The results of this midweek’s EFL Cup semi-final second legs will help shape the plans of millions of managers in Fantasy Premier League across the crucial next few Gameweeks.
The two clubs who emerge victorious will take part in the Wembley Stadium showdown on Sunday 16 March, which will have huge implications for both Gameweek 25 and Gameweek 29 in Fantasy.
Who are the EFL Cup semi-finalists?
Newcastle United have a 2-0 advantage over Arsenal ahead of the second leg at St James’ Park on Wednesday.
Liverpool are also at home the following evening and will attempt to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
What does the EFL Cup final mean for FPL managers?
The EFL Cup final coincides with the weekend of Gameweek 29 in FPL, which means that the two finalists will have their matches removed from that round of fixtures and therefore have a Blank Gameweek 29 (BGW29).
At present, three of the four semi-finalists – Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs – have confirmed their Gameweek 29 matches will be moved into Gameweek 25 if they reach the final, creating a Double Gameweek 25 (DGW25).
Essentially, this means they would have a DGW25 but ALSO a BGW29.
If Arsenal prevail against Newcastle, the Gunners – and their current Gameweek 29 opponents, Chelsea – would have a DGW25 and a BGW29.
In this scenario, Arsenal would visit Leicester City and host Chelsea, who visit Brighton & Hove Albion beforehand.
David Raya (£5.5m), Gunners defenders and Chelsea's Cole Palmer (£11.3m) are the obvious picks and already heavily-owned, with Kai Havertz’s (£7.8m) two goals and an assist over the last three Gameweeks marking him out as the in-form differential among those two clubs, currently owned by only seven per cent of managers.
Should Liverpool get the better of Spurs, they would have back-to-back Double Gameweeks, following their current Double Gameweek 24 (DGW24).
The Reds would host Wolverhampton Wanderers and visit Aston Villa, who have a favourable home encounter with Ipswich Town prior to facing the league leaders.
While Fantasy managers are already heavily invested in Liverpool due to their current DGW24, those who still have their Triple Captain chip remaining should look to play it on Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) for DGW25 if the Reds progress to the EFL Cup final. Arne Slot (£1.5m) could be a popular alternative using new Assistant Manager chip.
Remember, you can only play ONE chip in any Gameweek, so Fantasy managers who played the Assistant Manager chip in DGW24, for example, would not be able to Triple-Captain Salah in DGW25.
Villa's budget midfielder Morgan Rogers (£5.6m) is already found in over 23 per cent of squads, making Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) the big differential here – if he overcomes a knock, that match against Ipswich looks particularly appealing for the 16 per-cent owned forward.
If Spurs clinch a place in the final at Liverpool’s expense, they would have a DGW25 instead, along with their current Gameweek 29 opponents Fulham.
Ange Postecoglou’s side would entertain Manchester United before visiting the Cottagers, who are also at home in their first match, against Nottingham Forest.
Spurs' Son Heung-min (£9.8m) delivered his fourth double-figure haul of 2024/25 Fantasy against Brentford last weekend to offer a timely reminder of his potential for big scores.
Fulham trio Antonee Robinson (£5.1m), Alex Iwobi (£5.8m) and Raul Jimenez (£5.6m) are far more budget-friendly options and easier to accommodate. All three have already surpassed their totals for goal involvement – the combined number of goals and assists – from the previous campaign.
Clubs' potential DGW25 fixtures
| Club | Matches |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | LEI (A), CHE (H) |
| Aston Villa | IPS (H), LIV (H) |
| Chelsea | BHA (A), ARS (A) |
| Fulham | NFO (H), TOT (H) |
| Liverpool | WOL (H), AVL (A) |
| Spurs | MUN (H), FUL (A) |
What does the EFL Cup final mean for BGW29?
Although it’s easy to get carried away with the allure of a Double Gameweek, managers must also factor BGW29 into their transfer strategy.
Essentially, the more players you load up on for DGW25, the FEWER you will have for BGW29!
Fantasy managers who still have the Free Hit chip to play could use it in BGW29, although the possible repercussions of the FA Cup semi-finals on Gameweek 34 could make that the best time to Free-Hit, as there could be up to EIGHT teams without out a fixture, whereas only two matches, or a maximum of four clubs, will be without a match in BGW29.
It’s therefore vital to find a balance with your moves to successfully navigate the upcoming period, particularly if you plan to bench big-hitters such as Salah and Alexander Isak (£9.5m) should they suffer a BGW29.
The idea is to also target clubs who have a kind schedule over Gameweeks 25-29, which includes one match in both DGW25 and BGW29.
Target Bournemouth, Brentford and Wolves players
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), AFC Bournemouth are among the best sides to invest in.
Four of the Cherries’ next six matches score just two, including a visit to Southampton next weekend. Milos Kerkez (£4.9m) and Justin Kluivert (£5.9m) are the standout picks here and look great long-term investments.
Brentford and Wolves each have three matches which score two in the FDR over the next six Gameweeks.
Bees forward Yoane Wissa (£6.3m) could be a great option to pick alongside Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) against West Ham United, Leicester City and Everton across the next three Gameweeks.
Wolves pair Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.7m) and Matheus Cunha (£6.8m) offer strong options at both ends of the pitch by Gameweek 27, with a trip to Southampton in BGW29 the big draw for Cunha, in particular.
At present, there is no confirmed date for the rescheduling of Newcastle’s Gameweek 29 home match versus Crystal Palace – this would also need to be moved if they make it through to the EFL Cup final.
While that does place doubts over any potential Double Gameweek for the Magpies right now, their Blank Gameweek situation is, nonetheless, identical to that of the other three semi-finalists – if Newcastle progress past Arsenal on Wednesday evening, they will have a BGW29, along with Palace.
Matches under threat of BGW29
Arsenal v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Liverpool
Fulham v Spurs
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
