Welcome back to the Hive head to head league.
Gameweek 33 was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for fans and FPL managers alike. Man City's victory over Luton and defeats for Liverpool and Arsenal left the reigning champions top of the pile. However, all 3 sides were also dumped out of Europe midweek as well.
We could argue long and hard over what that means for their respective title challenges but more relevant to this particular blog is how it impacts your FPL squad for the remainder of the season.
For one, it does mean that fixture congestion for those teams has been significantly eased. Instead of playing semi-finals following this game week and the next, many premium players will get a much needed rest and squad rotation is likely to be far less significant. For Arsenal and Liverpool, the league also represents their final remaining chance at silverware this season, while City are still in the FA Cup.
For those that have been building FPL squads to benefit from the double gameweeks that those top sides have between now and the end of the season, the mass culling of Premier League teams from Europe is probably a good thing!
Speaking of those double gameweeks, they begin today with Arsenal, Bournemouth, Palace, Everton, Liverpool, Sheffield United and Wolves all playing twice in GW34.
On the flip side, managers will have to make do without any Spurs assets this week with no fixtures for them in GW34 although with 2 double gameweeks to come (35 & 37) managers might not necessarily be rushing to ditch Tottenham players too soon.
It also raises the question of chips. With only 5 gameweeks left to play then some managers are going to need to start throwing around a few chips to ensure they don't leave them unspent. For these double gameweeks, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw some late wildcards, free hits and triple captains come into play.
Division 1
GW33 Results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legion Fc | @b0s | 75 | 74 | Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt |
| Content Creators | @Pvmihalache | 92 | 69 | Shamzy FC | @shamzy |
| Izanagi FC | @belemo | 60 | 73 | thoth442FC | @thoth442 |
| I Feel Qatari | @deniskj | 76 | 76 | YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 |
| Espada Numero Uno | @elmose | 66 | 65 | The Amirians | @amirtheawesome1 |
| Lazz | @Martinlazizi | 82 | 84 | Augment Fc | @vickoly |
| Hungry Lions | @GvKanten | 76 | 96 | @BlockchainFPL | @blockchainFPL |
| Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco | 65 | 71 | Likodra FC | @teofilex11 |
| WhyteFC | @Ipalibo | 66 | 71 | Hiveheadz | @borran |
| FC McKane | @McKane | 65 | 41 | Nonz FC | @nonsowrites |
Our featured matches from last week were both very tight finishes. Legion FC got a priceless win over Suffragette City, beating their opponents by just a solitary point, a result that pulled them out of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile I Feel Qatari drew with Yagman FC, their 2nd draw of season in which we've only seen 7 stalemates across the division as a whole.
Augment FC and Espada Numero Uno recorded victories and are now within touching distance of safety but Hungry Lions lost again and slipped to 12th in the process. Their massive total score should mean that they need just 1 more win to be safe but they'll want to get that sooner rather than later.
Looking ahead to GW34, these are the the really big matches to follow in Division 1...
@deniskj v @talesfrmthecrypt
A massive 6 pointer at the bottom of the table sees 18th placed I Feel Qatari take on 14th placed Suffragette City. I Feel Qatari's draw last week really didn't do them any favours as they now sit 8 points from safety. To have any realistic chance of survival they will need to go unbeaten for the remainder of the season.
For their part, Suffragette City missed the opportunity to put a 7 point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone last week and are left needing 2 wins in their final 5 to be all but certain of safety.
Both these sides have chips that they may decide to bring into play this week. Suffragette have just the triple captain option left while I Feel Qatari have a free hit and bench boost up their sleeve.
Both sides have been set up pretty well to try and take advantage of this double gameweek but in doing so we aren't left with a huge number of differentials!
At present, goalkeeper looks like it could help define the outcome of this one. I Feel Qatari have gone for the more expensively priced Raya whose Arsenal team travel to Wolves and then host Chelsea in 2 matches that will probably define their season.
Arteta's early season theory to rotate his keepers looks to have died a death so FPL managers can be more certain of a start from Raya. Suffragette City will almost certainly look to bring in Henderson whose Palace side shut out Liverpool last week and who have home matches against West Ham and Newcastle sides who are chasing European qualification.
Currently the only difference in defence is between which Arsenal centre back the teams have opted for but that may yet change. I Feel Qatari have been stung by the injury to Bradley who would have had a double gameweek but both sides will be left pondering whether to make late changes to Branthwaite and Ait-Nouri neither of whom are certain of minutes at least in their first fixtures of GW34.
Further forward and while Suffragette City's midfield and striker differentials do both benefit from 2 games in GW34, I Feel Qatari can point to having one of the form players in the league at the moment in Isak. The Newcastle man has scored 7 in his last 6 appearances, only blanking in one of those games. Fitness is probably the key to Isak's success, he's only managed 38 league starts for the Magpies in his nearly 2 years with them. When he is on the pitch, he looks like a very good FPL asset to have!
@pvmihalache v @belemo
We could see the bottom 2 teams relegations from Division 1 confirmed by the end of this gameweek. However, Content Creators are refusing to go quietly after a 92 point score in GW33. The reality is that won't be enough on its own and at this late stage they are probably looking at having to stretch it into a 6 game winning streak in order to stay up.
One thing in their advantage is that they have a wildcard and a bench boost left to use while Izanagi FC have just the later and it seems unlikely they'll be deploying it today. However, as Izanagi FC can attest to from their performance last week, the wildcard doesn't necessarily equal success!
In theory, Content Creators have a spare man to choose from at the back but Joe Gomez hasn't started either of Liverpool's last 2 league games. His chances of doing so in GW34 have improved with the injury to Bradley so that may yet prove a master stroke!
By contrast, Izanagi FC have lost Bradley and are left with only Doughty as a defensive differential. While capable of the occasional assist what is unlikely is that you'll get a clean sheet bonus from the Luton full-back, he's delivered only 2 all season. Luton have a crunch game at home to fellow strugglers Brentford this week.
Into midfield and while Content Creators have 2 differentials offering double gameweeks in Rice and Salah, Izanagi FC might fancy they have the better form in Saka, Foden and Fernandes who has scored 4 in his last 3 appearances, doubling his goal tally for the season. United also have a very appealing fixture against Sheffield United this week.
Upfront and it could be a case of which Bournemouth forward performs best in GW34. However, Semenyo didn't feature for the Cherries in GW33 while of course Solanke continues to be the focal point of their attack suggesting another advantage to Izanagi FC.
GW34 Fixtures
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiveheadz | @borran | v | Legion Fc | @b0s |
| Likodra FC | @teofilex11 | v | Nonz FC | @nonsowrites |
| @BlockchainFPL | @blockchainFPL | v | FC McKane | @McKane |
| Augment Fc | @vickoly | v | WhyteFC | @Ipalibo |
| The Amirians | @amirtheawesome1 | v | Creekside FC | @pappyelblanco |
| YAGMAN FC | @yagman01 | v | Hungry Lions | @GvKanten |
| thoth442FC | @thoth442 | v | Lazz | @Martinlazizi |
| Shamzy FC | @shamzy | v | Espada Numero Uno | @elmose |
| Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt | v | I Feel Qatari | @deniskj |
| Content Creators | @Pvmihalache | v | Izanagi FC | @belemo |
Division 2
GW33 Results
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skander TN | @skanderh | 67 | 73 | Folox fc | @thelonegreywolf |
| rubilu | @rubilu | 45 | 59 | Hivetastic | @acidyo |
| George Of D Jungle | @George-dee | 58 | 80 | Stom FC | @stomade |
| Emeka4 | @Emeka4 | 53 | 58 | Average | n/a |
| abu78 | @abu78 | 36 | 65 | Uwabbs Fc | @uwabbs001 |
| BLAngechys Matildas | @blanchy | 35 | 101 | Twycejoy | @twicejoy |
| racibo | @racibo | 85 | 61 | Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo |
| HappyBoys FC | @Happyboy1 | 76 | 66 | Lens world fc | @Lensworld |
| legaliza | @legalizabrazil | 42 | 38 | Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 |
| Testing FC | @sperosamuel15 | 73 | 54 | The inferno Squad | @jimah1k |
| Yahuzah | @yahuzah | 79 | 65 | Mount Everest | @khaleesii |
| Smiley Team | @carita-feliz | 86 | 58 | SOLAT | @reservedsingle |
| adedayoolumide | @adedayoolumide | 25 | 56 | Samostically | @samostically |
| Praiz Empire | @praizking | 58 | 97 | Stevelight (Herbae) | @Herbae |
| Beyond Horizon | @beyondhorizonmm | 62 | 62 | Rosh FC | @officialrosh1 |
| Diistroyers | @diikaan | 82 | 81 | Apples and Pears | @stuartcturnbull |
| valchiz fc | @valchiz | 63 | 52 | Satoshi99 | @kraken99 |
| RHYDA1 | @rhyda1 | 49 | 59 | EVIAN CF | @nasfyneboy92 |
| The Beast | @iamchuks | 81 | 71 | HighWay2Anfield | @kenechukwu97 |
| Roboski | @Gentleshaid | 89 | 62 | MUFC | @tiyumtaba |
| Formidable Milano | @Damolexy | 79 | 39 | Michupa Brasil F.C. | @michupa |
| Unbothered | @Dapomolaaaa | 61 | 66 | Simcard fpl | @akomoajong |
| Tequeños United | @aaalviarez | 89 | 30 | Happy Fc | @Happy411 |
Headline: Skander TN are promoted!
Congratulations to Skander TN who have confirmed their promotion to Division 1 for the 24/25 season! Let's see who is going to join them...
I think we can be fairly confident in saying that Uwabbs FC are also going up and so it's now looking like 3 from the next 10 sides who have a realistic chance of promotion. Within that group we have a a couple of highly significant fixtures in GW34...
@jimah1k (Inferno Squad, 12th place, 59 points) v @herbae (Stevelight, 6th place, 65 points)
This is looking like a must win game for The Inferno Squad who can't afford to lose any further ground in the race for promotion, particularly against one of their rivals. For their part, Stevelight got an all important win in their GW33 match to leave them just a point off the top 5.
Stevelight enter this fixture as firm favourites with 3 Arsenal players and what would have been 3 Liverpool players but for the injury to Bradley. For their part, Inferno Squad do have Saka and Luis Diaz as important differentials.
However, Inferno Squad are carrying 3 Spurs players in their squad and have the injured Tariq Lamptey which means they must make changes if they are to field XI players for this all important match.
@beyondhorizonmm (Beyond Horizon, 11th place, 60 points) v @sperosamuel15 (Testing FC, 10th place, 60 points)
Also in the chasing pack and both sitting 6 points off the top 5 are Testing FC and Beyond Horizon. Given their relative league positions this then feels like a knock out match with the winner clinging on to their hopes of promotion while the loser will almost certainly be consigned to another season in Divison 2.
Testing FC currently have just a single Arsenal player in their squad compared to the 3 that Beyond Horizon possess and they may need to address that imbalance via the transfer market if they are to win today. Where they do have some strength is in Salah and Luis Diaz although Liverpool's recent form has been far from great.
Justin Kluivert has shown some good form of late and will benefit from Bournemouth's 2 games. However, the Dutch midfielder has never completed 90mins for the Cherries which is of concern for managers looking at him as a viable FPL option.
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folox fc | @thelonegreywolf | v | SOLAT | @reservedsingle | |
| Mount Everest | @khaleesii | v | Samostically | @samostically | |
| The inferno Squad | @jimah1k | v | Stevelight (Herbae) | @Herbae | |
| Stevenson FC | @stevenson7 | v | Rosh FC | @officialrosh1 | |
| Lens world fc | @Lensworld | v | Apples and Pears | @stuartcturnbull | |
| Tengo Rangers FC | @tengolotodo | v | Satoshi99 | @kraken99 | |
| Twycejoy | @twicejoy | v | EVIAN CF | @nasfyneboy92 | |
| Uwabbs Fc | @uwabbs001 | v | HighWay2Anfield | @kenechukwu97 | |
| AVERAGE | n/a | v | MUFC | @tiyumtaba | |
| Stom FC | @stomade | v | Michupa Brasil F.C. | @michupa | |
| Hivetastic | @acidyo | v | Simcard fpl | @akomoajong | |
| Skander TN | @skanderh | v | Happy Fc | @Happy411 | |
| rubilu | @rubilu | v | Tequeños United | @aaalviarez | |
| George Of D Jungle | @George-dee | v | Unbothered | @Dapomolaaaa | |
| Emeka4 | @Emeka4 | v | Formidable Milano | @Damolexy | |
| abu78 | @abu78 | v | Roboski | @Gentleshaid | |
| BLAngechys Matildas | @blanchy | v | The Beast | @iamchuks | |
| racibo | @racibo | v | RHYDA1 | @rhyda1 | |
| HappyBoys FC | @Happyboy1 | v | valchiz fc | @valchiz | |
| legaliza | @legalizabrazil | v | Diistroyers | @diikaan | |
| Testing FC | @sperosamuel15 | v | Beyond Horizon | @beyondhorizonmm | |
| Yahuzah | @yahuzah | v | Praiz Empire | @praizking | |
| Smiley Team | @carita-feliz | v | adedayoolumide | @adedayoolumide |
Good luck in your head to head fixtures this week