Fantasy Football Double Gameweek – Liverpool and West Ham

Jan 20

FPL DOUBLE Gameweek 24 Preview from @NiallHawthorne

GW24 is upon us so thick and so fast it’s like Donald Trump and Usain Bolt fell out of a tree and landed on us.

If you have had any ounce of FPL savvy or nous, then you’ll have been strategizing for GW24 for a few weeks, either bringing in those players facing into a double gameweek or saving transfers to unleash them right now.

With that in mind, I’m going to ignore the usual accusations of bias and favouritism and go heavy on Liverpool players this week, because everyone else is, and it’s a legitimate tactic!

Ed: Full transparency – Niall as we know is a massive LFC fan and had Liverpool not even had a game in GW24 the following picks would still be the same

GW24 Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool

Last week I noted that TAA was showing a ‘Form’ score of 10.0. I don’t overly obsess about form in FPL as apparently it can be temporary and your social standing is permanent (if I’ve understood that saying correctly…). However, I assumed that 10.0 was the highest form ranking a player can get, and let’s be fair TAA deserves it. He’s now had 6 consecutive clean sheets during which time he’s also plundered a goal and 4 assists.

That’s obscene, that is.

This week he has a ‘Form’ score of 10.8, which proves I’m wrong. What a shock, eh? With 6 shutouts in a row, Liverpool may well cast an eye on yet another Premier League record, which stands at 14 consecutive clean sheets (by Manchester United in 08-09). In their current form anything could be achieved. Consecutive away matches to Wolves and West Ham await, so if he racks up a couple of clean sheets, two more goals and three more assists, you wouldn’t be surprised, would you?

Bonkers.

GW24 Midfielder: Sadio Mane, Liverpool

I suspect you’re just about noticing a trend, but don’t tell me you’re going into GW24 without three Liverpool assets, because you’re either a damn liar or a damn fool if so.

Sadio has now blanked in his last two outings, which is the first time and only time this has happened since GW6 – GW7. He responded with 12 points in GW8 against an in-form Leicester City team at the time, so Wolves be warned.

If you fancy lobbing the Captain’s armband on Sadio, I won’t disagree. It’s going to come down to gut instinct this week who you decide to skipper. There’s no right and wrong answer at this stage. There will be when the week is over though, obviously.

GW24 Forward: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton

With the news that Marcus Rashford has broken his back from carrying Manchester United all bloody season, FPL managers have been distancing themselves from him like the Royal Family with Prince Andrew or the GOP with Donald Trump (wait for it…).

Aguero, Firmino, Ings and Jimenez have been the top four choices, but I’m plumping for number five in that list, Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton. Six goals in his last eight appearances, with a cost of just £6.0m (almost a million cheaper than Ings), gives you an in-form budget forward who can free up funds for you to spend elsewhere. This could be handy if you’re fiscally flustered in getting three Liverpool assets into your squad.

He also faces Newcastle United at home this week. While Newcastle completed one of the funniest smash and grab raids of the season on Chelsea in GW23, this week Steve Bruce faces off against Carlo Ancelotti on the touchline.

Steve Bruce v Carlo Ancelotti.

I haven’t seen a mismatch of minds this big since Joey Essex tried to chat up Rachel Riley.

Everton to win, DCL to notch and Ancelotti’s eyebrow to touch the International Space Station when someone tells him how many managerial gigs Steve Bruce has actually been given.

GW24 Captain: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

Five goals and two assists in his last seven appearances. GW scores of 13, 16, 10, 6, 7 in that run. Seven bonus points in that time. A 94^th minute goal to see off Manchester United and release an explosion of emotion that told the whole world that Liverpool fans finally believe.

Mo is going to be buzzing after that, and when Mo is buzzing, teams get hurt. Wolves away is never easy (he notched there last season), but West Ham away (after a full week off, which he undoubtedly will have) looks tastier than a juicy burger after three weeks of Veganuary.

So, there you have it. TAA + Mane + Salah (C) for me this week.

GW24 Outsider: Robert Snodgrass, West Ham United

Of course, if Liverpool are playing twice that means another team is playing twice, and that team is West Ham United.

The return of The Moyesiah has been greeted with actual protests against the owners, so that’s going well. One man who is ‘flourishing’ is Robert Snodgrass (owned by 0.8%), who only got into the team in GW10. He’s since started 11 of the subsequent 13 matches, and has 3 goals and 3 assists in that time. While a double-header against two of the top three might seem a disaster waiting to happen, Leicester’s form has fallen off a cliff, particularly defensively, so there’s some hope for Snodgrass and friends before they face Liverpool.

Good luck with that.

GW24 Draft: Adrian Mariappa, Watford

You need to get a Watford defensive asset into your squad. Four clean sheets in their last six or five in their last eight is proof of that.

Mariappa costs just £4.2m and is owned by 0.3%, but is starting regularly for Nigel ‘Fearsome’ Pearson. Villa, Everton and Brighton are up in the next three, and none of those are banging in goals for fun.