In his latest article, three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser talks about the possible Fantasy Premier League (FPL) impact of teams either having a cup final or being ‘on the beach.’
We’re in the final stretch of 2025/26, and when it comes to this stage of a season, decisions are largely ‘vibes-dependent’. Quite a few FPL managers have accumulated many transfers, which I reckon is as much of an opportunity as it is a threat.
Such is the flux of our Fixture Ticker, buying Arsenal attackers to replace perfectly decent ones who’ll soon face obliging teams (Chelsea against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, for example) might easily cause pain.
BEACH = MORE GOALS
Going into this stretch, I just want to give a couple of reminders. The final day of a Premier League season is famously known for a higher-than-usual number of goals. So, except for defenders from Arsenal, Manchester City and Crystal Palace, I’d focus on using all transfers for attackers.
Also, the deeper we go, the more ‘loosey-goosey’ it gets. Gameweek 35 brought an above-average goal total, and I expect that trend to continue until the end. That’s because more and more ‘beach teams’ will emerge once things start getting decided.
This often means bigger scores and, in some cases, players’ expected minutes could get a little dodgy. After all, a World Cup quickly follows. If such participants don’t have much to play for, I wonder if they’ll stop risking themselves picking up an injury.
While it’s completely sensible, usually, to chase players with multiple routes to points, like Declan Rice‘s (£7.2m) corners and defensive contribution (DefCon) rewards, I believe that this phase of open-ended games makes it better to chase braces.
ARSENAL’S RUN-IN
It’s also worth seeing how other competitions’ finals could impact the performance of certain teams. Let’s begin with Arsenal.
The Gunners are experiencing an excellent week. Not only is star man Bukayo Saka (£9.9m) back and immediately looking excellent, centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres (£8.9m) has found some form – the ‘Rashford Syndrome’ is well and truly alive, as he’s rumoured to be back with his girlfriend.
League title rivals Man City slipped up on Monday and, 24 hours later, Arsenal had reached the Champions League final.
For FPL, the good news is that it’s all still competitive, while there’s a solid amount of rest between remaining matches. The Champions League final takes place six days after Gameweek 38.
As an aside, Saka has four goals and two assists from his latest three against Sunday’s opponents, West Ham United.
PALACE, VILLA + FOREST
Now, a bit about the other cup competitions. Should they overcome Shakhtar Donetsk tonight, Crystal Palace’s Conference League final will be three days after Gameweek 38. We could therefore see mass rotation or the continuation of managed minutes against Arsenal.
Whoever wins the Europa League’s Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest tie will have their final between Gameweeks 37 and 38.
Depending on how much these two have left to play for, this could boost their closing opponents.
THE FA CUP’S EFFECT
Last but not least, the FA Cup final, taking place on the Saturday of Gameweek 37.
A few days later, Chelsea host Spurs, as Man City travel to Bournemouth. Depending on Gameweek 36’s results, we could see both teams prioritise the Wembley clash.
FINAL THOUGHTS
From all of the above, obviously Arsenal’s fixtures are very appealing, but I think Manchester United are another interesting proposition. Champions League qualification is locked in and they could meet Forest just before a Europa League final.
Plus, let’s face it, their new priority is to help Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) secure a Premier League assists record.
This might be good for Matheus Cunha (£8.1m), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.4m) and Benjamin Sesko (£7.3m). That said, the Slovenian striker had to be subbed off at half-time against Liverpool.
As for myself, I’m not having the best season, so I will be trying a Hail Mary or two before the end. My Triple Captain chip is active for Gameweek 36, and I’m contemplating not using it on Erling Haaland (£14.6m), in the hope of nicking some differential points.
If you want to go deeper into some other punts, you can view our latest episode of The FPL Wire below:
