Gameweek 25 kicks off with an early Friday deadline and a blockbuster Sunday fixture as Liverpool host Manchester City. But the real story this week is preparation — Double Gameweek 26 is confirmed for Arsenal and Wolves, and every transfer you make now should have one eye on next week's double.

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GW25 FIXTURES

Here's the full schedule for Gameweek 25:

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CAPTAIN PICKS

Choosing the right captain this week could be worth 10+ points. Here are the top options based on form, fixtures, and underlying stats.

BRUNO FERNANDES (MID, MUN) - £9.6M

Bruno leads the captaincy conversation with 46 points over his last 6 matches (7.7 per match). He's created 8 big chances in the last 4 gameweeks alone — more than any other midfielder. Man United host a Tottenham side that has been in freefall, winless in their last seven league games.

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GABRIEL (DEF, ARS) - £7.0M

Gabriel has accumulated 47 points over his last 6 matches (7.8 per match) — the highest per-start average of any FPL asset this season at 7.5 points. Arsenal host Sunderland, a side whose away defensive record places them in the bottom 5 for xGC.

A clean sheet looks likely, and Gabriel's aerial threat from set pieces gives him a genuine goal threat too.

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HUGO EKITIKE (FWD, MCI) - £8.9M

Ekitike scored 13 points last gameweek with a brace and leads the league with 5 big chances in the last 4 gameweeks. His partnership with Florian Wirtz is blossoming, and City host Fulham on Sunday — not the easiest fixture, but Ekitike's form is hard to ignore.

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TOP TRANSFER TARGETS

JARROD BOWEN (FWD, WHU) - £7.6M

Bowen has quietly become one of FPL's most reliable forwards with 8 goals, 3 assists, and 113 points from 24 starts this season — making him the 4th highest-scoring forward overall. He's now West Ham's first-choice penalty taker since Paqueta's departure, scoring from the spot in GW23.

The next three fixtures are excellent: Burnley (A), Man United (H), Bournemouth (H). Burnley are the worst defensive team in the league, ranked 20th for xGC and 19th for big chances conceded.

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DECLAN RICE (MID, ARS) - £7.5M

With Saka injured for 3-4 weeks, Rice is the standout Arsenal midfield option. He's scored 81 Fantasy points in away matches this season and created 12 chances in the last 4 gameweeks. Crucially, 7 of his 8 defensive contribution hauls came away from home — important given Arsenal's DGW26 features two away fixtures.

Rice is a brilliant two-week pick: solid for GW25 at home to Sunderland, then doubles in GW26 at Brentford and Wolves.

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MARCOS SENESI (DEF, BOU) - £4.8M

Senesi has earned defensive contribution points in all 12 of his away starts this season, accumulating 24 points from DC alone. He's ranked 2nd among defenders for expected goal involvement (4.67 xGI), and Bournemouth's home defence is ranked 2nd for lowest xGA (9.18).

With seven favourable fixtures ahead, Senesi offers clean sheet potential at home and reliable DC points away — an unusual combination.

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FLORIAN WIRTZ (MID, MCI) - £8.3M

If you haven't brought in Wirtz yet, the clock is ticking. He's delivered 37 points in his last 5 games with 6 returns in his last 8, and an xGI per 90 of 0.67. His link-up with Ekitike is City's primary attacking outlet, and at £8.3m he's outstanding value compared to other premiums.

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SAKA INJURY: WHAT NOW?

Bukayo Saka sustained a muscular injury and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. At his premium price, you simply cannot afford dead money in your squad — especially heading into a double gameweek for Arsenal.

Here are the best replacement routes:

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PLAYERS TO SELL

BUKAYO SAKA (MID, ARS) - INJURED

No debate here. 3-4 weeks out means he misses GW25, DGW26, and possibly GW27. Move him on immediately and reinvest the funds.

TOTTENHAM ASSETS

Spurs have been woeful — winless in 7 league games with only 2 clean sheets in their last 17 matches. They face Man United away this week, hardly a fixture to inspire confidence. If you're still holding Son or any Spurs defenders, it's time to cut your losses.

ERLING HAALAND (FWD, MCI) - CONSIDER DOWNGRADE

This one's controversial, but Haaland's 18 points in 6 games is dire form for a £15.0m asset. Downgrading to Ekitike (£8.9m) or Bowen (£7.6m) frees up serious funds while potentially matching or beating his output. At minimum, don't captain him this week.

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DIFFERENTIAL PICKS (UNDER 5% OWNERSHIP)

NONI MADUEKE (MID, ARS) - £6.8M (~4% OWNED)

With Saka out, Madueke steps into Arsenal's right wing role. Sunderland's away defence is in the bottom 5 for xGC and bottom 10 for big chances conceded. He'll play GW25 at home to Sunderland and then doubles in GW26 — two weeks of starts for a player most managers don't own.

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KONSTANTINOS MAVROPANOS (DEF) - ~2% OWNED

Mavropanos has hit the defensive contributions threshold in 3 of his last 4 games, making him a quietly consistent points earner. At his low price and ownership, he's a genuine differential who delivers steady returns.

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MATEUS MANE (FWD, WOL) - £4.6M (~1% OWNED)

Wolves' budget forward has started 7 consecutive matches, firing 20 shots in that period (most of any Wolves player). He's scored twice from distance and created 2 big chances. At £4.6m he's essentially free, and he doubles in GW26 — making him a perfect bench enabler with short-term upside.

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DGW26 PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Gameweek 25 is as much about setting up for next week as it is about this week's points. Here's your preparation checklist:

TRANSFERS TO MAKE NOW

1. Sell Saka → Bring in Rice, Madueke, or Wirtz
2. Ensure 2-3 Arsenal players → Gabriel + Saliba/Timber + Rice is the ideal triple-up
3. Consider Mane (£4.6m) → Budget Wolves enabler for the double, only if convenient

TRANSFERS TO SAVE FOR GW26

If your squad is in good shape for GW25, consider rolling your transfer to have 2 free transfers for GW26. This gives you maximum flexibility to react to injuries from this weekend's matches.

CHIP STRATEGY

Do not use any chips this week. Save them for DGW26 and beyond. The Triple Captain is tempting for Gabriel in DGW26, but larger doubles may come in GW32-33.

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FIXTURE WATCH: TEAMS WITH GREAT RUNS

Looking beyond GW25, these teams have the best medium-term fixture profiles:

Check the fixture difficulty tracker to visualise these runs and identify the best windows for each team.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Here's your quick-reference summary for GW25:

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CONCLUSION

Gameweek 25 is the pivot point of the season. Every transfer from here needs to serve double duty — delivering points this week while setting you up for the double gameweek cycle ahead. Prioritise selling Saka, loading up on Arsenal defenders, and targeting players with strong medium-term fixture runs.

Use FPLWatch's price change predictions to time your transfers before prices move, and check the fixture tracker to plan your squad across the DGW26-GW31 corridor. The managers who plan ahead from this week will be the ones climbing the ranks come March.

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