Double Gameweek 24: The best Everton + Liverpool buys

After December’s initial Merseyside derby was postponed, its rearrangement gives Everton and Liverpool a Double Gameweek 24 – the first multi-match of 2024/25.

Both sides enter it on two successive league wins and, at the moment, four of the week’s five most-bought players belong to these.

Let’s pick out their best individuals from an FPL perspective.

BEST OF LIVERPOOL

This double brings a tricky pair of away games for the league leaders, including Bournemouth – fresh from blitzing the fifth and third-placed sides 4-1 and 5-0.

Not that fixture quality will deter hundreds of thousands from using either their Triple Captain chip on Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) or Assistant Manager on Arne Slot (£1.5m). It’s all about the quantity.

Salah’s outrageous season ensures he’s already in 71.0% of overall squads and 99.84% of the top million. He’s on the most goals (19), also being far ahead of the rest for FPL points (222), attacking returns (32) and double-digit hauls (12).

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) is the preferred defender. He ranks second in this position for points (101) and first for chances created (43) and big chances created (14). Unfortunately, Ipswich’s late consolation goal denied him a third double-digit score from the last five outings.

Slightly cheaper but with less attacking threat is the solid pick of Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m), while centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate (£5.2m) has started four in a row despite Slot recently saying “he still has some pain in his knee.” Alisson (£5.5m) is the Reds’ undisputed number-one goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, well done to those who bought Cody Gakpo (£7.6m) one week early. The Dutchman’s 11th successive league start coincided with his best tally of the season – 16 points from two goals, an assist and three bonuses.

BEST OF EVERTON

Across the city, Everton have started well under David Moyes. Their main FPL news from the weekend is that Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.4m) departed early with a hamstring injury. It likely rules him out of the double, saving managers from any cruel temptation to buy this misfiring forward. Instead, it was strike partner Iliman Ndiaye (£5.4m) who took their penalty at Brighton, making it two goals in two.

It’s probably best to ignore the Toffees’ midfielders. Only the bottom four have a lower-scoring ‘best’ one, as Dwight McNeil (£5.1m) has been absent since early December. He could be about to undergo knee surgery.

Therefore focus should go on their defence. Saturday brought their eighth clean sheet of the season, bettered only by Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. From Gameweek 7 onwards, they’ve conceded the league’s fewest goals (13) and third-fewest shots on target (62).

Interestingly, five of Everton’s last seven home derbies have ended with a clean sheet. It’s preceded by hosting Leicester, so grabbing a defender like Vitalii Mykolenko (£4.4m) – cheaper than James Tarkowski (£4.8m) and Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.8m) – feels needed.

Perhaps doubling up on this backline will work. Last season’s best FPL goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) might’ve reclaimed this spot had he been awarded an assist for Ndiaye’s penalty. Following these is a nice run versus Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Brentford, Wolves and West Ham.