Welcome back for another article
The final article of 2025, just want to take a moment to say a huge huge thank you for reading/watching my content over the year. It's been another fantastic year for the channel in terms of growth, plus the Focal app going strength to strength tripling in its amount of users. 📈
On that note, today is the final day of the entire season to claim free premium for the Focal app. That gets you tons of benefits such as:
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All ads removed 🚫
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Dashboard customisation (add/remove/rearrange widgets)
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Custom themes 🎨
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Premium tools like the gameweek projections
You can cancel straight away and still a free month if you want, though hopefully you like it enough to keep it running! FPL Focal in the app store, or fpl.page in your browser. Trusted by over 430,000 managers. It's only 77p a week if you do keep using it after a month, which supports the ongoing development costs. The link to claim it free is https://fpl.page/redeem/free and as I say today's the last day, and that's the final freebie of the entire season. 🎁
Who are the best players to buy for GW20?
It's a rare mid-gameweek upload because of how quick the turnaround is and expected hangover for new years day is 1.0. 🎆
Goalkeepers 🧤
Verbruggen tops the keepers this week on 4.0 points. The standout fixtures from a defensive perspective are:
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Brighton home to Burnley
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Arsenal away vs Bournemouth
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Villa home to Forest
Brighton have Man City away which hurts Verbruggen's next 5 gameweek projections, however long term it's a pretty solid run for Brighton. Ultimately you don't buy keepers for short term; it's the one spot that is generally not worth spending transfers in frequently because it's the lowest scoring position every season. After City they have Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Palace, Villa, Brentford, Forest.
Raya is top of all keepers for the next 5, agonisingly close to a 10th clean sheet of the season last match only for Watkins to score in stoppage time. Again, Raya's next 5 aren't great fixtures on paper—you've got Bournemouth away, Liverpool home in there—but he's a very good long term keeper. That all said, he's 6m and if I were wildcarding this week who would I have in goal?
Sanchez would be very likely. This week he has Man City so it would have to be a case of benching and start Dubravka vs Brighton away, but the reason being Gabriel is back now, Timber also looks great so you could go double Arsenal defence with Sanchez in goal. Chelsea are about to hit an amazing run of games that should have plenty of clean sheets. John is the other 4m keeper, I'm sure not sure if he'll stay #1 though so I'd be a little reluctant to go there, especially after a 2 - 0 home loss last match.
Pickford is also a fantastic pick though I'd be likelier to go Tarkowski and not double up. Tarkowski's been immense for defcons and now fifth top scoring defender with 4 clean sheets in 6. 6 clean sheets in 9.
Defenders 🛡️
Newcastle host Crystal Palace which has Hall top on 4.6 points. He offers the most upside of the Newcastle defenders, even managed to hit defcon points vs Burnley. As a word of warning it looked like he could be going off injured during that game, seemed to take painkillers and was able to play on. Don't make any early moves regardless given the gameweek isn't concluded yet.
Though one player people have moved early for is Gabriel who could be set for a double rise before next deadline; a goal, clean sheet and maximum bonus on his first start since GW11 and just like that he's currently the top scoring defender despite only starting in 12 of 19 gameweeks. 7.5 points per game is miles ahead of the other defenders.
Do you swap Timber to Gabriel? I've got Timber and not making that move. Gabriel is only just back and I actually wouldn't be surprised if he were rested for GW20 given it's Liverpool 5 days later which is a huge huge game, though it is a 5 day gap so I'd say he probably starts but it is risky especially if you're going from Timber. 4.95 xGI from Timber is top in the league among defenders. Likewise Virgil to Gabriel is a 0.2 projected points difference so it's not a pressing move.
Tarkowski showing his value here, 20.2 points over the next 5 is second only to Gabriel of all defenders. If you haven't seen one of the premium features is presets, which are data tables I've made that you can plug n play; defcon defenders shows who is best per 90 for defcons, or best success rate. Tarkowski is averaging 10.89 per 90 which is fourth best in the league. Senesi, Collins and Andersen are the only 3 higher.
If you can't afford Hall then Thiaw for 5.0m is a perfectly good alternative, two home fixtures to Palace and Leeds next, then Wolves away.
Best fixture runs for clean sheets:
Over the next 6 Arsenal are miles ahead, so a double up makes a lot of sense:
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Raya + Timber
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Timber + Gabriel
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Gabriel + Raya
Next on the list it's Man City, Everton, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool. City's entire backline looks great to own; could be the occasional rotation but Nunes, Ruben, Gvardiol and O'Reilly all look good choices. At Everton it's just Tarkowski, after Keane unexpectedly not being in the squad last match. Moyes refused to elaborate when asked why. At Chelsea, James is just too much of a rotation risk, shown once again last match; Cucurella and Chalobah, or Sanchez are safer. At Newcastle it's Hall or Thiaw. Liverpool's odds turn from GW23 so Van Dijk looks good to hold for now then possible pivot away.