With just nine Gameweeks left, we’re getting closer to the end of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2024/25 season.
It’s at this point Fantasy managers start to consider where each player and team’s priorities lie, and who could effectively be ‘on the beach’ early.
So, in this article, we look at what each club has left to play for over the remainder of the campaign.
TITLE RACE
Despite disappointing losses in the Champions League and EFL Cup final, it’s surely only a matter of time before Liverpool claim the title.
Arne Slot’s men have built up a 12-point lead over Arsenal with only nine games to go.
The Gunners can finish on a maximum of 85 points if they win all their remaining matches, which is of course unlikely. Liverpool therefore require 16 points to be crowned champions.
The earliest date the Reds could actually win the title is in Gameweek 32 (if Arsenal lose and Liverpool win their next two matches), but realistically, it’ll probably be towards the end of April or the start of May.
With Liverpool out of Europe and eliminated from the FA Cup, there is no immediate risk of minute management/rotation.
The main question is what Slot does with his starting line-up once the title is confirmed. Does the Dutchman give fringe players like Harvey Elliott (£5.2m) and Federico Chiesa (£6.8m) starts, for example, when nothing is resting on the result?
As for Arsenal, they sparked a glimmer of hope thanks to their win over Chelsea on Sunday but they are rightly still considered outsiders.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the gap to sixth is now 11 points (more on that later).
That should mean full focus is on beating Real Madrid in the Champions League next month, who they face on either side of Gameweek 32.
If they make it to the semi-finals, Gameweek 35 will be sandwiched by another European double-header. That could be a prime time for Mikel Arteta to rotate, if Liverpool have already wrapped up the title of course, but they obviously need to get past Real Madrid first.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION
The Premier League is very likely to secure a fifth Champions League spot for 2025/26, with numerous teams still in the mix to qualify.
Liverpool and Arsenal look certain to reach next season’s competition.
Nottingham Forest are currently in third place on 54 points and inching closer to qualification, but the gap from Chelsea in fourth and Bournemouth in 10th is only five points, so the fight is on.
Manchester City, Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Fulham and Aston Villa are the other teams in contention.
With 13 points from their last five matches, Brighton are the form team.
Fulham face one of the toughest run-ins, however, so their hopes are surely slimmer than others. The upcoming run against ars/LIV/bou/CHE looks particularly tricky.
Man City, meanwhile, have the second-easiest run-in of any team, at least according to our Season Ticker.
From a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective, it’s exactly how we want it, with key teams having everything to play for right up until the end of the campaign.
“Nine games, nine finals. It looks like it [will go down to the last day].” – Pep Guardiola
With Champions League football on the line, the Premier League will surely remain the priority for those aforementioned clubs, but many remain in cup competitions.
In fact, Newcastle are the only team that can fully focus on the league, at least for now.
| Team | Still in FA Cup? (next fixture) | Still in Europe? (next fixture) |
|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Forest | Yes (Brighton, 29 March ) | No |
| Chelsea | No | Yes (Legia Warsaw, 10 April) |
| Manchester City | Yes (Bournemouth, 30 March) | No |
| Newcastle United | No | No |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | Yes (Nott’m Forest, 29 March) | No |
| Fulham | Yes (Crystal Palace, 29 March) | No |
| Aston Villa | Yes (Preston, 30 March) | Yes (Paris Saint Germain, 9 April) |
| Bournemouth | Yes (Man City, 30 March) | No |
RACE FOR THE OTHER EUROPEAN PLACES
Newcastle have already booked their spot in the Conference League, having beaten Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
If the Magpies earn a spot in the Champions League, however, their Conference League place will be passed down.
There is a scenario, which is admittedly unlikely, where 11 Premier League teams qualify for European competition next season, which you can read more about here.
Brentford and Crystal Palace may be in the bottom half, then, but it could still lead to a spot in Europe.
Palace also remain in the FA Cup and will host Fulham in the quarter-finals on 29 March.
RELEGATION
For Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton, we are probably witnessing the worst bottom three in the history of the Premier League.
The promoted trio look destined to get relegated, with Ivan Juric’s side surely down and out with only nine points.
Ipswich and Leicester both sit on 17, nine away from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th.
That’s only three wins, but when you only have three or four of those all season, it suddenly becomes a task that looks extremely difficult to overcome.
WHICH TEAMS COULD BE ‘ON THE BEACH’ EARLY?
Given the above, a few teams might not have much, if anything, left to play for in a few weeks.
It might not be long before West Ham United and Everton are mathematically safe, for example, but with no chance of qualifying for Europe, it could perhaps allow Graham Potter and David Moyes to start experimenting with new tactics/personnel for next season.
As for Tottenham Hotspur, who are level on points with West Ham/Everton, and Manchester United, the same applies, but both teams have Europa League quarter-finals coming up against Eintracht Frankfurt and Lyon respectively
Remember, winners of this competition are guaranteed a spot in next season’s Champions League, so it will surely be a priority for both teams.
The Europa League quarter-finals take place on either side of Gameweek 32, with Gameweek 35 sandwiched by another European double-header should they make it to the semi-finals.
It absolutely increases the appeal of Newcastle assets in Double Gameweek 32, given that potential shift of focus for Man Utd.
OTHER COMPETITIONS: AT A GLANCE
2 months, 31 mins agoThanks for the article, Mr. Villain.