Latest news with #FreeHit
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
FPL special - recap of the best gameweek 35 tips with Holly Shand
Focus on the Fantasy 606 title race Alistair Bruce-Ball Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Image source, Fantasy Premier League We're enjoying our closest title race ever on the Fantasy 606 podcast with Statman Dave just six points behind me at the top of the table. All of us are back to our 'normal' teams having played the Free Hit in gameweek 34 so it's about trying to make those couple of signings over the next four gameweeks that are going to make the difference. Dave has announced he's bringing Ollie Watkins into his team this week which makes a lot of sense given the injury to Marcus Rashford. I'm sticking with Alexander Isak in my front line so there's one point of difference between us and Dave is also a Kevin de Bruyne owner who turned a load of mini-leagues on their heads three seasons ago when he scored four goals against Wolves who he's up against tonight. The manager of our listeners' team, Tim, also went for Ollie Watkins this week and is giving him the armband for the home game against Fulham. The listeners' team is currently 56 points off top spot with the Bench Boost still to play although we now know there won't be any further double gameweeks this season to try and maximise that. If you want to come on the Fantasy 606 podcast to manage the listeners' team then please send us an email on fantasy606@
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
FPL Gameweek 35: dropping Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka among key calls to be made this week
If you were among the one million Fantasy Premier League managers who activated their Free Hit chip in Gameweek 34, you are most likely enjoying a significant green arrow. Advertisement But the action is not over, as Nottingham Forest host Brentford on Thursday evening, meaning if you do not have players from those sides, your current ranking is likely to take a hit. Friday's deadline means managers have important decisions to make soon, including whether to drop big names such as Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (£10.5m). Gameweek 34 review Gameweek 34's blanks for Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Manchester City saw the fifth-highest usage of the Free Hit chip in FPL history, and a significant number of managers also used their Wildcard. The average points scored for the week was 38, but that would have been brought down by the number of inactive managers who automatically fielded teams with barely any players. Brentford's Yoane Wissa (right) and Bryan Mbeumo are worthwhile choices this week. Photo: Reuters Those who went for differentials saw good returns. Wolves' Matheus Cunha (£7.0m) got two goals and an assist, Kieran Trippier (£5.7m) – whom I have been telling you to buy for weeks now – also scored 15 points and is owned by only 5.8 per cent of players. Advertisement In total, I scored 79 points and still have Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) for Brentford on Thursday. I am 130,000 in the world, a rise of 20,000 places from last week.
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy Premier League: How to build a Free Hit team for Gameweek 34
Gameweek 34 is going to be the biggest blank of the season, which makes it a good time to play your Free Hit chip if you still have it. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Manchester City do not have a fixture this week and with all four having just had a double gameweek, their players will be heavily owned. Advertisement Here we will have a look at a Free Hit draft for Gameweek 34 and look at some alternative players depending on whether you are playing safe or chasing. How you pick your Free Hit team this week may depend on your overall rank or mini league goals. Here is my current draft… According to the bookmakers, Newcastle, Chelsea and Wolves are three most likely sides respectively to keep a clean sheet: GW34 clean sheet % 🥅🧤 NEW: 50% CHE: 45% WOL: 43% LIV: 42% FUL: 40% BHA: 38% BOU: 36% NFO: 29% BRE: 23% EVE: 18% WHU: 17% LEI: 17% SOU: 17% MUN: 17% IPS: 8% TOT: 7% Source: Oddschecker — Abdul Rehman (@FPL_Salah) April 22, 2025 Therefore, going for the three most attacking defenders from those teams seems ideal. Marc Cucurella (£5.4m) has four goals and two assists and Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.9m) has four goals and six assists. Although Kieran Trippier (£5.6m) has only one assist, this is mainly because he has not played much. But he is nailed to start, is on set pieces, and has the highest chance of a clean sheet. Fabian Schar (£5.5m) is a good alternative to Trippier. He has the better goal threat and has scored four times. Keep an eye on this week's press conferences as Jason Tindall mentioned he was subbed against Villa due to a tight hamstring. Liverpool and Fulham are close in the odds but I think Bernd Leno (£5.0m) has more upside than Alisson (£5.5m) as he is he likely to make more saves. I like Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) as he will be fairly low-owned. He is first choice and, with 20 minutes under his belt last gameweek, he should start against Tottenham Hotspur. Ryan Sessegnon (£4.1m) is looking fantastic value and is an explosive pick. The 24-year-old will also be a big differential against those who are not playing their Free Hit this week. He is listed as a £4.1m defender in FPL but has been playing on the wing, and has started the last three games. Sessegnon has three goals and two assists in only 320 minutes of football. Fulham play Southampton, this week which is a great fixture for both clean sheet and attacking purposes. They have conceded the most goals (77) and also scored the least (23), so Sessegnon should have ample opportunity at returns at both ends of the pitch. Liverpool and Newcastle also have the best fixtures from an attacking point of view, so a double-up on both of their attacks make sense. Looking at the anytime scorer odds on a Free Hit is really useful as it's a one-week team and especially when there are so many good attackers, like this gameweek. GW34 anytime scorer % ⚽ Isak: 61% Salah: 58% Cunha: 45% Wood: 43% Jota: 42% Jimenez: 42% Palmer: 40% Evanilson: 40% Barnes: 40% Muniz: 39% Larsen: 37% Gakpo: 36% Diaz: 36% Welbeck: 36% Jackson: 35% Gordon: 35% Dango: 33% Kluivert: 32% Murphy: 29% Mbeumo: 29% Gibbs-White: 29%… — Abdul Rehman (@FPL_Salah) April 23, 2025 Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) should be nailed in your team as he's the best captaincy option and Luis Diaz (£7.5m) is next best and most nailed attacker for them. Harvey Barnes (£6m) has four goals and four assists in the last six games. However, with Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) fit, it makes him a slight risk. With how well he has been playing and the fact he is the biggest goal threat in the team after Alexander Isak (£9.5m), he gets the nod again and is worth the risk. Also in the last two matches, it's Jacob Murphy (£5.2m) who has come off for Gordon. Advertisement Cole Palmer (£10.6m) and Salah are locked for me, but the Diaz and Barnes spots are flexible. Justin Kluivert (£6m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) are safer picks if you are looking to consolidate rank. Both are on penalties. Going for Palmer is a great opportunity to gain rank. He hasn't been great lately and will be owned by few managers that are not free-hitting, and he won't be hugely popular for those using the chip. He is an elite player, who is the talisman for his team and on penalties. A home game against Everton isn't the worst fixture and surely he starts scoring again sooner rather than later. Isak should be the first forward in your squad on a Free Hit team despite his underwhelming scores recently. Ipswich at home is one of the best fixtures of the season. Matheus Cunha (£6.9m) has been fantastic when he's been on the pitch and is too good to turn down with Leicester at home. Fourteen goals and five assists is phenomenal for a budget forward. Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) is a great punt. He won't be highly owned and with Joao Pedro (£5.6m) suspended, he should get more minutes, and there is also a good chance he will take penalties. Brighton play West Ham at home. Fulham's Raul Jimenez (£5.3m) looks a great option if Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m) is ruled out. The two have been sharing minutes, but Muniz was not in the squad last gameweek against Chelsea due to an injury picked up in training. Marco Silva's side play Southampton, so we should see some goals scored by them and the Mexican is their first-choice penalty taker. Chris Wood (£6.9m) is the safe pick and a lot of those managers who are free-hitting will include him. He is a solid option who is clinical and on penalties. My draft above has a combination of solid and safe picks, with a blend of differentials. It isn't a full XI of maverick picks and to make up ground — I don't think it has to be. The more points you need to make up, the more differentials you should go for and you can also look at betting against Salah for captaincy with Isak. Advertisement Another way of chasing the upside is 'stacking' on teams: for example, going with a double defence from Newcastle or Chelsea, or double attack on a certain team. If you are ranked high or are well ahead in your mini-league and you want to consolidate your rank, then you could go for Mbeumo, Murphy or Kluivert instead of Barnes and Diaz. There are a lot of good fixtures this gameweek, which means more options. This means there is not a template Free Hit team and with many options so close in terms of expected points, this is a week where you can go with your gut for a lot of picks. (Top photos: Getty Images)
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Cunha, Barnes and Sessegnon to shine - FPL tips and team of week
After two Fantasy Premier League double gameweeks in a row, we now have a blank with four teams not the perfect time for a Free Hit - if you still have that chip to not, you could be looking at your team and wondering how on earth you get 11 players out!Our team of the week should help you sort out your a reminder, it is Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Manchester City who are out of us on Friday at 15:00 BST when FPL expert Pras, external will be our special guest on the BBC Sport website for a Q&A session before gameweek 34. How did last week's FPL team of the week do? A total of 69 points on a double gameweek is a little Saka's four points as captain really hurt - his expected goal involvement (xGI) for the week was a massive 1.57 but FPL managers had to settle for two one-pointers. Oh well!Listen to the latest Fantasy 606 podcast on BBC Sounds. Keeper and defence Robert Sanchez, Chelsea, keeper, £4.5m - Everton (h)Visitors Everton only have four goals in their past six games and their 10 big chances is the third lowest in the Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, £7.2m - Tottenham (h)This might be one of the last times we can pick maybe the greatest FPL defensive asset of all time - if rumours of a summer move to Real Madrid are has only started 26 games this season but is still the top-scoring FPL could easily keep Spurs from scoring - especially if their focus is on the Europa League semi-final they have four days later - and his attacking potential is off the Cucurella, Chelsea, £5.4m - Everton (h)Everton at home is a great FPL match-up for Chelsea assets, but which forward players can you rely on? Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are out of form and every other one is a minutes forward Cucurella. Boss Enzo Maresca joked about the Spaniard's scoring prowess last week and Chelsea have needed him this season, with six goals in all is the club's fifth top scorer in the Premier goals have dried up for Everton so this is a simple form-plus-fixtures Sessegnon, Fulham, £4.1m - Southampton (a)A budget defender playing OOP (Out of position) as a wide forward against the league's lowest-scoring team?Sessegnon has started Fulham's past three and been productive his past seven games - only four of them starts - the 24-year-old has three goals and two assists. In that time, only forward Rodrigo Muniz has more shots, big chances and goals for also had more shots than any other defender in the league in that Ait-Nouri, Wolves, £5m - Leicester (h)Another cheap, high-upside defender with a great chance of a clean sheet against Leicester's turgid attack - as well as attacking-haul gets into such attacking positions and his statistics back that Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol has scored more goals and he is joint third for shots in the box. Midfield Mohamed Salah (vice-captain), Liverpool, £13.8m - Tottenham (h)It might be a bit stubborn to keep including Salah in this team of the week given he has just one assist in his past four Liverpool put six goals past Spurs last time and he scored 21 points. It is not worth the risk going without him this Diaz, Liverpool, £7.5m - Tottenham (h)Diaz also had a field day last time against Spurs, scoring 13 FPL atmosphere at Anfield will be incredible - a win to clinch the league title, facing a Spurs side whose main focus for the rest of the season is the Europa League and a defence which has conceded six goals in the past two all lines up to a potential goalfest. Diaz has had a brilliant season so far (11 goals and seven assists) and is the next-best forward pick for Barnes, Newcastle, £6m - Ipswich (h)In the past six games, Barnes is top of all Newcastle players for attacking stats. His run of form has been incredible and he is keeping a fit-again Anthony Gordon out of the has four goals and four assists in those six games, more shots (19) than even Alexander Isak and an incredible 18 of those from in the box. He has been involved in 50% of Newcastle's goals in that time and it will be hard for manager Eddie Howe to leave him out of this juicy game against Kluivert, Bournemouth, £6m - Manchester United (h)Manchester United are another side whose season is now firmly focused on Europe. Who knows what kind of team Ruben Amorim will play against Bournemouth, with a trip to Bilbao coming up in their Europa League semi-final first is fit again, on penalties and, if you are on a Free Hit this week, why not include a player who has had hauls of 20 and 22 points this season? Strikers Matheus Cunha (captain), Wolves, £6.9m - Leicester (h)The Brazilian has been one of the FPL stories of the season, with 14 goals and five assists. Not bad, considering he has only started 25 is also a bonus-point magnet - only Salah (51) and Chris Wood (39) have more this season. If he gets a return, he tends to be in and around the bonus which makes him a great captain shout this Leicester have conceded 73 goals in 33 games - this is a game set up for Cunha to Wood, Nottingham Forest, £6.9m - Brentford (h)Backing another of the season's stars this week in kind-of-forgotten-man Wood. As mentioned above, if he scores he's a solid bet for bonus is someone who laughs in the face of fancy statistics such as expected goals (xG). He has an xG of 11 this season but has scored 19! Subs' bench Filip Jorgensen, Chelsea, keeper, £4.2m - Everton (h)Danny Welbeck, Brighton, striker, £5.5m - West Ham (h)Alex Iwobi, Fulham, midfielder, £5.5m - Southampton (a)Tino Livramento, Newcastle, defender, £4.6m - Ipswich (h)Team total cost: £93.1mThe team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit. Player to watch Jamie Vardy, Leicester, £5.3m, strikerHear me out. He hasn't scored in 10 games but has Southampton and Ipswich at home in the next four gameweeks, in what could be his last Premier League to go out with a bang? Team to target Nottingham Forest - Brentford (h), Crystal Palace (a), Leicester (h)Forest have possibly the best remaining fixture run and, if they beat Manchester City in their FA Cup semi-final, might get a double Wood aside, there are plenty of viable assets at both ends of the pitch.
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy Premier League: The Double Gameweek 33 debate – chips, captaincy and Jakub Kiwior
The biggest double gameweek of the season in Fantasy Premier League is here at last. Feeling confident? With Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace all playing twice, Gameweek 33, which gets under way on Saturday (deadline 1.30pm UK time; 8.30am ET), presents an opportunity to make major gains in your mini leagues. Advertisement Which chip should you use? Who are the best players to own? And who should you name as your captain? Holly Shand and Abdul Rehman debate the pros and cons of every major move you could make in potentially the most crucial FPL gameweek of the season. Holly: Since Double Gameweek 33 is expected to be the biggest double gameweek of the season, the ideal chip to use is team dependent, with the Free Hit and Bench Boost providing plenty of power. Only use the Free Hit chip if you are well set up for Blank Gameweek 34, where the same four sides who double this time around don't have a fixture. Bench Boost if you can't Free Hit this week, especially if you have already used your second wildcard. The threshold for using this chip is much lower this season due to the smaller size of the double gameweeks and having four single gameweek players with reasonable fixtures is enough on Bench Boost. Abdul: In theory, the Bench Boost is the best chip to use for Gameweek 33. However, as Holly said, it is all team-dependent. Using the Triple Captain or Free Hit is fine if it aligns with your team's plans. If you have more than eight double-gameweek players with an all-round strong squad, including two playing goalkeepers, then Bench Boost would be best. If you can get to only three-to-six doublers after using your free transfers, then it might be better to play the Free Hit chip and get a full XI of double-gameweek players out. Because your original team won't have many doubling players, you should be well set up for Blank Gameweek 34. The teams that double in Gameweek 33 (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Arsenal) will also blank in Gameweek 34. If you are looking to play your Triple Captain this week, then my favoured options would be Bukayo Saka (£10.5m) or Omar Marmoush (£7.6m). Holly: I had success from my Villa triple-up against Southampton last time out, despite fears of rotation, with a combined 20 points from Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), Morgan Rogers (£5.6m) and Ezri Konsa (£4.4m). I'd view this trio as the optimal triple-up. Villa are in a good run of form, winning all of their past four league games, scoring nine goals and keeping three clean sheets. The fixtures are tough on paper but they have already beaten Manchester City in this campaign and remain unbeaten at home in the Premier League since losing to Arsenal in Gameweek 2. Advertisement However, they have struggled this season coming off busy Champions League midweeks. Watkins' limited minutes in midweek bode well for enhanced minutes at the weekend, where I'd expect Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) to see some rotation. Abdul: If you are looking for safe 'minutes' picks who will likely start both games, then my top three would be Rogers, Konsa and Emi Martinez (£5.0m). However, with fixtures against Newcastle United (H) and Manchester City (A), I am not sure doubling up the Villa defence is optimal. I think it's worth going for a blend of security and some upside. Rogers and Konsa give you that security, and I prefer Konsa over Martinez because of the price difference. My third pick would be one of Watkins or Rashford. Neither are nailed to start both games, to be honest, but they do provide a much higher points potential than a double defence, and I think their two games in Gameweek 33 are decent from an attacking perspective. After Rashford started ahead of Watkins again as Villa's No 9 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, it looks like he is ahead in the pecking order just now. Holly: It is a major concern to see Saka playing just 90 minutes across his first three Premier League games since returning from injury. There were hopes that he could be among the captaincy picks for this double gameweek. But, while owners should hold firm, it feels too much of a risk to buy Saka now. Arsenal have the best fixtures of the double, facing Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, with their defence the key target for points through William Saliba (£6.5m), Jurrien Timber (£5.7m) and David Raya (£5.5m). Saka's 77 minutes in the Champions League on Wednesday also add to that feeling of concern when considering his minutes across the double, with their remaining involvement in the competition taking priority away from the Premier League. If you are looking to invest in Arsenal's attack for the double gameweek, then I would look towards Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) as a differential. Advertisement Abdul: My ideal triple-up, in isolation, would be Raya, Saliba and Saka (£10.5m). However, if you are strapped for cash, then Jakub Kiwior (£4.8m) is looking like an absolute bargain. The Polish international has started every game since Gabriel (£6.2m) was ruled out for the season, which could be a sign of things to come. He and Saliba are the only fit natural centre-backs for Arsenal, so I think Mikel Arteta might just keep this partnership for the rest of the season. At his price, he is fantastic value. You are getting a budget defender for the best defence in the league, who not only has a double but also great fixtures until the end of the season. In regards to Saka, I think there is a chance he is rested for one of Arsenal's two plum games against Ipswich (A) and Crystal Palace (H). However, I still think he is worth going for just because the fixtures are that good. He hasn't started any league games since his return from injury, and surely that will change now that Arsenal have overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League. He will need to build his match fitness and rhythm. Even if he gets benched for one game in the double and minutes off the bench in the other, he's still a better option than most players this week. Also, he could easily start both and come off early. We saw with Rogers starting against Southampton last gameweek that predicting starts can be a risky game. If you don't get Saka and he ends up starting both matches, then you could be in real trouble. Holly: Investment in Manchester City assets feels safer given their lack of involvement in European football, where their assets should arrive fresh for this double. Marmoush remains their most enticing attacking threat, with four goal involvements in his past four games. I'm likely to buy and captain Kevin De Bruyne (£9.3m) this week as I look to bolster my midfield after his double-digit haul against Crystal Palace last time out. He has seen significant minutes since the last international break and claims to be playing pain-free after another challenging season of injury niggles. Josko Gvardiol (£6.2m) remains the best defensive option given his five goals in this campaign, with City keeping two clean sheets in their past three. Advertisement Abdul: Marmoush and Gvardiol are the best two options, and I would be confident they start both matches against Everton (A) and Aston Villa (H). The safe bet would be to go for Ruben Dias (£5.4m) for your third pick, who should also start both with Nathan Ake (£5.3m) and Manuel Akanji (£5.3m) still on the sidelines. But I would be very tempted to go with De Bruyne, with similar reasons to the ones that Holly mentions. He could be a great differential, and he has the upside. I wouldn't be brave enough to give him the captain's armband this week, however. He should at the very least start one game and get minutes off the bench in the other, and City also have great fixtures until the end of the season. If he continues to be fit, he should get plenty of minutes going forward. There is also a chance City get another double gameweek in Gameweek 36 if they reach the FA Cup final. Holly: Most managers tripled up on Crystal Palace players for Gameweek 32 and with transfers valuable as we navigate the adjusted schedule for the season run-in, sticking with those initial selections is generally the best play. Two defeats from Double Gameweek 32 is concerning when considering defensive options, although Daniel Munoz (£5.3m) cannot be ignored thanks to his nine goal involvements this season. I'd also still hold Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.8m) despite the forward playing just 100 minutes across his previous two games. Abdul: If you have three of Eberechi Eze (£6.9m), Ismaila Sarr (£5.8m), Munoz, Mateta or Dean Henderson (£4.6m), then I agree with Holly: just stick with the trio that you have. If you are using your Free Hit this week, however, then my three preferred picks would be Eze, Mateta and Sarr. All three offer similar points potential. I think their fixtures against Bournemouth and Arsenal are better for attack than defence, and Palace have proven to be a capable team this season. Advertisement They can score against most opposition. I can't see them keeping a clean sheet this week because Bournemouth and Arsenal are both talented attacking sides. Also, using valuable transfers at this stage of the season for sideways moves is not ideal. Holly: Liverpool have to lead the way among the single-gameweek options as they travel to Leicester City, who have lost eight consecutive home games and have failed to score in that spell. Luis Diaz (£7.5m) has delivered an attacking return in five consecutive league games and Liverpool also have an opportunity to clinch the Premier League title this weekend, which could then lead to a party atmosphere at Anfield in blank Gameweek 34 when they host Spurs. Abdul: Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) and Conor Bradley (£4.7m) of Liverpool are great options as they take on Leicester City (A). Most will already have Salah but Bradley could be a shrewd buy, especially for those looking to Bench Boost this week. He provides a high-points-scoring fixture and his budget price enables you to upgrade other areas of your squad. I am not a fan of the Diaz pick, though, because I think there is an abundance of midfield options who have a double this week. I also really like West Ham's fixture against bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) has eight goals and as many assists so far this season, and is a fine pick — not only for this week but for the rest of the season. Alphonse Areola (£4.2m) is great value, as is Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m), who has two goals and three assists to his name. The latter two are also interesting options if you need cheaper players for your Bench Boost. Holly: I'm in this situation and looking to hold players with a fixture in Gameweek 34. Any Newcastle United asset should be an easy hold for their trip to Aston Villa, having beaten them 3-0 in the reverse fixture. They have won five consecutive league games, scoring 15 goals and conceding just two. Harvey Barnes (£5.9m) and Jacob Murphy (£5.2m) top the recent form charts and look to be holds for the rest of the season. I'd also look to hold Chelsea's Cole Palmer (£10.6m), who has two assists from two starts since the international break. Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood (£6.9m) made his return from injury against Everton last time out and is now also a hold as he looks to improve on his tally of 18 goals for this campaign. Advertisement Abdul: I totally agree on holding your Newcastle players if you aren't using your Free Hit in 34. They can easily score a few against Villa and then they have one of their best fixtures of the season against Ipswich (H) in Gameweek 34. If you need to sell any of them, I would get rid of their defenders first, though, as the likes of Alexander Isak (£9.5m) and Murphy are in great form and, generally, Newcastle are a better attacking side. You might want to hold on to your Nottingham Forest and Chelsea players, too given their nice fixtures in 24 against Brentford (H) and Everton (H) respectively. A lot of managers still own the likes of Nico Williams (£4.5m), Matz Sels (£5.1m) and Nikola Milenkovic (£5.1m), and I reckon Forest players will be popular for those playing the Free Hit in Gameweek 34 too. It's important to have a balance of enough double-gameweek players this week and players who have a fixture in Gameweek 34. Holly: I am finding the captain decision particularly tough this week, especially since I don't own the two most popular targets for the double gameweek in Saka and Marmoush. Marmoush is the best captain pick in my eyes, given his form and minutes potential. I have a front line of Mateta, Isak and Watkins, and I'm not prepared to part company with any of that trio to get Marmoush into my line-up. Therefore, I'm instead going to buy and captain De Bruyne, and be at the mercy of Pep Guardiola's selections. If you don't fancy any of the double-gameweek options for the armband, don't overlook Salah as he travels to Leicester either. Abdul: As things stand, my captain's armband is on Saka, and Marmoush is my vice captain. I might swap this around depending on press conference news, but Saka played 77 minutes against Real Madrid in the Champions League and grabbed a goal too. He came through unscathed, so I think he has a decent chance of starting both games in the double. If he does, then he is by far the best option this week. Hopefully, Arteta gives a positive update and gives some hints as to his playing time. There is no doubt captaining Saka is a risk, but I am going in with the viewpoint that he needs minutes and rhythm, and benching him again won't help with that. If Arsenal had tougher fixtures, I would have gone for Marmoush, but Arsenal against Ipswich (A) and Crystal Palace (H) should see plenty of goals, and therefore it's too enticing. Also, Arsenal's Champions League semi-final isn't until April 29, which is in the midweek after Gameweek 34. (Top photos: Bukayo Saka, left, and Omar Marmoush; Getty Images)
