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Well Boxing Day football didn’t disappoint, it rarely does! From late London derby comebacks to Haaland now missing penalties, the Xmas period delivered pure entertainment but also hard FPL decisions. Luckily, we are here to guide you through all those critical next moves, GW18 fallout and beyond. This is the best place to find all the essential information you need to know, to continue your march towards top spot in that work league!
You can also follow our Fantasy Premier League Football Tips throughout the season for gameweekly insights and opinions.
The 24/25 season is well underway, and our experts are continuing to roll out their Premier League predictions, so now is the perfect time to get involved. We will remain across all the action on the continent, the EFL, and in Scotland in our various Football Betting Tips & Predictions, with fresh tips available here on Andy’s Bet Club every day.
⚔️ Gameweek 18 Review – 54 Points (51 Average)
Hmmmm, distinctly average. Great start with my keeper Raya (6pts) but again, less said about defence the best. 3 points for all three defenders and with Veltman (8pts) sitting on the bench, it wasn’t ideal. Changes will be made starting with Robertson relegated to the bench or cast from the team.
Midfield FC saved me again with Salah (18pts) and Palmer (10pts) doing the business though I am becoming concerned with the lack of returns from Mbeumo (3pts).
Cunha (12pts) up top, still smashing it until the time eventually comes for his ban but by them he will have better players to the side of him as Jackson (2pts) and Pedro (2pts) have dissolved my patience for any resemblance of a return. Still above average and moving in the right direction but I need slightly more.
📋 Gameweek 18 Transfers Recap
Each week so you know @FplVeteran is doing the demanding work for you, we revisit key decisions from last weeks review. This GW we revisit my Transfers’ Out. Clean sweep! Yes, kind of helped with Saka not playing but we still smashed it. Unfortunately for me though, I still own Jackson, so it’s a little bittersweet.
| Captain | Points |
| Jackson | 2 |
| Saka | 0 |
| Porro | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
✅ The Best 3 Transfers IN for Gameweek 19
🇸🇳 Ismaila Sarr – Crystal Palace (£5.8m, 2.7%)
A 2.7% owned player I am recommending as a transfer in… Ohhhhhhhh yes I am. The 2 key reasons for this are; fixtures and output. Until GW12 when he hit 13 points v Aston Villa, I didn’t take much notice of Sarr, I have to be honest. But since then he has gone onto score a further 17-point haul, score against Arsenal and pass my eye test.
To bring you this content (and because I love football) I watch a large number of matches to garner all the information that stats and graphs just can’t translate. Crystal Palace have needed an attacking focal point since the departure of Michael Olise and what seems like the constant injury to Eze, and now they have it.
With Eze looking back to match fitness they now have that other ‘key’ player who can be a threat and supply Palace with the vital goals they need. Fixtures wise he plays Southampton and Leicester in the next three, matchups you just can’t ignore and all for a cut price of £5.8m. He’s in for me, is he in for you?
🇪🇬 🏴 Mohamed Salah / Cole Palmer – Liverpool / Chelsea – (£13.5m, 11.3m)
I know you know these players are good and it feels kind of backward to even mention them, but some managers still don’t have them. I’m not sure if the current thinking is their form bubble will burst, but here’s a newsflash, it won’t. The way Cole Palmer took his goal v Fulham and the impending inevitability of Salah returning in every single match is just too much to go without. I won’t go too deep but just ensure you have both moving forward.
🇸🇪 Alexander Isak – Newcastle United (£9.1m, 44%)
He scored yet again. To continue his red-hot form, he scored in the 3-0 mauling of Aston Villa with 2 bonus points as a present to his owners. Now, I try not to have the same player in Transfer in & out if I can help it, but you can’t continue to ignore him. Personally, I have got over this hump and already have him in, though its one week late than I should have acted. 55 points in 5 games leaves him the second most inform player, only behind the unbelievable Salah.
Newcastle have turned the corner from the start of the season and are now picking up wins, goals, and even clean sheets – I genuinely thought these were a myth! The point is, Newcastle are now playing how we expected a team chasing the top four to be performing and at the top of the attacking tree is Isak. If he could stay fit all season he would be a golden boot contender but as we have seen that’s a big if. Regardless, in the here and now he is firing, just make the move.
❌ The Best 3 Transfers OUT for Gameweek 19
🇵🇹 Bruno Fernandes – Man United (£8.4m, 13.6%)
Bruno plays in red but with the present he gave us in the form of a sending off, he might as well of been in green the Grinch. Many managers pivoted to him this GW and he did not repay them one bit. Suspended until 5th Jan, and that is against Liverpool so not ideal for at least the next 2 GWs.
In midfield this season, there are simply too many good options to only play 4 and bench the fifth midfielder, this is where most of the points lay. I thought Man United had already turned the corner, but I was wrong and plenty more pain awaits any fan currently reading this I am afraid. With Amorim, he plays his way and only his way and despite it working (in my opinion) eventually to make Man United a formidable team, in the interim the team and FPL assets will suffer.
He does have Southampton in GW21 so I get why a few are holding but a lot can change in that period, there may very well be a better Man Utd asset at a cheaper price by then? Take out currently for me.
🇭🇷 Josko Gvardiol – Man City (£6m, 22%)
I have been saying this for some time now… Man City cannot win the league conceding this number of goals! I appreciate they are a world class team, but even if the Galactico’s only kept 3 clean sheets in 18 games, it too would soon catch up with them. Only keeping clean sheets to Southampton, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest is not a title winning side. The fact they conceded to goal shy Everton is another nail in the coffin of owning any Man city defender currently.
Gvardiol is a premium priced asset and is not coming remotely to close the amount of FPL points he should be on a weekly basis. At the start of the season we thought £6m for a defender who collects clean sheets and scores quite a few goals could be a steal, but that is but a distant memory now. Replace him with a more secure defence and most likely even save some cash.
🇲🇦 Noussair Mazraoui – Man United (£4.6m, 14%)
Man United or Man City… Currently, I can’t decide who is worse. As I said above in the Bruno transfer section, Man United have not turned any corner just yet and are as bad at conceding goals currently, leaving them lying in 14th place in the league.
Mazraoui had been collecting the odd assist and bonus points but just like his fellow teammate, Dalot whom I currently own; they have fully dried up. Even at only £4.6m, conceding 2 to Wolves, 3 to Bournemouth and 3 to Nottingham Forest, its not value for money.
Man United have Newcastle, Liverpool, and Southampton next and though at first glance you think there is one clean sheet there, I wouldn’t be so sure. If your squad is strong enough to bench him until the Saints game then do that, but if not just get rid. Just like the Man city defenders, look at other teams.
Top Tip – With more stats and assistance out in the ether for FPL than ever before, sometimes it can get a little overwhelming, especially during the holidays. My advice to you is, consume the content you enjoy(hopefully this is one you do if you’re reading )then use this information to make your decisions based off your original thoughts, ideas, stats, and eyes tests. If your gut feeling is to bring in a low owned player but no one else seems to be, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong call. After all, these moments are the ones we remember the greatest and bring us most joy, its actually quite possibly my favourite part of playing FPL.
🦸 Gameweek 19 Captaincy Selections
🇪🇬🏴 Mohamed Salah / Cole Palmer – Liverpool / Chelsea – (£13.5m, 11.3m)
Right now, they are both unstoppable! Salah more than Palmer I agree but you would be a brave person to bet against them both. Ipswich and West Ham are both plum fixtures, so don’t overthink it and decide between these two. Even if they blank, their ownership is so high it’s just not worth the risk as they can go off at any time.
Alternative Captain Options
If you want to risk it then there’s a few outside picks you can turn too. Isak is on form right now and I don’t see that ending against a Man Utd side that are in slight disarray. But a forgotten man is the best of the rest picks for me. Haaland even missed a penalty last week V Everton, but against a woeful Leicester side I see him scoring a long-time coming haul with a few goals at least.
Top three for me this GW: Salah – Palmer – Haaland
👁️ FPL Veteran’s Vision and Verdict
With 3 saved up FT’s I am going to use at least 2 of them to freshen it up ready for the New Year period, basically a mini wildcard. Defence is weak so I have to make at least one if not two changes, extracting money from my backline for 1 premium asset (most likely an Arsenal defender) and one super cheap player who always plays. If I’m not getting many points from there, I might as well use the money elsewhere.
In midfield, Bruno will make way after his red card, I don’t often keep players ineligible in my bench, it’s just a waste of a spot.
Since I have made one change in defence and midfield, its only right I make one up top in the striker department also. Pedro has fallen short of my expectations and as such will make way for Isak, or a cheeky punt since I’m climbing that rank ladder.
Good thing is with 3 FT’s I can change my mind and go many ways; it does often increase the pressure of making the right decisions though. Team, you know how we operate here though don’t you? We only find out the type of manager we are in these positions so … bring it on!
Conclusion
For my final GW19 team and football insights/analysis throughout the 2024-2025 season. Look out for my special articles and follow me on X @FplVeteran_ for daily fantasy football content.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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