Perhaps the longest gameweek in FPL history, we saw a few significant stalemates as well as the frightening return of one of the Premier League’s greatest players.
Here’s what you need to be across, as we build up to FPL Gameweek 22.
When does FPL Gameweek 22 start?
Wednesday 31 January, 5:15 am AEDT
Nottingham Forest hosts Arsenal to kick FPL gameweek 22 off. Under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo Forest has found some pep in their step, though significant AFCON absences will take their toll, even if their squad is deep enough to manage somewhat.
News that the club are the latest to be stung by the Premier League for financial breaches will hurt. Just how this impacts the side and wider club, remains to be seen but if Everton is the example then Nuno’s men might be fine.
As for Arsenal, their form has flatlined for the best part of a month, particularly in front of goal. Mikel Arteta is unlikely to receive an attacking boost in the January window, meaning he’ll need to hope his array of misfiring attackers find their goalscoring touch in this fixture.
FPL Gameweek 22 notes
Was Burnley robbed?
Everyone at Turf Moor without Luton allegiances felt James Trafford (£4.5 I 1.1%) was fouled by Elijah Adebayo (£4.8 I 1.1%) right before Carlton Morris (£5.0 I 1.9%) scored the equaliser. VAR believed otherwise, costing Burnley two points and their third clean sheet of the season. It’s a sour way to kick any gameweek off and may come back to sting Vincent Kompany’s side later in the season.
Hatters wingback, Alfie Doughty (£4.5 I 4.0%), grabbed his sixth assist of the season. With reliable defenders hard to come by, could the Englishman be a viable option in FPL gameweek 22 and beyond? His four goal involvements in his last three outings suggest as much.
De Bruyne back with a bang
When Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls, he sent out a memo with a tiny, simple message: I’m back. While his absence wasn’t as lengthy as Jordan’s, Kevin De Bruyne (£10.4 I 13.8%) sent his version of a memo upon his return against Newcastle with a goal and assist in twenty minutes.
It’s not so much that he scored and assisted but how he did so. Few players in the world would’ve found the back of the net in the same way he did, while no one else at St James’ Park has the vision, touch, or balls, to play the pass he did for Oscar Bobb’s (£4.4 I 0.1%) first Premier League goal and the match winner.
The Premier League title race is as tight as it’s been for years but the Belgian’s return to fitness sends a clear message to the rest of the Premier League; City might’ve been down these last few months but they’re not out of the fight. With De Bruyne back and Erling Haaland (£13.9 I 51.9%) soon to follow, Pep Guardiola’s side are undoubtedly the title favourites.
Significant European stalemates
Everton held Aston Villa at home, a significant point in Sean Dyche’s survival fight, which is likely to get harder when the Premier League announce a second round of financial breaches committed by the club.
Jordan Pickford (£4.5 I 9.3%) made four saves, while the rest of his expertly marshalled and rock-solid back four continued their good form. At this stage, Jarrad Branthwaite’s (£4.9 I 3.3%) standing as a solid, cheap FPL defender cannot be denied.
At Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford (£8.4 I 11.1%) found the back of the net for just the fourth time this season, while Rasmus Hojlund (£6.8 I 3.1%) pitched in with a goal too, as United let a two-nil lead slip to Ange Postecoglou’s understrength Tottenham side.
Without James Maddison (£7.8 I 7.7%), Dejan Kulusevski (£7.1 I 4.0%), or Heung-Min Son (£9.7 I 21.5%), amongst other absentees, Spurs’ collection of second-stringers showed incredible fight and skill to rescue a point when the odds were stacked against them.
Timo Werner (£6.5 I 0.6%) marked his return to the Premier League with a regulation assist for Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.4 I 0.0%), while Richarlison (£6.9 I 11.0%) scored to make it six in his last six games. The Brazilian, listed as an FPL midfielder, is hitting form at the right time and is staking a claim to be traded into many teams in FPL gameweek 22 and beyond.
Cole Palmer strikes again
Nine goals this season, five from the penalty spot, and five assists. 2023-24 has undoubtedly been the season Cole Palmer (£5.8 I 35.9%) announced himself to world football. In a sea of Chelsea inconsistencies, the English attacker’s good form has been the one constant.
Against London rivals he once again stepped up when most needed, coolly slotting home the eventual winner from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time. Just five midfielders have scored more FPL points than the Chelsea man this season, highlighting his sustained impact on Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
At a time when Nicolas Jackson (£6.9 I 4.6%) is absent at AFCON and Christopher Nkunku’s (£7.4 I 2.3%) injury plague continues, Palmer’s output cannot be understated.
Ivan Toney returns with a bang
Few players have returned to Premier League action with greater fanfare than Ivan Toney (£8.0 I 3.5%). After a delightful Danilo (£5.3 I 0.1%) strike opened the scoring for Forest in this fixture, it was Toney who stepped up.
After over 250 days absent from the Premier League for breaking one set of rules, the Brentford striker toed the line of obedience when he adjusted the ball and foam set out before he found the back of the net with his direct free-kick.
Regardless, it was a marvellous way to cap a return to action for one of the Premier League’s best strikers. Brentford’s form has been indifferent throughout this season, with Toney spearheading their attack a revitalisation mightn’t be far off.
Arsenal find their shooting boots
A five-nil victory over Crystal Palace should, for this iteration of Arsenal, be viewed as business as usual. Having entered this game winless in their last four, this result felt larger than it might’ve done in another context.
Arsenal’s form in front of goal has received microscopic treatment from traditional and social media. Perhaps putting five goals past a Premier League opponent for the first time since late October will quieten the noise and facilitate changing fortunes at the Emirates.
Arteta’s three Gabriel’s were all influential in this one. Gabriel (£5.0 I 18.2%) twice found the back of the net from set-pieces, Gabriel Martinelli’s (£7.7 I 5.6%) pair of late goals didn’t influence the scoreline, they were well-taken finishes hinting at a return to last season’s form for the Brazilian and Gabriel Jesus (£8.0 I 4.3%) grabbed assisted Leandro Trossard (£6.5 I 1.7%) from a frighteningly swift counter-attack.
No Salah, no worries for Liverpool
The pain of Mohamed Salah’s AFCON absence for Liverpool was compounded by the Egyptian winger suffering a hamstring injury at the tournament. Fear not, Liverpool fans, Jurgen Klopp has enough firepower to manage.
Against Bournemouth, it was the Darwin Nunez (£7.4 I 14.7%) and Diogo Jota (£7.8 I 6.4%) show. Both bagged braces, with Jota also assisting the Uruguayan for his, and the game’s, first goal.
Jota’s talents have been evident since his Wolves days; fitness has been most elusive for the Portuguese forward since joining Liverpool. With Salah out, and Jota’s ability to play on both wings and through the middle, he could position himself as the missing piece in a Liverpool front three that’s been over-reliant on Salah this season.
For Nunez, it was yet another fine display starting on the left of the front three. Both his strikes were well-taken finishes, the kind he’d have shot wide last season. With or without Salah, goals from Nunez are needed if Liverpool are any hope of silverware this season.
Transfer targets under 15% ownership
DEFENDER: Alfie Doughty (£4.5 I 4.2%)
MIDFIELDER: Kevin De Bruyne (£10.4 I 13.8%)
FORWARD: Ivan Toney (£8.0 I 3.5%)
