GW27 stats: Glasner earns table bonus again while Palmer frustrates captainers

More than 77,000 Fantasy Premier League managers celebrated another 20-point return from Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) using the Assistant Manager chip.

Crystal Palace were five places below their visitors Aston Villa heading into Gameweek 26, handing the Glasner the opportunity of picking up table bonus. His side duly obliged by triumphing 4-1 at Selhurst Park, giving their Austrian head coach back-to-back 20-point hauls.

It moves Glasner up to third in the Assistant Manager standings on 52 points, behind only Everton's David Moyes (£0.5m) and Liverpool's Arne Slot (£1.5m), both on 58.

GW27 most-bought managers

Chelsea's Enzo Maresca (£1.5m) was the most popular of the Gameweek 26 managerial recruits, seeing his ownership increase by over 106,000. 

The Italian repaid their faith as his side ran out 4-0 winners over Southampton, picking up 12 points, thanks to the win, four goals and a clean sheet.

Graham Potter (£0.5m) followed up his 19-point haul against Arsenal in Gameweek 26 with a 10-point return versus Leicester City. West Ham United won the match by keeping a clean sheet and scoring two goals. Encouragingly for his backers, the Hammers kept clean sheets against both of their upcoming opponents, Newcastle United and Everton, in the reverse fixtures.

Ruben Amorim (£0.8m) also delivered, however unlikely it looked at one stage, as Manchester United beat Ipswich Town 3-2. 

Amorim's side had Patrick Dorgu (£4.5m) sent off in the 43rd minute before Jaden Philogene (£5.3m) equalised for Ipswich ahead of half-time. But a more composed second-half performance and a Harry Maguire (£4.9m) header gave Amorim and his owners nine points.

There was less to cheer about for those who backed Vitor Pereira (£0.8m), the second-most sought-after manager of the Gameweek.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach had secured table bonus in two of their three previous outings. And while he had the opportunity to claim it once again, his side were unable to do so, losing 2-1 at home to Fulham.

Ange Postecoglou (£1.1m) had a disappointing Gameweek with his side's three-match winning run coming to an end as Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City.

It was even more gut-wrenching for his backers considering that Spurs' 4-0 win at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the campaign would have given Postecoglou a 22-point return, had the Assistant Manager chip been active since Gameweek 1. A total that would be the biggest individual managerial score of the season.

Captaincy gamble

Chelsea's appealing home fixture prompted just under half of the top 100 Fantasy managers overall to captain Cole Palmer (£11.1m), as they tried to steal a march on their rivals - something that has been almost impossible to do this season given the remarkable form of Mohamed Salah (£13.8m).

The move failed to pay off, however, with Palmer blanking for the fifth time in six appearances, despite having a match-high seven shots.

GW27 players captained by the top 100

Those without the armband on Salah had a nervous watch on Wednesday as Liverpool hosted Newcastle United, Salah had returned 18 points in the reverse fixture.

They will be relieved that the high-flying Egyptian produced just six points after supplying a second-half assist. It could easily have been worse, with Salah creating three chances and having three shots in the box.

In the end, Salah's single-digit score means that only four of his 16 double-figure returns in 2024/25 Fantasy have arrived at Anfield.

Seller's remorse

Morgan Rogers (£5.6m) ended a run of six successive blanks with a goal in Villa's 4-1 defeat at Palace, confounding his 733,237 sellers.

It is just the seventh time this season that the most-sold player of a Gameweek has immediately produced a return.

Best scores from Gameweek's most-sold player