Frisking the Fixtures

Which Premier League teams have the worst upcoming fixtures?

The return of the Premier League inches ever closer, with the staggered release of the fixtures for the remainder of 2019/20 marking the next big step in ‘Project Restart’.

You can read more on the revised schedule here.

We began our two-part ‘frisk’ of the fixtures on Friday, looking at those teams with a favourable run of games.

Now we turn our attention to those clubs with rather less appealing matches.

An earlier article scrutinised the remaining 92 fixtures as a block but here we will concentrate more on the next four Gameweeks and continue to study a similar lookahead as the season progresses.

In truth, there aren’t many clubs with completely awful runs over this timeframe, although a handful of sides do stand out for the wrong reasons.

We’ll reiterate our caveat from our first article and stress that only the first three Gameweeks have so far been confirmed but the order of matches has followed exactly as originally scheduled so far and there is no reason to think that won’t continue.

The upcoming matches are as follows:

Everton

Next four: LIV | nor | LEI | tot

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.5m) is the most popular sub-£7.0m forward in Fantasy Premier League at present and was consistently in the top five for ‘transfers in’ during the recent downtime.

Everton’s next four matches are far from ideal, however, as they encounter three of the top eight sides.

The Merseyside derby is first up and Liverpool’s generally resolute defence (fewest goals conceded, most clean sheets) will be the acid test for a Toffees attack that has been reinvigorated under Carlo Ancelotti.

Games against Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur follow after a more appealing fixture against Norwich City.

The Foxes and Spurs are, along with Liverpool, in the top five for goals scored since Gameweek 13 (the point at which Jose Mourinho took charge in north London).

Only three clean sheets have arrived under the Special One’s watch, however, so Calvert-Lewin, who did score against Arsenal and Manchester United prior to the mid-March suspension, maybe eyeing that fixture up with keen interest.

West Ham United

The best 'single Gameweek' FPL players to consider in Double Gameweek 24 1

Next four: WOL | tot | CHE | new

West Ham United’s final six fixtures are actually very decent, with five of them against teams currently ranked tenth or below.

They are likely to fulfil the criteria of having “something to play for”, too, given that their Premier League status is on the line.

Until that point, however, they are probably ones to avoid.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are first up for the Hammers, who have kept only one clean sheet since David Moyes took charge – and that arrived in his first game in charge on New Year’s Day.

West Ham’s next three opponents are indeed in the top seven for goals scored this season, with Spurs and Chelsea set to welcome back a host of attacking talent for the restart in the shape of Harry Kane (£10.8m), Son Heung-min (£9.7m), Tammy Abraham (£7.5m) and Christian Pulisic (£6.9m).

At the other end of the pitch, Wolves have kept four clean sheets in their last five matches – although shut-outs have been harder to come by for Spurs and Chelsea, who have managed only ten between them in 2019/20.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Next four: ARS | lei | MUN | nor

The only side without a Premier League victory in 2020, Brighton and Hove Albion are very much embroiled in the relegation dogfight.

It’s not just form that has made Fantasy managers wary of Albion’s assets, with Graham Potter one of the more difficult managers to second-guess regarding team selection.

We can now add fixtures to the lists on ‘cons’, with Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester United first up for the Seagulls.

The first two of those teams are third and joint-fourth for goals scored this calendar year, while the Red Devils have been buoyed by Bruno Fernandes‘ (£8.6m) arrival and will be further boosted by the return from injury of Marcus Rashford (£8.8m).

A double-header against Liverpool and Manchester City follows the trip to Norwich City, too, so things don’t get any easier in the medium term.

Also Consider

Get used to seeing Crystal Palace (bou | liv | BUR | lei) in these articles.

The Eagles have fewer meetings with sides in the bottom half remaining than any other Premier League club, with four of those outstanding games against ‘big six’ sides.

Palace’s fixtures are not all bad, though, and encounters with Bournemouth and Burnley in the first three Gameweeks back do provide some hope.

Those two sides are in the bottom five for goals scored this season and Roy Hodgson’s troops kept clean sheets in both of the reverse fixtures.

All nine of the Eagles’ shut-outs in 2019/20, indeed, have come against clubs ranked tenth or below.

Matches against Liverpool and Leicester City are less attractive and the shape of things to come for the south London outfit.

→ Which of these 2019/20 matches saw only five shots registered, the fewest recorded in a Premier League game since detailed shot collection began?

Bournemouth (CRY | wol | NEW| mun) are another team with a poor long-term outlook but, like Palace, have two decent fixtures in their first three Gameweeks back.

Home matches against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United look good from a defensive perspective, with those two teams in the bottom three for goals scored in 2019/20, but then the competency of the Cherries’ backline is another matter altogether.

Callum Wilson (£7.4m) started this campaign and 2018/19 very strongly, so will hope to emulate his early-season achievements in what is essentially the beginning of a mini-season – although is only one booking away from a two-game ban.

All four of the sides who enjoy an early Double Gameweek featured in our first Frisking the Fixtures piece, not least because many Fantasy managers will be stocking up on assets from these clubs ahead of the resumption.

It’s still worth mentioning Sheffield United (avl + new | mun | TOT | bur), Aston Villa (SHU + CHE | new | WOL | liv) and Manchester City (ARS + BUR | che | LIV | sou) in this article, however.

Many of us are likely to invest in these teams for that opening double-header but we might want to have an exit strategy in mind for some (if not all) of the assets concerned, given the games to follow.

The Blades and City have a double-header against ‘big six’ opposition immediately after the Double Gameweek, with Aston Villa running into Wolves, Liverpool and Manchester United following a less-daunting trip to Newcastle United.

As a side-note, Dean Henderson (£5.3m) will be ineligible to face parent club Manchester United on June 24 – so anyone plumping for the on-loan goalkeeper ought to have a contingency plan for that round of matches.


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200 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Legomané
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    ‪Virtual FPL — best use of 1 FT and 0.1 ITB?

    ‪A) Mané > KDB**
    ‪B) Mané Webster > KDB Laporte (-4)‬
    ‪C) Mané Deeney > Grealish Agüero (-4)
    ‪D) Mané Deeney > KDB Jimenez (-4)‬

    **funds next wk for: Webster > Laporte/Alonso, or Deeney > Jiménez

    ‪Or something else? Cheers 🙂

    ‪Heaton
    TAA James Holgate
    Salah Mané Sane Martial
    Pukki Deeney Ayew

    (McCarthy Lundstram Basham Webster)‬

    1. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Id be looking at Vardy in next week. Is there anyway you can wrangle that?

      1. Legomané
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Thanks 🙂 Kun in - Vardy the backup when he inevitably breaks down injured...

  2. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    V- fpl friendliest

    Norwich 5 Man United 0

    Goals Pukki x 2, Buendia, Vranic Zimmermann
    Assists Pukki x 2, Buendia Lewis

    Red Card AWB

    Man City 2 Leicester 1

    Goals Jesus Sane Iheanacho
    Assists KDB Barnes

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      And 3rd friendly

      Brighton 1 Liverpool 3

      Goals Chamberlain Salah Mané Bissouma
      Assists Firmino x 2 Lovren Groß

      Yellow card Firmino

      Van Dijk benched coming on at 65 minutes

  3. Gloria Kanchelskis
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    McBurnie ahead of Samatta or triple Sheff U defence for the DGW?

    1. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Triple

  4. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    @EddieLongbridge
    Full-time at the Emirates.

    Arsenal 4-1 Charlton.
    Goals from Nketiah (2), Aubameyang and Martinelli

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      😮

    2. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Avoid Arsenal defence!

    3. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Leno Sokratis Luiz Mari Saka Xhaka Ceballos Pepe Ozil Nketiah Auba

      1. Coys96
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Interesting. Nketiah 3rd striker punt?

    4. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Do we have confirmation of that?

      Seen 6-0 touted by most, but haven't seen a journo commenting on it yet

      https://twitter.com/afcSource/status/1269310202328813568?s=20

      1. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Seems like the guy I posted was there?

        His prediction was 6-0..

        https://twitter.com/EddieLongbridge/status/1269218356210663424?s=20

        1. Rotation's Alter Ego
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Strange. The graphics looked proper dodgy (https://twitter.com/EddieLongbridge/status/1269235205061173249?s=20 is last WHU game with the Charlton badge photoshopped) so assumed he was a troll, but never seen him before!

            1. goriuanx
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              We got there in the end! 🙂

              1. Rotation's Alter Ego
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • Has Moderation Rights
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 9 months ago

                More worried that he actually predicted it dead on, including the hattrick!

                Part troll part oracle?

                1. goriuanx
                  • 13 Years
                  3 years, 9 months ago

                  Frightening really. Unless he's found a way to edit tweets maybe. Strange lol

          1. goriuanx
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Oh dear haha. Let's hope Arsenal confirm haha

  5. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    To those of you with your TC still intact. When you planning on using it?

    Tempted to use mine DGW39 if we get unlimited transfers. Still have FH and BB but no WC. Pretty annoying if there is only 1 DGW, if this is true...

    1. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Same boat - tempted by KdB in 39

      Have a decent BB side if there are two FTs which gives me 20 players but decent no more.

      1. Coys96
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        KDB sounds good. I'd say he'll start both games and imo City will score for fun.

        Depends on who you're benching. Compare that with KDB's point prediction.

        I like the idea of using BB and TC in DGWs but atm I only own 1 DGW player so I'll have to FH, (unless we get transfers or something)

        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          I could put this out as BB

          Ederson (!!!) Hendo
          TAA AWB Lascelles Taylor Saiss
          Mo/Mane KDB Fernandes Barnes Grealish
          Auba Jim Jota

          The double gk double is the temptation. The defence looks weak mind for a BB - Taylor in particular.

          1. Coys96
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            I think I'd TC, benching Barnes

  6. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Chasing in VFPL - two stonking weeks (114 and 94) and tempted to go for a 3rd hit of the season to make it a hat trick

    Pope
    TAA Lascelles Doherty
    Mane KdB Cantwell Traore
    Wood Jim Vardy

    Hendo Hayden Ward Burn

    Vardy and Mane neither feel great this time. Any cheeky one week punts out there even if the move is reversed next time?

  7. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Virtual FPL: 2 FT, 0 ITB

    Pope
    TAA / Alonso / Laporte
    Salah / Sané / Fernandes / Neto
    Vardy / Pukki / Jota

    Button // Targett / Ward / Hayden

    Not sure about the moves to make. Do want Jimenez back, but tricky.

    A) Jota > DCL
    B) Pukki > DCL
    C) Other?

    Who to captain?

    1. fc_skrald
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Pukki!

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Cantwell is a decent Neto replacement, possibly? He's gone a bit off the boil.
      Does well on TopMarx table.