We combine Fantasy football with a flutter in our weekly betting feature, which, like the Premier League itself, returns following a three-month break.
Wednesday’s FPL deadline has been and gone so there’s nothing we can do to influence our teams in Double Gameweek 30+, but we can put our Fantasy nous to some use with a punt on the weekend’s action.
As anyone who invested in David Luiz, John Fleck, Oliver Norwood, Sergio Aguero and/or Pepe Reina will confirm, there is plenty that can happen both on and off the pitch beyond our control.
However, we live in eternal hope that the data in our Members Area can narrow the odds in our favour – both in Fantasy Premier League and beyond.
So we’re turning to the vast array of player and team statistics available to Fantasy Football Scout subscribers to again inspire a bet or two ahead of the upcoming matches.
Those wishing to subscribe to our site to see more of the stats featured in this weekly feature should click here to sign up or upgrade your account.
Rolling monthly subscriptions are now available for £2.99, while annual memberships can be bought for £17.50 – this will not only see you through to the end of 2019/20 but gives you access for the whole of the 2020/21 campaign too.
And please always remember with gambling: when the fun stops, stop.
As anyone who saw Wednesday’s night match at Villa Park will attest, goals might be hard to come by at St James’ Park this weekend.
Sheffield United didn’t manage one ‘big chance’ in that Gameweek 30+ opener but, as they so often do, kept it tight at the other end.
Only Liverpool have shipped fewer goals on the road than Chris Wilder’s side, and in only two of the Blades’ 14 away games have more than two goals flown in.
No club has conceded fewer goals than Newcastle United on home soil in 2019/20, meanwhile, with the Magpies having kept clean sheets in six of their 14 fixtures on Tyneside.
And no team has scored fewer goals on their own turf than Steve Bruce’s troops, either.
A 0-0 draw is 13/2 with SkyBet, should the match go the way of the season-long form book.
If there is to be a goal, might it come from a set play?
Newcastle have conceded more headed opportunities than any other team this season and the second-highest number of attempts from set plays.
Centre-half John Egan, who has had more attempts from free-kicks and corners than any of this teammates, is a 33/1 punt with Ladbrokes and elsewhere to bag the first goal and break his Premier League duck.
Many of us will have flogged our Liverpool assets to fund a splurge on Double Gameweek players, so we all know what will happen next.
No team conceded more goals than Everton in their last six matches before lockdown and the Toffees are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 22.
Add this to the plethora of injuries that Carlo Ancelotti’s side currently have and their Merseyside rivals will fancy their chances of adding to the five goals they scored in the reverse fixture in December.
Andrew Robertson is 7/2 with Grosvenor to provide an assist: only three clubs have allowed more chances from their right flank than Everton since Ancelotti took charge and the Toffees looked very suspect down that wing in their 4-0 defeat to Chelsea in March.
Sadio Mane, whose joint-highest FPL score of the season came against Everton in December, is 7/1 to score two or more goals with BetFred.
Arsenal could well be down at least three or four centre-halves when they visit Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday and look set to be missing defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka too.
Less than 72 hours separate the Gunners’ two Double Gameweek 30+ fixtures, with Mikel Arteta’s troops having had to play much of the second half at the Etihad with ten men.
This could be an ideal time for Graham Potter’s struggling Brighton and Hove Albion to meet the beleaguered north London side, then, with questions being asked of Arsenal on and off the pitch.
Neal Maupay has had more efforts on goal this season than all bar two FPL forwards and, although he can be somewhat wasteful with those chances, his joint-highest score of the season came in the reverse fixture at the Emirates.
One of PaddyPower’s price boost bets this week sees Maupay priced up at 6/1 to be the first goalscorer against the Gunners.
