Fantasy Football Files - 2025/26 - Gameweek 19 - 'The Hideaway'

My good friend Delvin was my opponent in gameweek 19. It was the last gameweek before everything reset for the second part of the season, so if you had any bonus chips left then you had to use them or you would ultimately lose them. A win for my opponent would mean he had a chance of catching the top four whereas I would possibly drop into the bottom three if I was defeated.

I looked strenuously at team, and I was worried, with worry comes mass equivocalness. Matty Cash was suspended, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was injured and Joe Rodon who I would not have looked to start regardless as Leeds played Liverpool was injured also. This meant the only active player I would have on my bench was whoever my reserve keeper would be. I therefore decided to take a points-hit. Alexander Isak, another player I had who was injured went out for Hugo Ekitike, that transfer was always going to happen. The transfer I was more sceptical on was selling the injured Rodon for Jeremie Frimpong, I envisioned Frimpong playing further forward so as he is a defender I was hoping Liverpool could keep a rare clean sheet and hopefully he could assist again. This meant Nordi Mukiele went on my bench, as though I expected him to get defensive contributions against Manchester City I did not know if Sunderland could keep a clean sheet. I captained Ekitike this week only to find out that Delvin had used his ‘Triple captain’ bonus chip on Bukayo Saka. It had been so busy with Christmas and the quick gameweek turnover that I had not checked what chip he had to use but I did not have a chip left, so it did not matter anyway. He also made two transfers but his were both free ones as he sold the injured Riccardo Calafiori for Gabriel Magalhaes and Dan Burn went out for Ayden Heaven.

The midweek action began on Tuesday at 7.30pm. At the last minute I changed my goalkeeper from Caoimhin Kelleher to Martin Dubravka and immediately I paid for it as Joelinton put Newcastle ahead after just two minutes at Burnley. Yoane Wissa started ahead of Nick Woltemade and made it 2-0 as now there will be a problem with which Newcastle forward to pick. The Magpies went on to win 3-1 as Dubravka clearly thought he still played for them as he helped gift them their third goal. I was denied of another clean sheet at Stamford Bridge for Marcos Senesi. Although Bournemouth took the lead, Chelsea fired back with two goals before the Cherries levelled in a crazy opening 27 minutes. Cole Palmer’s penalty got Delvin points in what was double jeopardy for me. At least Antoine Semenyo’s throw came off Trevor Chalobah and was put in by Justin Kluivert to get him a fantasy assist as they were the only points I got in this game. Wesley Fofana also blanked for my opponent in this match.

In the 8.15pm kick-offs, Aston Villa started off well at the Emirates Stadium as they cut Arsenal open on several occasions, but they were poor in the final third as you could see the Gunners were missing Declan Rice. As it went on however, you knew if Villa did not score first, they would get punished and that is exactly what happened. Mikel Arteta’s men went on to win 4-1 and to my annoyance Delvin’s Arsenal double of Gabriel Magalhaes and his captain Saka linked for the opening goal. Emiliano Martinez was his keeper but that did not matter as he got 33 points from the match. Morgan Rogers let me down and if this was a home game, Maya Jama would have asked them to ‘please leave the Villa immediately’, they can go in the hideaway instead due to their great form before this disaster. Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves. Matheus Cunha was the most transferred player so his new owners would have been disgusted. This meant there was nothing from Heaven, the damage had been done nevertheless as I was already behind by 39, yes 39 points at Tuesday’s conclusion, 46-7!

In what was basically a damaged limitation exercise for me now, Wednesday saw Fulham and Crystal Palace draw 1-1 at Selhurst Park. Marc Guehi was in Delvin’s team and we both had Harry Wilson who had a big chance saved at the end of the first half. Liverpool and Leeds produced a game that you could have slept through as nothing really happened. Trust Ekitike to blank when he was my captain as it ended in a stalemate. So, a clean sheet from Frimpong but it was to an extent in vain because of what happened in the latter matches.

After changing things due to fearing Sunderland would lose to Manchester City in a tragic day of Premier League football the 8.15pm kick-offs amazingly produced another two goalless draws. At the Stadium of Light my pain was excruciating as Mukiele also got maximum bonus to add to his defensive contributions as he got 11 points. Usually when you make a defensive change and they keep a clean sheet you feel vindicated, but I literally took a four-point in fear of my squad depth for the player I put on the bench to accumulate 11 damn points! Delvin and I had Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, so their non-returns were easier to take I suppose. At the Gtech Community Stadium, I felt almost as stupid as Kelleher’s clean sheet meant I lost 4 points in starting Dubravka. Igor Thiago’s blank was straightforward to handle as I had Micky van de Ven and again Delvin had him, would have thought Tottenham would keep two clean sheets in a week. At least I benefitted here after missing out in the last gameweek.

This defeat meant I dropped into the bottom three as Coach Kojo won his contest. I really have so many issues I am contemplating an early use of the second ‘Wildcard’. Such is my luck, Delvin was the gameweek’s top scorer with 57 anyhow so I still would have lost, in terms of my overall rank I really could have done with those extra points though. Something really must change for me in the second half of the season man, this is killing me, I need to hideaway myself.

@DubulDee