Fantasy football: FPL team news, predicted line-ups, captain advice & more

With 14 gameweeks remaining, the Fantasy Premier League is hotting up as over six million players aim to finish the 2019-20 season on a high.

So is it Bruno Fernandes in, Mesut Ozil out? Kevin De Bruyne for Sadio Mane? Is now the time to sell Danny Ings? These are the dilemmas that face Fantasy Premier League managers every week – but we’re here to help.

Editors’ Picks

From team news and predicted line-ups to possible captain picks and the latest FPL stats – Goal gives you all the tools you need to turn those arrows green and climb your league tables.

Contents

1. What is the latest team news & predicted line-ups?
2. Who is the best captain pick?
3. What was the highest-scoring team last week?
4. Listen to Goal’s Fantasy Football podcast

What is the latest team news & predicted line-ups for gameweek 25?

1. Arsenal
2. Aston Villa
3. Bournemouth
4. Brighton
5. Burnley
6. Chelsea
7. Crystal Palace
8. Everton
9. Leicester City
10. Liverpool
11. Manchester City
12. Manchester United
13. Newcastle
14. Norwich City
15. Sheffield United
16. Southampton
17. Tottenham
18. Watford
19. West Ham
20. Wolves

Arsenal

Fixture: Burnley (away) – Sunday, February 2 (14:00 GMT)

Team news: Arsenal are boosted by the return of both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.7m) and David Luiz (£5.7m) from suspension, with both likely to go straight back into the starting XI for the trip to Turf Moor.

Deadline-day signing Cedric Soares (£4.8m) remains sidelined with a knee injury, while Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) is likely to continue at left-back having impressed in recent weeks, with Sead Kolasinac (£5.2m) potentially available as the alternative option.

Possible XI: Leno; Bellerin, Sokratis, Luiz, Saka; Torreira, Xhaka; Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette.

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Fixture: Bournemouth (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Fresh from their Carabao Cup semi-final win over Leicester City, Villa should head into their away fixture with Bournemouth full of confidence in what is a huge clash at the bottom of the table.

Dean Smith has confirmed that he has no fresh injury concerns for the game at the Vitality Stadium, with January signing Mbwana Samatta (£6m) in line to make his Premier League debut. Trezeguet (£5.2m) may also be rewarded with a start after his heroics off the bench on Tuesday night.

Possible XI: Reina; Hause, Mings, Konsa; Guilbert, Douglas Luiz, Nakamba, Targett; Trezeguet, Samatta, Grealish.

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Bournemouth

Fixture: Aston Villa (home) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Eddie Howe revealed in his pre-match press conference that there won’t be many changes to his side, with Diego Rico (£4.3m) and Jefferson Lerma (£4.8m) potentially coming in having sat out the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

Manchester United-linked Josh King (£6.1m) is likely to be unavailable again due to an ongoing hamstring injury so Dom Solanke (£5.2m) is set to continue in attack alongside Callum Wilson (£7.4m).

Possible XI: Ramsdale; Smith, Cook, Ake, Rico; Wilson, Lerma, Billing, Fraser; Solanke, Wilson.

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Fixture: West Ham (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Brighton face West Ham in what is another huge game at the foot of the Premier League table, with Graham Potter aiming for a reversal in fortunes having seen his side go five games without a win in all competitions.

With Shane Duffy (£4.8m) still sidelined, Potter could continue with his preferred 4-4-2 system of the last two gameweeks with Aaron Connolly (£4.3m)  pushing for a start up front alongside the club’s leading scorer Neal Maupay (£5.9m) .

Possible XI: Ryan; Montoya, Dunk, Webster, Bernardo; Mooy, Propper, Stephens, Trossard; Connolly, Maupay.

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Burnley

Fixture: Arsenal (home) – Sunday, February 2 (14:00 GMT)

Team news: Despite their FA Cup exit at the hands of Norwich City, Sean Dyche’s Burnley should be in buoyant mood to face Arsenal, having beaten both Manchester United and Leicester City in their last two Premier League fixtures.

Dyche will likely be reluctant to make wholesale changes to his starting XI although Phil Bardsley (£4.3m) could come back in at right-back to replace Matt Lowton and January signing Josh Brownhill (£5m) could well be handed his debut at some stage during the contest.

Possible XI: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Rodriguez, Wood.

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Fixture: Leicester City (away) – Saturday, February 1 (12:30 GMT)

Team news: Chelsea supporters will be hoping Tammy Abraham (£7.7m) is able to shake off his foot injury in time to start against Leicester City and the signs are good, with Frank Lampard having confirmed he trained on Friday.

The Blues boss appears unsure over what is his best trio in midfield, however, with Mason Mount (£6.1m), Ross Barkley (£5.6m), Jorginho (£4.9m), Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) and N’Golo Kante (£5m) all pushing for a starting place.

Possible XI: Kepa; James, Tomori, Rudiger, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Kante; Mount; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi.

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Fixture: Sheffield United (home) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed he has a number of players back in contention for the visit of Sheffield United, with Andros Townsend (£5.6m) , Christian Benteke (£5.7m) and Patrick van Aanholt (£5.5m) all now available.

Luka Milivojevic (£6.7m) is also back in contention after serving a suspension although Cenk Tosun (£5.7m) is unavailable for the meeting with the Blades due to a hamstring injury.

Possible XI: Guaita; Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Van Aanholt; Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur; Zaha, Ayew, Townsend.

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Fixture: Watford (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: It’s difficult to second-guess Carlo Ancelotti’s team selections and formation since he took over as Everton boss and the late capitulation against Newcastle last time out has further muddied the waters.

Richarlison (£8.1m) has been passed fit to play and should therefore be a sure starter and while Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.3m) and Alex Iwobi (£5.6m) are also now available, it’s unlikely both will be selected in the starting XI at Watford.

Possible XI: Pickford; Coleman, Mina, Holgate; Sidibe, Delph, Schneiderlin, Digne; Richarlison, Sigurdsson; Calvert-Lewin.

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Leicester City

Fixture: Chelsea (home) – Saturday, February 1 (12:30 GMT)

Team news: Brendan Rodgers could well ring the changes following the Carabao Cup exit to Aston Villa, with Jamie Vardy (£9.9m) almost certain to come back into the starting XI having come through training without any further injury issues.

Marc Albrighton (£5.1m)  and Demarai Gray (£5.1m) will both be aiming to force their way into the starting XI, while Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.7m) , who is likely to make way for Vardy, will be frustrated if he is dropped after scoring in his last two appearances.

Possible XI: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Tielemans, Ndidi; Barnes, Maddison, Perez; Vardy.

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Fixture: Southampton (home) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Divock Origi (£5.2m) was suffering from cramp in the 2-0 win over West Ham but is expected to be available for the home meeting with Southampton.

The Reds boss has already confirmed that his Under-23s will contest the FA Cup fourth-round replay with Shrewsbury Town, meaning there is more chance of a largely unchanged starting XI from the team that beat West Ham in midweek.

If Klopp does want to switch things around then any of Adam Lallana (£5.8m), Naby Keita (£5.8m), Takumi Minamino (£6.5m) or Fabinho (£5.4m) could be involved.

Possible XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Origi.

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Man City

Fixture: Tottenham (away) – Sunday, February 2 (16:30 GMT)

Team news: Trying to name Pep Guardiola’s possible starting XI is an almost impossible task, with the Spaniard, as he proved with his formation against Manchester United last time out, often mixing things up from week to week.

That said, the Manchester City boss did suggest that Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m) is back in contention to play against Tottenham, while there’s every chance Guardiola could go with something unorthodox in attack and play both Sergio Aguero (£12m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m).

Possible XI: Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Gundogan; Bernardo Silva, Sterling; Aguero, Jesus.

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Man Utd

Fixture: Wolves (home) – Saturday, February 1 (17:30 GMT)

Team news: Nemanja Matic’s (£4.8m) suspension will come as a blow to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side after his impressive performance in the Manchester derby last time out.

Solskjaer has confirmed that new signing Bruno Fernandes (£8m) will be in his squad to face Wolves although given the hectic schedule around his arrival to England, it’s likely he’ll be used from the bench. That could see Jesse Lingard (£6.3m) given another chance to impress after a poor showing at the Etihad Stadium.

Possible XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams; Pereira, Fred, Lingard; Mata, Martial, James.

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Newcastle

Fixture: Norwich City (home) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Newcastle will view a home clash with Norwich City as a huge opportunity to get three points on the board and move further away from the relegation mire, with the hosts looking to bounce back from a 0-0 draw with Oxford United.

Steve Bruce confirmed in his pre-match press conference that January signings Nabil Bentaleb (£5m), Valentino Lazaro (£5.5m) and Danny Rose (£5.3m) will have a “big part” to play so expect all three to make their Premier League debuts for the club over the 90 minutes.

Possible XI: Dubravka; Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clarke, Ritchie; Almiron, Hayden, Bentaleb, Saint-Maximin; Joelinton.

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Norwich City

Fixture: Newcastle (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Norwich City are boosted by the return of both Emiliano Buendia (£6m) and Todd Cantwell (£5m) for the trip to Newcastle, where anything but a win will risk the Canaries slipping further behind at the foot of the Premier League table.

Ben Godfrey (£4.4m), meanwhile, remains absent due to suspension and long-term absentee Timm Klose (£4.3m) is also unavailable for selection.

Possible XI: Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann, Hanley, Byram; Tettey, McLean; Rupp, Buendia, Cantwell; Pukki.

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Sheffield United

Fixture: Crystal Palace (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Chris Wilder has confirmed that David McGoldrick (£5.4m) is back in contention having missed Sheffield United’s last three matches due to a foot injury although he may have to settle for a place on the bench.

FPL favourite John Lundstram (£5.1m) could well come back into the starting XI having been an unused substitute in the FA Cup win over Millwall, while Lys Mousset (£4.7m) will also be pushing for a recall.

Possible XI: Henderson; O’Connell, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Fleck, Norwood, Lundstram, Baldock; Mousset, McBurnie.

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Southampton

Fixture: Liverpool (away) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: Resurgent Southampton face the daunting task of a trip to Anfield but, given their recent run of excellent results that’s all but assured their Premier League safety, they will at least be able to play with freedom against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is unlikely to make too many changes although Stuart Armstrong (£5.2m) is one who will miss out due to a hip injury. Loan signing from Tottenham Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.4m) won’t feature, meanwhile, with the Saints boss confirming the game has come too soon for him to be considered.

Possible XI: McCarthy; Danso, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Long, Ings.

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Tottenham

Fixture: Manchester City (home) – Sunday, February 2 (16:30 GMT)

Team news: Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho gave little away with regards to his team selection in Friday’s pre-match press conference but there was confirmation that Ben Davies (£5.3m), Moussa Sissoko (£4.8m) and, of course, Harry Kane (£10.8m) remain sidelined.

Given Spurs’ struggles to sign a centre-forward on deadline day, it would seem that Lucas Moura (£7.1m) and Heung-Min Son (£9.9m) will continue to lead the line, with January signing from PSV Steven Bergwijn (£7.5m) likely to be an option from the bench.

Possible XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Tanganga; Ndombele, Winks, Lo Celso; Dele; Lucas, Son.

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Watford

Fixture: Everton (home)  – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: The big injury news from a Watford point of view concerns star winger Ismaila Sarr (£6.2m), with the Senegal international missing out again due to a muscle injury. Danny Welbeck (£5.8m) is, however, back in the squad for the visit of Everton.

The main question mark regarding team selection is whether Nigel Pearson opts for Roberto Pereyra (£5.6m), who started the last Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, or January signing Ignacio Pussetto (£5m), with Welbeck unlikely to feature from the start.

Possible XI: Foster; Mariappa, Cathcart, Dawson, Masina; Hughes, Capoue; Doucoure; Pereyra, Deeney, Deulofeu.

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West Ham

Fixture: Brighton (home) – Saturday, February 1 (15:00 GMT)

Team news: David Moyes has revealed that January signing Tomas Soucek is likely to play some part in the crucial Premier League fixture with Brighton although Felipe Anderson is “not quite ready” to return as he nurses a back injury.

The Hammers have failed to win any of their last five matches in all competitions and they’ll be hoping Sebastian Haller can start providing the goals soon, having scored just once in his last nine matches.

Possible XI: Fabianski; Ngakia, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Antonio, Lanzini, Fornals; Haller.

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Wolves

Fixture: Manchester United (away) – Saturday, February 1 (17:30 GMT)

Team news: Willy Boly (£4.7m) and Diogo Jota (£6.1m) are both available for selection and pushing for a place in Nuno Espirito Santo’s XI at Old Trafford, while new signing Daniel Podence (£5.5m) will also be hoping to make his Wolves debut.

Elsewhere, there are unlikely to be too many changes to the visitors’ line-up and system and, with Wolves having caused Manchester United problems previously, and pushed Liverpool close in their last Premier League fixture, there will be confidence they can upset the Red Devils.

Possible XI: Patricio; Boly, Coady, Dendoncker; Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny; Adama, Raul Jimenez, Jota.

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Who is the best captain pick for this gameweek?

Liverpool continue to set the Premier League alight and with Jurgen Klopp having confirmed that his youngsters will play in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury Town, expect the big hitters to feature against Southampton at Anfield on Saturday.

That should mean Mohamed Salah (£12.5m)  is a safe bet for your captain pick, while Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.6m) is another decent option, given his obvious threat from set-pieces and the likelihood that the Reds will keep a clean sheet.

If you’re looking for non-Liverpool alternatives then Anthony Martial (£7.9m) is almost certain to continue leading the line for Manchester United in their fixture against Wolves at home, potentially being assisted by Bruno Fernandes in what would be his debut for the club.

Given his imperious record against the top six, Jamie Vardy (£9.9m) is always worth considering as your captain although he is now on a run of six games without a goal in all competitions – something he will no doubt be desperate to put right against Chelsea on Saturday.

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What was the highest-scoring team from gameweek 24?

Total points scored: 145

Line-up: D.Henderson (11); Alexander-Arnold (12), Lejeune (14), Stephens (11), Pereira (12); Henderson (16); Salah (16), Dele (13), Perez (15), Redmond (13); Wood (12).

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Listen to Goal’s Fantasy Football show!

Goal Fantasy Football podcast hosts Sam Brown, Miles Chambers and David Milner are joined by Manchester City correspondent Jonathan Smith to discuss gameweek 25 picks.

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The team digest the latest results, look ahead to this weekend’s matches and there’s an in-depth chat about the value of persisting with City players, given Pep Guardiola’s penchant for ringing the changes.

Listen below and be sure to subscribe!

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