As we’re about to enter the month of May, there are four Gameweeks of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) to go.
While some teams can be labelled as ‘on the beach’, the majority still have – wait for it – ‘something to play for’, either domestically or in Europe. Of course, there are also some individual ambitions up for grabs.
Let’s see how this could affect FPL assets during the final stretch.
Premier League title
After winning their huge Gameweek 33 head-to-head clash, Manchester City overtook Arsenal a few days later, based on goals scored.
Yet, on Saturday, the Gunners took advantage of City’s cup duties and could be six points ahead by the time Pep Guardiola’s side next play on Monday night.
The tantalising title race is still in both teams’ hands. Neither manager can afford a slip-up, which should keep the starts coming for Erling Haaland (£14.5m), Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m), Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m), Rayan Cherki (£6.4m), Gabriel Magalhaes (£7.2m), Declan Rice (£7.2m), David Raya (£6.0m) and more.
European qualification
Behind them, it’s looking almost certain that Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa will finish in the top five, securing UEFA Champions League (UCL) football for 2026/27.
Might we see a bit of tinkering from those clubs’ respective managers once qualification is mathematically assured? Remember, the Villans have a two-legged Europa League semi-final coming, as well as a potential final in between Gameweeks 37 and 38.
Sixth place could also mean Champions League qualification, depending on how Villa fare in the Europa League semis/final – more on that later.
So, while the exact number of European spots still needs deciding – eight, nine or 10 – the battle to grab those sixth and seventh, maybe eighth, spots is very intense. Right now, four points separate seven sides.
That’s good news for those owning Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Brentford and Fulham players.
Escape relegation
Further down, the previously unthinkable idea of Tottenham Hotspur getting relegated is starting to feel real.
And, when they finally scraped together their first win in four months, it could only match the victories of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.
Last weekend’s events have dragged Leeds United back into the equation, and possibly even Newcastle United, should Forest and West Ham beat the Magpies in Gameweeks 36 and 37.
If the chase for survival reaches the final day, West Ham v Leeds could be incredibly dramatic.
Main assets from these teams include Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m), Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.6m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.7m), Elliot Anderson (£5.6m) and various defensive names. After all, Leeds, Forest and the Hammers have all kept three clean sheets in their last six.
The FA Cup final
Away from the league, Man City and Chelsea meet at Wembley on the weekend of Gameweek 37.
In truth, this one-off match could go either way. Either a domestic treble for Guardiola, or a triumphant end to the Blues’ recent on-field and off-field chaos.
It’s hard to imagine Guardiola resting his regulars in the Premier League with the title on the line but could Chelsea’s Gameweek 37 line-up be affected? The Blues take on Tottenham Hotspur three days after the FA Cup final.
Winning a European trophy
However, Arsenal have an even bigger commitment elsewhere. Two legs of a UCL semi-final versus Atletico Madrid, possibly followed by a final against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
Plus, there’s an all-English Europa League semi between Villa and Forest, where the winner faces Braga or Freiburg.
While Vitor Pereira can’t prioritise that over top-flight survival, could Unai Emery finally give rests to Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) and Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) once a top-five status is secured?
We’re already seeing some attacking rotation at 13th-placed Crystal Palace, denting the FPL appeal of Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.9m) – even with Double Gameweek 36 coming.
Should the Eagles overcome Shakhtar in the Conference League semi-final, it’ll either be Rayo Vallecano or Strasbourg afterwards.
Golden Boot
Realistically, this honour for individual players can only go to 24-goal Erling Haaland or Igor Thiago (£7.4m), currently on 21. The Norwegian hopes to win it for the third time in four seasons, a period where Thiago was mostly in Bulgaria, Bruges and the Brentford treatment room.
As a side note, Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) is far ahead of everyone else for assists, having provided at least one in seven successive matches.
He’s now one away from equaling the all-time Premier League record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Perhaps he can even set a new one.
Golden Glove
Similarly, this award is for the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets.
David Raya is three ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.6m), aiming to win it for a third consecutive campaign. The Spaniard shared this honour with Matz Sels (£4.6m) last time.
Arsenal have the league’s most trustworthy backline. They’re the best for restricting goals (26), attempts (278), shots on target (80), big chances (45) and expected goals conceded (xGC, 25.61).
World Cup squad places
Finally, this summer’s World Cup takes place between Thursday 11 June and Sunday 19 July.
48 nations are participating, each naming a 26-man squad. For certain Premier League players, their call-up status remains on a knife-edge, so it’s in their best interests to end this season in good form.
