If you are one of the 900,000+ Fantasy Premier League managers with the new Assistant Manager chip still active in Gameweek 27, you might be wondering who to back.
But the good news is there are some attractive table-bonus fixtures to target to help you make gains.
Here we assess the options.
- READ MORE: What is the Assistant Manager chip?
MOST SELECTED MANAGERS IN GAMEWEEK 26
| Name | Team | Selected by in GW26 |
| Slot | LIV | 720,016 |
| Emery | AVL | 428,861 |
| Moyes | EVE | 350,151 |
| Arteta | ARS | 246,495 |
| Iraola | BOU | 206,740 |
| Glasner | CRY | 126,852 |
ARTETA + EMERY OUT?
Mikel Arteta (£1.5m) was the second-most transferred-in manager of Gameweek 26 ahead of the Gunners’ home match against West Ham United – and look how that played out.
With third-placed Nottingham Forest next, it is hard to see any value in keeping the Spaniard for Gameweek 27. Forest have beaten Arsenal in three out of their last four encounters at the City Ground and have lost only twice there this season, while the injury nightmare afflicting Arsenal’s attack is well known.
And those managers who banked on Unai Emery (£0.8m) to capitalise on Villa’s strong home form against Chelsea last time out now have a tricky trip to Crystal Palace to contemplate. Villa have won only once in eight away matches AND have lost on their last two visits to Selhurst Park. They also have a porous defence that must somehow keep out one of the division’s most in-form strikers in Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.4m). If you have Emery as Assistant Manager, it might be time to say goodnight – or rather, good evening…
JUST STICK WITH SLOT?
Arne Slot (£1.5m) is the most owned Assistant Manager for obvious reasons.
Liverpool have perhaps not been at their most convincing in recent weeks and next opponents Newcastle will be no walkovers. Eddie Howe will not want a humiliation against a team he will soon face in the League Cup final.
The two sides indeed drew 3-3 in the reverse fixture.
Apart from anything else, the Magpies are in the mix for Champions League qualification.
But Newcastle have conceded 14 goals in their last five outings. Yes, they may cause a problem or two at the other end but their backline is looking suspect at present.
The Reds haven’t lost to the Magpies at Anfield in 30 years.
WHICH MANAGERS COULD GET A TABLE BONUS IN GAMEWEEK 27?
As Gameweek 26 proved, there are huge gains to be made with the Assistant Manager chip if you successfully exploit the table bonus.
If you’re new to the chip, Premier League bosses get extra points if they beat (+10) or draw with (+5) a team five or more places ahead of them in the table.
Here are those eligible in Gameweek 27:
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- Oliver Glasner – Crystal Palace (13th) v Aston Villa (8th)
- Vitor Pereira – Wolverhampton Wanderers (17th) v Fulham (10th)
- Ivan Juric – Chelsea (7th) v Southampton (20th)
- Ange Postecoglou – Tottenham Hotspur (12th) v Manchester City (4th)
Potentially, there are two or three upsets in the making for these midweek matches.
Ange Postecoglou (£1.1m) is an intriguing option. The Spurs manager had a rotten time of it this season, but the visit of Manchester City may have come at an opportune time for the north London side. City are enduring their worst season under Pep Guardiola, having exited the Champions League, and are still struggling in the league by their standards.
Spurs aren’t pulling up trees themselves but their form has started to improve now that their injury crisis is abating. The Lilywhites have won their last three Premier League matches.
Spurs also have a good track record against Guardiola’s side. They have beaten them twice this season, including a 4-0 shellacking at the Etihad Stadium in Gameweek 12. Goals are guaranteed in this fixture and plumping for the Australian would certainly be fun – but where do the bookmakers suggest which should be focusing our attention?
Here’s who the bookies think has the best chance of prospering:
| % chance of home win | % chance of draw | % chance of away win | |
| Crystal Palace (13th) v Aston Villa (8th) | 38.6% | 27.0% | 34.4% |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (17th) v Fulham (10th) | 35.0% | 27.1% | 37.9% |
| Chelsea (7th) v Southampton (20th) | 77.8% | 13.6% | 8.6% |
| Tottenham Hotspur (12th) v Manchester City (4th) | 27.8% | 23.7% | 48.5% |
At first glance, Crystal Palace appeal here. Villa’s away form is poor, with six losses in their last eight on the road. Only the bottom three have kept fewer clean sheets than the Villans this season.
The bookies give Palace a 38.6% chance of winning and a further 27.0% chance of drawing. That means there is nearly a two-thirds chance of Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) returning points. He’s fresh from a 20-point haul, remember…
Wolves, meanwhile, have around a 62.1% prospect of getting a result of some variety at home to Fulham. The Cottagers have won only two of their nine games against sides 5+ places below them in 2024/25.
THE BANKERS…?
Enzo Maresca
Leading the way for projected Assistant Manager points in Gameweek 27 is Enzo Maresca (£1.5m).
Southampton have lost eight of their last nine matches and are rooted to the foot of the table. Chelsea are going through a sticky spell themselves, with only two wins in 10 fixtures.
However, that brace of victories came in their last two home matches. The Blues, who put five past Saints in their last meeting, should have no problem making it three on the spin at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter
West Ham’s victory at the Emirates should give them a huge boost, going into a meeting with sorry Leicester.
Yes, the Foxes won the reverse fixture 3-1. But that was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first match in charge and the new manager bounce was very much in evidence.
Since then, it’s all gone horribly wrong. Leicester have lost 10 of their last 11 league fixtures, their last clean sheet coming in early October.
Graham Potter (£0.5m) is kindly priced for those short on funds, too.
Ruben Amorim
It’s with some hesitation that we include Ruben Amorim (£0.8m) here.
After Chelsea, the bookies make United the next-biggest favourites for a Gameweek 27 win.
But that’s to ignore their own rotten run of form, with just two wins in 10 league games.
Ipswich Town, indeed, might fancy their chances at Old Trafford, having drawn with the Red Devils in the reverse fixture.
The Tractor Boys are on an even worse run of results, however. Their only win in the last 10 Gameweeks came against a Chelsea side that rotated their first XI.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Much like transfer strategy, the way you play your chips in FPL is highly dependent on the state of your team. If you are flying high in your mini-league and seeking to protect your ranking then there is an argument for playing it safe.
In truth, though, unless you are banking on Chelsea and perhaps West Ham United, there are no absolute safe plays for Gameweek 27.
There are arguably more attractive table bonus punts this week, indeed.
Vitor Pereira (£0.5m) is particularly appealing as Wolves are becoming a force to be reckoned with under the Portuguese. In Matheus Cunha, Wolves boast one of the most dangerous attacking assets in Fantasy.
Against a Fulham side who have kept only two clean sheets in 15 matches, struggle against sides at the wrong end of the table and lost handsomely to Wolves earlier this season, Pereira is a strong Assistant Manager pick for Gameweek 27.
As last week, we’d also champion Glasner. Villa’s poor away form and the Eagles’ resurgence could see the Palace head coach haul for the second week running.
For those less than willing to use a free transfer on moving someone out, Slot isn’t a bad ‘hold’ this week.
But the other popular Gameweek 26 selections, aka Messrs Arteta, Iraola, Moyes and Emery, all arguably have trickier fixtures in midweek than they did at the weekend. If you can make a move elsewhere, it could be worth doing.
