The results of this week's domestic cup matches could help managers in Fantasy Premier League start preparing for both Blank Gameweek 29 (BGW29) and Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34).
A Blank Gameweek is a Gameweek containing fewer than the normal 10 matches, where some clubs don't play a Premier League fixture, and players from those teams score ZERO points in FPL.
In the EFL Cup semi-final first legs in midweek, Newcastle United won 2-0 at Arsenal on Tuesday 7 January. Tottenham Hotspur entertain Liverpool on Wednesday.
The second legs take place a month later, when Newcastle face Arsenal on Wednesday 5 February and Liverpool welcome Spurs to Anfield 24 hours later.
The winners of the semi-finals then face each other in the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 16 March. Those two clubs would be unable to play their scheduled Premier League fixture in Gameweek 29, so they would have a Blank Gameweek in Fantasy.
At present, there are up to four matches which would be removed from Gameweek 29 due to the EFL Cup final, because the clubs in bold could be playing at Wembley instead.
Which matches could blank in GW29?
Arsenal v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Liverpool
Fulham v Spurs
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
If Newcastle hold onto their lead against Arsenal in the EFL Cup semi-final and reach the final, the Magpies' home match against Crystal Palace would be removed from Gameweek 29.
This would have a major knock-on effect as managers would be without Alexander Isak (£9.3m). The Swede’s 53 per cent ownership makes him the most-popular forward in Fantasy and third most-picked player overall.
Isak isn’t the only sought-after Magpies player in Fantasy right now. His team-mates Lewis Hall (£4.9m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) are also the most-bought players in their positions for Gameweek 21, with a combined 645,000+ managers rushing to the trio ahead of the deadline of 18:00 GMT on Tuesday 14 January.
What if Arsenal fight back to win?
If Arsenal battle back to overcome Newcastle in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, their home match against Chelsea would be removed from Gameweek 29, resulting in a BGW29 for both clubs.
This would have huge implications for managers in Fantasy across many positions.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (£11.4m) is the second most-popular player overall in 2024/25 Fantasy, with 68 per cent of managers owning the midfielder.
Arsenal’s David Raya (£5.6m) is the most-popular goalkeeper, selected by more than 30 per cent, while Gunners centre-backs William Saliba (£6.3m) and Gabriel (£6.4m) are the most-owned defenders, with each found in over 29 per cent of squads.
Why Salah could get TWO Double Gameweeks
In the other match-up, Liverpool’s recent 6-3 win at Spurs in Gameweek 17 suggests they will be heavily favoured to emerge victorious over their two encounters with Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Such a scenario would mean a BGW29 for both Liverpool and Aston Villa, and the big news here would obviously be that Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) - the top-scoring and most-owned player in Fantasy – would miss out.
Combined with the recent postponement of their derby visit to Everton, this would mean Liverpool have two matches still to be rescheduled and they would therefore be expected to get TWO Double Gameweeks later in the season.
A Double Gameweek is where there are more than 10 fixtures. Teams will have a Double Gameweek if they have two Premier League fixtures to play in one Gameweek.
Salah’s relentless form in 2024/25 Fantasy shows why many managers will be playing their Triple Captain chip on him if Liverpool do indeed get a Double Gameweek.
In just 19 matches under Arne Slot, the Egyptian has produced 18 goals and 13 assists – that’s already one assist MORE than he managed all last season.
It’s fair to say that a semi-final win for Spurs would cause considerably less disruption to managers’ attacks in Fantasy.
This would result in a BGW29 for Spurs and Fulham, whose summer signing Emile Smith Rowe (£5.3m) is the most-picked midfielder or forward from those two clubs, found in over 10.6 per cent of squads.
Why FA Cup matches impact Blank Gameweek 34
The four clubs who reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup this season could have a BGW34, as they both take place on the same weekend as Premier League matches.
There are are two Premier League head-to-heads in the third round. Aston Villa are at home to West Ham United on Friday evening, while Arsenal and Manchester United face each other at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Crucially, any clubs who are knocked out of the cup WON'T have a BGW34, providing, of course, that their scheduled Gameweek 34 opponents also fail to reach the last four of the FA Cup.
Are there fewer Double and Blank Gameweeks in FPL this season?
Historically, managers have saved their chips to navigate Blank Gameweeks or maximise points returns from Double Gameweeks.
Yet despite the impending BGW29, there are expected to be fewer, and smaller, Blank and Double Gameweeks this season, which could result in a change in managers' strategies.
In previous seasons, the postponements caused by the FA Cup quarter-finals have often resulted in the biggest Blank Gameweek of the campaign. Indeed, last season there were only FOUR Premier League fixtures on that weekend.
However, a change to the football calendar in 2024/25 means that the FA Cup quarter-finals will now take place on a weekend in late March when there AREN'T any Premier League matches also taking place, so there will be no clash of fixtures.
With the Assistant Manager chip also becoming available from Gameweek 24, there looks to be an increasing number of tactical approaches available to managers during the second half of the campaign.
