In this team preview prior to double gameweek 19 I will scout the respective merits of West Ham United's fantasy options ahead of their enticing home double header against Burnley & West Brom.

FPL #FPLCommunity

(Data taken from @FFH_HQ with consent)
Season So Far:
On 29th December 2019, David Moyes was reappointed as manager of West Ham United for a second term following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrinni. Moyes secured the club’s Premier League status by guiding West Ham to 16th place in the Premier League with 39 points. This season Moyes appears to have left his indelible mark on the Hammers with the club sitting 10th in league on 26pts after 17 games. West Ham have recorded notable big scoring victories over both Wolves (4-0) and Leicester (3-0). Furthermore, hard fought draws against Man City (1-1) and Tottenham (3-3) demonstrated that this season they are prepared to mix it with the top six.
Tale of the Tape(s):
West Ham:
In terms of threat over the last ten matches per game West Ham rank eleventh for shots (12), tenth for shots on target (4), eighth for shots in the box (8.5), and tenth for big chances (2). Defensively over the last ten matches per game the Hammers rank tenth for shots conceded (11.6), tenth for shots conceded in the box (7.6), and twelfth for shots on target conceded (4.5). However, despite the underlying numbers West Ham have displayed defensive solidity and produced six clean sheets in the Premier League this season. It is noteworthy that over the same period the Hammers rank first amongst all teams for headed goal attempts per game (3.1) and successful crosses per game (6.2). Furthermore, since project restart West Ham rank joint second for headed goals scored.
West Brom:
The underlying goal threat numbers reaffirm just how tragic the West Brom attack is. Over the last ten matches per game they rank worst for shots (7.62), shots on target (2.75), shots in the box (4.0), big chances (1.0), and xG (0.76). In defence the Baggies rank worst for shots conceded per appearance (16.24), attempts conceded in the box (10.76), shots on target conceded (6.59), and xGC (2.13). It is noteworthy that, against the aerial threat of West Ham, the Baggies rank worst amongst all teams for headed attempts conceded per appearance (2.59).
Burnley:
Similarly, Burnley underlying numbers for goal threat do not make for pretty reading. Over the last ten matches per game they rank second worst for shots (8.7), shots on target (2.8), and shots in the box (5.4). In defence, over the last ten matches per game the Clarets rank second worst for shots conceded (15.7), fourth worst for shots conceded in the box (9.8), and fourth worst for shots on target conceded (5). However, Burnley defensive actual defensive returns are at odds with the underlying data. It is noteworthy that the Claret have kept five clean sheets in ten matches since the centre back pairing of Mee & Tarkowski was reunited in GW8.
Player Watch:
Tomas Soucek:
Every year we have one. A man, a myth, a legend. At nearly the halfway point of the season the "Potato Salad King" joins exalted company in the “FPL Budget Enabler Hall of Fame”. After signing initially on loan from Slavia Prague, Soucek scored three times during Project Restart to help West Ham win their relegation battle and himself a permanent transfer. Both his returns & underlying data were pounced upon by savvy FPL managers after he was kindly priced at £5.0m for this season’s game launch. Despite a relatively quiet start to the season Soucek has scored five goals in his last ten matches this season. On season to date data Soucek ranks seventh amongst midfielders for shots on target (26). Soucek’s obvious strength is his height and physicality with the Czech international ranking first amongst midfielders for headed goal attempts (13) this season. His aerial threat may well come to the fore against a West Brom side which rank worst amongst all teams for headed attempts conceded per appearance (2.59). Having accrued ten bonus points this season the BPS system smiles favourably on both Soucek’s ball recovery skills which see him rank third amongst midfielders for CBI (69) this season.
Aaron Cresswell:
The former Liverpool trainee currently sits as the fourth highest scoring defender in FPL with 77pts. Cresswell has demonstrated his versatility this season playing either left centre-back in a three or the more offensive left-wing back role. His excellent delivery has provided six assists so far this season, which ranks first amongst all defenders. The English international ranks second amongst all players for successful crosses (33) and first amongst defenders for touches in the final third (175). Furthermore, he confirms his status as a dead ball specialist by ranking second amongst all players for indirect free kicks taken (19) and second amongst defenders for corners taken (37).
Vladimir Coufal:
David Moyes completed a shrewd piece of transfer business when he prized another Czech international jewel from the Slavia Prague crown. The tough as teak Coufal has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water amassing three assists and four clean sheets in 13 appearance for the Hammers. Deployed as a marauding right wing back Coufal bests Cresswell’s number of touches in the box (14 v 5) and shots in the box (3 v 2). Furthermore, it may surprise some that Coufal ties with Cresswell for bonus accrued (8).
Michail Antonio:
Having scored eight goals during “Project Restart”, including a worldie against Norwich, the #FPLCommunity had high hopes for Michail Antonio in pre-season despite his reclassification as a striker. The frontman duly delivered with three goals in his opening six games however injuries have curtailed his season with just 89 minutes of Premier League football since GW6. Analysing the Project Restart” period Antonio ranked first amongst all player for both shots on target (16) and big chances (12). Furthermore, he ranked second amongst all players for shots (33) and goals (8). Despite David Moyes comments that he did not want to rush Antonio’s recovery two recent substitute appearance in the league and a recent 90 minute outing against Stockport County in the FA Cup hints that a return to starting first team action may be close.
Conclusion
The constant changes to the fixture schedule due to Covid present a challenge of unprecedented scale for us as #FPL managers. The removal of Leeds vs Southampton, Villa vs Everton & addition of Villa vs Newcastle prior to #DGW19 commencing is something I have not witnessed in 14 years of this game. For many the best laid plans have been dashed at a time when overall game strategy and chip usage is at the forefronts of our minds. However, rather than growing frustrated I believe it is important that we remember, that during this difficult time in all our lives, how lucky we are to have the simple enjoyment & pleasure that both Premier League football & FPL provide (tell that to Sterling owners!).
For West Ham options, I feel that given the lack of goal threat posed by both Burnley & West Brom that a defence first approach to West Ham for #DGW19 could prove shrewd for #FPL managers. I truly believe that Aaron Cresswell has the potential for a huge combined score over both games. The English international boasts both fixtures conducive to clean sheets and delivery from both open play & dead ball. Vladimir Coufal provides a cut price route into the West Ham backline for those bench boosting on a budget looking for a defender with a plum double who rotates going forward – look no further. It is safe to say that Tomas Soucek will carry the hopes of the #FPLCommunity and given his propensity for headed goal attempts and the rate with which West Brom concede them if he is to return I would imagine it will be that game. Given the lack of match fitness and recent hamstring injury woes I feel personally that backing Michail Antonio would be a step to far for me. However, with top 10k ownership of 0.64% at the close of GW18 he could prove a huge differential if he were to hit a purple patch similar to “Project Restart”.
For those that have read, thank you. If you aren’t a follower of mine click “follow” and keep an eye for more articles in the near future. Peace & good luck for #DGW19.

Thought it would be good to have everything in one place if people want to come back to it. I made this mostly for beginner's and for the quick links, I'm not sure how much use you will get out of it outside of this but shit does get lost on reddit pretty quick so I hope you find it helpful. It is on you to check the age of posts.
Final Update: 11/09 at 19:22 BST. Deadline: Saturday 12th at 11:00 BST. Good luck!
Important Info/Posts

• Predicted Lineups and Latest Team News
  
• Press Conferences Round-Up
  
• GW1 Goalscorer Odds (per match) || GW1 Anytime Scorer Odds @FPL_Salah
  
• Clean sheet probability GW1 & GW2
  
• Pre-Season Results - Up to 30/08 / 31/08 to 06/09 || Pre-Season Round Up
  
• Pre-Season Guides - All Teams
  
• Ben Crellin's FDR Spreadsheet || Default Colours FDR Spreadsheet
  
• Set Piece Takers - Last updated 25/08.
  
• List of Fantasy leagues and mini games 2020/21
  
• Ultimate FPL Companion
  
• fpl.link - The best FPL tools, resources and social media links
  
• Every Player Data 2019/20
  

Beginner's Area

• Beginner's Guide - Part I / Part II / Part III / Part IV / Part V / Part VI
  
• Approach to Team Structure for Newbies
  
• Predicted Starting XI for Each Club
  
• Guaranteed Starters - Per Club
  
• Ask a Fan
  
• Best Options at Each Price Tag - Defenders / Midfielders / Forwards
  
• Nailing the Captain Pick
  
• Best Rotation Options for Defenders
  
• Analyzing fixtures to find the best duo/trio team rotations based on when you want to Wildcard
  
• The FPL website (desktop) has an FDR tab in the 'fixtures' section
  
• 8 Simple Rules for a Better OR - Podcast Series
  
• Chasing the Bull - a (certainly flawed) player-independent strategy to 'guarantee' a top 10k finish
  
• Is it stupid to not utilize the full 100.0 for GW1?
  
• Is it worth having Man Utd and Man City players in your squad for the first round?
  
• Thoughts on taking a hit as early as GW2?
  
• A Case for the Pre-GW5 Wildcard
  

Discussions by Price/Position
Goalkeepers - 4.0 Goalkeeper || 4.5 Goalkeepers || 5.0 Goalkeepers || Goal-Keeper strategy ("Set and forget" vs "Rotation") || Keeper Points Against - An Analysis of Keeper Rotation || Marginal VAPM and revisiting the case for Premium GK || Advanced GK Strategy || Analytical Approach to Choosing a GK || Ryan/McCarthy Rotation || Set & Forget Goalkeepers || Goalkeeper Rotations || 4.5 GK rotation still viable?
Defenders - Best Defence on Paper? || Best 4.5 def for opening fixtures? || 4.0 Defenders #1 / 4.0 Defenders #2 || 4.5 Defenders #1 / 4.5 Defenders #2 / 4.5 Defenders #3 / 4.5 Defenders #4 || 5.0 Defenders #1 / 5.0 Defenders #2 || 5.5 Defenders #1 / 5.5 Defenders #2 || Which three 4.5s are you going for? || 5-4-1 Formations || Double Defence || Defensive Double Ups || Are Defenders Being Underrated?
Midfielders - FPL Mid Asset Values || 4.5 Mids #1 / 4.5 Mids #2 || 5.0 Mids || 5.5 Mids || 6.0 Mids || 6.5 Mids || Up to 7.0 Mids || Up to 7.5 Mids || Up to 8.0 Mids || Up to 8.5 Mids || Salah, Auba & KDB/Bruno || Armstrong vs. Saint-Maximin || Is it worth having 3 premium mids? || Big in the mid is this season's big in the back
Forwards - 4.5 Forward || Up to 5.5 Forwards || Up to 6.0 Forwards || Up to 6.5 Forwards || Up to 8.0 Forwards || 8.5-10.5 Forward Stats Video || 8.0-10.5 Forward Stats || Best Value Premium Forward || Ings vs. Jimenez || Antonio or Mitrovic? || Two Expensive Forwards || Going big up top? || No Premium Strikers Strategy || Second Forward || Not enough people talking about these striker prices!
Bench - Starter Subs || 3rd/Bench Forward || 17m Bench or More?
Goalkeepers/Defenders - Cheap GK's vs. Cheap Wingbacks
Mids/Forwards - 6.0 Mid/Forward || Battle of the 9.0s. Is Son or Martial a better long term choice? || Hidden Mids & Forwards under 5.5 || 8.5 Dilemma
By Team/Player
ARS: Leno/Martinez #1 / Leno/Martinez #2 || Tierney #1 / Tierney #2 || William Saliba || Maitland-Niles || How will Arsenal lineup atb? || Pepe #1 / Pepe #2 || Willian || Saka #1 / Saka #2 || Ceballos || Budget ARS Mid || Nketiah || Lacazette || Auba Analysis || Arsenal Front 3 || Auba vs. Salah || Auba as a mid #1 / Auba as a mid #2
AVL: Heaton expected to be out start of season || Nyland or Steer? || Starting GK || Villa Defenders || Samatta
BHA: Brighton Defence || Lamptey || Ben White || Trossard || Connolly
BUR: Charlie Taylor || Pieters || Westwood || Chris Wood || Burnley Defence || Burnley Fullbacks
CHE: Who Will Start atb for Chelsea? || Chelsea Assets || Chilwell Stats || Alonso || Reece James || Rudiger || Kai Havertz - Performance by Position || Pulisic Injury || Hakim Ziyech || Mount || Hudson-Odoi || Kante || Werner #1 / Werner #2 || Ziyech & Werner || Werner Stats
CRY: How will Palace lineup at start of season? || Ferguson (4.0) & Mitchell (4.0) || Roy Hodgson on Ferguson || PVA back in training. Beware Mitchell owners. || Ebere Eze || Zaha #1 / Zaha #2 || Palace Opening Fixtures
EVE: Everton Defenders || Digne || Branthwaite (4.0) || James Rodriguez || Siggy || Gordon || Allan the Enabler? || Richarlison || Calvert-Lewin #1 / Calvert-Lewin #2
FUL: Rodak || Harrison Reed || Anguissa || Josh Onamah || Kebano || Mitrovic #1 / Mitrovic #2
LEI: Pereira out Until October (GW 4/5) || Who Will Start atb for Leicester? || Justin || Thomas/Justin #1 || Thomas/Justin #2 || Benkovic || Maddison || Barnes #1 / Barnes #2 || Perez || Leicester Midfield || Vardy #1 / Vardy #2 / Vardy #3 || Iheanacho
LEE: Meslier vs. Casilla & Dallas vs. Ayling || Leeds starting backline || Dallas vs. Ayling || Ezgjan Alioski || Harrison || Rodrigo #1 / Rodrigo #2 / Rodrigo #3 || Leeds Opening Fixtures
LIV: Alexander-Arnold || Gomez #1 / Gomez #2 || Gomez vs. Matip || Curtis Jones || Salah || Salah vs. Mane at Start of Season || Henderson || Minamino || Keita #1 / Keita #2 || Firmino || Skip on Salah/Mane || Is TAA enough? || TAA & Robertson/VVD Double Up || Salah vs. Auba
MCI: Cancelo || Laporte || De Bruyne || Sterling || Feran Torres || Foden #1 / Foden #2 || Fernandinho || B. Silva || Aguero #1 / Aguero #2 || Should I avoid City players GW1?
MUN: De Gea/Henderson || Shaw || Brandon Williams || Rashford analysis (best MUN asset?) || Greenwood #1 / Greenwood #2 || Greenwood vs. Martial || Rashford vs. Fernandes #1 / Rashford vs. Fernandes #2 || Rashford vs. Fernandes vs. Greenwood vs. Martial
NEW: Dubravka out for 6-8 weeks || Best NEW defender for 2 weeks || Lewis || Lascelles #1 / Lascelles #2 || Ritchie || The ASM/FraseWilson conundrum || Saint-Maximin || Saint-Maximin & Gayle || Wilson
SHU: Ramsdale #1 / Ramsdale #2 || SHU starting backline || Egan || Berge || Sheffield United Assets
SOU: Forster || Romeu || Armstrong #1 / Armstrong #2 || Armstrong vs. Ward-Prowse #1 / Armstrong vs. Ward-Prowse #2 || Adams #1 / Adams #2 || 5 Key SOU Assets || There's value to be found at Saints
TOT: Lloris #1 / Lloris #2 || Spurs Defence || Dier || Doherty || Doherty Under Jose Tactics [Video] || Davies #1 / Davies #2 || Aurier || Sessegnon || Spurs Starting LB || Bergwijn || Alli || Son #1 / Son #2 / Son #3 || Kane #1 / Kane #2 / Kane #3 / Kane #4 || Son vs. Kane || Spurs Assets || Spurs being overlooked?
WBA: West Brom Defence || Matheus Pereira || Austin
WHU: Johnson (4.0) #1 / Johnson (4.0) #2 || Bowen || Soucek #1 / Soucek #2 || Noble || Noble vs. Soucek || WHU Opening Fixtures
WOL: Wolves Defence - Time to Wait and See? || Vinagre || Jonny Injury || Most nailed Wolves defender || Podence & Wolves Attackers || Jota || Wolves Triple Up?
Promoted Teams

• Championship Players - A 2020/21 overview
  
• Championship Attacking Stats - Promoted Players @TheTinkerMen
  
• Leeds and West Brom player stats for the 2019/20 Championship season
  
• Leeds / West Brom top fantasy points at every position
  
• An insight into Leeds United
  
• Fulham Player Price Thoughts
  
• Championship strikers goals per 90 vs xG per 90
  
• What are some newly promoted assets worth having?
  
• From the teams who got promoted, who is the player i should follow?
  

Miscellaneous

• 20/21 Team Name Thread
  
• Talk me out of owning....
  
• GA, xGA, or CS? Determining the best predictor of next season's Clean Sheets
  
• Hidden Gems Megathread
  
• FPL 2020/21: What's different this year
  
• Reclassified Player Positions
  
• I'm Joshua Bull, 2019/20 FPL Champion...AMA!
  
• A Brief History of How José Mourinho Broke Fantasy Football
  
• Past season's data
  
• Best site for stats
  
• Remember it's supposed to be fun
  
• A list popular managers teams
  
• Make your bold predictions for the 20/21 season
  
• Who will be new Lundstram, Dendoncker and Greenwood of 2020-2021 season?
  
• Team ID Bragging thread
  

After a slow start into the campaign, the home side entered their recognizable form and tied eight straight wins in all competitions. City missed the chance to win only three times on the last 15 occasions, and that excellent run launched them to 2nd place. They are two points behind Manchester United, but with one game in hand. Ruben Dias and the lads have been unbeatable in the back, and the hosts managed to keep their net intact four times in a row. Manchester City conceded only three times in the last 15 games, and they are the best defensive team in the league. Besides a good campaign in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side progressed into the next round of the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and the Champions League knockout stage. The hosts will be looking to continue their winning streak and remain an active contender in the title race.
The schedule in the past few weeks has been very tough for the visitors as they faced some of the biggest Premier League clubs. The Villans picked up a point away to Chelsea but failed to a 2:1 defeat against the Red Devils at Old Trafford. The away side had several players infected by the Covid-19 virus and had to close its ground for the last ten days. Those issues saw them fielding youngsters against Liverpool in the FA Cup, and they got knocked out by a 4:1 defeat that everybody saw coming. Nevertheless, Dean Smith should have his main players at his disposal on Wednesday and try to break City’s winning streak. Aston Villa sits in the middle of the table, seven points behind the fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, but with three games in hand. Tyrone Mings and the lads are doing an excellent job in the back and are among the best defensive sides in the competition. Villa conceded just five goals on the road and suffered two defeats. They need another disciplined performance to stand a chance of remaining undefeated.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Manchester City celebrated five times in a row against Aston Villa, and they want to keep that run going. The visitors remained undefeated at Etihad Stadium last time in 2007, and City is a strong favorite in this one. We believe they are going to meet the expectations and book another victory against the rivals from Birmingham.

Goals Market Prediction

Man City’s defense has been rock-solid lately, while Villa hasn’t scored in their last two games at Etihad Stadium. We expect the hosts to keep the clean sheet once again, so our second pick is BTTS No.
Manchester City to win @ 1.30
BTTS No @ 1.90
Correct score 2:0 @ 8.00
Read the analysis here and share your opinion with us!

So I decided to gather a list of the most upvotes post on each PL teams’ subreddit because i sometimes like going on different subs and seeing the fans react to important moments In their history/ season. It also allows you to revive memorable PL moments and players I guess. Here it is.
DISCLAIMER: Obviously there are a lot of different factors involved like the age of the sub and number of users at the time of the post so keep that in mind
Gunners (Arsenal):
FA Cup 2020 Celebrations
BACKSTORY
We all know this one, no need to go into detail. Arsenal won the 2020 FA Cup in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea courtesy of a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
avfc (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa avoid relegation in the 19/20 PL season
BACKSTORY
Aston Villa avoid relegation (this looked very unlikely only a few weeks back) from the Premier League after a 1-1 draw to West Ham United. This point was enough to keep them up after Watford lost 3-2 to Arsenal and results did not go in Bournemouth’s favour.
Burnley (Burnley):
The reaction to the banner flown over the stadium during a fixture against Man City
BACKSTORY
Some morons decided to fly a banner over the Burnley stadium saying “All Lives Matter” as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests that had been taking place before every Premier League game.
BrightonHovealbion (Brighton)
Mooy Zidane comparison meme
BACKSTORY
Just a meme about Zidane looking like Aaron Mooy
ChelseaFC (Chelsea):
Chelsea sign Kai Havertz
BACKSTORY
Chelsea signed Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported few which could reach up to 71 million pounds. The German International’s excellent performances for club and country lead to international recognition for the youngster and led to a race for his signature which Chelsea eventually won.
CrystalPalace (Crystal Palace):
Crystal Palace beat Leicester 5-0
BACKSTORY:
Palace beat Leicester 5-0 thus beating their record of highest win margin in Crystal Palace’s PL history. They moved up to 11th place.
Everton (Everton):
Leighton Baines tribute
BACKSTORY
A tribute to Everton legend Leighton Baines who retired on the last game of the 19/20 Premier League Season. A loyal and faithful servant of Everton and a firm fan-favourite notable for his deadliness from set-pieces, astuteness in defence and great attitude on and off the pitch.
FulhamFC (Fulham)
Joe Bryan appreciation thread
BACKSTORY
Fulham secured promotion in a 2-1 victory over Brentford in the Championship Play-off Final after Extra Time. 2 goals from Joe Bryan were enough to get Fulham over the line and grant them the win, returning them to the Premier League.
LeedsUnited (Leeds)
Chris Wood equaliser vs Newcastle
OVERVIEW
Chris Wood scores a 95th minute equaliser against Newcastle in 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. This was an important goal as it kept their hopes of getting promoted through the playoffs to the Premier League.
lcfc (Leicester City):
Leicester win the PL
BACKSTORY
Again, we all know the story, but it remains remarkable. A Leicester team ranked 5000/1 to win the title managed to pull it off with after excellent seasons in particular from Vardy, Mahrez and Kante as well as the master Tinkerman, Claudio Ranieri
LiverpoolFC (Liverpool):
Liverpool become PL champions
BACKSTORY:
We all know but Liverpool became the Champions for the first time in 30 odd years. After an agonising end to an enthralling title-race the previous season, Liverpool and Klopp finally got their hands on the Holy Grail.
MCFC (Man City):
Story about a lifelong Man City Fan who passed away with cancer a couple of years back
I don’t want to take anything away from the story or get any details wrong inadvertently. It’s best you go read it yourself if your up for it.
RedDevils (Man Utd)
A beautiful picture of Marouane Fellani getting hit in the head with a football
BACKSTORY
In Man Utd’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the 2017 Super Cup, Fellaini’s image went viral all over social media so much that even Fellani himself reacted to it.
nufc (Newcastle):
A foreign supporter’s love letter to Newcastle
BACKSTORY
A Newcastle’s fan journey of supporting the club and how he fell in love with and decided to become a supporter of it.
SheffieldUnited (Sheffield United)
A pretty mediocre Messi joke can’t lie
BACKSTORY
When Lionel Messi, arguably one of the greatest players of a time , announced that he wanted to leave Barcelona, almost every set of fans in the world started jokingly thinking about how he would fit in their team.
SaintsFC (Southampton)
Hassenhuttl’s first game
BACKSTORY
After the mediocre period that Mark Hughes has while in charge of Southampton, the manager was sacked and replaced with Hassenhuttl. In his first ever game, he managed to secure a 3-2 victory. The fans were pretty hyped.
coys (Tottenham):
Spurs reach the UEFA Champions League Final
BACKSTORY
Tottenham Hotspur reached the first Champions League Final in their history. After being 3-0 down to a rampant Ajax side, a sensational hat trick from Lucas Moura marked an unbelievable comeback in the biggest game in the club’s history. The last of Moura’s goals came in the 96th minute and provoked tears of joy from manager Mauricio Pochettino.
WBAfootball (West Brom):
A funny dig at wolves
BACKSTORY
There is a rivalry between Wolves and West Brom, just as there is with all Midland Clubs. Not too sure about the context of the Kanye tweet tho tbf.
Hammers (West Ham):
Michail Antonio appreciation post
BACKSTORY
During the run-in, Antonio was in excellent form (particularly after the break) and was one of few players that really helped to drag West Ham over the line and steer them away from the drop zone. He was rewarded with a POTM because of his form which was well-deserved.
WWFC (Wolves):
Adama appreciation post
BACKSTORY
After a disappointing 18-19 campaign, Adama truly stepped up his game this year. Amazing dribbles, blistering pace, incredible strength and rapidly improving pace has made him one frightening (and fun to watch) player in the Premier League.
Well there it is, I hope u enjoyed it

Southampton sits in ninth place, but the hosts are only three points behind the third-placed Tottenham Hotspur. However, the home side has been searching for a win since their 1:1 draw against Arsenal. In the last four rounds, the Saints have picked up only three points and declined to the middle of the table. Danny Ings and the lads failed to score three times in a row, but they conceded just one goal during that time, the one in the 1:0 defeat against Manchester City. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side plays pretty tight in the back, as they have one of the best defensive works in the league. However, Southampton celebrated just once in the last four games at St. Mary’s Stadium, and another tough challenge is ahead of them.
Liverpool still tops the table, but they are joint leaders with Manchester United. After the last-minute winner against the Spurs and an impressive 7:0 victory away to Crystal Palace, everybody believed the Reds could stabilize their form. However, West Brom took a point from Anfield, as Big Sam made a return to the Premiership. Another poor display came against Newcastle United in the game that ended in a goalless draw. Jurgen Klopp’s side booked only four wins in the past nine matches in all competitions. On the other hand, very few people saw Manchester United returning to the title race, and that’s putting a bit more pressure on the visitors. Liverpool struggles when playing away from home as Mo Salah and the lads got back home with all three points just twice this season. They need to get back on the winning track urgently and stop spilling points.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

It is going to be a tight clash since both sides have been dealing with goalscoring troubles in the past couple of games. The match can go easily in both ways, and we don’t think Southampton can lose by more than one goal.

Goals Market Prediction

If we remove the victory against Crystal Palace from the picture, Liverpool has been struggling in converting chances into goals at away grounds. Since Southampton is disciplined in the back, we don’t expect to see more than two goals in total.
Southampton AH +1 @ 1.75
Under 2.5 FT @ 2.20
Correct score 1:1 @ 9.50
Read the analysis here and share your opinion with us!

No particular order
I have included a rating after each one of clear sheet potential out of 10!!

1. Aston villa-recency bias , just cos they've had some decent games doesnt mean they are a great defensive team. However, martinez has improved their defense and mings and cash look very impressive. 8
   
2. Everton. Defensively they are a shambles. You are never getting a clean sheet with pickford in net and they severely lack discipline. 5
   
3. Southampton-not good defensively tbh. Might get the odd clean sheet against weaker teams and I was surprised to see a clean sheet vs everton with vesteegaard at the back!! 6
   
4. Chelsea-has potential to be a good defensive unit but with christiansen and zooms lurking is never going to be one. Chilwell looks a good pick with assists and some goals interspersed with some cheeky clean sheets. 6
   
5. Wolves - look very solid but not sure who will start put of kilman and saiss. Both have had brilliant starts to the season 9
   
6. Burnley-not clicked this season's but they have to be in there somehow. Last season got many so they will come 7
   

7.liverpool- surely the best defensive unit when all fit.at the moment however with VVD and fabinho out they are a 7 but robbo and TAA still useful. Usually 9
8.LEICESTER- the defense is pretty solid atm but imagine a backline of
Castagne fofana soyuncu pereira
Best in the league imho 9
However , without castagne soy and pereira you are realistically looking at a 7 or 8
This is coming from a leicester fan but I can tell u that fofana is a real talent!!
Also-
9.West ham at the moment looking solid. 8
10.Newcastle are always a clean sheet candidate however often get thrashed 6

1. Crystal palace dont often score or concede many 8

12.Arsenal- hahahahahah dont even have a defence. Luiz and mustafi??? Explains itself 4

1. Sheffield united -usually pretty sturdy however the loss of dean Henderson has dented clean sheet potential 6
   
2. Tottenham- hmmm 5
   

15.Man United-will get clean sheets in comfortable wins however anything tight means no CS 7

1. Man city-seem to be conceding more often this yr 8
   
2. Fulham- no real chance unless up against Shu Burnley or cp. Alphonse areola looks a decent keeper tho. 2
   

18.WBA- similar to fulham but slightly higher chance due to a bit of experience at the back. 3
19.Leeds- after the mad start to the season where they conceded 3 on the regular it has calmed down and koch and watling in particular look solid. 8

1. Brighton-too many changes in defence to keep solid clean sheets. Ryan is a good keeper and lamptey seems special but it's not really happening for Brighton s backline this year not helped by dunks interesting challenge on Cahill!! 6

This took me a while so your opinions and any changes would be appreciated! Thanks

Welcome to the 2nd episode of this mini series where we look back on great squads from history examining the make up of the squad and what made them memorable.
Great Squads From History - Inter Milan 2004-2005
today the focus will be on the 2001-02 great Bayer Leverkusen squad, a squad that is infamous for their incredible choke job in the last stretch of the season, losing out on three major trophies in quick succession which gives them the incredible distinction of overachieving and underachieving at the same time.
for Leverkusen the 2001-02 season was supposed to be the culmination of the past 5 years of hard work, in the previous 5 season Leverkusen were a consistent challenger for the Bundesliga title, coming 2nd thrice and finishing only as low as 4th place. this consistency did not come without turmoil however; Christoph Daum, team manager from 1996 until 2000 laid the foundation for this squad before the infamous Daum-Affair where in 1999 it was agreed that he was to go on and become the next German National team manager after the EURO 2000 but allegations of his love for cocaine and orgy parties from the media derailed the appointment, he was furious and submitted hair samples to the relevant authorities for testing, tests came back positive and he incredibly said the hair wasn't his. ultimately he admitted his use of cocaine and his agreement with the German FA was cancelled and he was fired by Bayer Leverkusen shortly after, this kinda maybe has nothing to do with the Squad we are focusing on but I just wanted to tell this incredible story.
amidst this turmoil, Bayer Leverkusen struggled a little in the 2000-01 season finishing 4th, their worst league finish of the previous 5 years but still good enough to qualify for a spot in the early rounds for next season UEFA champions league, in the summer of 2001 they'd sign their next coach, This is where we begin.

• The Manager

Klaus Toppmöller
OK so honestly even though I vividly remember this Leverkusen team, I had absolutely no memory of who their coach was. Toppmöller had a decent career as a footballer, an 8 year stint as the main attacking option for FC Kaiserslautern would earn him a move to the NASL team Dallas Tornado where he'd kinda fail and come back to Germany to play for minnows FSV Salmrohr before retiring and immediately becoming first team coach, he'd bounce around from club to club, never spending more than 2 seasons anywhere, he'd be known for his quick fix jobs and never being handed or wanting a long term project, think of him as a less successful more eccentric Claudio Ranieri.

• The Players

Goalkeepers
(#1) Hans-Jörg Butt : this would be his 1st season with Leverkusen having Joined on a free from Hamburg after a successful 4 year stint there, consistent and from time to time would be considered one of the best Goalkeepers in the league, would become Leverkusen's undisputed starting goalkeeper for the next 6 years before losing his starting spot to the up and coming youngster René Adler, he'd immediately move to Benfica where he'd have a one year unsuccessful stint before returning to Germany and signing with Bayern Munich where he'd compete for a starting spot with supposed wonderkid Michael Rensing, he'd eventually cement himself as the starting goalkeeper before losing the spot to Thomas Kraft. this game of musical chairs at Munich was ultimately stopped once Manuel Neuer was signed , as is always the case with German goalkeepers of this era, he's highly eccentric, known for his affinity to score penalties and most infamously he was the recipient of one of the most hilarious goals of all time
(#20) Frank Juric in his first couple of seasons in Germany, the Australian giant played for Fortuna Düsseldorf having a relatively successful time in the 2nd division with them before they were ultimatley relagated to the regional leagues, however he was spotted by Leverkusen and signed for them as a backup, he would spend the rest of his career as a backup goalkeepr, nothing memorable.
(#31) Tom Starke originally a handball goalkeepr, Mr. Starke would switch sports in his teenage years, would spend years as a backup in Leverkusen before having decent splls as a starter for Paderborn, Duisburg & Hoffenheim, he'd join Bayern Munich to spend the twilight of his career as a backup goalkeeper
Defenders
(#5) Jens Nowotny
after becoming a starter at the age of 19 for Karlsruher, he would spend the next 5 years honing his defensive skills with his boyhood club before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 1996 and spending the next decade with the club, becoming a mainstay in the starting lineup providing consistent performance as a dependable top Bundesliga level defender, he's considered a club legend by Leverkusen fans, due to tough competition, he didn't have much success at the international level
(#6) Boris Živković
after joining the club in 1997, the Croatian would spend the next 6 years as a perennial starter for the team, generally dependable but prone to making costly mistakes, after his contract expired with Leverkusen, he'd sign for Portsmouth to achieve his dream of playing in England, he'd infamously cancel his contract with the English side after 6 months due to a huge spat with manager Harry Redknapp
(#19) Lúcio
a bona-fide legend and one of the best defenders in the world during his peak, the Brazilian rose to prominence with Internacional, being named as one of the two best defenders in the Brazilian league in 2000, he'd join Bayer Leverkusen in the middle of the season as a January 2001 signing to bolster the squad, he'd immediately become and remain a starter for the next 3 & half years, a quick, strong and clever center back, tough to dribble in a one on one situation. he's also known for his incredible runs forward surprising opposition teams with his dribbling skills and close ball control. he's also got a great shot and would punish any team that leave him unmarked ; after his stint with Bayer Leverkusen, He'd join league rivals Bayern Munich in 2004 winning 3 domestic doubles in 5 years, afterwards he'd join Inter Milan and become part of the treble winning squad in 2010. He's a world cup 2002 winner with Brazil
(#26) Zoltán Sebescen
the Hungarian-German started his career with minnows Stuttgarter Kickers before being discovered by Wolfsburg in 1999 and becoming one of the better right-backs/right midfielders in the league, earning a move to title contenders Bayer Leverkusen in 2001, during his peak with Wolfsburg and early years with Leverkusen he was a major candidate for a spot with the German national team and he would play once horrendously in a friendly against the Netherlands where Zenden completely toyed with him, the constant injuries caused by Lyme disease would derail his career and eventually he would retire at the early age of 29
(#35) Diego Placente
An Argentinos Juniors youth product, after playing professionally for two years with his boyhood club, he would move to giants River Plate in 1997, becoming a starting left back there for a 3 time league winning squad, He'd join Bayer Leverkusen in 2001 to become their starting left back for the next 4 years. a dependable defender with decent attacking capabilities, due to shortage of capable left backs in Argentina, he'd be called regularly for the national team to play in qualifiers
Midfielders
(#8) Zé Roberto
The mercurial Brazilian started his professional career at local club Portuguesa quickly impressing giants Real Madrid to sign him in January 1997, he'd spend a full year in Madrid as mostly a back up, earning a La Liga and a cheeky champions league winners medals before returning to Flamengo as he wanted more playing time to be considered for the Brazilian National Team, his bid was unsuccessful and he quickly returned to Europe with Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 1998, he'd quickly establish himself as one of the best versatile midfielders in the league and perhaps the world. quick, agile and gifted with the ball at his feet, add to that his mythical athleticism and his ability to play virtually in any position and any formation whether defense oriented or attack focused made him a highly sought after commodity with Bayern Munich winning his services in the summer of 2002, he'd win four domestic doubles with Munich becoming a club & Bundesliga legend. his incredible athleticism would allow him to continue playing around the world well into his 40s, retiring in 2017
(#10) Yıldıray Baştürk
born in Germany but chose to represent his ancestral homeland Turkey, this diminutive play-maker started his professional career with Wattenscheid before moving to local rivals Bochum, he'd establish himself as a talented play-maker with a great eye for goals and assists, he'd stay with Bochum for 4 years before signing with Bayer Leverkusen in 2001. he'd become the team's main play-maker and an integral part of the midfield. he'd later join Hertha Berlin & Stuttgart with varying degree of success.
(#13) Michael Ballack
The squad's undisputed superstar and one of the best midfielders in the world during his peak, started his career at local East German club FC Karl-Marx-Stadt (later renamed Chemnitzer FC after the fall of the Berlin wall) he'd become a starter for the team after they got relegated to Regionalliga Nordost, he quickly begun attracting the attention of Bundesliga clubs with FC Kaiserslautern winning his services, during his first season there as a rotation option he'd achieve a legendary feat with the club as they became the first ever club to win the Bundesliga title immediately after promotion, he'd move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 1999 and become one of the best goal scoring midfielders in the world with his superstar status cemented, he also became known as one of the unluckiest footballers in the world achieving an incredible feat of coming 2nd in 4 major trophies in a little less than 3 months span. in what is now a familiar trend; after the heartbreaks in 2002 he'd defect to Bayern Munich and win 3 domestic doubles with them, in 2006 he'd earn a major move to Chelsea where he'd win a premier league title in his last season there in 2010. he'd finish his career with Bayer Leverkusen, during his incredible career he'd unfortunetly be accused of being a serial choker in important moments, an accusation levied against him even by his own clubs at times.
(#25) Bernd Schneider
nicknamed the white Brazilian (which I always found odd, I mean Zico was white?) due to the elegance of his play and technical abilities. a fantastic free kick taker and one of the most gifted assist makers during his peak. he'd start his career with 2nd division local club Carl Zeiss Jena earning a reputation as a major talent, he finally moved to Eintracht Frankfurt in 1998 playing one season there before moving to Bayer Leverkusen the club he is most associated with. his career flourished with Leverkusen and he'd quickly be called up to the German National team squad, he'd spend the next decade with Leverkusen becoming arguably the club's greatest ever player alongside teammates Ulf Kirsten & Carsten Ramelow.
(#28) Carsten Ramelow
a tough, physical defensive minded midfielder, started his professional career with Hertha Berlin in 1991, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 1995 where he would stay until his retirement in 2008, highly revered by Leverkusen fans due to his grit and never-say-die attitude, one of the longest serving players in club history, his physical play earned him the scorn of opponents, most famously Italian legend Francesco Totti who famously double stomped Ramelow during a champions league fixture in 2004
Forwards
(#9) Ulf Kirsten
the club's best ever goalscorer and 2nd in all time appearances. the East German would start his career in 1983 with Dynamo Dresden, he'd win a couple of Oberliga titles with them as well as working as an informant for the state police with the nickname "Knut Krüger". with the fall of the Berlin wall, he'd move in 1990 to Bayer Leverkusen embarking on a 13 year stint with the club as dependable consistent goalscorer throughout his years with them, he was part of the 1993 DFB-Pokal winning squad, the club's only local trophy in its history
(#12) Dimitar Berbatov
one of the greatest Bulgarian footballers of all time, started his career with local giants CSKA Sofia quickly establishing himself as a wonderkid with Bayer Leverkusen acquiring his services in 2001, he'd start as an effective backup and rotation option before becoming the team's main superstar after the club was raided. elegant, calm and highly proficient technically with impressive goalscoring abilities he'd become a fan favorite at every club he played at, he moved to Tottenham in 2006 before most famously playing for Man United where he'd win a couple of premier league titles, as well as a premier league golden boot in 2011
(#27) Oliver Neuville
Born in Switzerland to a German Father & an Italian mother, he'd start his career with Swiss side Servette FC helping them win a league title with 16 goals in his second year with them, in 1996 he'd chose to move to Spain to play with CD Tenerife playing one decent season there before finally moving to the Fatherland signing with Hansa Rostock where he played in for a couple of successful seasons before moving to Bayer Leverkusen, he'd play for 5 seasons with the perennial contenders becoming an essential offensive piece to the team, while not always the most proficient of goalscorers, his intelligence and off-the-ball play was highly important for the team's success, he's also known for scoring in important occasions
Other players that appeared during the season:
(#3) Marko Babić , (#15) Jurica Vranješ (#17)Pascal Ojigwe (#18) Frankie Hejduk (#23) Thomas Brdarić (#24) Emanuel Pogatetz (#29) Thorsten Wittek
Memorable moments & matches during the season in no particular order

• Bayer Leverkusen VS Barcelona 2-1, UCL first group stage
  
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Juventus 3-1, UCL 2nd group stage
  
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate, UCL Quarter Finals 2002
  
• Manchester United vs Bayer Leverkusen 3-3 on aggregate, UCL Semi Finals 2002
  
• Real Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, UCL Final
  
• Schalke 04 vs Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 , DFB-Pokal Final
  
• with three games remaining and 5 points clear, Bayer Leverkusen would shockingly bottle a winnable game against Werder Bremen, with Butt missing a penalty and Ballack scoring an own goal
  

The FA Women's Super League begins on 5th September. This is one of a series of club previews organised at /FAWSL. The sub has just received a revamp and we are building a sub which would be a great space to discuss the FA WSL or the Women's Championship.
The league is going from strength to strength in recent seasons. It's a pretty competitive league and is becoming one of the best leagues in women's football.
So come on over to /FAWSL to follow and discuss the latest season of English women's football!
 
Opening Fixtures
Bristol City vs Everton - 6th September 14:00 BST - Watch live for free on the FA Player*
Chelsea vs Bristol City - 13th September 12:20 BST - Watch live for free on the FA Player*
*May be geoblocked in some countries, depending on whether it has been picked up for TV coverage, most games will still be available
 
Summary
Bristol finished 10th last season, and while they really struggled at times (putting it mildly, they lost 11-1 to Arsenal), they'll be glad to have avoided relegation. This is likely to be another difficult season, with most the clubs backed by Premier League money and signing high quality players from abroad, it's hard for Bristol to keep up. Manager Tanya Oxtoby has succeeded in keeping most of the key players around, and has used her links to Australia to add some more quality. Whether it will be enough to keep Bristol up for another year is hard to determine, the squad does look a little better than last year and hopefully they'll have better luck regarding injuries, but very little has been done to fix the worst defence in the league last season. Winning head to head games against fellow strugglers Birmingham is likely to be vital to survival, as well as picking up points wherever else possible.
 
Transfer Activity
In: Ella Mastrantonio (Western Sydney Wanderers), Aimee Palmer (Man Utd), Megan Wynne (Tottenham), Jemma Purfield (Liverpool), Emma Bissell (Man City), Benedicte Haaland (Lugano)
Out: Poppy Pattinson (Everton), Olivia Chance, Katie Robinson (Brighton), Jeon Ga-Eul, Eartha Cumings (Charlton), Frankie Brown, Lauren Dykes (Cardiff City)
 
Squad Analysis
Line-up Prediction
 
Goalkeepers: Sophie Baggaley may have conceded the most goals in the league last year, but is actually a very good goalkeeper, leading the league in saves last season (with 70, nobody else even made 50). Aimee Watson has been involved for Wales at youth level, hasn't been given any opportunities for Bristol as of yet. Benedicte Haaland just joined the side, she's also played at youth international level for Norway.
 
Defenders: Meaghan Sargeant is a good defender, able to play right back or centre back, and has played in Birmingham sides that finished in the top half of the table. Unfortunately she suffered an ACL injury back in January so will likely miss the start of this season. Gemma Evans played a dozen games last season and will likely be a regular again this year too. Has also played for Wales at senior international level. Jasmine Matthews has been named the new club captain, she's a big physical presence and will start at centre back for this side. She can also play in midfield, but given I don't think we'll see her there given the lack of options in defence. Flo Allen missed most of last season with an injury, she was just coming back to fitness as the season was cancelled. An England youth international, she can likely add a lot to this team if she's able to stay fit this season. Jemma Purfield seems an odd signing on the surface, having struggled to get into relegated Liverpool's team last season, however she was really underutilised there and now has the chance to prove that. She likes to get forward from left back but it's important that she shows defensive qualities too this season. Faye Bryson has a lot of playing experience despite her young age, she found herself surplus to requirements at an ever improving Everton team, but impressed enough on her loan spell at Bristol to get a permanent contract.
 
Midfielders: Chloe Logarzo arrived in January but barely featured before the season was cancelled, partly due to her international commitments with Australia. She's a massive signing for this team though, a skilful dribbler, she can play either as an attacking midfielder or a winger, they'll want to get her on the ball as much as possible. Ella Mastarantonio also arrived from Australia, and is a former teammate of her now manager Oxtoby, she's never played outside Australia before but has managed 6 appearances for the national team, I'd imagine she's joined hoping to prove herself against some top opposition in order to get back into that setup. Aimee Palmer excelled on loan at Sheffield United, a box to box midfielder who scored an impressive 5 goals in 12 games, she was nominated for player of the season for Championship last season. The WSL will be a big step up but she likely has a bright future ahead of her. Carla Humphrey was in and out last season with injuries and she was really missed. She brings quality with the ball and a good ability to pick forward passes. Georgia Wilson and Maisy Collis got promoted to the senior side last year due to injury issues to senior players, I'm sure we'll see more of both of them but hopefully they can be eased in a little better, Collis had the misfortune of being thrown into the 11-1 game against Arsenal for her WSL debut.
 
Forwards: Ebony Salmon was absolutely vital for Bristol last season, she scored the game winner in both their wins, securing her for another season is great for their chances of survival. Very fast, likes to run in behind, and has proven she can be relied upon in front of goal, she's young and still needs to add more to her game as she's a bit of a one trick player right now, but it's a useful trick to have. Charlie Wellings has decent experience in this league despite her young age having played in the first team at Birmingham from the age of 17. Despite registering just 1 goal in her debut season, she is very good at striking a ball, if Bristol can provide her with more opportunities this season she can definitely add more goals to the side. Yana Daniels plays either in behind the striker or out wide, she loves to shoot from distance, but also works very hard for the team. Has great experience too, with 44 caps for the Belgian national team. Abi Harrison can play anywhere across the forward line, she's got some pace and scored loads of goals back in Scotland. Her first season in England was fairly decent, I think she can offer more this year. Megan Wynne joined on loan in January before signing permanently this summer, unfortunately she has already suffered and ACL injury, and will likely miss most of the season. Ella Rutherford went out on loan at Leicester last season, she's yet to be a real goalscoring threat in the WSL, but she has some talent which she's shown in the Championship and for England at youth level. I expect to see her get some opportunities at the centre forward position, but they will likely come from the bench or in cup games. Jessica Wooley is another young striker in the senior squad, she didn't play last year but may get some playing time this time around. Emma Bissell joined from Manchester City, but she only ever made one substitute cup appearance in the cup there, she's only 18 and plays on the wing, another who might get a chance off the bench or in the odd cup game.

def FormFit(performances): matrix = deepcopy(performances) for performance in matrix: if performance[1] >= 380: performance.append(1) else: performance.append(NSV) for index0, performance0 in enumerate(matrix): WeightSum = 0 Form = 1 Sum = 0 for index1, performance1 in enumerate(matrix): Weight = (1 / (SD * (2 * math.pi) ** 0.5) * math.e ** -((index1 - index0) ** 2 / (2 * SD ** 2))) * \ performance1[3] Sum += Weight * performance1[2] WeightSum += Weight performance0[2] = Sum / WeightSum return matrix OHFirstPass = {team: [] for team in Teams} OAFirstPass = {team: [] for team in Teams} DHFirstPass = {team: [] for team in Teams} DAFirstPass = {team: [] for team in Teams} for team in Teams: OHFirstPass[team] = FormFit(OffenceHomePerformances[team]) OAFirstPass[team] = FormFit(OffenceAwayPerformances[team]) DHFirstPass[team] = FormFit(DefenceHomePerformances[team]) DAFirstPass[team] = FormFit(DefenceAwayPerformances[team]) def StrengthFit(performances, opponentForms): MatchList = [{'Team': 0, 'Opponent': 0, 'TeamPerformance': 0, 'OpponentForm': 0} for index in range(len(df))] FittedPerformances = {team: [] for team in Teams} FittedForms = {team: [] for team in Teams} for team in Teams: for performance in performances[team]: MatchList[performance[1]]['Team'] = team MatchList[performance[1]]['TeamPerformance'] = performance[2] for form in opponentForms[team]: MatchList[form[1]]['Opponent'] = team MatchList[form[1]]['OpponentForm'] = form[2] for index, match in enumerate(MatchList): FittedPerformances[match['Team']].append([0, index, match['TeamPerformance'] / match['OpponentForm']]) for team in Teams: FittedForms[team] = FormFit(FittedPerformances[team]) return FittedForms global OHRecursive, DARecursive, OARecursive, DHRecursive OHRecursive = StrengthFit(OffenceHomePerformances, DAFirstPass) OARecursive = StrengthFit(OffenceAwayPerformances, DHFirstPass) DARecursive = StrengthFit(DefenceAwayPerformances, OHFirstPass) DHRecursive = StrengthFit(DefenceHomePerformances, OAFirstPass) for repeat in range(10): OHRecursive = StrengthFit(OffenceHomePerformances, DARecursive) DARecursive = StrengthFit(DefenceAwayPerformances, OHRecursive) OARecursive = StrengthFit(OffenceAwayPerformances, DHRecursive) DHRecursive = StrengthFit(DefenceHomePerformances, OARecursive) for i in sorted( [[team, OHRecursive[team][-1][2], OARecursive[team][-1][2], DHRecursive[team][-1][2], DARecursive[team][-1][2]] for team in SeasonTeams], key=lambda i: i[1] / i[3] + i[2] / i[4])[::-1]: print(i[0], OHRecursive[i[0]][-1][2], OARecursive[i[0]][-1][2], DHRecursive[i[0]][-1][2], DARecursive[i[0]][-1][2]) 

Lampard on injuries: "N'Golo is not fit. A muscle injury, the same as the one he came off with Arsenal with. Should be three weeks. Pulisic is still not fit. I can't give an exact date. Difficult one. Ruben is in the squad but not fit to start. Christensen is fit."
Lampard on Abraham: "Tammy has trained at about 70%. I have a decision to make."
Christensen trained today and he will play with a mask.
Lampard thinks Kane is Tottenham's biggest miss: "Harry Kane is a miss, Son is a miss. They have had injuries in the past but they have played who can fill in."
Lampard on expectations: "Whenever I speak to fans, this season is a transitional year, I can't please everybody when I want to. I don't know many teams who have had as many injuries as we have. Five at the beginning of the season and now."
Lampard on being under pressure: "I always feel it because this is top level sport. If I was in Liverpool's position, I would feel it. You are always looking for the next thing.
I hated losing to Manchester United. It was a difficult night to sleep after that."
Lampard on Kepa: "Certainly not [at odd with Marina for dropping him]. I am absolutely together with the club and the board. We all want the best. I am paid to make decisions. It has been a decision to make on form with the goalkeeping situation."
Lampard on Kepa vs Caballero: "It isn't a final decision, the keepers need to train."
Lampard on Michy's United outing and facing criticism: "If you are going to play for Chelsea. If you want to be in the first choice in any position you have to take what comes with it. That's for all of us not just Michy."
Lampard on his relationship with Jose Mourinho: "It changes. I wished him well when he got the job and he wished me well. We are amicable but we want to win."
Lampard on Giroud starting vs Tottenham: "He said he needed a few weeks to get properly properly fit. He wasn't ready for Manchester United but he is after this week."
Lampard's message to his players on top four battle: "They have to rise to that challenge. If you want to play for Chelsea you have to."
Lampard says Rudiger had a baby boy yesterday. Adds he hasn’t spoken to him about the racism complaint he made vs Tottenham in December
Lampard on Mourinho: "I have got respect for him but I am not considering the personal battle between me and him. I am just trying to win the game."
Lampard on caution about Abraham coming back and getting reinjured again: "That's can't go on forever [coming in and out of the team]. There's competition in that area. Olivier fit. Michy's there."
Lampard on replicating 3-4-3 tactics against Tottenham that produced best win of the season: "It is a different game to when we went to Tottenham. They were playing a different way then. It might look slightly different."

Welcome to FPL FAQ! As the name suggests, this is a light-hearted article series focusing on all the frequently asked questions of the week and filtering the answers down into a bite-sized format. There’s a list of sources at the bottom, and I’ll be as objective as I can throughout. Let’s get to it
Blank GW28
Head’s up! We start the article off with some pretty shite news for anyone who’s been living in a shed for the last couple of weeks. ARS vs MCI and AVL vs SHU have been postponed! This is indeed pretty shite as a lot of us have or want City and Sheffield Utd players. We even wouldn’t mind Aubameyang, some of us, for Arsenal’s upcoming fixture run. But now we’ve got to be careful on who we bring in over the next few weeks. For those wildcarding, it’s easy to strengthen the bench and make sure your GW28 team is locked and loaded. For those that aren’t pulling the WC trigger, you’ll need to start deciding your transfers with your head, rather than your heart. No more punts, or 1 week gambles. It’s time to play smart. If you’re confident in your bench, and you’ll have 11 players for GW28, then MCI/ARS/SHU players are still options, just don’t get more than 3 (or 4 if it’s Henderson and you’ve got a backup keeper).
Wildcarding
It’s a wild time for FPL. Last week a good amount of managers used the power of the WC to get ahead of the new template that’s forming. Managers this week are standing on the shoulders of last week’s giants, using new info for an even better WC experience. We’ll start with Sheffield Utd defenders, who are at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Lundstram (5.0) has lost his place in the starting 11, while players like Egan (4.5), Stevens (5.1), Henderson (5.1) and O’Connell (4.6) continue to shine, winning their 9th cleansheet of the season. With amazing fixtures right up until GW30, it’s hard to look elsewhere for defensive cover. Southampton have a slightly better run of fixtures, so the likes of Stevens (4.4) and Valery/Kyle Walker-Peters (4.6/4.4), stand out as decent 4th defender options. Other options include Lacelles (4.2), Tangaga (4.0) and Boly (4.7) who’s back from injury and has the best run of fixtures in the Prem from GW29-38! With Mane (12.2) out with injury, managers who have stuck by him have a tough decision. Ben Dinnery stated that if he’s able to play in GW26, he’ll most likely start the game, as it’s slightly riskier to sub on a player back from a hamstring injury than to just play them for 60 minutes with a decent pre-game warm up. If you don’t wanna risk it, VVD (6.5) and Gomez (5.3) go along nicely with your TAA (7.6) and Salah (12.7) double up. There’s also punts on Henderson (5.5) and Firmino (9.7) available for those still wanting some firepower. I do like the strategy of getting Henderson in and returning to Mane once we learn more info on both his fitness and GW31. Meanwhile, in Tottenham land, Son (10.0) owners have been very fortunate to see returns in the last two matches. He has to be considered as a possible 3rd Midfielder on your wildcard based on his upcoming fixtures and unrelenting lust for goals despite playing for a team that have looked dreadful for quite a while now. Other decent options are out there and I’ll dedicate a wee section for them later on, but for now the choice for that spot probably falls to either Son or Mahrez (8.5) who will most likely see a few starts since Sterling (11.7) has succumb to injury. There are quite a few options in the Striker position right now, with Aguero (12.0) and Aubamayang (10.8) battling it out for a premium spot in your team, along with plenty of mid-priced strikers as well. I’ll dedicate a section for the premium strikers below, but for now the clear cut options for your other striker spots going forward are Ings (7.0), Jiminez (7.7), Firmino, and Martinelli (4.6) who’s kept his place in the team, and is cheap as chips.
These are the most talked about players that I’ve came across during my research for Wildcard options. Be warned though, with the Blank GW31 looking like it’ll have less games than Oliver Giroud has this year, you’ll have to decide your strategy now before you paint yourself into a corner.
Blank GW31
If you’re not already doing so, it’s best you take your time to get acquainted with Ben Crellin, our Community Blanks/Doubles expert. His googledoc spreadsheet has everything we currently know about GW31 in it. I’ll give a brief outline here, but it’s best to use the visuals he’s provided for a thorough understanding.
It seems like most teams will be blanking in GW31. There are a few who aren’t but the only definitive teams that will play are Wolves, Burnley, Watford and Bournemouth. Every other team has either got to the 5th round of the FA cup, or their opposition has. This leaves very little wiggle room for those not playing their Free Hit chip. For anyone Wildcarding right now, you could load up on Wolves and Burnley players and brace for the storm, but for everyone else we only have 5 free transfers between now and then (6 if you haven’t used one this week). So the choice will need to be made now! Do you have enough cover to get you safely through GW31? Is there enough transfers to get you to a safe place without a chip? Would you even want Burnley players stinking up your XI for the next 5 GWs? If you’re using your chip have you thought about what that means for future Double Gameweeks? Regardless of what you choose now, you’ll have to play very conservatively in the lead up to either the big GW31 blank, or a future double.
Final note: if you played your WC last week and didn’t load up on Wolves or Burnley, you’re probably already too late. Like the movie The Day After Tomorrow, you are above the line that the main guy draws on the map in front of the president at that meeting. You know, the scene where he says everyone who’s below the line needs evacuated to Mexico and everyone above it is probably dead? No? Well whatever. My point is it’s unlikely you’ll be able to field a full XI if you used your WC already. You're gonna freeze to death. And to further the movie reference, just as his son was hanging out above the line in New York, my wildcard was used last week. So my warning is supposed to hold more weight. No? Still nothing? Forget it.
Template is Dead
Yes it’s true. The players we once trusted are now untrustworthy. The players we relied on to tick over are now unreliable. Vardy (9.8) hasn’t done much for a while, and neither has Leicester’s defence. Rico (4.3) and Kelly (4.3), once great bench fodder are now no longer worthy of our benches through either losing their spot or playing for Bournemouth. Martial (7.9) has had his worst game of the season last weekend and with a new striker bought in, his time could be up as an OOP player. Everton, Watford, Chelsea and West Ham’s fixtures have all had a turn for the worse, so any players from these teams will need to stand trial to keep their place in your squad. Southampton, Arsenal, Newcastle, Spurs, Burnley, Wolves, and Sheffield Utd are all hitting decent fixtures either now or soon, which leaves plenty of options going forward, but again those pesky blanks are FPL cock-blocks, stopping us from banging in the players we really want.
It’s hard to sit and pick out players that deserve one more chance in everyone’s team, but I will say that there are massive gains available to anyone who has decided to go against the template and jump on these players sooner rather than later. Especially if you can handle some of them blanking in GW28 and 31. Good luck!
Premium Strikers
Aguero or Aubamayang? The premium striker position seems to be where everyone’s cash is heading now with WC restructures and Mane money to spend. Both of them were unlucky not to score in GW25, but let’s break it down in a bit more detail, with all our options on the table. Starting with the big guns, Mr Kun.
City are struggling this season. They find their feet here and there, but go on streaks of sloppy play, injury duress and form slumps. Having said that, Aguero has decided that now is the time he wants to start smashing in the goals. It’s hard to resist him from our transfer plans when he’s like this because, well, we’ve all been burned as non-owners before. What makes the decision harder is that although he’s playing West Ham next week, one of the worst defences this season, City has LEI (A), a blank, MUN (A), BUR (H), CHE (A) and LIV (H). That’s a hard run for any team who isn’t Liverpool or City of last season. Sergio had 6 shots, 5 in the box, and should have scored at least 3 of them. He had an attempt on goal every 10 minutes! Having scored 6 goals in the 3 games previous, these stats are typical of his current form and they can only continue into next week as he has a 76% anytime scorer odds for GW25. That’s the highest we’ve seen this season! (@FPLSALAH). To get Aguero is to take a step away from the team you’d want for the blanks, so it’s an even bigger risk than usual (and by usual I mean figuring out if he’s even starting each week. A hard choice for every manager to make.
Aubamayang has a similar timeline to Kun. He’s probably blanking both Gameweeks, unless Portsmouth win on the 4th March, and he had a fair amount of chances in GW25 that he failed to convert. The only difference is that he’s got great fixtures in the next 6 games, including NEW, WHU and NOR. At a cheaper price than his premium counterpart, it’s easier to justify making the leap from, say, Vardy to Auba, but it must be noted that Arsenal haven’t been a very attacking side these past few games. Under Arteta, they’ve scored just 8 goals in 7 games, which isn’t very encouraging despite the individual circumstances during each match (2 red cards, difficult fixtures, etc) It was encouraging, however, that against Burnley Aubameyang had 3 chances, 2 big chances and even created 2 big chances himself. He has the capacity to score big, and will most likely run away with the bonus if he does get on the scoresheet. Hopefully the easy run of games and the winter break will invigorate the team and get them back to goal scoring ways.
Midfield Options
Finally, we come to the midfield options. Unfortunately, it’s more bad news here. There's hardly any. So let's start with the players that the podcasters are all keeping in midfield. Salah and KDB (10.7) are obvious, Traore (5.8) still offers incredible value and will now not blank which is nice and Grealish (6.7) is still pulling all the strings at Aston Villa so managers are willing to give him some more times in their XI. Cantwell (4.9) is safe from blanking so he’s being kept as a 4th midfielder, along with Fleck who some transferred in for the SHU run due to his 5.5ppm. All of these players are holds, so let’s have a look at the recommendations.
Southampton have a great fixture run, like I’ve said, so Redmond (6.2) is being looked at as a differential way into the Saints goals. With Ward-Prowse injured it'll be up to Redmond to hold the fort in midfield. Mooy (4.8) is a very cheap Brighton midfielder who can rest easy on anyone's bench with the possibility of scoring and assisting for you due to how further forward he’s been recently, Just make sure you’re not having to start him every week! Bergwijn (7.5) has caught our eye as a cheaper, supposedly nailed option in the Spurs midfield. He showed us what he can during his debut against City and he looks like he’ll be one of their key players to see out the season. Although a lot of us are trying to get off Leicester players, Barnes (6.0) who’s averaging 6.8 points per match, has also caught the eye of many. A cheap, in form player is the perfect option for your last starting midfielder, and it’s not like Leicester have terrible fixtures, they actually look good from GW28 onwards. Other than this there isn’t much option in the midfield unless you’re wanting to punt on players like Fernandes (8.0) or Richarlison (8.1) which nobody has recommended.
That's all for this week! Good luck with your Wildcard if you're using it, your chip strategy and GW26! If you have any questions, let me know below in the comments. Cheers for reading.
My Twitter - Here
My Twitch - Here
References:
FMLFPL Pod, Fantasy Weekly Pod, WGTA Pod, Fantasy Football Scout Pod, Planet FPL pod, Always Cheating Pod, Ben Crellin Twitter, Let’s Talk FPL Youtube, 59th Minute Pod, FPL Top Guns Pod, Ben Dinnery Twitter

Liverpool 18/19

#	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
2	38	30	7	1	89	22	77	97

# Champions League

• Stadium: Anfield
  
• Manager(s): Jürgen Klopp
  
• Most Appearances: Alisson, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk (38 appearances)
  
• Top Scorer: Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah (22 goals)
  
• Top Assister: Trent Alexander-Arnold (12 assists)
  
• Most Clean Sheets: Alisson (21 clean sheets)
  
• Key Stats
  Liverpool lost only 7 of their 53 matches this season, with two exits in their first matches in the respective domestic cups.
  Liverpool's fullbacks combined for a staggering 23 assists this season
  

Hopes and Overall Grades

Hopes/Predictions at the start of the season?

• Top 4, maybe challenge for the title if City faltered at all. Strong showing in Europe. Maybe win a trophy but the signs of progress last season and that carrying on into this would have been enough for me.
  
• Win the league/fight City for the title. That was always the number one goal. Show that last season's CL run wasn't a fluke, was hoping for a QF/SF appearance.
  
• A deep run into the UCL and a proper title charge seemed appropriate after heavy investment in the summer
  

Season Grade + Review

• A++ Stunning season. Frustrating that 97 motherfucking points wasn't enough to win the league, but City was insane the second half of the season. So proud that they pushed City to the absolute limit and the boys will be back next season. Also brought the Champions League back to Anfield so what's not to love!*
  
• 10/10 Been absolutely fantastic all season bar a period of a few draws in the middle of the season, almost every player has given their all for the entire season and to lose the league on such a high points tally, whilst disappointing, makes me proud that we pushed such a strong City team all the way AND are European Champions.
  
• A Many club records were broken and this team is without a doubt our best of the premier league era.
  

Manager Grade + Review

• 10/10 The only complaints to be had are when he makes silly excuses for when the team maybe hasn't played the best but at least he doesn't blame any of the team. Truly turned us into believers now and for the future.
  
• A+ Best manager in the world, fight me. He tinkered a bit with the lineup, especially with Shaqiri on the right and Salah up top at the start of the season, to mixed results. When Bobby picked up some knocks second half though, I loved the Origi LW and Mane up top that we played. Great rotations, he's improved with substitutions, and most importantly Klopp has turned doubters into believers. Best. Manager. In. The. World.
  
• 10/10 In 3 short years Klopp has brought belief and hope back into the club. He really is one of those managers that you feel “gets” the club. His positivity emanates throughout the club and through the fanbase. Really have nothing but love and respect for the man
  

The XI

Best/Most Used XI + Tactics

 Alisson Alexander-Arnold Matip van Dijk Robertson Henderson Fabinho Wijnaldum Salah Firmino Mané 

Instead of the gungho approach of past season we’ve changed to a more patient and possession based team this season. This begins with the passing ability of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson who set the tone that the rest of the team follows. Our midfield is based on hard work and winning the ball back quickly. This leads to most of the creativity coming from the fullbacks. Trent and Robertson are among the leading assist makers in the entire league and our forwards have benefitted greatly from their pinpoint crossing ability.

Best/Worst Match and Goal of the Season

Best Match of the Season: Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona [UEFA Champions League Semfinal 2nd Leg]

We've had some magical nights at our ground but that is easily the best I've ever seen. There will never be a better example of the power of the crowd at Anfield, I don't think I'll ever feel the same as I did that night again.
It has to be the titanic comeback against Barcelona. Every single player put in a brilliant performance that day as Anfield pushed them to glory. Without Firmino and Salah the task seemed impossible but our makeshift attack put Barca to the sword in a night that will go down in history.
Honourable mention to the 1-0 victory over Everton for the insanity of it all.
Don't think I'd forget to add in yesterday's 2-0 win against Spurs in the UCL final , might have been a shit game, but it's a Champions League final win ffs

Worst Match of the Season: Red Star Belgrade 2-0 Liverpool

The 0-2 loss against Red Star in the UCL was a pretty dire game. It also really put the squeeze on us going into the final day of group stage play with a win against Napoli needed to progress.
Honourable mention to the 0-0 draw against Manchester United, as United came in in with a plethora of injuries, had more players injured in the game and played an injured Rashford for 3/4 of the match but we didn't even challenge them when we should have easily won.
Also the 0-0 draw against Everton at Goodison, which was Such an unbelievably frustrating game, and that they will keep holding it over our head's that that 'cost us the league'.

Goal of the Season: M. Salah vs CHE 53'

Other mentions to

• Origi vs Barcelona
  
• Salah vs Southampton
  

Season Awards

• Goalkeeper of the Season: Alisson
  Worth every single penny. His distribution, confidence, and shot stopping are incredible. Maybe our most consistent player all year too.
  The few mistakes he’s made are overshadowed by how many times he has saved us.
  Best keeper I can remember playing for Liverpool. Makes huge saves like against Napoli in the 1-0 win and the save against Jordi Alba in the Barca miracle game. Extremely solid all season bar 1 mistake against Leicester early on but I can have 0 complaints about our man in net.
  Alisson got the Golden Glove for himself after Manchester City conceded on the final day at the AMEX.
  
• Defender of the Season: Virgil van Dijk
  Defense has been very strong this season with at least 3 players in with a shout but VVD has been one of the best defenders in the world this season and has steadied what was a very rocky ship.
  Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have improved massively, Matip finally became the player we thought he could be from Schalke, and before he got hurt Gomez looked world class at CB - but that improvement comes in large part to big Virg. Massive, massive player, and a better leader. His confidence has been transformative to the club.
  Coming from Southampton for a defender record of £75 million in January of 2018, van Dijk has more than justified his price, winning PFA Player of the Year and cementing himself as one of if not the best defender in the world. Along with his great defensive abilities, intelligence, and athleticism, van Dijk has also gotten himself 6 goals and 2 assists in 50 matches this season in the Premier League and Champions League, with the second most goals from centre half this season, only behind Brighton's Shane Duffy.
  
• Midfielder of the Season: Fabinho
  We’ve really lacked a player like Fabinho for years and although he had a slow start, he’s our most important midfielder now. Seems to be everywhere on the pitch/ Joel Matip said that “When he makes a tackle…his leg seems to get longer and longer, like a gadget.” Which perfectly describes what a brilliant tackler he is.
  Very hard choice but Fabinho edges Gini out by just a little. Had a rocky start but brings balance to the midfield, allows Hendo and others to drive forward more.
  Special mention to Georginio Wijnaldum, who has been arguably our most consistent midfielder. He's scored some absolutely massive goals, but a lot of the work he does with tracking back and linking the attack and defense has been really impressive. He even played at CB earlier this year. Hats off to Gini!
  
• Forward of the Season: Sadio Mané
  This was really tough, but I'll give it to Mane. Maybe my favorite player in the team, his form was so consistent, he played as a true winger, inside forward, striker, etc., and was world class at all of them. Salah is amazing obviously and* Firmino is the engine of the team, but when Sadio is in form (which he was basically all season, I can't really remember him having a poor game) we just feel unstoppable. I love him so much.
  You could really flip a coin for him and Salah over who is our forward of the season but Mane edges it slightly for me. His performances in the big games against Bayern and Barcelona were amazing and he combines work ethic with ruthless finishing and the odd moment of magic.
  
• Signing of the Season: Alisson (£63.60 million)
  Been so good I almost forgot he's only been here for the season. Best goalie in the league in my completely unbiased opinion.
  After Karius’ heartbreak in Kiev last year an upgrade in the goalkeeping department was necessary. And without Alisson,it’s safe to say we wouldn’t even be in the UCL final again, let alone winning it. Not only does he make brilliant saves but he commands his box with an authority that we’ve been lacking for years. His habit of attempting fakeshots and cruyff turns in the box may be unnecessary but he backs it up with brilliant shot stopping and distribution.
  
• U-23 Player of the Season: Trent Alexander-Arnold
  There's no competition, the future captain has been outstanding this season. Breaking records for assists as a defender and taking the initiative in big games like the assist for Origi's goal.
  What a guy. Been with the team since he was six. When the sad day comes that Milner and Henderson are no longer with the club, he'll likely be made vice-captain or maybe captain (assuming it goes to Virgil). Him and Kimmich will fight for best RB in the world for the next decade.
  His development the past 2 seasons has been a joy to behold. It’s hard to believe that he’s only 20 but his passing ability and maturity belie his years. He has the odd defensive mishap but the teams only scouser is a future captain.
  Alexander-Arnold had the most assists in a season for a defender in Premier League history with 12.
  
• Disappointment of the Season: Run of draws around the middle of the season
  With a team as lethal as Manchester City, every point really does count. It really cost us in the long run. Especially the draw against an injury hit Man Utd where we were unable to find a killer goal
  As far as players go I do think it has to be Naby Keïta, just because most predicted he'd hit the ground running but at first he struggled to adapt/picked up some nagging injuries. But I'm confident that the form of the last few months before Rakitić ended his season is the Keita we'll see in 2019-2020. He's phenomenal and has the potential to be one of the first names on the XI in the future.
  

Other

Shocking Moment of the Season: Stop savin' chat

Haha. No kink-shaming here though, get yours, but how that went down was hilarious.
Tweet in the post linked was deleted but you can find the snaps online pretty easy, and the comments describe most of it well enough
In terms of on the pitch, Both of Origi's winners against Everton and Barcelona

Heading into Next Season....

Need a new backup LB (bye Moreno, I'll miss your goofiness but not your horrible positioning)
Maybe some RB cover *as well so Gomez can play more centrally and give TAA a break.
Sturridge is likely gone, but Brewster will probably take his minutes, and I'd like to keep Origi for backup striker and winger if he's okay with that.
Still could use a young LW as well though.
Despite what some people say midfield isn't really a priortity, but if Lallana wants more gametime and leaves I'd love for us to go for Aouar.

The biggest hope is that we can keep up this momentum going in to the next league season and finally cross the finish line.

Previous Reviews

• Huddersfield Town [20th]
  
• Fulham [19th]
  
• Cardiff City [18th]
  
• Brighton and Hove Albion [17th]
  
• Southampton [16th]
  
• Burnley [15th]
  
• A.F.C. Bournemouth [14th]
  
• Newcastle United [13th]
  
• Crystal Palace [12th]
  
• Watford F.C. [11th]
  
• West Ham United [10th]
  
• Leicester City [9th]
  
• Everton [8th]
  
• Wolves [7th]
  
• Manchester United [6th]-
  
• Arsenal [5th]
  
• Tottenham Hotspur [4th]
  
• Chelsea [3rd]