The Hard Tackle lists the best picks in FPL for the upcoming Double Gameweek 25, as Liverpool and Manchester City stars feature.
The first Double Gameweek of the 2023/24 season is here, with the 25th round of fixtures bringing two extra matches. Brentford, Liverpool, Luton Town, and Manchester City will play twice, giving FPL managers something to think about
Every Double Gameweek is a golden opportunity for FPL managers to make big jumps in rankings, with chips and clever strategies coming into the equation. DGW 25 should be no different, especially considering the teams featuring in the round of fixtures.
Liverpool and Manchester City are arguably the two best teams in the Premier League, with both boasting prolific attackers. They also have other in-form players that create the possibility of tripling up on Liverpool and Manchester City assets.
As for Luton Town and Brentford, they have their strengths. With Ivan Toney being in top form, it is worth investing in him, while with the Hatters having two DGWs in three rounds of fixtures, their assets become attractive. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists the best picks for DGW 25.
Erling Haaland (£14.4m)
Our list begins with the most obvious pick heading into DGW 25. Haaland has taken some time to get going since returning to action from a long injury layoff, but he has started making his mark in the final third.
The Norwegian international has contributed to three goals in as many Premier League games and raked in 13 points in FPL GW 24 after scoring a match-winning brace against Everton. He also provided an assist for one of Phil Foden’s three goals against Brentford.
So, it is worthwhile backing Haaland to deliver the goods in the final third during Manchester City’s Double Gameweek outings. Expect a top-notch performance from the 23-year-old against Chelsea and Brentford.
Diogo Jota (£8.3m)
In an ideal world, Mohamed Salah would be the foremost pick for Liverpool, like Erling Haaland for Manchester City. But with the Egyptian international unlikely to start against Brentford, we have gone ahead with Diogo Jota as the midfield pick.
The Portuguese international has been an exceptional performer for Liverpool this season despite missing a chunk of the 2023/24 campaign. Only Salah has found the back of the net more than Jota this season.
But the 27-year-old has the best minutes-per-goal ratio among Liverpool players, outdoing even Salah on that count. In addition, Jota scores a goal with every third shot, making him one of the most clinical players in the Premier League.
Andrew Robertson (£6.4m)
The defensive unit is in a situation similar to the midfield unit, keeping FPL in mind. Like Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold might not be fit enough to start this weekend against Brentford. So, we have picked the next best alternative, with Andrew Robertson getting the nod.
The Scottish international has looked sharp since returning to action and is seemingly regaining top form ahead of the business end of the campaign. So, with his price dropping to £6.4m in FPL, he might be the most eye-catching premium defender for the coming weeks.
Nathan Ake (£5.0m)
From a high-priced defender to a mid-priced centre-back, our list continues with Nathan Ake. The Dutchman is the most productive defender for Manchester City, considering Pep Guardiola’s full-backs do not provide many assists.
Instead, Ake provided an assist for one of Erling Haaland’s two goals against Everton, netting him an 11-point haul last weekend. With Chelsea blowing hot and cold and Brentford not being consistent, he can get some offensive output while keeping a clean sheet or two. But investing in him should be your last resort.
Ivan Toney (£8.2m)
We will round off our list with two strikers, as we look to maximise the results in DGW 25. Our penultimate pick is Ivan Toney, who has hit the ground running since returning from his betting ban last month.
The English international has found the back of the net thrice in four games, including once each against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. So, it is no wonder that high-profile clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea want him. And after failing to score against Manchester City, he will be eager to remind what he did last season.
Carlton Morris (£5.0m)
Our list ends with another striker, and we have picked a low-priced attacker to round it off. We are talking about Carlton Morris, who has continued to be a talismanic figure for Luton Town this season.
While Elijah Adebayo is an even cheaper option, we suggested his name in last week’s column. But while we are being contrarian, Carlton Morris is as good an option. He has an exceptional tally of three goals and four assist in the last six gameweeks.
Among forward, only Rasmus Hojlund (42) has a higher return in that period than Morris (36) in FPL. So, with Luton having another DGW coming up in Gameweek 28, he is worth your time in the short-term future.