Haaland? Rice? Semenyo? Timber? Find out what to do with Arsenal and Man City stars WITHOUT a fixture in FPL this weekend

The Scout provides advice on what to do with popular players from Arsenal, Manchester City and Crystal Palace, who are all without a fixture in Blank Gameweek 31 (BGW31) of Fantasy Premier League, with their players therefore scoring zero points.

Arsenal
David Raya (£6.0m) 

Raya’s BGW31 is exactly the type of situation why so many managers have a budget back-up goalkeeper such as Burnley’s Martin Dubravka (£4.0m).

By simply playing Dubravka for the Clarets’ trip to Fulham and benching Raya, you can then bring the Spaniard back into your line-up for Gameweek 32.

Raya currently leads the race for the Golden Glove on 15 clean sheets, four clear of his nearest rival Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.6m), and a look at his schedule suggests he should reward you with plenty more shutouts over the run-in.

Across Gameweeks 32-37, Arsenal have four home matches (against AFC Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley), as well as a visit to West Ham United.

The Gunners’ progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals has also lifted the possibility of them now having a Double Gameweek 33 (DGW33) and a Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34), should they also defeat Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. 

In such a scenario, they would travel to Man City and host Newcastle United in DGW33 before their BGW34.

Verdict: Keep

Gabriel (£7.2m)

The centre-back is the easiest “keep” of all the BGW31 players, with his multiple routes to points returns helping him establish a 24-point lead at the top of the defender standings.

Gabriel is enjoying his best-ever season for attacking returns, scoring three goals and assisting four more, while also collecting 14 clean sheets.

Indeed, that has helped the Brazilian average 6.9 points per match this season, more than any other regular starter in Fantasy. 

Verdict: Keep

 
Jurrien Timber (£6.3m)

The right-back is currently an injury doubt for Arsenal’s EFL Cup final against Man City after being forced off early against Everton last time out.

If he’s fit by the time Gameweek 32 comes around, though, then Timber’s added attacking potential from the flank suggests a triple-up on Arsenal’s resilient rearguard could prove the most productive strategy, particularly as their key attackers are struggling for output right now. 

Verdict: Keep

Declan Rice (£7.4m)

His alarming drop-off in attacking output means the midfielder’s owners should be seeking out replacements.

After starting the season with four goals and seven assists over the first 20 Gameweeks, Rice has since managed a mere two assists across his last 11 outings. 

While Gabriel and Raya are essentials, Timber does seem a better option than Rice as your third Arsenal asset, with plenty of in-form alternatives to consider in midfield over the run-in. 

Verdict: Sell

Man City
Erling Haaland (£14.5m) 

The Norwegian is the most-sold player ahead of Friday’s 18:30 GMT deadline, with his ongoing fitness issues hampering both his output and goal threat.

Since Semenyo joined Man City in Gameweek 22, Haaland is only the sixth top-scoring forward in Fantasy, scoring twice and supplying three assists to earn 34 points in eight matches.

Furthermore, his 15 shots in the box and five big chances – situations where a player is expected to score – have both been bettered by seven other forwards across Gameweeks 22-30.

When fully fit, Haaland typically dominates these numbers and he is clearly very far from his best right now.

However, you should be aware that Man City still have a home match against Crystal Palace to be rearranged, which is likely to lead to a Double Gameweek later in the season. 

If Haaland gets back to full fitness and regains his form, it’s vital you make sure you have an easy route to bring him back in without the need for taking points hits.

Verdict: Sell

 

Antoine Semenyo (£8.3m)

The Ghana international is Man City’s top-scoring player since joining the club, producing 54 points thanks to five goals and an assist.

Notably, that places Semenyo third among midfielders in that spell, behind premium-priced pair Bruno Fernandes (£10.2m) and Cole Palmer (£10.6m).

The January signing from Bournemouth has played as a forward in two of Man City’s last three matches and scored on both occasions, highlighting his appeal as a far less expensive option than Haaland right now.

It’s worth noting that Semenyo was used in a central support role last time out, though, and was withdrawn on 74 minutes, having played 90 minutes in all of his previous matches for Man City. 

Verdict: Keep

Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m)

Similarly to Semenyo, O’Reilly has been boosted by a change of position under Guardiola recently. 

Listed as a defender in Fantasy, he has played as a central midfielder in his last four matches, scoring three goals and earning two clean sheets to collect 38 points. 

Crucially, O’Reilly’s totals of 13 shots, 11 shots in the box and four big chances in his last four matches are all more than ANY other Man City player.

At a cost of just £5.1m and now under nine per cent ownership, O’Reilly is shaping up to be a huge overlooked asset for the run-in if he continues in his new role.

Verdict: Keep

Marc Guehi (£5.1m)

While the centre-back does boast a decent aerial threat at set-pieces, a comparison with O’Reilly shows why the latter is the one most likely to reward you with huge hauls.

Guehi has managed only 11 points over his last four matches, a total O’Reilly has bettered in two of his last four appearances: the latter produced 13 and 17 points against Fulham and Newcastle in Gameweeks 26 and 27 respectively.

Verdict: Sell

Crystal Palace players

Palace’s main performers are simply too inconsistent at the moment and are best avoided until the picture around Blank and Double Gameweeks becomes clearer.

As mentioned already, they do have a match against Man City which is yet to be rearranged and likely to give both clubs a Double Gameweek.

So if you’ve yet to play your Wildcard, goalkeeper Dean Henderson (£5.0m), wing-back Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) and winger Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m) – who is also currently on penalty duties for the Eagles – can be great additions on a subsequent Bench Boost chip, allowing you to potentially profit from up to 15 players with two matches.

Verdict: Sell