FPL Challenge Gameweek 19 Tips and Team Reveal

In this article, we present to you our FPL Challenge Gameweek 19 tips and team reveal. As well as picking out some of the best players for the round ahead specific to the Challenge structure we also bring in @FPLReaction to share his team and thoughts ahead of the new round.

FPL Challenge Gameweek 19 is here. With exciting new badges to earn and prizes to win FPL Challenge have made some massive changes. With that in mind our tips and team reveal could be exactly what you need to have success.

What is the Challenge this week?

The Challenge for Gameweek 19 is ‘Final Countdown’.

The formation must be 2-0-2-5.

Challengers have to select nine players with an unlimited budget.

Top Picks – Goalkeepers

Due to the Challenge, two goalkeepers are required this week. Dean Henderson (£4.4m) could catch the eye between the sticks. Crystal Palace showed they were capable of keeping a clean sheet in their 0-0 draw with Bournemouth in the previous round. This week they come up against rock bottom of the league Southampton. The Saints have failed to score in their last four consecutive matches, displaying considerable attacking bluntness.

Jordan Pickford (£4.9m) is another great pick. The Toffees have impressed recently from a defensive perspective – collecting four clean sheets in their last six matches. Benefitting from that was the England international. Pickford bagged a return in all but one of those same games. He has also shown fantastic shot-stopping prowess this campaign, which he may need against an in-form Nottingham Forest.

There are plenty of alternative goalkeeper options for Challengers this week. Among those is Liverpool’ Alisson Becker (£5.4m). Alisson has helped his side keep the joint-most clean sheets in the league this season with seven. The Brazilian has a good opportunity to add to his season tally, in a clash against West Ham away from home.

One player who could have both save-point and clean sheet potential in Gameweek 19 is Chelsea’ Robert Sanchez (£4.8m). Only six other sides have bettered the Blues for clean sheets so far (four), and they take that tally into an away clash with promoted sides Ipswich.

Midfielders

It could be very difficult to look past Mohamed Salah (£13.5m) this week. Liverpool have netted at least two goals in each of their 10-previous league games – highlighting an incredible run of attacking form. This week is anther great opportunity to extend that run, with West Ham ahead.

The Hammers have been ropey defensively this campaign, and the fact they rank among the four-worst teams in the division thus far for total shots in the box conceded (210) and total big chances conceded (59) reinforces that. Taking advantage of their poor defensive numbers could be talisman and penalty taker Salah, who has recorded an eye-watering 11 double-digit hauls already this season.

Another player who many will feel they can’t go without is Chelsea’ Cole Palmer (£11.3m). Chelsea are another side who have impressed from an attacking perspective this campaign – sitting joint third overall for total goals scored with 38. Contributing to a whopping 19 of those goals was their talisman and penalty taker Palmer. Ipswich sit among the worst sides so far for multiple underlying defensive stats, so Palmer has a perfect opening to deliver once again.

Tottenham may be inconsistent, but only Liverpool have found the net more than Ange Postecoglu’ men thus far. We also have to take into account that they face Wolves, who are the joint worst defence in the league based on total goals conceded (40). The stats suggest we could see plenty of goals in this one, and penalty taker Son Heung-Min (£9.8m) could well be involved if that happens.

Another player who could be tempting this week is Anthony Gordon (£7.3m). Newcastle appear to be gaining some attacking momentum as of late. In fact, they have racked up three or more goals in each of their last three matches. Among the goals was Gordon, who has impressively managed at least one return in five of his six-previous matches. The Magpies meet with a Manchester United side whom have shipped at least two goals in four of their last five games, which suggests Gordon could continue his excellent run.

Forwards

An unlimited budget and five striker slots to fill, means we can add the out-of-form Erling Haaland (£14.8m). The Norwegian has produced just one goal and one assist in his last five matches. But, this week could see his torrid form turn around, as he faces the joint-worst defence in the league based on goals conceded (40), Leicester.

Another player with the potential to recapture previous form this week is Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.2m). Crystal Palace may not be the most reliable when it comes to scoring goals, but they have netted at least one in four of their last five games. Most of the Eagles’ appeal this week comes from their fixture, as they meet with Southampton. As well as shipping the second most goals thus far (37), the Saints have also conceded the most big chances (72). All of this indicates that Mateta, who leads the Crystal Palace attack, has potential.

Arguably more convincing than the previous two picks based on recent form, Alexander Isak (£9.1m) could be a shoo-in for Challengers this week. Newcastle’ impressive scoring form and Manchester United’ weakening backline, could mean we see plenty of goals this week and it’s likely we will see Isak contribute to that. The Swedish international has been in scintillating form recently – mustering up a huge seven goals and two assists in his previous-five matches alone.

Chelsea’ goal scoring numbers makes them a great team to invest in this week. As well as ranking joint-second best for goals scored, as previously mentioned, only Liverpool have bettered their total of 64 big chances so far. Spearheading the Chelsea frontline is Nicolas Jackson (£8.3m), who has banked 13 attacking returns in just 17 matches this season.

Taking up another forward spot for Gameweek 19, we head to Tottenham. The London side can’t be underestimated, even when taking into account their hit-and-miss form. In fact, along with ranking second best for total goals scored (39), they also netted three goals in three of their four previous league games. The fixture against Wolves makes their frontline one of the most appealing this week, and leading it is Dominic Solanke (£7.5m). Question marks may cloud over the former Bournemouth striker, but he has still returned in three of his last four matches.

There are lots of great striker options to choose from this week. Several other names that Challengers could select include Fulham’ Raul Jimenez (£5.5m) for his home fixture against Bournemouth, Arsenal’ Gabriel Jesus (£6.8m) for his meeting with Brentford, and Liverpool’ Cody Gakpo (£7.2m), as he plays West Ham.

@FPLReaction Team Reveal

I’m fairly set on the goalkeepers this week. I want to give myself haul potential having both Henderson and Pickford.
The two-man midfielder of Palmer and Salah will stick, with the latter almost certainly taking the captaincy armband.
I also really like my five striker picks. I’m not sure I will move from any of the forwards I have in. This is mainly due to a lack of alternatives.
I can’t see myself making many changes to this draft. If I do, then it will likely be to my forward line.

Gameweek 18 Challenge Review

My entire backline blanked last week. Opting for a triple up on the Liverpool defence failed. Instead, I probably should have added an Arenal defender.
The same three consistent players returned this week. Palmer, Salah and Isak are proving fantastic additions every week. I also nailed captaincy, with Palmer scoring from outside of the box.
Bruno Fernandes was the biggest disappointment. His red card wasn’t ideal at all. Semenyo may have bagged five more points than him, but he still blanked.
Overall I ended the round on 60 points. This meant a round rank of 125k. That contributed to my global rank of 1.5k. This also meant I dropped rank of around 200 places.
Good luck this week!