Welcome back to the Hive FPL blog.
It's a quick turnaround between game weeks with the first full midweek set of Premier League fixtures so far this season.
Cut-off for transfers is 6pm (GMT) on Tuesday so let's not waste anymore time in considering the key fixtures and players in the FPL.
Palace got a late equaliser last time out to move themselves above Ipswich and out of the relegation zone. With the table starting to settle, it's looking increasingly like a 6 horse race for relegation this season which will include both these teams.
Ipswich's forward line struggled to get any change from a tight Forest defence on Saturday while Crystal Palace themselves have scored just 11 goals so far this season and continue to have a number of key attacking players out injured.
It suggests that defenders might be the way to go. Guéhi (DEF) has been a bit of surprise package in terms of goal involvements this season with 3 so far. That's a massive increase on the 5 he's recorded in the last 3 completed seasons.
The new man in the Leicester dugout, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, will have been left with no doubt on the amount of work that needs to be done after watching his Leicester side get thumped at Brentford on Saturday.
There is however the opportunity to get a bit of momentum and benefit from that new manager bounce with 3 out of the next 4 matches played here at the King Power including this one and Wolves. Buonanotte (MID) was noted as a player to watch last week and he didn't disappoint with his 4th goal of the season.
West Ham were distinctly 2nd best against Arsenal. While I mentioned above that it felt like 6 teams were going to be involved in the relegation battle, a poor run of results for the Hammers might extend that to 6 and would almost certainly end the current manager's reign.
West Ham too have a very decent run of fixtures up until Boxing day and they could really do with the likes of Bowen (MID), no goal in his last 4, and Kudus (MID) who returns from his 5 match ban finding a purple patch over the next 4 weeks.
Both sides come into the game off the back of conceding 4 goals. For Wolves, that's been a fairly familiar theme this season and they have the worst defensive record in the league (conceded 32). For Everton, the issue remains that scoring just 1 goal appears enough to beat them as the Toffees extend their barren run in front of goal to 4 games.
You'd imagine that sequence will need to change if they home side are to get anything from this crunch match because Wolves are a threat going forward. Either of both of Cunha (FWD) and Strand-Larson (FWD) have scored in the last 7 game weeks making them by far the most consistent forward line in the league this season.
Everton will hope that some of that finishing ability can rub off on Calvin-Lewin (FWD) who has xG of 4.0 this season but has scored just twice this season and not all since September.
Sacked in the morning? Pep might wish that comes true at this rate. His side were so far second best in the match against Liverpool on Sunday that it's difficult to forsee City making it 5 straight titles in a row this year regardless of the points difference.
Forest will be very tough opponents and ended their own losing streak with a victory against Ipswich last time out. The Wood (FWD) goal scoring machine marches on. He has now become only the second player in Premier League history to be the all-time leading goal scorer at 2 different clubs (Forest & Burnley), the other being Alan Shearer (Newcastle and Blackburn).
In fact, with 9 goals this season the big Kiwi is just 3 behind Haaland's (FWD) tally for 24/25. Surely Pep will reintroduce De Bruyne (MID) to the starting XI sooner rather than later. It's no great surprise that in the first 4 games of the season, all of which featured KDB, Haaland got 9 goals. Defensively, City might miss Rodri (MID) but going forward it's the Belgian who brings out their best.
A classic Premier League fixture! Liverpool will be very keen to maintain if not stretch their lead at the top of the table but Newcastle at home on a Wednesday evening is going to be a raucous occasion. That being said, Newcastle haven't beaten Liverpool since 2015 and the early days of the Klopp era. In that match, the Reds had the likes of Benteke, Joe Allen and Jordan Ibe in their starting XI, the quality has since gone up a few levels...
For their part, Newcastle will be disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser against Palace on Saturday but then again, they did only muster 1 shot at goal all game and you'd imagine that they'll need to carry more of an attacking threat if they are to get anything from this encounter.
The difficulty for managers looking to bring in Liverpool assets is the uncertainty on team selection. Having played Real Madrid prior to City, you'd expect there to be a bit of squad shuffling. If so, Nunez (FWD) and Elliot (MID) who is just returning from an injury after get a run out as a sub on Sunday might be worth considering.
It's difficult to term Chelsea a 'surprise package' but considering the many off-field issues that have dogged the club in recent times, their consistency on it was not expected by many.
In that regard, I'd imagine that many FPL managers will be looking to bring Chelsea assets into their side this week and indeed captain the likes of Palmer (MID) and even Jackson (FWD). The former's FPL credentials are well known but it's the later who has flown under the radar. Starting in just 159k FPL teams for GW1 he's now up to over 2 million and I wouldn't expect that number to drop for a man who has 12 goal involvements in 13 matches.
For Southampton, they got a well earned point against Brighton but they follow this match with games against Villa and Spurs, a run that doesn't suggest their unfashionable players are suddenly going to come into vogue.
Oh it's a biggy! Another Classic EPL fixture and you'd have to say by far the biggest test of Amorim's new reign at United.
Arsenal for their part are showing some excellent form at present, reinvigorated by the return of Odeegard (MID) who has goal involvements in all 3 of the matches he's played since his return to the side.
I've been suggesting that FPL managers hold off on selecting United's attacking players until we fully understand if and where they'll play in the new system but the stand outs so far have been Rashford (MID) 3 goals in 2 games playing either as the striker or one of the 10s and Amad (MID) who has 3 assists in that time and was probably the best player on the pitch against Everton. Both are very affordable and appear in approx 5% of FPL squads making them potentially very attractive differentials.
The focus in recent weeks has been on the collapse of the great City side that has dominated the league for the past decade. However, Villa's slide is equally dramatic to the extent that they now find themselves in the bottom half of the league!
Defensively they seem a liability and up front the goals have dried up. 1 in his last 5 for Watkins (FWD) and no goal since GW5 for super-sub Duran (FWD) underline the issues that persist.
Brentford aren't exactly water tight at the back themselves and their brilliant home form is contrasted by their terrible record on the road with just 1 point all season in away matches. On that basis, is this the time to bring Villa assets back into your 11?
Into Thursday Evening and a couple of well run clubs looking to solidify their starts to the season. It's so close is the league at the moment that just 4 points separate the clubs who sit 10th and 4th respectively.
Mitoma (MID) scored for the 2nd consecutive game week against Southampton last time out. Once a very firm favorite in the FPL his diminishing returns plus a price rise have put many off but with 57 points to his name he might become a must have if he can stay fit.
Otherwise Joao Pedro (FWD) was brought in by over 800k teams for GW13 but promptly blanked. Given that Fulham conceeded 4 in their last home match, managers might want to stay patient with the Brazilian.
Iwobi (MID) is on course for his most successful FPL season. The former Everton and Arsenal midfielder has goal involvements in 4 of his last 5 matches. Before rushing out to buy him, Fulham do have a particularly tough run of matches in December.
Last but not least, it's Bournemouth v Spurs. 2 wildly unpredictable sides who like to play at a high tempo mean I think we might see a few goals in this one.
Semenyo (MID) will presumably return following suspension and the rest might well work out nicely for him and the team's who have him available. Similarly, Solanke (FWD) is expected to return after illness to feature against his old club.
Johnson (MID) remains one of the most consistent performers this season with 8 goal involvements in his last 11 matches. Last year he scored just 4 times from an xG of 10. So far in 24/25 he's improved the positions he gets in (xG 7) and his finishing with 6 goals.
Division 1
GW13 results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NONZ FC | @nonsowrites | 45 | 90 | Skander | @skanderh |
| Legion fc | @b0s | 77 | 48 | Shamzy F.C | @shamzy |
| FC McKane | @mckane | 79 | 65 | Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt |
| Herbae | @herbae | 97 | 41 | Likodra FC | @teofilex11 |
| Espressos | @aaalviarez | 65 | 78 | Solat FC | @reservedsingle |
| Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco | 47 | 62 | @BlockchainFPL H2H | @blockchainfpl |
| YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 | 69 | 84 | Hungry Lions | @gvkanten |
| HallAnd Oats FC | @thoth442 | 60 | 90 | Whyte FC | @Ipalibo |
| Simcard FC | @akomoajong | 80 | 65 | INEOS REVIVAL | @deniskj |
| Lazz | @martinlazizi | 70 | 95 | Vickoly FC | @vickoly |
GW14 Fixtures
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skander | @skanderh | v | Lazz | @martinlazizi |
| Vickoly FC | @vickoly | v | Simcard FC | @akomoajong |
| INEOS REVIVAL | @deniskj | v | HallAnd Oats FC | @thoth442 |
| Whyte FC | @Ipalibo | v | YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 |
| Hungry Lions | @gvkanten | v | Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco |
| @BlockchainFPL H2H | @blockchainfpl | v | Espressos | @aaalviarez |
| Solat FC | @reservedsingle | v | Herbae | @herbae |
| Likodra FC | @teofilex11 | v | FC McKane | @mckane |
| Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt | v | Legion fc | @b0s |
| Shamzy F.C | @shamzy | v | NONZ FC | @nonsowrites |
Division 2
GW13 Results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGIF | @gentleshaid | 61 | 60 | ARFANTASY FC | @arfa |
| Mighty Fc | @twicejoy | 80 | 61 | Hiveheadz | @borran |
| Newton Heath FC | @samirich | 90 | 66 | Dapomola fc | @dapomolaaaa |
| Diistroyers | @diikaan | 58 | 64 | Tilia | No Hive Account Linked |
| Holte Me Close | @stuartcturnbull | 58 | 32 | GunnersLoverFC | @nwt93 |
| Mollina United | @femisapiens | 61 | 54 | Trinex fc | @og-gamershub |
| 11 idiots | No Hive Account Linked | 75 | 54 | Headies | @Headies |
| Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo | 79 | 37 | Outside of Time | No Hive Account Linked |
| Tricky Trees 2024 | @doombot75 | 50 | 49 | Ballgasms | @preshpresh |
| Monitox | No Hive Account Linked | 36 | 96 | Happyboys FC | @happyboy1 |
| Ref's team | @sperosamuel15 | 71 | 60 | Holozing.com | @acidyo |
| Lame Ducks | No Hive Account Linked | 49 | 67 | Tangram | @desro |
| Ifeyemi Fc | @valchiz | 46 | 58 | Change Name | No Hive Account Linked |
| Jungle Boy | @george-dee | 71 | 77 | ALH | No Hive Account Linked |
| Olawalium FC | @olawalium | 62 | 40 | SportsNerd | @saf-ul-wahab |
| Kraken99 | @kraken99 | 51 | 50 | The Urge | @kenzzi |
| Micheal Fc | @micheal87 | 33 | 91 | Cygnus FC | @donjaun |
| racibo | @racibo | 71 | 54 | KELLYMAN FC | @justfavour |
| Kane and Unable | @jmehta | 59 | 67 | The Dream Team | @spidersilk |
| samostically | @samostically | 78 | 36 | HIVE KILL STEEM | No Hive Account Linked |
| Wanderteam | @kelvinpeters | 70 | 63 | OG Squad | @graat |
| rubilu | @rubilu | 66 | 81 | Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 |
| RHYDA | @rhyda1 | 54 | 84 | Hungry Lions | @gvkanten |
| The Beast | @iamchuks | 29 | 55 | Akatsuki | @seki1 |
| Hornstra XI | @elvis123 | 67 | 50 | ACX United | @pvmihalache |
| Formidable Milano | @damolexy | 74 | 45 | Emeka4 | @emeka4 |
| Coldone | @nasfyneboy92 | 60 | 37 | Barca | @muka-vybz |
| foloxfc | @thelonegreywolf | 62 | 54 | Smiley Team | @carita-feliz |
| Change Name | No Hive Account Linked | 66 | 67 | Yahuzah | @yahuzah |
| ArgyeeChitthuFC | @agct1226 | 92 | 95 | Chris Football Club | @hiveworld |
| Hadji | @hadji | 70 | 57 | The Cella’s | @blanchy |
GW14 Fixtures
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARFANTASY FC | @arfa | v | Emeka4 | @emeka4 |
| ACX United | @pvmihalache | v | Barca | @muka-vybz |
| Akatsuki | @seki1 | v | Smiley Team | @carita-feliz |
| Hungry Lions | @gvkanten | v | Yahuzah | @yahuzah |
| Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 | v | Chris Football Club | @hiveworld |
| OG Squad | @graat | v | The Cella’s | @blanchy |
| HIVE KILL STEEM | No Hive Account Linked | v | Hadji | @hadji |
| The Dream Team | @spidersilk | v | ArgyeeChitthuFC | @agct1226 |
| KELLYMAN FC | @justfavour | v | Change Name | No Hive Account Linked |
| Cygnus FC | @donjaun | v | foloxfc | @thelonegreywolf |
| The Urge | @kenzzi | v | Coldone | @nasfyneboy92 |
| SportsNerd | @saf-ul-wahab | v | Formidable Milano | @damolexy |
| ALH | No Hive Account Linked | v | Hornstra XI | @elvis123 |
| Change Name | No Hive Account Linked | v | The Beast | @iamchuks |
| Tangram | @desro | v | RHYDA | @rhyda1 |
| Holozing.com | @acidyo | v | rubilu | @rubilu |
| Happyboys FC | @happyboy1 | v | Wanderteam | @kelvinpeters |
| Ballgasms | @preshpresh | v | samostically | @samostically |
| Outside of Time | No Hive Account Linked | v | Kane and Unable | @jmehta |
| Headies | @Headies | v | racibo | @racibo |
| Trinex fc | @og-gamershub | v | Micheal Fc | @micheal87 |
| GunnersLoverFC | @nwt93 | v | Kraken99 | @kraken99 |
| Tilia | No Hive Account Linked | v | Olawalium FC | @olawalium |
| Dapomola fc | @dapomolaaaa | v | Jungle Boy | @george-dee |
| Hiveheadz | @borran | v | Ifeyemi Fc | @valchiz |
| TGIF | @gentleshaid | v | Lame Ducks | No Hive Account Linked |
| Mighty Fc | @twicejoy | v | Ref's team | @sperosamuel15 |
| Newton Heath FC | @samirich | v | Monitox | No Hive Account Linked |
| Diistroyers | @diikaan | v | Tricky Trees 2024 | @doombot75 |
| Holte Me Close | @stuartcturnbull | v | Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo |
| Mollina United | @femisapiens | v | 11 idiots | No Hive Account Linked |
I took a big risk. Incurring a minus 4 just to bring Jackson in
That’s the fixture that looks most attractive so let’s call it a calculated risk! Good luck
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Again Good luck guys 🍀
Hope everyone triple captained Haaland, Teams love ending slumps against Forest!
Time to get Haaland out of my team? Decisions!