Frisking the Fixtures

Which Premier League teams have the best and worst remaining fixtures?

There are just six Gameweeks remaining of 2019/20 so, with this week providing a little bit of respite ahead of a frenetic fortnight, we are taking another look at which Premier League clubs have the most and least favourable remaining fixtures.

This will be our final ‘frisk’ of the calendar this season as we prepare for five Fantasy Premier League deadlines in the space of two weeks.

Previously we had looked at the outstanding fixtures as a block and then highlighted the good and bad from Gameweeks 30+ to 34+.

Now we focus exclusively on Gameweeks 33+ to 38+, with a number of clubs experiencing fixture swings in different directions.

The upcoming matches look as follows on our Season Ticker:

The Season Ticker above is customisable for our Members, who can filter by difficulty, rotation pairings and home and away games as well as sort by attack and defence.

Full details are available here.

The Good

Manchester City

Next six: sou | NEW | bha | BOU | wat | NOR

Even Manchester United arguably don’t have an appealing a fixture run as their ‘noisy neighbours’ in the final six Gameweeks of 2019/20.

The Citizens’ remaining half-dozen games are all against sides currently in the bottom eight of the table, with Pep Guardiola’s troops the only club in the division avoiding a top-half team in the run-in.

While the “having something to play for” argument could be made in the case of the Premier League strugglers, let’s remind ourselves that Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich City haven’t won a single game between them since the Premier League resumed in June.

Those three teams are also without a clean sheet in the last three Gameweeks, having conceded 20 goals in a combined nine post-restart matches.

Before that is a meeting with a Southampton side who have the poorest home record in the division and then a clash with Newcastle United, who the Citizens comprehensively outplayed in last weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final.

As ever, the problem with City is who to buy.

Guardiola has made multiple changes in league and cup since the resumption, with no player having started all five of their competitive games.

The rewards will likely be as high as the risks for FPL managers, however, given how attractive those fixtures look and how on-song they’ve been over the last fortnight.

Manchester United

andys-gw33-article 3

Next six: BOU | avl | SOU | cry | WHU | lei

Manchester United will likely have a more settled side than their cross-city rivals in the run-in, at least so long as UEFA Champions League qualification is on the line.

The Red Devils are locked in a four-way tussle (at least) for two or three Champions League spots, which should ensure those involved in the neck-and-neck scrap continue to name strong starting XIs.

Eight members of Solskjaer’s first team are ever-presents in the last three Gameweeks.

The next two matches are perhaps the best in the division as a pair.

Bournemouth and Aston Villa have kept only one clean sheet between them this calendar year and they, along with United’s Gameweek 37+ opponents West Ham United, have the worst defensive records in 2020 in terms of both clean sheets and goals conceded.

The Cherries, in particular, looked woeful against Newcastle United on Wednesday.

Being ‘on the beach’ could work one of two ways for Southampton and Crystal Palace but few FPL managers will fear those tests based on United’s performances since the restart and even a Gameweek 38+ clash at Leicester City mightn’t be as tough as first feared, given that the stuttering Foxes have won just one of their last eight Premier League fixtures.

West Ham United

What impact has David Moyes had on West Ham? 5

Next six: new | BUR | nor | WAT | mun | AVL

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

Three of the four clubs beneath them in the table are to come for the Hammers, who geared up for the fixture swing with an excellent win over Chelsea in midweek.

The impressive Jarrod Bowen (£6.4m) and Michail Antonio (£6.9m) will likely start more matches than not so long as their Premier League status is on the line but, given how good the fixtures are, it’s feasible that David Moyes’ side could have their Premier League safety sewn up in advance of Gameweek 38+.

Newcastle and Burnley might make things trickier for the Hammers’ attacking assets, with the Magpies boasting one of the best home defensive records in the division and the Clarets having kept clean sheets in six of their last nine Premier League matches.

A trip to Old Trafford in Gameweek 37+ looks like one to swerve, too.

The three matches against Norwich City, Watford and Aston Villa, all of whom are winless since the Premier League resumed, are the real stand-out fixtures, however.

Also Consider

Few other teams can match the three sides above for favourable schedules.

Liverpool (AVL | bha | BUR | ars | CHE | new) assets have long been considered fixture-proof, of course, with the Reds having beaten every team in the division at least once this season.

The issue with Jurgen Klopp’s side is less about the opposition and more about the uncertainty of what an early title win brings, be it questions over motivation or the increased risk of rotation.

Klopp indeed said recently that he will have to make “a lot of changes” with the games coming so thick and fast.

Thursday’s pasting at Manchester City was also perhaps a sign of a drop-off from their usual sky-high levels.

A home fixture against Aston Villa this weekend will see Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) and co enter the captaincy equation, even if the Villans have tightened up slightly since the restart.

Burnley’s record against the big guns (two clean sheets and 33 goals conceded in 14 matches against the top eight) should also provide encouragement ahead of Gameweek 35+.

Everton (tot | SOU | wol | AVL | shu | BOU) and Norwich City (BHA | wat | WHU | che | BUR | mci) both have Jekyll-and-Hyde runs, with some appealing home fixtures punctuated by trickier trips away.

Given the Canaries’ plight (only one goal scored in their last eight league matches and none since the restart), it’ll likely only be the Toffees’ Fantasy assets who seriously trouble the FPL radar.

Everton’s defence has impressed since the June resumption, conceding just one goal in matches against Liverpool, Norwich and Leicester, so the likes of Mason Holgate (£4.3m) could potentially be wheeled out for the visits of Southampton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth and benched for the trips to Spurs and Wolves.

The Toffees’ last three opponents have scored on just six occasions from 11 combined post-restart matches, indeed.

Harry Kane - An FPL Must Own Over Christmas 1

The reverse is perhaps true of Tottenham Hotspur (EVE | bou | ARS | new| LEI | cry), who arguably have trickier fixtures at home than they do on their travels.

Bournemouth, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are in the bottom six for goals scored this season, although the Magpies have shone in an attacking sense of late.

Everton and Arsenal have only kept a combined three clean sheets on the road since Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta were appointed in December, meanwhile.

Don’t discount Burnley‘s (SHU | whu | liv | WOL | nor | BHA) run-in, either, with Nick Pope (£5.0m) having kept 11 clean sheets in 18 meetings against the sides currently ranked 10th or below – four of whom the Clarets play between Gameweeks 33+ and 38+.

Wolves have frequently struggled to break down the ‘also-rans’, too, so a clash with Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops might not be as bad as it looks.

Using the ‘per 90’ tool to assess FPL midfielders with the best goal threat 1

Owners of Ismaila Sarr (£6.2m) may well be clinging on to the hope that Watford (che | NOR | NEW | whu | MCI | ars) can raise their game in Gameweeks 34+ to 36+, with the out-of-sorts Hornets facing three winnable matches against bottom-half teams.

Following their struggles against Burnley and Southampton, however, it’s very much a case of fixtures over form for Nigel Pearson’s troops.

Watford’s first opponents in the last six Gameweeks are Chelsea (WAT | cry | shu | NOR | liv | WOL), whose next four matches are very tempting indeed – providing Sheffield United don’t rediscover their pre-lockdown form, which is very possible based on Thursday’s evidence.

Home fixtures against the relegation-threatened Hornets and Norwich are obviously the pick of the bunch – those two clubs have scored just one goal between them in their last eight away fixtures combined.

The Bad

Bournemouth

Next six: mun | TOT | LEI | mci | SOU | eve

Bournemouth have perhaps the worst run-in in the division with four top ten sides to come between Gameweeks 33+ and 36+.

Even if the Cherries were a team in form, those fixtures would be a tough sell.

As it happens, they are in dreadful nick.

Favourable matches against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United have come and gone without Eddie Howe’s side having scored, with only a Gameweek 37+ home fixture against Southampton (who let’s not forget have been excellent travellers this season) offering much hope of a result.

If there is any cause for optimism, it’s that Bournemouth have not been too awful against the ‘bigger’ teams this season, having taken points from Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

But they’ll be a team we’re targeting for the wrong reasons between now and Gameweek 38+.

Crystal Palace

Next six: lei | CHE | avl | MUN | wol | TOT

No Premier League side has fewer remaining meetings (one) with sides in the bottom half than Crystal Palace, with three of the Eagles’ outstanding games against ‘big six’ sides and the other two against Champions League-chasing Leicester and Wolves.

The Eagles have been solid at the back under Roy Hodgson but all ten of the shut-outs in 2019/20 have come against clubs ranked tenth or below.

Goals have been hard to come by at the other end, meanwhile – only Norwich City have scored fewer this season.

The likes of Jordan Ayew (£5.2m) and Gary Cahill (£4.4m are in emergency substitute territory for the run-in, then, with the exception perhaps of the Gameweek 35+ clash with Aston Villa.

Aston Villa

Next six: liv | MUN | CRY | eve | ARS | whu

That clash between Aston Villa and Palace also perhaps represents the best chance for Dean Smith’s side to pick up points in their fight against the drop.

Either side of that game are meetings with both Merseyside clubs, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Not only are the fixtures bad, but the form is too: Villa are winless in their four post-restart games, having scored just twice in the meanwhile.

Jack Grealish (£6.2m) is the only Villa asset with a noteworthy FPL ownership figure but he is haemorrhaging owners by the week, with his blanks in Double Gameweek 30+ followed by two more fruitless showings.

A security of starts is about the only thing in Grealish’s corner at present, with the Villa talisman having failed to deliver in eight of his nine last starts.

Also Consider

Is it time to invest in Arsenal assets after Gameweek 28? 5

Arsenal (wol | LEI | tot | LIV | avl | WAT) and Southampton‘s (MCI | eve | mun | BHA | bou | SHU) seasons end on a high note, fixture-wise, but there are some tricky tests to come before then.

Two clubs tussling for a Champions League place are up next for the Gunners, with the north London derby and the visit of Liverpool rounding off a tough foursome of fixtures.

Do the fixtures matter to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m), though? The Gabonese forward is tied with Jamie Vardy (£9.7m) in the race for the Golden Boot and has banked attacking returns against five of Arsenal’s next six opponents already this season.

Danny Ings (£7.3m) is himself only one goal behind Aubameyang, and those three final games for Southampton look attractive.

The two in-form Manchester clubs lie in wait before then, however, as well as an Everton side who have conceded only one goal (and a freak one, at that) since the mid-June restart.

The Toffees, City and United have indeed kept a combined seven clean sheets in ten matches from Gameweek 30+ onwards.

Patience with Vardy wearing thin as Leicester attack continues to struggle

Leicester City (CRY | ars | bou | SHU | tot | MUN) and Newcastle United (WHU | mci | wat | TOT | bha | LIV) have decent home fixtures in Gameweek 33+ before things take a bit of a turn.

The out-of-sorts Foxes have been struggling since the restart, picking up only two points from three matches against teams in the bottom half.

Their run-in isn’t a complete write-off, with a wretched Bournemouth side who have kept fewer clean sheets than any club in 2019/20 to come in Gameweek 35+.

Whether Tottenham Hotspur are formidable opposition based on Thursday’s evidence is also up for debate.

Two of the most improved defences in Arsenal and Manchester United lie in wait, however, along with a dogged Sheffield United backline that looked a lot more like their old selves in Gameweek 32+.

The Magpies face the free-scoring top two in the run-in but the budget-friendly Jamaal Lascelles (£4.3m) and Federico Fernandez (£4.6m) are at least available at ‘benchable’ prices and decent options in three other fixtures against clubs in the bottom five.


FPL Lessons Learned from Gameweek 32+

3,713 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Jdpz
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Best goalkeeper for next 4 gameweeks?

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Pope

    2. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Dubravka

    3. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Pope

  2. TaiwanHC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Repost

    I'm finally done with my WC team.

    Ederson - Button
    VVD - Doherty - Maguire - Ritchie - Kiko
    Salah - KDB - Mahrez - Fernandes - Martial
    Jimenez - Nketiah - Connolly

    What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?ts?

    1. Fit_to_drop
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Downgrade keeper to upgrade one of the cheap strikers and play 3-5-2

      1. TaiwanHC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I can't find a single attacker that I really want though

  3. Sgt Frank Drebin
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    How crazy am I to go Antonio over Fernandes? Fernandes stats aren't that good frankly speaking... He was over performing recently and even in the latest game he was the 2nd highest xG overperformer. This rate of scoring points is unsustainable imho...On the other hand with such high ownership it's just scary not to own him.

    Antonio - Great stats, great fixtures, low ownership - great differential. I don't know what not to like here (maybe apart that he plays for WHU). However it's not about single players but a whole team structure.

    Thoughts?

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Very

      1. Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        What about Pulisic or Mahrez? Crazy too?

    2. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      With bad teams as West Ham you can never bu sure over their performance though... Even if Antonio is having high goal involvement it can happen that the hole team has a really bad game and gets demolished 0-3 and it's no use of such player... With City, LFC or United probability of such lose is much lower...

    3. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Good move

      1. Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Did you just say "great, one manager less to compete for top 10k" in your thoughts??

    4. iveseenitall
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Sometimes stats don't tell you the whole story. Fernandes looks dangerous every time ive seen him play. Haven't watched antonio so cant comment on him personally but fernandes has got more points than him in half the minutes so i guess that is the only stat you need to look at.

  4. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martinez
    Lascelles Doherty TAA
    KDB Salah Fernandes Son
    Rashford Jimi Greenwood
    (3.9 Saiss Holgate Davis)

    2FT & 0ITB

    a) Son > Mahrez
    b) Son > Pulisic
    c) Son & Davis > Mahrez/Pulisic & Foden (Foden would have to be first sub though)

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      C with Saint Max and bench Greeny

  5. OptimusBlack
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who to get ?
    Son >
    A- Pulisic
    B- Mahrez

    1. OptimusBlack
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      /:

    2. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I did B myself

    3. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Hold or Mahrez

    4. OptimusBlack
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Cheers

  6. DIMITRIS
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Whos most likely to be benched by Pep this GW??

    1. Tim
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Toss a coin. I'm staying away. Only got KDB has he seems to play the most.

  7. Tim
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone else holding TC chip?

    1. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Thinking of using it tomorrow Salah v Villa!

      Need convincing.

      1. Tim
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        So do I. Think I'm going to hold off liverpool

        1. Stupendous
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          When would you use it?

          Everyone will captain KDB v Bournemouth so renders it useless there basically

  8. CFC1990
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Any team news on Man City?

  9. balint84
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Save Son or Richarlison?

    1. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Son but would want to get rid of both

  10. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Lascelles and Son
    To
    Mahrez and VVD?

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

      Mahrez and vvd 100%

    2. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Mahrez VVD easy

    3. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Cheers both

  11. iveseenitall
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Richarlison to mahrez or willian?

    If mahrez then i need to find 0.2 from somewhere.
    Team is:
    Pat, (3.9)
    Taa, mag, saiss, ritchie, taylor
    Kdb, salah, martial, rich, (4.5)
    Dcl, jimi, rash

    1. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Mahrez

    2. CFC1990
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Can find the 0.2 from downgrading Ritchie.

      Or go for Foden

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

        Any suggestions as to who? Quite like the ritchie pick as he's oop although hasnt exactly worked out for me yet.

  12. Fozzyb34r
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    https://mobile.twitter.com/R_o_M/status/1279128884366245890 The screenshot on the left doesn’t seem too credible. The comment at the bottom made me laugh though

  13. Kaptenen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Need for some help right now.. Chasing my mate league for 70 points and thinking about doing Guendouzi for Pulisic (-4) after Ole hinting for a Greenwood benching.. (Play Pulisic and bench Greenwood)

    Would you do it if the leader doesnt own Pulisic or what is your advice?

    0 FT, 3.4mil ITB
    Pope
    TAA - Doherty - Lascelles
    Mane - KDB - Mahrez - Bruno
    Rashford - Jimenez - Greenwood

    Button - Holgate - Guendouzi - Kiko Femenia

    1. Kaptenen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Questions is basically do you think Pulisic will outscore Greenwood this week by 4 points?

  14. Tombory
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Best 3 defenders for this gameweek only?

    I'm thinking TAA and VVD but not sure on 3rd? AWB?

    Please send suggestions

  15. Andrew
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    On a Wildcard, which do you prefer?

    A)
    Ederson-Button
    TAA-VVD-Doherty-Taylor-Lamptey
    Salah-KDB-Mahrez-Fernandes-Martial
    Jimenez-Greenwood-Nketiah

    B)
    Martinez-Button
    TAA-AWB-Doherty-Taylor-Lamptey
    Salah-KDB-Mahrez-Fernandes-Foden
    Kane-Jimenez-Greenwood

  16. abaalan
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Which would you go for of these (2Ft, 0 ITB):
    A) Alli + DCL -> Foden + Jesus
    B) Richarlison + DCL -> Foden + jesus
    C) Richarlison -> Martial
    D) Richarlison + Alli -> Martial + Willian/Pullisic
    E) Another combination of above?

  17. LIARS POKER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Foden or DCL this week?

    Can get Foden in for free for Guendouzi but would mean benching DCL, alternatively can just bring him in next week

  18. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Hey fam!

    Auba, Barnes & Leno to Salah(C), Greenwood & Pope for -8?

    Gives me the following team

    Pope
    TAA Stevens Saiss
    Salah(C) Sterling KDB Bruno Mount
    Jiminez Greenwood

    Nyland Nketiah Egan Lascelles

    1. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      do you have a team link?

  19. Ian Davis
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Giroud or Abraham worth a punt?

    1. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Giroud for me

  20. psl
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone reckons Alonso starts tomorrow?

  21. FC Hakkebøf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    ABCD

    A) Auba + Fernandes + Nketiah/Foden/Taylor rotating
    B) Jesus + DCL + Fernandes
    C) Rashford + DCL + Fernandes (+ money itb to get a city defender)
    D) Bruno + Mahrez + DCL - 4

    (Team linked in profile)

  22. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    From @MirrorFootball

    "We'd like to apologize for our previous tweet about Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes being injured during training we received false information by fellow Manchester United player Andreas Pereira"

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Bus spotted.

    2. Andrew
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Fake account

  23. Where dahoud at
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Hi everyone hope yous are all good, this is my team struggling to pick a captain, please help

    Patricio
    Taa, doherty, baldock
    Salah, grealish, kdb, foden, fernandes
    Kane, jota

    Bench, button, lascelles, aarons, nketiah

  24. gers23
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Eggan to Maguire a decent transfer? Lund my only other Sheffield def

  25. JJeyy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Rashford out? Not in training pics

    1. Ci Siamo
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Coincidence?

  26. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    A #mufc insider has dismissed reports of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba injuring each other in training today and says there is nothing to worry about #mulive [@StrettyNews]

    Solskjaer will have both Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes available to him for tomorrow’s game against Bournemouth #mufc [@StrettyNews]

    I don't know how reliable it is.

  27. estheblessed
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    a) Taylor (Sheff U - home)
    b) Boly (Arse - home)

  28. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Don’t we think Liverpool is sharpened and wants SO much to strike back after City?

  29. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    if bruno and rashford are out who will come in?

    1. Nightcrawler
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Rashford out too?

    2. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Rashford out too? Ffs already on a huge hit!!!

    3. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Lingard and Ighalo

      Bournemouth win 2-1

    4. Ci Siamo
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Is Rashford really out though , just because he wasnt pictured in training....

    5. Pedersen
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Typo? No Rashford news suggesting injury

    6. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He’s fine, apparently popped to the loo when the photos were taken

      1. Ci Siamo
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Haha you confident?

      2. Long ago I drew a walrus
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Any source for this? Not that I believe the original statement, just wondering