Who are the best FPL Challenge GW25 picks? Players who feature in this weekend’s match between Brighton and Crystal Palace will have their points doubled. We use Opta data to find the top players to target.
Gameweek 25 of FPL Challenge welcomes not just a new theme, but the start of a new four-week Rivalries event. First up is Bragging Rights, which awards double points to all players involved in Sunday’s Premier League match between Brighton and Crystal Palace.
Given the current performance levels of both teams, the appeal of those double points isn’t exactly clear-cut.
Since the start of December, only Wolves (six) and Burnley (five) have won fewer points in the Premier League than both Brighton and Crystal Palace (nine each). The Eagles also have the joint-worst goal difference in that time (-10).
How heavily you invest in players from either team likely comes down to your appetite for risk.
One change from previous Gameweeks is the ability to pick more than one player from each club, regardless of whether they play for Brighton or Palace.
We’ll be lining up with a 1-3-1-1 formation.
Goalkeeper
Bart Verbruggen: Brighton vs Crystal Palace (H)
No surprises here – we’re chasing the upside with Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Verbruggen has kept only two clean sheets across his last eight league appearances, but both came at the Amex Stadium, where Brighton will host Palace on Sunday.
They also came excruciatingly close to another clean sheet at home last weekend when conceding an equaliser in the seventh minute of added time against Everton.
Verbruggen would not have been our choice of goalkeeper this week if not for the double points, but he wouldn’t have been too far off, and that’s largely because of Palace’s weak attacking performance.
Only Wolves (13) have scored fewer non-penalty goals than Oliver Glasner’s side (20) this season, and while they have strengthened in this area during the latest transfer window, it remains to be seen how quickly those players can impact their hardship.
Defenders
Jan Paul van Hecke: Brighton vs Crystal Palace (H)
The aforementioned struggles up top for Palace give us enough reason to double up on our Brighton selections at the back, and we’re dipping back into the trough to select Jan Paul van Hecke.
Van Hecke is Brighton’s top points scorer in FPL this season, and that is for a combination of reasons: he plays every minute of every game, he’s steady for defensive contributions, and he’s a threat at set-pieces.
Indeed, Tottenham pair Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, with four each, are the only defenders to score more goals in the Premier League this season than Van Hecke (three).
Palace have conceded 12.7 expected goals from set-pieces this season, the most of any team in the division, and that only serves to make Van Hecke all the more enticing.
William Saliba AND Gabriel Magalhães: Arsenal vs Sunderland (H)
We aren’t just doubling up on Brighton players this week – we’re doubling up on Arsenal players too by selecting their central defensive pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
Arsenal host Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and this gives us a huge opportunity to cash in on the Gunners’ unrivalled defensive acumen.
Mikel Arteta’s side have, along with Manchester City, conceded the joint-fewest goals at home in the Premier League this season, with eight. Their expected goals conceded actually sits at 7.4, though, whereas City’s is 12.0.
Sunderland make for perfect opponents. They are very limited on their travels, with 26 of their 36 points this season being won at the Stadium of Light. They have scored only six goals away from home this term, the second fewest of any team, ahead of only Wolves (five).
With a league-high 7.5 points per start, Gabriel is a no-brainer. Saliba could be swapped out for an Arsenal full-back with more attacking potential, but we’re a tad wary of an early substitution in that position.
Midfielder
Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur (H)
Bruno Fernandes is the most in-form player in FPL at the moment, and that makes him an easy selection against a Spurs team who continue to ship goals.
The Man Utd star has averaged a whopping 9.1 points per start in FPL since Gameweek 15, the most of any player, with three goals and seven fantasy assists from just seven appearances.
Spurs have conceded nine goals across their last four Premier League games, and though they improved in the second half last week to earn a point against Man City, their first-half performance will have had Michael Carrick’s eyes popping out of his head.
Carrick has inspired Man Utd to three consecutive victories, and they have done so in style, netting twice against Man City and three times against Arsenal and Fulham.
There’s a great deal working in Bruno Fernandes’ favour this week, and that makes him our choice of captain.
Forward
João Pedro: Chelsea vs Wolves (A)
It feels strange not to pick a forward from either Brighton or Crystal Palace this week given the double points on offer, but the options are lacking.
Danny Welbeck is sure to start for Brighton, but he has scored one goal across his last 11 league appearances. That goal was a penalty, and he actually missed from the spot only four minutes later in that game.
Jean-Philippe Mateta had a move to Milan fall through on Deadline Day due to concerns over his right knee, and he may yet decide to have surgery on it so he can be fit for this summer’s World Cup. He isn’t expected to play a part here.
His long-term replacement, Jørgen Strand Larsen, may not even come straight into the XI for this match. His Premier League record of one goal from 22 appearances this season probably wouldn’t be enough to pick him even if he was guaranteed to play.
The double points are not tempting enough to pick any of the options above, and for that reason, we’re turning our attentions to João Pedro.
The Brazilian has registered three goals and two fantasy assists across his three Premier League appearances under Liam Rosenior, who looks to be bringing the best out of the attacker.
Opponents Wolves have no doubt improved under Rob Edwards, but they are still a team who can be targeted for points, and the disparity in player quality should be too much for them here.
GW25 Honourable Mentions
Daniel Muñoz is the man to go with if you’re looking to work a Crystal Palace player into your team. The Colombian averages 5.8 points per start this season in FPL, the most of any player from either Palace or Brighton.
Harry Wilson has scored in each of his last four appearances for Fulham at Craven Cottage in all competitions, where he will face Everton this week.
Jarrod Bowen has collected 20 points across his last two games in FPL and could add to that tally this weekend when West Ham travel to face a Burnley side who have just one clean sheet in 17 games in all competitions.
Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 25 FPL Challenge Picks
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FPL Challenge GW25 Picks: Double Points for Brighton and Crystal Palace Players Opta Analyst.
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