Liverpool and Luton Town will get a Double Gameweek 25 after their previously postponed league fixture was rearranged for Wednesday 21 February.
The Premier League certainly kept us waiting, confirming the new date with only 18 days of notice.
Gameweek 25 always seemed like the likeliest slot for the match but we’d almost given up hope of it happening.
Now, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers may have to make plans anew with less than two hours remaining before the Gameweek 23 deadline.
READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 23 complete guide: Best players, predicted line-ups, team news + more
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25 FIXTURES
Liverpool and Luton join Manchester City and Brentford in having a ‘double’ in Gameweek 25.
The Hatters’ two fixtures are almost as unappealing as those that Thomas Frank’s side have.
But Liverpool now have a pair of cracking-looking matches, especially from an attacking perspective.
BLANK GAMEWEEK 26
It’s a tricky period to navigate as both Liverpool and Luton then blank in Gameweek 26, due to the Reds’ involvement in the EFL Cup final on the same weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s side then face Manchester City in Gameweek 28 and very likely blank in Gameweek 29, when there is a clash with the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Luton v Nottingham Forest at least has a greater chance of going ahead, but there is still some danger of it being called off.
READ MORE: What needs to happen for Liverpool and Luton to blank in Gameweek 29
Dalliances with a Liverpool double-up or triple-up for Gameweek 25 may be a short-lived affair, then, with exit plans needed.
FREE HIT, TRIPLE CAPTAIN – OR NEITHER?
A Free Hit in Gameweek 25 would be one approach, of course, allowing managers to stock up on ‘doubling’ assets without worrying about what’s on the other side.
The obvious downside to this is that you may well want, or already own, plenty of Liverpool and Manchester City players before then, and you’re not likely to go nuts on Luton and Brentford assets on a Free Hit.
The Triple Captain will no doubt have plenty of takers.
One caveat is that Liverpool have an EFL Cup final just four days after their clash with Luton, so there could be rotation aplenty in Gameweek 25 from Klopp.
Pep Guardiola having a fully fit squad also raises the prospect of some game-to-game changes for Manchester City.
The three obvious Double Gameweek 25 candidates, Erling Haaland (£14.1m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.7m) and Mohamed Salah (£13.0m), are also either building their minutes up on their returns from injury or expecting to return from a lay-off soon.
Perhaps we’re being too glass-half-full here; let us know your thoughts below.
We’ll have more reaction to the Double Gameweek 25 announcement in the coming days.
