After Aston Villa’s draw with Liverpool last night, the Premier League title race and Fantasy Premier League landscape are becoming even more intense.
With the season entering its final third, FPL managers must make strategic decisions to stay ahead.
In this article, we’ll analyze the latest FPL GW26 news, analyze key FPL stats and provide FPL tips for game week 26.
FPL Gameweek 26 Deadline
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 26 deadline is Friday, 21 February, 2025, at 19:00 GMT.
FPL Gameweek 26 Fixtures
Leicester are hosting Brentford.
Everton are at home to Manchester United.
West Ham will visit Arsenal.
Bournemouth welcomes Wolves.
Crystal Palace will travel to Fulham.
Ipswich will host Spurs.
Brighton are heading to Southampton.
Aston Villa have a home game against Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest are on the road to Newcastle.
Manchester City face Liverpool at The Etihad.
FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 26
Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst FPL assets for Matchweek 26.
Goalkeepers:
- Ederson is tied for first with 6.3
- David Raya rivals him with 6.3
- Jordan Pickford is third with 4.5
Defenders:
- James Tarkowski is first with 6.5
- Pedro Porro is tied for second with 6.0
- Djed Spence rivals him with 6.0
Midfielders:
- Mohamed Salah is back at the top with 11.4
- Dango Ouattara is second with 10.0
- Morgan Gibbs-White moves to third with 7.7
Forwards:
- Chris Wood stays first with 9.3
- Beto jumps to second with 7.8
- Erling Haaland is third with 7.7
FPL Managers Move For Omar Marmoush
Manchester City’s January signing has quickly justified Pep Guardiola’s eagerness to bring him to the Etihad.
Omar Marmoush arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt after a stellar first half of the Bundesliga season, where he scored 15 goals and provided 9 assists.
The Egyptian wasted no time making an impact, scoring a hat-trick in just his third Premier League appearance against Newcastle in gameweek 25.
Since joining City, Marmoush has played 219 minutes of league football, registering 7 shots on goal with an impressive 42.85% conversion rate.
His involvement in City’s build-up play is clear, as he has attempted 52 passes with an 82.7% accuracy.
He has also delivered 9 crosses into the box, recorded 107 touches, and has only been dispossessed once.
Marmoush has rewarded early adopters in the Fantasy English Premier League with 21 points in just three games.
Remarkably, Marmoush is the only Manchester City player to currently have a price increase.
Initially listed at £7.0m, he now sits at £7.1m.
As a City forward who appears to be a regular starter, he represents a valuable opportunity for fantasy PL managers looking for good attacking assets.
Despite difficult upcoming fixtures against Liverpool, Spurs, and Nottingham Forest, FPL managers are still bringing him in at a high rate.
Marmoush is currently the most transferred-in player ahead of the new gameweek as managers look to take advantage of his strong potential.
Parting Ways With Cole Palmer
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer remains the second-highest points scorer in Fantasy Premier League this season, but his recent form has frustrated many managers.
With just one assist and no goals in his last four appearances, concerns are growing over whether he still justifies his premium price tag.
Chelsea’s struggles have only added to the uncertainty.
The London club is sixth in the Premier League table, having won just two matches in their last nine.
However, despite their poor run of form, they are only one point away from the top four and will be eager to regain momentum as the season reaches its decisive stage.
For FPL managers, deciding whether to hold or sell Palmer is becoming increasingly difficult.
The English playmaker, priced at £11.2m, remains the third most expensive player in the game.
While he has largely lived up to that valuation with 175 FPL points this season, his current dry spell is prompting many to move on.
Following Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brighton, a growing number of managers are offloading him to redistribute funds elsewhere in their squads.
Our FPL GW26 tips are that Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures against Aston Villa, Southampton, and Leicester could offer an opportunity for Palmer to return to form.
Many would expect the Blues to pick up at least six points from a possible nine across these matches, but FPL managers are not waiting to see if Palmer will play a key role during this period.
Apart from the injured Amad Diallo and Cody Gakpo, Cole Palmer is the most transferred-out asset leading up to the new FPL gameweek 26.
How Did The Assistant Managers Do?
Many FPL managers have been experimenting with the new Assistant Manager chip, trying to determine the best way to maximize its impact.
Those who activated it before the previous gameweek saw varying degrees of success, with some selections proving far more rewarding than others.
Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler led the way, delivering the highest points total of the gameweek with 21.
He was closely followed by Fulham’s Marco Silva, who earned 18 points after securing a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa’s Unai Emery rounded out the top three, collecting 14 points from his team’s double gameweek.
Looking ahead to the next round of Premier League fixtures, Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta appears to be the safest pick, with the Gunners set to host West Ham.
However, for FPL managers willing to take a gamble in search of a bigger points haul, our FPL gameweek 26 tips is that Leicester’s Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a strong differential.
Our FPL advice is that his side faces Brentford at home, a team that has managed just three wins in their last ten Premier League matches.
FPL Highest Expected Goals (XG)
Nothing will rack up more FPL points for a manager than a flurry of goals by one or more of his/her assets.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 FPL players with the highest XG:
- Mohamed Salah – 19.13
- Erling Haaland – 18.30
- Alexander Isak – 14.12
- Ollie Watkins – 12.24
- Cole Palmer – 11.98
FPL Highest Expected Assists (XA)
Along with goals, assists also play a crucial role in generating big amounts of FPL points.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 FPL players with the highest XA:
- Cole Palmer – 7.01
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.41
- Mohamed Salah – 6.02
- Bryan Mbeumo – 5.73
- Sávio – 5.25
Yoane Wissa Vs Raúl Jiménez
Budget strikers can be crucial in an FPL campaign, and Chris Wood has proven that this season.
His price has risen from £6.0m to £7.1m, highlighting the impact a lower-cost forward can have.
With that in mind, let’s compare two other budget options, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez, to assess their performances and FPL returns so far.
Wissa has been in excellent form, scoring 11 goals in 22 Premier League appearances, while Jiménez is not far behind with 9 goals in 25 games.
In addition to their goals, Wissa has provided 2 assists, while Jiménez has contributed 3.
When it comes to shooting, Wissa has taken 53 shots, whereas Jiménez has attempted 69.
Both players have hit the target 26 times, but Jiménez has converted 3 penalties, while Wissa has not scored from the penalty spot.
Jiménez has also won a penalty this season, something Wissa has not done.
In terms of near misses, Jiménez has hit the framework twice, while Wissa has struck it once.
Chance creation is where Jiménez holds a clear advantage.
He has created 6 big scoring opportunities for his teammates, compared to Wissa’s 1.
However, Wissa has the edge in passing accuracy, completing 80.7% of his passes compared to Jiménez’s 72.2%.
From an FPL perspective, both players have accumulated 105 points, making them evenly matched in overall returns.
Wissa is currently priced at £6.3m, while Jiménez offers slightly better value at £5.6m.
With both forwards delivering solid performances, it will be interesting to see which one finishes the season with the highest FPL tally.
The Undisciplined Assets
It is always a frustration seeing that -1 figure after one of your assets receives a yellow card.
Let’s take a look at the Premier League players who have received 8 or more yellow cards this season.
Tomáš Souček – 8 Yellow Cards
Manuel Ugarte – 8 Yellow Cards
Boubakary Soumaré – 8 Yellow Cards
Liam Delap – 8 Yellow Cards
Will Hughes – 8 Yellow Cards
Morgan Rogers – 8 Yellow Cards
Flynn Downes – 9 Yellow Cards
Joelinton – 9 Yellow Cards
Saša Lukić – 9 Yellow Cards
Ryan Christie – 9 Yellow Cards
Top 3 FPL Gameweek 26 Captain Picks:
- Justin Kluivert vs Wolves
- Bryan Mbeumo vs Leicester
- Antoine Semenyo vs Wolves
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Son Heung-min
Tottenham travel to face Ipswich this weekend, aiming to build on their recent victory over Man United.
With Ipswich sitting 18th in the table, Spurs will be eager to secure another three points and maintain their winning momentum.
If they dominate the match, Son Heung-min could be instrumental in their success and deliver a strong return for FPL managers who entrust him with the captain’s armband.
Playing Your Free Hit?
Many managers might wait for another double gameweek before activating their Free Hit chip.
For those who are choosing to use their free hit this GW26 FPL weekend might find some value from the FPL GW 26 tips below:
GK: Kepa Arizzabalaga (£4.6m)
DEF: Gabriel Magalhães (£6.3m)
DEF: Pedro Porro (£5.4m)
DEF: William Saliba (£6.2m)
DEF: Antonee Robinson (£5.1m)
MID: Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m)
MID: Justin Kluivert © (£6.0m)
MID: Martin Ødegaard (£8.2m)
MID: Son Heung-min (£9.7m)
MID: Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m)
FWD: Alexander Isak (£9.5m)
BENCH: Killian Cahill (£3.9m)
BENCH: Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.3m)
BENCH: Danny Welbeck (£5.5m)
BENCH: Kieran Trippier (£5.6m)
Final Thoughts
As we head into FPL GW 26, FPL managers face another crucial round of decisions.
With key fixtures on the horizon, getting the correct fantasy football tips, selecting the right captain, and maximizing value from in-form players could make all the difference.
It’s also important to keep an eye on teams gaining momentum and potential differentials who could provide an edge over the competition.
Whether you’re looking to stay ahead in mini-leagues or climb the overall ranks, planning strategically for the coming weeks will be essential.
Best of luck, we hope our Fantasy Premier League tips are helpful and here’s to a successful Gameweek 26!
