Welcome back to the Hive FPL blog for a quick update ahead of tonight's midweek games.
I say midweek but of course the first thing to remember is this is a double game week with 10 matches taking place from 10 - 12 February before Arsenal take on Wolves in a match on 18 February.
I guess there will be a bit of a sense of excitement simply because this is the first double GW we've had in 25/26!
For Arsenal it represents a great opportunity to increase the gap between themselves and the sides chasing. At one point on Sunday evening it looked as though they'd be 9 points clear with a chance to go 12 points ahead by the time we get to next Wednesday but for City's dramatic comeback at Anfield.
For City, they'll now be thinking that if they can gain 3 points at home to Fulham that they can put a bit of pressure on the Gunners whose first match of this round, away at Brentford, is by far the more challenging.
Double Gameweek Differentials
Arsenal defenders and their keeper will of course remain popular regardless but where else might managers look to take advantage of the Gunners and Wolves playing twice?
Kai Havertz
The German's season has been heavily disrupted by injury but he is returning to both fitness and form at just the right time for Arteta's side.
He's started 3 of Arsenal's last 4 games in all competitions scoring on his return to Europe before coming off the bench to get the winner against old club Chelsea in the League Cup. He notched an assist last time out against Sunderland and has generally looked an effective presence up front alongside Gykores.
The concern for FPL managers will be game time. He's yet to play more than 66mins in a match as he works his way back from injury and it's very doubtful that he'll play a full part in 3 games in 7 days.
The other concern is his position as a forward. FPL has shunted him back and forth from mid to fwd and that confusion is justified given the number of positions Arsenal have utilized him in over the years.
If he were listed as a midfielder then the extra point for a clean sheet would make him that bit more appealing. As a forward even with his very low ownership (0.9%) then unless you're looking to free hit in GW26 there maybe be other options around.
The Wolf Pack
Having sold Strand-Larsen on the last day of the winter transfer window, Wolves have left themselves short of many options upfront and appear to be preparing for life back in the Championship.
In to replace the Norwegian who has struggled this year to shake off the tag of being a one season wonder, comes Adam Armstrong, a forward with plenty of Premier League experience but one who has found goal-scoring in the 2nd tier of English football that much easier.
He did however start his Wolves career with an assist against Chelsea and of course he's likely to get 2 bites at the cherry to add to his FPL points haul this week.
Alongside him, Mateus Mané has proven an increasingly popular pick primarily due to his price tag (£4.5mil) and guaranteed minutes. The youngster has started all 8 of Wolves last Premier League matches and has managed 4 goal involvements from 806 mins of play.
While he may well have been just a bench option for many FPL managers up until this point, the double game week will certainly tempt many into giving him a starting role.
Completing the Wolves forward line is Tolu Arokodare again a player who has found favour since the change of manager. He got his 2nd Premier League goal of the season against Chelsea last weekend with his first having come against Arsenal in that crazy game in December where Wolves managed to score all 3 goals and still lose the match!
Madueke to fill Saka's hole
Many FPL managers were stung by the injury to Saka as they planned ahead for what they thought would be a golden opportunity to captain Arsenal's 'star boy' in GW26.
In his place has come Madueke who himself has just returned from injury. It's been a topsy turvy start to his Arsenal career with many Gunners fans not welcoming his signing in the summer before some explosive performances, particularly for the national side, silencing some of the doubters.
Still, he notched his first goal involvements in the Premier League for Arsenal in the 4-0 win at Leeds in GW24 (a goal and an assist) and as we saw from his time at Chelsea, he has the potential to be an explosive differential, if not a consistent performer.
With an ownership of just 1.4% he certainly has the potential to be that again at least in GW26 but with Saka's injury not long-term then you'll probably need an exit strategy of some sort if you do roll the dice on Madueke.
Division 1
GW25 Results
Division 2
GW25 Results
GW26 Player Picks and Tips
Of course it's tempting to be solely fixated on the clubs and players who play twice this week but there are plenty of other options to be aware of too. Here are our tips for GW26
Palace at home to Burnley
Last week we noted that Sarr was looking like an important player for Palace and one for FPL consideration for the remainder of the season and he then went and got the winner against Brighton.
A home match against Burnley gives Palace the chance of back to back victories before they take on bottom side Wolves in GW27. 6 points from those games would all but remove any lingering fears of relegation after what has been a difficult couple of months during which they've been without a number of key players.
One of those players making a returning is Daniel Munoz who looks a decent decent option for reconsideration during the coming weeks. The defender notched 6 goal involvements in the first 14 game weeks contributing to his price rising from £5.5 to £6.1 mil. It's since fallen back to £5.8mil courtesy of an injury and Palace's poor form.
| Player | Cost | Ownership | Points per 90mins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | £7.1mil | 43% | 7.47 |
| Munoz | £5.8mil | 8% | 5.76 |
| Timber | £6.4mil | 31% | 5.43 |
| Matheus Nunez | £5.4mil | 3% | 5.41 |
| Guehi | £5.2mil | 37% | 5.09 |
Only Gabriel has scored more points per 90mins this season that Munoz
Now then might be the time to get back in on the marauding full-back who averages over 5 points per game this season.
Entertainment at the Theatre of Dreams and the London Stadium
It's been more like the Theatre of Screams in recent years but United have looked significantly better in their 4 games under their new boss than they have at any point over the past few seasons.
Meanwhile West Ham supporters have been equally long suffering with a succession of sides who who simply can't perform in the Premier League particularly in front of their home fans.
For United, a game against relegation threatened West Ham gives them the chance to make it 5 from 5 and push themselves well into the Champions League spots. The only conundrum would be what to do with Carrick if he achieves that feat?
However, don't write-off West Ham in this contest. Outside of United and Chelsea, the Hammers are the form team over the past 4 games and their 2nd half collapse in West London hasn't stopped them regaining the moment that the January transfer window seems to have brought.
Again, this is not rocket science. Nuno has been backed in the transfer market both in terms of bringing players in and of getting rid of some of those who didn't look up for the fight!
The result, over the past 5 game weeks 3 West Ham players and 2 United stars make up the top 10 point scorers in the FPL. Bruno, Mbeumo and to a lesser extent Bowen are all obvious and popular picks but Summerville and M Fernandes are emerging as genuine options too at low ownership and good price points.