved. To join, visit Sky Sports Fantasy Football and key in League Name: FFScout, League Code: 8000112.
The Fantasy Football Club
This Friday The Fantasy Football Club show, where you can catch Fenners and Merse at 18:30 Skysports One HD where they will be discussing the previous week’s Fantasy Football events, quizzing Stoke’s Asmir Begovic and asking him for his #One2Eleven.
