The Scout explains why managers should focus their transfers on players who face the three relegated clubs over the final three Gameweeks of 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.
All three of the clubs who were promoted this season – Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton - have already suffered relegation back to the Championship largely due to their defensive frailties.
A quick look at the statistics shows exactly why they have struggled. They have each managed a mere two clean sheets across 35 matches and are also the worst three sides for conceding goals, allowing their opponents an average of over two goals per match.
The underlying numbers are equally damning. The trio are also conceding the most big chances, which are situations where the player is expected to score.
Relegated sides' defensive stats
| Club | Goals conc. | Clean sheets | Big chances conc. |
| Southampton | 82 | 2 | 145 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 76 | 2 | 123 |
| Leicester | 76 | 2 | 120 |
Who do relegated sides face over final three Gameweeks?
With only three Gameweeks remaining of the season, bringing in attackers who face the three relegated clubs - and potentially captaining them - can prove a very profitable strategy.
The remaining fixtures for all three clubs suggests Gameweek 36 offers the ideal opportunity for managers in Fantasy.
Brentford stars Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2m) and Yoane Wissa (£6.7m) are at Ipswich, while Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga (£5.4m) and Chris Wood (£7.1m) have a home meeting with Leicester.
In addition, Manchester City trio Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m), Erling Haaland (£14.8m) and Omar Marmoush (£7.6m) visit Southampton.
There are fewer opportunities in Gameweek 37 due to Leicester facing Ipswich, although Everton's Iliman Ndiaye (£5.2m) and Beto (£4.8m) do have a home encounter with Saints.
Meanwhile, Gameweek 38 provides opportunities for the likes of Arsenal midfielder Bukayo Saka (£10.3m), AFC Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert (£6.0m) and Evanilson (£5.8m) and West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) against Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich respectively.
Relegated sides' remaining fixtures
| Club | GW36 | GW37 | GW38 |
| Ipswich | Brentford (H) | Leicester (A) | West Ham (H) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Nott'm Forest (A) | Ipswich (H) | Bournemouth (A) |
| Southampton | Man City (H) | Everton (A) | Arsenal (H) |
Which attackers have the most potential against relegated clubs?
The table below focuses exclusively on players from those clubs who face a bottom three side over Gameweeks 36-38. In order to filter out the top performers, all those included have averaged at least 6.0 points per start in such meetings.
Mbeumo's numbers immediately show why he could be a great captain in Gameweek 36.
The Brentford star has averaged a hefty 12.8 points per match (ppm) across his five contests against the relegated clubs. Indeed, his total of 64 points against the bottom three is MORE than any other player in 2024/25 Fantasy.
Wissa, Haaland, De Bruyne and Marmoush have all maintained a high bar of at least 9.0ppm in such matches. The former two have been the most reliable of all, with no blanks in their five and four matches respectively.
Top-performing attackers v relegated clubs
| Player | G | A | Pts | Pts per start |
| Mbeumo | 7 | 2 | 64 | 12.8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schade | 4 | 2 | 41 | 10.0 |
| Trossard | 3 | 3 | 41 | 10.0 |
| Beto | 3 | 0 | 20 | 9.5 |
| Haaland | 6 | 0 | 37 | 9.3 |
| Wissa | 6 | 1 | 45 | 9.0 |
| De Bruyne | 1 | 4 | 27 | 9.0 |
| Marmoush | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9.0 |
| Wood | 4 | 1 | 37 | 7.4 |
| Bowen | 3 | 2 | 37 | 7.4 |
| Saka | 1 | 2 | 20 | 6.7 |
Elsewhere, both Bowen and Wood have each been involved in five goals, averaging 7.4ppm.
Brentford midfielder Kevin Schade (£5.1m) and Arsenal's Leandro Trossard (£6.8m) could be the big differentials here.
Schade, who is owned by a mere 1.6 per cent, has delivered four goals and two assists over his four starts against the relegated clubs. The German has started each of his side's last 13 league matches.
Similarly, Trossard has four starts, one sub appearance, six goal involvements and 41 points in such contests. He has started 15 of the Gunners' last 16 league matches, yet is selected by a mere 4.6 per cent of managers.