What Each Premier League Club has Left to Play for?
Not sure what each Premier League Club has left to play for? This is something we have to consider as FPL managers to help with strategy and the overall end goal of boosting rank. Don’t worry, we take a look at every single side in the league and work it out!
It’s at this point Fantasy managers start to consider where each player and team’s priorities lie. Along with that, who could effectively be ‘on the beach’ early.
TITLE RACE
It’s surely only a matter of time before Liverpool claim the title. This should be the case even when considering disappointing losses in the Champions League and EFL Cup final.
Arne Slot’s men have built up a 12-point lead over Arsenal with only nine games to go.
The Gunners can finish on a maximum of 85 points. This is if they win all their remaining matches, which is of course unlikely. Liverpool therefore require 16 points to be crowned champions.
The earliest date the Reds could actually win the title is in Gameweek 32 (if Arsenal lose and Liverpool win their next two matches), but realistically, it’ll probably be towards the end of April or the start of May.
With Liverpool out of Europe and eliminated from the FA Cup, there is no immediate risk of minute management/rotation.
The main question is what Slot does with his starting line-up once the title is confirmed. Does the Dutchman give fringe players like Harvey Elliott (£5.2m) and Federico Chiesa (£6.8m) starts, for example, when nothing is resting on the result?
As for Arsenal, they sparked a glimmer of hope thanks to their win over Chelsea on Sunday but they are rightly still considered outsiders.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the gap to sixth is now 11 points (more on that later).
That should mean full focus is on beating Real Madrid in the Champions League next month, who they face on either side of Gameweek 32.
If they make it to the semi-finals, Gameweek 35 will be sandwiched by another European double-header. That could be a prime time for Mikel Arteta to rotate, if Liverpool have already wrapped up the title of course, but they obviously need to get past Real Madrid first.
Not sure when to play a chip, or what players to buy in the weeks ahead? We take a look in our ‘FPL Gameweeks 30-32 Planning’ article.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION
The Premier League is very likely to secure a fifth Champions League spot for 2025/26, with numerous teams still in the mix to qualify.
Liverpool and Arsenal look certain to reach next season’s competition.
Nottingham Forest are currently in third place on 54 points and inching closer to qualification, but the gap from Chelsea in fourth and Bournemouth in 10th is only five points, so the fight is on.
Manchester City, Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Fulham and Aston Villa are the other teams in contention.
With 13 points from their last five matches, Brighton are the form team.
Fulham face one of the toughest run-ins, however, so their hopes are surely slimmer than others. The upcoming run against ars/LIV/bou/CHE looks particularly tricky.
Man City, meanwhile, have the second-easiest run-in of any team, at least according to our Season Ticker.
From a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective, it’s exactly how we want it, with key teams having everything to play for right up until the end of the campaign.
With Champions League football on the line, the Premier League will surely remain the priority for those aforementioned clubs, but many remain in cup competitions.
In fact, Newcastle are the only team that can fully focus on the league, at least for now.
Want to find out more? Continue reading here.
