Welcome back to the Hive FPL.
At breakneck speed we're into GW15. How will the midweek fixtures both from this week and those coming up in Europe impact team selection?
We've already seen a bit of squad rotation through the period and the clubs to really watch in that regard are those who are competing in European competitions and still in the League Cup. Those being Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool who have a packed schedule up until Christmas.
Also worth keeping an eye on which players are nearing a suspension. 5 bookings before GW19 leads to an automatic 1 match ban and at the moment there are already 34 players who have received 4 yellow cards with 4 rounds of fixtures still to play before the bar for a suspension is raised to 10 yellows.
GW15 Fixtures and players to watch
We kick things off with a Merseyside derby that gives Everton the opportunity to derail their rivals title bid. The Toffees won the equivalent fixture in April, their first home win against Liverpool in 14 years.
Liverpool have chopped and changed their front 4 over recent weeks with the exception of Salah (MID) who continues to bang the goals in left, right and centre. 5 wins out of 5 in the Champions League and a relatively easy draw in the Cup against Southampton probably means that Slot will see the midweek games as the best chance to rest the Egyptian so fantasy managers should still be confident that he will play.
Everton have been involved in back to back 4-0 results, one going with them and one against. I'd be very surprised if they want to see 4 goals in this game so expect them to defend deep and tenaciously. In fact, between them these 2 sides have 12 clean sheets in the league so a win to nil looks a decent bet.
Villa got a much needed win midweek and they'll be red hot favourites to add to their points tally against bottom placed Southampton. For their part, Saints just continue to make the same mistakes at the back and are being picked off far too easily at this level.
The question then is who to back from Villa and to what extent? Could Watkins (FWD) and co be viable captaincy options for GW15?
5 of Watkins (FWD) 7 goals this season have come at home and he's recorded expected goal involvements of over 0.87 in 4 of Villa's 7 home fixtures to date. While he's not in lethal form at the moment, he's still ranked 2nd only to Salah in regards goal threat over the last 4 matches.
This is fast becoming one of the toughest away assignments in the Premier League. I'm tempted to become a Brentford season ticket holder just because their home form is so incredible and the matches always entertaining.
Newcastle don't generally enjoy trips down to London with exception of this one. Their Premier League record at the GTech is played 3 won 3. Can they keep that run going off the back of this fixture congestion? Isak (FWD) for example, started on the bench against Palace last weekend before playing the full 90 minutes versus Liverpool on Wednesday. There's no doubting his ability but I'm never 100% convinced by his fitness or longevity.
Brentford's own star man Mbeumo (MID) is on a bit of a barren run. 8 goals in his first 9 games this season and nothing from his last 5. Newcastle are said to be one of a number of teams pursuing the Cameroonian but he's never scored or assisted against the Magpies in 7 previous attempts in League and Cup.
Man City won a game! Good for them.
The return of De Bryune (MID) was undoubtedly a key factor in them overcoming a stubborn Forest side but does the Belgian have it in him to play twice in 3 days?
The other player to watch coming off the back of that win was Grealish (MID) who started just his 5th game of the season on Wednesday. Having missed the Euros in the summer you'd expect that he'd have come into the 24/25 season fit, firing and with a point to prove but Pep hasn't seen it that way. He did, however, start him in a central role this week, the kind of position that saw him deliver consistent FPL points for Villa in back to back seasons.
Palace also got a much needed win midweek against Ipswich with a couple of their key men and FPL favourites Mateta (FWD) and Eze (MID) combining for the goal. Before thinking that it might be a turning point for the Eagles it's worth noting that their next 2 gams after this are away at Brighton and home to Arsenal.
Could this be deemed as Amorim's first real test as the new United boss? Home form is key and to be honest, you wouldn't expect much from this United side from a trip to Arsenal. Forest on the other hand are a tough nut to crack but hardly blessed with quality and sit exactly 3 points above United in the table. United must get themselves at least a Europa League spot for next season and if they are to do that then these are the matches to win.
We can expect a few more attacking selections for this game from United and the fact that they are fresh might make the likes of Rashford (MID) and Amad (MID) even more attractive prospects.
For Forest, it's been a tough run of fixtures leading to 3 losses out of the last 4. Wood (FWD) continues to be their main threat but the issue is, if he doesn't score then who does? The big man has accounted for 9 of their 16 goals this season.
Fulham were incredibly impressive against Brighton in midweek and they come into this match off the back of 2 good results against the Gunners last season (a win and a draw). For their part, Arsenal will be very keen to maintain the momentum that they've built off the back of 3 straight victories.
Off course for many of Fulham's players this is a match against the club where it all began. Iwobi (MID) is having arguably the best season of his Premier League career while Smith-Rowe (MID) has already played more minutes in this campaign than he did in the last 2 full seasons at Arsenal.
Arsenal look significantly more fluid in their build-up play now that Odeegard (MID) has returned. In those 4 matches, he and Saka (MID) are ranked 3rd and 4th in terms of creativity on the ICT, contributing 6 assists between them in that time.
With stats like that, you'd have thought that the Arsenal centre forward would be a must have in your Fantasy team. However, Havertz (FWD) (if you want to call him a centre forward) isn't producing. Just 1 goal in the last 7 GWs and 5 overall this season from an xG of 5.4. Is that enough to win a league title?
Big wins for other teams in the bottom third of the league mean that Ipswich now find themselves not only in the bottom 3 but 3 points adrift of safety. The Tractor Boys continue to compete at this level but they'll need to turn those decent performances into points, particularly here at home, if they are to survive.
Consistency has been a problem for Bournemouth all season but they have a chance to make it 3 wins from 3 in this match and they have a very decent run of fixtures for the remainder of the year.
Injuries to Araujo and Senesi gave young centre back Huijsen (DEF) an opportunity against Spurs and after a couple of nervy moments early on he not only acquitted himself well in defence but popped up with the winning goal. At £4.3 mil he looks like a decent bet for a budget defender over the next few weeks at least.
Leicester got a much needed win and benefited from the new manager bounce against West Ham. That being said, they did conceed a whopping 31 shots against their goal in that game and a more clinical Brighton team might make them pay if that trend is to continue.
In that regard, Wellbeck (FWD) missed the trip to Fulham with a knock to his ankle but hasn't scored since GW9. Has the purple patch ended for the veteran forward?
With Buonanotte (MID) ineligible to play against his parent club then the Foxes are lacking a bit of flair in the final third. Much will rest on the shoulders of club legend Vardy (FWD) who has recorded goal involvements in his last 2 matches but who is unlikely to make it much past the hour mark in this one.
This has become argubaly the most entertaining of London derbies in recent years but one that continues to be dominated by the Blues.
After poor showings against the likes of Palace, Ipswich, Fulham and Bournemouth there's a growing disquiet amongst some sections of the Spurs support but a win here would undoubtedly be a major boost for Postecogulu and his side.
It won't come easily though against a Chelsea side who are unbeaten in all competitions since October and who are probably better equipped than anyone, thanks to their ridiculous sized squad, to cope with the current fixture conjestion.
Jackson (FWD) was rested against Southampton but expect him to come back in for this one. He scored a hattrick in the corresponding fixture last season. The one player who hasn't enjoyed a bit of rotation over the last week is Palmer (MID) but it'd be a massive surprise to not see him start again for this one.
In fact, you wouldn't bet against goals from the midfield of either side in this one. Palmer, Madueke (MID) and Johnson (MID) are all within the top 5 midfielders for goal threat this season and with both sides having injury problems at the back then attack might be the best form of defence.
It's not inconvieable that by this time next week both of these managers are out of a job. Certainly a defeat for either would surely be the final nail in the coffin.
What kind of game that pressure results in remains to be seen. Wolves have the worst defensive record in the league at the moment, conceding on average 2.57 goals a game. Meanwhile, West Ham haven't faired much better and have conceded 8 in their last 2 matches.
On the flip side, both have looked dangerous going forward at times this season. The threat of Wolves front 2 is well known while West Ham seriously underperformed in front of goal against Leicester in midweek. Bowen (MID) alone had an expected goal involvement of 1.61 on Wednesday but came away with just 2 FPL points. The Hammers need a big performance from their captain in this one.
Division 1
GW14 Results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skander | @skanderh | 61 | 62 | Lazz | @martinlazizi |
| Vickoly FC | @vickoly | 66 | 40 | Simcard FC | @akomoajong |
| INEOS REVIVAL | @deniskj | 55 | 66 | HallAnd Oats FC | @thoth442 |
| Whyte FC | @Ipalibo | 69 | 51 | YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 |
| Hungry Lions | @gvkanten | 72 | 64 | Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco |
| @BlockchainFPL H2H | @blockchainfpl | 51 | 38 | Espressos | @aaalviarez |
| Solat FC | @reservedsingle | 77 | 67 | Herbae | @herbae |
| Likodra FC | @teofilex11 | 84 | 54 | FC McKane | @mckane |
| Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt | 47 | 54 | Legion fc | @b0s |
| Shamzy F.C | @shamzy | 64 | 30 | NONZ FC | @nonsowrites |
GW15 Fixtures
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legion fc | @b0s | v | Skander | @skanderh |
| FC McKane | @mckane | v | NONZ FC | @nonsowrites |
| Herbae | @herbae | v | Shamzy F.C | @shamzy |
| Espressos | @aaalviarez | v | Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt |
| Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco | v | Likodra FC | @teofilex11 |
| YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 | v | Solat FC | @reservedsingle |
| HallAnd Oats FC | @thoth442 | v | @BlockchainFPL H2H | @blockchainfpl |
| Simcard FC | @akomoajong | v | Hungry Lions | @gvkanten |
| Lazz | @martinlazizi | v | Whyte FC | @Ipalibo |
| Vickoly FC | @vickoly | v | INEOS REVIVAL | @deniskj |
Division 2
GW14 Results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARFANTASY FC | @arfa | 68 | 55 | Emeka4 | @emeka4 |
| ACX United | @pvmihalache | 51 | 55 | Barca | @muka-vybz |
| Akatsuki | @seki1 | 57 | 51 | Smiley Team | @carita-feliz |
| Hungry Lions | @gvkanten | 72 | 50 | Yahuzah | @yahuzah |
| Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 | 60 | 62 | Chris Football Club | @hiveworld |
| OG Squad | @graat | 68 | 51 | The Cella’s | @blanchy |
| HIVE KILL STEEM | No Hive Account Linked | 51 | 71 | Hadji | @hadji |
| The Dream Team | @spidersilk | 50 | 41 | ArgyeeChitthuFC | @agct1226 |
| KELLYMAN FC | @justfavour | 62 | 42 | Change Name | No Hive Account Linked |
| Cygnus FC | @donjaun | 54 | 57 | foloxfc | @thelonegreywolf |
| The Urge | @kenzzi | 62 | 67 | Coldone | @nasfyneboy92 |
| SportsNerd | @saf-ul-wahab | 57 | 51 | Formidable Milano | @damolexy |
| ALH | No Hive Account Linked | 54 | 46 | Hornstra XI | @elvis123 |
| Change Name | No Hive Account Linked | 46 | 67 | The Beast | @iamchuks |
| Tangram | @desro | 65 | 58 | RHYDA | @rhyda1 |
| Holozing.com | @acidyo | 44 | 64 | rubilu | @rubilu |
| Happyboys FC | @happyboy1 | 70 | 89 | Wanderteam | @kelvinpeters |
| Ballgasms | @preshpresh | 37 | 53 | samostically | @samostically |
| Outside of Time | No Hive Account Linked | 89 | 28 | Kane and Unable | @jmehta |
| Headies | @Headies | 66 | 45 | racibo | @racibo |
| Trinex fc | @og-gamershub | 59 | 44 | Micheal Fc | @micheal87 |
| GunnersLoverFC | @nwt93 | 65 | 48 | Kraken99 | @kraken99 |
| Tilia | No Hive Account Linked | 70 | 54 | Olawalium FC | @olawalium |
| Dapomola fc | @dapomolaaaa | 80 | 59 | Jungle Boy | @george-dee |
| Hiveheadz | @borran | 62 | 50 | Ifeyemi Fc | @valchiz |
| TGIF | @gentleshaid | 76 | 44 | Lame Ducks | No Hive Account Linked |
| Mighty Fc | @twicejoy | 54 | 58 | Ref's team | @sperosamuel15 |
| Newton Heath FC | @samirich | 57 | 24 | Monitox | No Hive Account Linked |
| Diistroyers | @diikaan | 59 | 60 | Tricky Trees 2024 | @doombot75 |
| Holte Me Close | @stuartcturnbull | 65 | 46 | Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo |
| Mollina United | @femisapiens | 86 | 61 | 11 idiots | No Hive Account Linked |
GW15 Fixtures
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Name | No Hive Account Linked | v | ARFANTASY FC | @arfa |
| Tangram | @desro | v | ALH | No Hive Account Linked |
| Holozing.com | @acidyo | v | SportsNerd | @saf-ul-wahab |
| Happyboys FC | @happyboy1 | v | The Urge | @kenzzi |
| Ballgasms | @preshpresh | v | Cygnus FC | @donjaun |
| Outside of Time | No Hive Account Linked | v | KELLYMAN FC | @justfavour |
| Headies | @Headies | v | The Dream Team | @spidersilk |
| Trinex fc | @og-gamershub | v | HIVE KILL STEEM | No Hive Account Linked |
| GunnersLoverFC | @nwt93 | v | OG Squad | @graat |
| Tilia | No Hive Account Linked | v | Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 |
| Dapomola fc | @dapomolaaaa | v | Hungry Lions | @gvkanten |
| Hiveheadz | @borran | v | Akatsuki | @seki1 |
| TGIF | @gentleshaid | v | ACX United | @pvmihalache |
| Mighty Fc | @twicejoy | v | Emeka4 | @emeka4 |
| Newton Heath FC | @samirich | v | Barca | @muka-vybz |
| Diistroyers | @diikaan | v | Smiley Team | @carita-feliz |
| Holte Me Close | @stuartcturnbull | v | Yahuzah | @yahuzah |
| Mollina United | @femisapiens | v | Chris Football Club | @hiveworld |
| 11 idiots | No Hive Account Linked | v | The Cella’s | @blanchy |
| Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo | v | Hadji | @hadji |
| Tricky Trees 2024 | @doombot75 | v | ArgyeeChitthuFC | @agct1226 |
| Monitox | No Hive Account Linked | v | Change Name | No Hive Account Linked |
| Ref's team | @sperosamuel15 | v | foloxfc | @thelonegreywolf |
| Lame Ducks | No Hive Account Linked | v | Coldone | @nasfyneboy92 |
| Ifeyemi Fc | @valchiz | v | Formidable Milano | @damolexy |
| Jungle Boy | @george-dee | v | Hornstra XI | @elvis123 |
| Olawalium FC | @olawalium | v | The Beast | @iamchuks |
| Kraken99 | @kraken99 | v | RHYDA | @rhyda1 |
| Micheal Fc | @micheal87 | v | rubilu | @rubilu |
| racibo | @racibo | v | Wanderteam | @kelvinpeters |
| Kane and Unable | @jmehta | v | samostically | @samostically |
I feel Lucky 😊
Were you right?
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!BEER
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BEER.BEERHey @gentleshaid, here is a little bit of from @talesfrmthecrypt for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.