The second Double Gameweek of 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League has been confirmed, with Manchester City’s previously postponed match with Brentford being rescheduled.
The meeting at the Etihad Stadium will take place on Tuesday 20 February, giving both sides a Double Gameweek 25.
Man City are at home in both of their fixtures during the Gameweek, making them the clear favourites to invest in. They host Chelsea before entertaining Brentford, whereas Thomas Frank's Bees have a tough home match against Liverpool prior to visiting the champions.
The news adds a dramatic, late twist to the plans of the 805,000+ FPL managers who currently have their Wildcard active ahead of Friday’s 18:15 GMT deadline.
There is no doubt that Erling Haaland (£13.9m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£10.3m) will be very popular targets by the time Double Gameweek 25 comes around. But at present, the Norwegian remains sidelined with a foot problem, while Guardiola has already confirmed he will manage De Bruyne’s minutes due to his recent return from long-term injury.
Wildcard or not, Phil Foden and Ivan Toney (both £7.9m) could be the best picks of the Double Gameweek 25 sides to invest in right now, allowing Haaland and De Bruyne to build up their fitness and pitch time.
Foden’s influence on Man City has risen in the recent absence of Haaland, with the England star producing four goals and two assists in his last four outings in all competitions.
Brentford’s defence looks a no-go area for their two fixtures, which makes Toney their standout pick. He was the third top-scoring forward in 2022/23 Fantasy, scoring 20 goals and supplying four assists to collect 182 points.
Friday’s news also considerably lifts the appeal of playing the Wildcard in Double Gameweek 25.
This tactic not only allows managers to build their plans around the key Double Gameweek 25 players, it also coincides with the expected return date of a host of players from international tournaments.
Those include Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) and Son Heung-Min (£9.8m) - the top-scoring players in Fantasy - along with kindly-priced midfield assets such as Hwang Hee-chan (£5.7m) and Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m).
