The Fantasy Premier League journey is full of surprises. When Manchester United’s home game against Liverpool was rescheduled after fans entered Old Trafford to protest against the club’s owners, the Premier League has rearranged the fixture in GW35.
United, who already had two games in GW35,will now play thrice in this matchweek to make it the first-ever triple gameweek in FPL history.
The triple gameweek for the Red Devils along with double gameweeks for eight other teams makes GW35 massive. It offers a chance for FPL managers to climb up the ranks, make a late comeback in their mini-leagues or further consolidate their position at the top.
After two low-scoring weeks, FPL managers would be hoping for a big score and hopefully a green arrow beside the rank column.
Fixture Difficulty
Manchester United will play three times in GW35 and should be the go-to team for FPL managers even though they face tough games against Leicester and Liverpool. A triple up on Manchester United assets is a must, even taking into account possible rotation.
The eight teams that are playing twice in GW35 are: Leicester City, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton and Liverpool.
Among these teams, Crystal Palace have the best set of games but their form going into GW35 is quite poor. But, Leicester, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal will not feature in GW36, so FPL managers must also keep that in mind before trying to maximise double gameweek 35.
Among the single gameweek teams, Tottenham and Leeds have the easiest run-in but play only once in TGW 35, making it a headache of sorts for managers.
Fixture Difficulty Ratings
| Team | *Combined Difficulty rating for GW 35-37 | GW35 opponent* | GW36 opponent | GW37 opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9 (2, 4, NA, 3) | WBA(H), CHE(A) | NA | CRY(A) |
| Aston Villa | 12 (4, 4, 3, 4) | MUN(H), EVE(H) | CRY(A) | TOT(A) |
| Brighton | 11 (3, 4, 4) | WOL(A) | WHU(H) | MCI(H) |
| Burnley | 9 (2, 3, 4) | FUL(A) | LEE(H) | LIV(H) |
| Chelsea | 12 (5, 3, NA, 4) | MCI(A), ARS(H) | NA | LEI(H) |
| Crystal Palace | 6 (2, 2, 2, 3) | SHU(A), SOU(A) | AVL(H) | ARS(H) |
| Everton | 9 (4, 3, 2, 2) | WHU(A), AVL(A) | SHU(H) | WOL(H) |
| Fulham | 8 (2, 2, 4) | BUR(H) | SOU(A) | MUN(A) |
| Leeds | 7 (3, 2, 2) | TOT(H) | BUR(A) | SOU(A) |
| Leicester | 10 (2, 4, NA, 4) | NEW(H), MUN(A) | NA | CHE(A) |
| Liverpool | 8 (2, 4, 2, 2) | SOU(H), MUN(A) | WBA(A) | BUR(A) |
| Man City | 9 (4, 2, 3) | CHE(H) | NEW(A) | BHA(A) |
| Man Utd | 9 (3, 4, 4, NA, 2) | AVL(A), LEI(H), LIV(H) | NA | FUL(H) |
| Newcastle | 10 (4, 4, 2) | LEI(A) | MCI(H) | SHU(H) |
| Sheffield Utd | 7 (2, 3, 2) | CRY(H) | EVE(A) | NEW(A) |
| Southampton | 7 (3, 2, 2, 3) | LIV(A), CRYH) | FUL(H) | LEE(H) |
| Spurs | 7 (3, 2, 2) | LEE(A) | WOL(H) | AVL(H) |
| West Brom | 12 (4, 4, 4) | ARS(A) | LIV(H) | WHU(H) |
| West Ham | 9 (4, 3, 2) | EVE(H) | BHA(A) | WBA(A) |
| Wolves | 10 (3, 4, 3) | BHA(H) | TOT(A) | EVE(A) |
The big ins and outs
Three Manchester United players make up the top five most purchased players ahead of GW35 which shows how FPL managers are desperate to get the most out of their triple fixtures. Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the remaining two players among the top five most transferred in players.
Most transferred (in) players ahead of GW35
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| MID | Greenwood | MUN |
| FWD | Cavani | MUN |
| MID | Ward-Prowse | SOU |
| MID | Rashford | MUN |
| FWD | Calvert-Lewin | EVE |
Plenty of big hitters are exiting FPL teams this week as managers try to accommodate double-gameweek players. FPL managers have chosen to ignore easy run-ins of Leeds and Spurs. But they must not forget about the blank gameweek in 36 where four out of the eight teams that double in GW35 will not be featuring.
Most transferred (out) players ahead of GW35
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| FWD | Bamford | LEE |
| MID | Son | TOT |
| FWD | Kane | TOT |
| MID | Lingard | WHU |
| MID | Gündogan | MCI |
Top picks for Gameweek 35
Whether you bring them in through transfers or (luckily enough) have them in your squad already, these are the five hottest selections for GW 35:
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United): The Portuguese midfielder who’s almost undroppable at Old Trafford has to be the first name on the team sheet of every FPL team in GW35. Fernandes hasn’t been in the best of forms in recent weeks but with him potentially being involved in three matches this week, anyone not owning him runs a huge risk of being left behind.
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City): The Foxes man had a rare blank last week but has been in sensational form He is second for xG(Expected Goals) over the last three GWs and also third on xA(Expected Assists) charts. Against a Newcastle side that are bottom for xGA (Expected Goals Against) over the last three weeks, Iheanacho can return big. Having scored against United in the FA Cup last month, don’t rule out a goal at Old Trafford too for Iheanacho.
Harry Maguire (Manchester United): Maguire isn’t usually an FPL favourite but his ever-presence in a United line-up this season has become an important factor. He has played every minute in the league this season and is perhaps the only United defender who looks likely to play all three matches in GW35. The Red Devils have a good defensive record against the big teams this season and Maguire is the pick of the United defenders while the others risk being rotated.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): Not many would think Salah has been at his best this season but he has helped himself to 20 goals in the league. Up against leaky Southampton, the Egyptian, who has scored in each of his last three starts, could well be on the scoresheet. His brace at Old Trafford in the FA Cup would boost his chances of repeating the feat in the league with the possibility of winning the golden boot serving to be extra motivation.
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): Villa have two tough games in this gameweek but both are at home to teams who aren’t the best when it comes to keeping clean sheets. Watkins has been in fine form and has returned in each of his last five matches. He is also among the top ten for xG over the last three gameweeks.
Top differential picks for GW35:
Edinson Cavani (Manchester United): Despite being in fine form, Cavani continues to be owned by less than 7% of FPL managers. And with United having a triple gameweek, the Uruguayan even though may not play all three matches, is a great differential to have. He bagged a brace in the Europa League in the midweek too.
Kai Havertz (Chelsea): The German is starting to find his feet at Stamford Bridge and scored a brace against Fulham. In midweek Champions League fixture, he assisted Timo Werner’s opener and had a great chance to score another. It seems Tuchel has found some attacking rhythm with Havertz playing as false nine and it may continue against City and Arsenal. With just 4% ownership, he can be a big bargain player.
Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa): The Villa midfielder is always a threat when he’s fully fit and he showed that again after scoring in back-to-back games. With just over 1.2% ownership, El Ghazi could be a real difference-maker for your FPL team.
Captaincy Conundrum
Fernandes is the obvious candidate for captaincy and a great option to use your triple captaincy chip on, if you still have it. The Portuguese midfielder rarely gets rested, is on penalty duties and is the soul of the United attack. Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani offer alternatives but they are at a risk of being rotated.
Elsewhere, Salah and Iheanacho are also good options for captaincy but Fernandes with three matches is just too difficult to overlook.
FPL Deadline for GW35: 11:00 pm IST, Friday, May 7, 2021.
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