Fantasy Football Files - 2024/25 - Gameweek 32 - 'Murphy's Law'

I highly anticipated this gameweek as it was the first of the consecutive double gameweeks for Crystal Palace, and Oliver Glasner was my assistant manager. The caveat was that I was up against an FPL-savant in former champion Khurram (K), who after a very underwhelming first half of the season he was now closing the campaign by flying up the table.

After switching between varying drafts, I had a few ‘risks’ in mind but then as usual the Saturday deadline loomed whilst recording the ‘FootyOnTop’ show. I ended up going with my original plan which seemed boring, but I was wary of losing if I went against it. As I only had two free transfers, I took my first points deduction of the FPL season, as I sold Josko Gvardiol, Dango Ouatarra and Yoane Wissa for Daniel Munoz, Jacob Murphy and Jean-Philippe Mateta. I mentioned Harvey Barnes last week, but I was not sure how the team looked with the draft that he was in as he was much more expensive than getting Murphy back in. My opponent made one change and that was to sell Phil Foden for his teammate Savinho. Khurram and I both had Alexander Isak as our captain, I actually had my captaincy with Murphy, only then I to change at the last moment as I rushed when I was not speaking on the show just before 11am.

The action began early on Saturday as Manchester City hosted Crystal Palace. Things all seemed well as the Eagles took a two-goal lead. The table bonus for my assistant manager was looking good as Palace were playing a team over five places above them in the table. Alarmingly, Pep Guardiola’s men fought back to win 5-2 and in my head all I could think was that ‘it’s all gone Pete Tong’. The comeback included a goal from Omar Marmoush as he was the scourge of me once again. Kevin De Bruyne (£9.3m) scored and assisted as he alerted some before City’s double in gameweek 33, though he is expensive while he may not start both games either. Gvardiol’s blank saw that I did not regret selling him for now. With the Cityzens lack of clean sheets and him currently at centre back he is not as much of an asset as when he roams from left back. Neither of us had anyone starting in the 3pm matches, so to the late kick-off we go.

Brentford travelled to the Emirates Stadium and almost took a first half lead through Kristoffer Ajer. The pass came from Bryan Mbeumo so I would have happily taken those points. Mark Flekken was my keeper, and he made good saves from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard. Arsenal took the lead to my dismay as David Raya (my opponent’s keeper) thought quickly and after collecting a set piece, he threw the ball to Rice who found Thomas Partey on a quick breakaway to give the Gunners the lead. Just over ten minutes later there was a bittersweet moment for me. Raya conceded, which is what I obviously needed to happen however, the goal was scored by the man I sold Wissa. It was a reluctant sale in the first place as I was drawn in by Mateta playing twice. Mateta though came off at half-time in Palace’s defeat, so the Wissa goal cut even deeper as he got maximum bonus points as it ended 1-1. Saturday concluded with Khurram leading by 18 points.

Sunday, Ipswich raced into a 2-0 lead away at Chelsea, as Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson assisted each other. The Blues fought back to salvage a point. Their second was at least assisted by Cole Palmer, though I needed more from him as he was a head-to-head differential. Palmer was my arch-nemesis last season but now some people have sold him when I need him to perform, he doesn’t. It was a great finish by Jadon Sancho from Palmer’s pass. Liverpool needed a last-ditch header from Virgil van Dijk to edge past West Ham 2-1 at Anfield. Mo Salah broke the Premier League record for goal contributions in a season when he laid on the opener for Luis Diaz. Arne Slot’s men had chances to put the game to bed, but as the game went on the Hammers grew in confidence and had a few good opportunities of their own and Alisson had to be vigilant to keep Liverpool’s lead intact. An own goal by Andy Robertson levelled things up just before van Dijk’s winner. Wolves took the lead against Tottenham after just 85 seconds, to my joy Rayan Ait-Nouri scored the goal. Wolves went further ahead but it was bad news this time as Djed Spence put through his own net to lose me critical points. Spurs pulled a goal back before Ait-Nouri set up Jorgen Strand Larsen for 3-1 as the Norwegian scored yet again since I sold him. The contest was to finish 4-2 as Ait-Nouri accumulated 14 points. Spence unfortunately ended on a very costly -2.

In the main Sunday game, Newcastle smashed Manchester United 4-1. I needed United to score as Khurram had Valentino Livramento in his defence. Isak assisted the opening goal for Sandro Tonali but that was it from our captain pick. Murphy assisted one of Barnes’ goals as my tip bagged a brace. I was vexed beyond belief as Barnes’ low ownership would have easily seen me coast ahead of my opponent and overwhelmingly boost my rank. Did I let the fact I was playing Khurram influence my decision to play it safe? Probably yes, because anyone who has read the Fantasy Football Files in the last few seasons will know that getting Barnes in and captaining Murphy are the exact type of things that I usually try, and this makes any FPL blogs I publish worth reading. Well…all are worth reading, but you get my point…I hope. Anyway, we were tied on 40 when Sunday was over thanks to Ait-Nouri.

I needed Evanilson to give me breathing room on Monday when Bournemouth were up against Fulham. Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth the lead, then Evanilson struck the bar from close range, and I screamed! The Brazilian had a penalty claim in the second half as it looked like Bernd Leno made a clean challenge, except the replay showed that he may have caught Evanilson as well as the ball. They stuck with the on-field decision, and it was to end 1-0. I only had a two-point lead now, so only a Palace victory against Newcastle could get me the head-to-head win as the table bonus would apply again for the assistant manager once again.

Wednesday, started badly as the Magpies took the lead through a superb strike by Murphy from an acute angle, very similar to Tonali’s winner against Brentford not long ago. Eze then had a diabolical penalty saved by Nick Pope. I really needed that to go in as Livramento as said was in K’s team. Marc Guehi then put through his own net from a Barnes cross giving the man I gassed up more points as I had my head in my hands again rueing my mistake. To make it worse Barnes smashed in the third goal. Then later in first half stoppage time, Murphy’s superb delivery from a free-kick was headed in by Fabian Schar. Isak had two previous efforts saved by Dean Henderson, the second a golden chance before he got the fifth goal as he seized on a Maxence Lacroix error as it ended 5-0. Imagine picking an assistant manager and their team concede 10 goals in two matches, egregious is an understatement to say the least.

Khurram won 74-68 as again the fine margins reared their ugly head. If I had not changed the captaincy from Murphy, then I win here by two points despite Palace’s ridiculousness. After giving him the big praise last week, not putting Barnes in was a fatal blunder as said as he got a stunning 27 points. Wissa in one game got seven more points than Mateta did in two as the Frenchman was subbed early in both outings, this really was a horrible week bar Ait-Nouri’s greatness. When you think of Spence's own goal too, I was unlucky, but this is the FPL life we chose! A shoutout to last season’s champion Eman who got the highest Justice League score this week with a whopping 96 as he used his triple captain on Isak. The irony is as Eddie Howe’s men scored nine goals in their two games Isak getting two contributions was not spectacular by any means.

@DubulDee