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This article provides a preview of what Gameweek 20 has in store for fantasy managers, including top captain selections and strong picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.
Happy New Year, RotoBallers! The Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, produced another double-digit magic in Gameweek 19, breaking the 200-point mark and setting up an incredible FPL milestone. It's been a solid first half of the season; Gameweek 20 resumes in a few hours, after which the winter break kicks in.
The FPL Challenge: Festive Fixtures series approaches its final week with a new task tagged "New Year, New Chance," where big chances created are worth five additional points. As always, we’ll offer weekly breakdowns of the top assets to target and help you maximize your point potential.
The Gameweek 20 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, January 4, at 6:00 a.m. EST, when Spurs welcome Newcastle. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Mo Salah is head and shoulders above the rest 😮💨#FPL pic.twitter.com/xTrnlXUthF
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 30, 2024
FPL Gameweek 20 Tips
Invest in Manchester City, Newcastle, and Arsenal's Attacking Assets
The reigning champions, Man City, finally clicked back to form with a win against Leicester in Gameweek 19. The Cityzens are determined to improve their league standings, and a favorable home match against West Ham could be the key to unlocking Pep Guardiola's best team in the new year.
Newcastle and Arsenal have had a fantastic run of form, with both teams scoring a combined 25 goals in their last five games. Gameweek 20 presents a perfect opportunity to go on the offensive and select the best attacking options from either of the abovementioned teams.
13 goals scored, 0 conceded, 12 points 😮💨
What an end to the year it's been for @NUFC 👏#MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/f8CEWHIEFz
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 30, 2024
Given this, FPL managers are advised to prioritize selecting attacking options from Man City, Newcastle, or Arsenal for Gameweek 20.
According to goal projections, Man City, Newcastle, and Arsenal are expected to produce 2.75 xG, 2.05 xG, and 1.90 xG (expected goals) in their upcoming fixtures, respectively.
💹 PL GW20 matchups
First look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for the weekend round of Premier League games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/YJ1gYwML2E
— Rob T (@robtFPL) January 2, 2025
Note: In the previous five matches, Alexander Isak has provided eight attacking returns for his team, Gabriel Jesus has five returns for Arsenal, and Erling Haaland has contributed two attacking returns for Man City.
Recommended FPL attacking assets for Gameweek 20
- Man City: Erling Haaland (on pens), Phil Foden, and Savinho.
- Newcastle: Alexander Isak (on pens), Anthony Gordon, and Jacob Murphy.
- Arsenal: Martin Ødegaard (on pens), Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli.
Northwest Derby: Unstoppable Liverpool Clash Out-of-Form Man United
A long-awaited rivalry between two elite teams in England is set to kick off this weekend. Liverpool comes into this tie as league leaders with a 14-unbeaten run in the Premier League.
The teams making a strong end to 2024 💪 pic.twitter.com/hk6O98wSPI
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 31, 2024
On the other end, Man United finds itself ranked 14th on the table. The Red Devils have lost six of their last 11 matches under Ruben Amorim, and a change in results is needed to boost the squad's confidence.
Ruben Amorim said it 'is really clear' Man Utd are in a relegation battle, after Monday's 2-0 loss to Newcastle leaves them only seven points clear of the drop zone
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 31, 2024
Liverpool's talisman, Mohamed Salah, has provided 30 attacking contributions in the league, while Man United's skipper, Bruno Fernandes, has 10 FPL returns thus far.
The upcoming showdown between these two titans will pit our favorite FPL selections against each other, including Liverpool's Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as Man United's Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes.
Gear up FPL managers, as we expect a flurry of goals to come forth from this fierce rivalry!
FPL Gameweek 20 Top Captain Picks
The weekend fixtures present a list of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Bryan Mbeumo against Southampton, Ollie Watkins at home to Leicester, and Chelsea's Cole Palmer against Crystal Palace all present strong cases. However, my top three picks would be:
Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) - Liverpool
Topping the FPL rankings with 202 points, averaging 11.2 points per match, and amassing a total of 69 points in his previous five matches, Mo Salah comes in as the optimal choice for captain armband, as he now has 17 goals and 13 assists for Liverpool.
With a record of 15 goals scored in 16 outings against his next opponent, Man United, the 32-year-old is set to impress once more in the Northwest derby.
Incredible @premierleague numbers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gbok7P9pNb
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 29, 2024
Alexander Isak (£9.2m) - Newcastle
Isak finished the month of December with 10 attacking contributions (eight goals and two assists), proving himself to be a tough nut to crack for the opposition's defense.
The Swedish forward will fancy his chances of extending his goal-scoring streak against Spurs, who have conceded 14 goals in their previous five games. As a result, Isak is a compelling contender for the armband in Gameweek 20.
Alexander Isak is a man in serious form 😤#MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/j00f4L3o5A
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 30, 2024
Erling Haaland (£14.8m) - Man City
Braut Erling Haaland breaks into our RotoBaller top three captaincy picks this week, thanks to a home fixture against West Ham. In Gameweek 3, the Norwegian scored a hat trick against the Hammers and will be eager to repeat the same performance this time at Etihad Stadium.
With 14 goals to his name, the 24-year-old remains the focal point of goals for Man City, and at 30.5% ownership, Haaland appears to be a solid caveat option to entrust with the armband for Gameweek 20.
Built different, @ErlingHaaland! 😤 pic.twitter.com/POgNAmt9sf
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2024
FPL Challenge: Festive Fixtures
The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge.
The 19th challenge, "Final Countdown," focused on selecting a team of nine players with an unlimited budget, where the formation must be a 2-0-2-5 shape. This week brings us to the close of the Festive Fixtures series, and our goal is to help you maximize points for each task presented.
In case you missed it, here is a recap of the FPL Challenge: Festive Fixtures event.
Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨
Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024
The Festive Fixtures is a four-gameweek run that tasks fantasy managers to take on diverse festive challenges while celebrating the holidays and anticipating the new year. This series covers four tests focusing on earning points through different players and play styles.
- Gameweek 17: Home for the Holidays - Players at home earn double points.
- Gameweek 18: Out of the Box - Goals "outside the box" are worth seven extra points.
- Gameweek 19: Final Countdown - The formation must be 2-0-2-5.
- Gameweek 20: New Year, New Chance - Big chances created are worth five additional points.
It's time to come together.
It's time for the #FestiveFixtures. pic.twitter.com/SSDKSjf44h
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 18, 2024
Festive Fixtures FPL Challenge: New Year, New Chance - Players to Target
Week 20 of the FPL Challenge highlights selecting a team of nine players with an unlimited budget, where big chances created are worth five additional points. This week's task is to select the top key creators in the league, and below is a graphic of the top FPL rankings for chances created:
RotoBaller's top picks for this week's challenge are:
- In goal, Emiliano Martinez is our top goalkeeper of the week due to a 42% likelihood of keeping a clean sheet against Leicester. The Argentine is ranked joint 11th in the league for 50 saves made, showcasing his excellent shot-stopping abilities.
- In defense, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Josko Gvardiol, and Antonee Robinson are excellent attacking wingbacks to rely on for potential attacking returns. All three defenders have favorable home ties and are solid defensive assets to bank on for this week's task.
- In midfield, Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer remain our top midfield options. There is no need to overthink it; Salah takes the spotlight as our captain of the week.
- A front line of Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, and Ollie Watkins complete the attack, rounding off our lineup in a 3-2-3 formation.
Remember, you are at liberty to select any other top FPL Challenge alternatives that are not mentioned above. Best of luck to everyone participating in this week's challenge!
Join the RotoBaller FPL League
Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then, join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the leagues and cups tab, and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.
Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆
Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
