Fantasy Football Files - 2025/26 - Gameweek 24 - "Wirtz Behaviour'

My old friend Gary was my gameweek 24 opponent. He was having his best season in the ‘Justice League’ since it began, and he was in the top 2 for a while until some of his recent results made him drop a few places. It was so tight in the top half, he needed a win just to stay in 7th place whilst I was as usual trying to stay away from the bottom three in this torrid season.

I had 3 free transfers and used two of them. As Chelsea have some decent fixtures coming up, I looked at Marc Cucurella but opted for Reece James as I sold the injured Jeremie Frimpong. I also sold Phil Foden for Dominic Szoboszlai. I was originally going to get in Florian Wirtz but then I thought as Szoboszlai may play right back due to Frimpong’s injury, that he could get defensive contributions on top of any other points. My opponent had two free transfers, and he sold Declan Rice for Bryan Mbeumo and Wirtz went out for Antoine Semenyo. Gary and I both captained Erling Haaland.

There was no early game on Saturday, so the action started with the 3pm kick-offs. I needed Leeds to score as I was up against Gabriel Magalhaes, but it was not to be as the leaders won 4-0 at Elland Road. Gabriel got defensive contributions too so totalled 8 points. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was another player I was facing but Gary was fine with his blank because of Gabriel. Bournemouth won 2-0 away at Wolves meaning clean sheet points for Marcos Senesi, he also is a defensive contributions magnet, so he got 8 points in all also. Luckily, Dorde Petrovic was my on the bench for my opponent. Eli Kroupi Jnr (£4.7m) scored a tremendous opening goal and now with Semenyo’s gone his minutes seem to be secured. Therefore, I am keeping a close eye on him once again as he netted three times in January.

In the 5.30pm contest; West Ham raced into a 2-0 lead away at Chelsea in the London Derby. Jarrod Bowen found the net again making me look silly again for not being patience with him, also Crysensio Summerville (£5.5m) scored for the third game in-a-row. The Blues however, fought back and won 3-2 with a dramatic late goal from Enzo Fernandez. I was fuming as Enzo was in Gary’s team. Reece James was owned by us both and was only a substitute which angered me even more as Cucurella who I overlooked came on to get the second goal for Liam Rosenoir’s men.  

Liverpool and Newcastle clashed in the 8pm game. The Magpies were the better team for half an hour and took the lead through Anthony Gordon. The Reds then answered back with a Hugo Ekitike goal made by some nice play by Wirtz. Ekitike was to get me more points as he scored again after quick thinking by Milos Kerkez. In the second half, Wirtz scored after being setup by Mo Salah. I really should have gone for Wirtz, the idea of having a cheaper option in Szoboszlai who would take some set pieces lured me in. The Hungarian did get defensive contributions as he started at right back, but Wirtz easily outscored him. Ibrahima Konate rounded off the scoring with the 4th goal in his return to action after he lost his father, may his dad rest in perfect peace. The gift and the curse of giving Haaland the captaincy is if he bangs then you have not missed out and your rank is stable but when he does not you just sit there pondering what might have been, if I had gone with Ekitike then I would have wrapped this up already, I am sure. Saturday ended with me ahead 27-19 but I was still not very confident.

Sunday, saw Brentford get a big 1-0 win at Aston Villa. I left Caoimhin Kelleher on my bench as I believed Villa would score only for him to have a great performance and keep a clean sheet. Morgan Rogers again blanked when he was a head-to-head differential for me. The league leader in assists Bruno Fernandes was the most transferred in player this week and I was up against him, and he gave Gary the perfect start as he assisted Manchester United’s opener at home to Fulham. Matheus Cunha (£8m) made it 2-0 with his 6th of the campaign before the Cottagers pulled it back to 2-2. In more dramatic scenes Benjamin Sesko won it for United at the death as Fernandes got another assist, I was in a rage! Gary and I both had Harry Wison, who had a rare blank, therefore the only decent thing in this match for me was that Bryan Mbeumo did not return.

The 4.30pm game was Tottenham at home to Manchester City. With his dismal run recently, Haaland owners were proud he at least assisted as he got the ball to Rayan Cherki to give the Cityzens the lead. We were both thankful that Antoine Semenyo doubled the lead. Well, Gary is a Spurs fan so he would have been vexed despite the points. He would not have been unhappy by the end though as his team came back to salvage a point as it finished 2-2. Dominic Solanke (£7.2m) bagged a brace as he will now gain owners given Manchester United is up next for him and they are not the tightest at the back. Haaland’s 5 points meant that Ekitike was easily the better captain choice. Sunday’s conclusion saw me trailing by 2 points, 50-48.

It was all down to Monday. A game between Sunderland and Burnley had never meant so much! I needed Brian Brobbey to score or assist so therefore my opponent’s keeper Robin Roefs would not get a clean sheet. The issue with Brobbey scoring would be that my keeper Martin Dubravka, would not get a clean sheet either, confused yet? All that and Gary and I both owned Nordi Mukiele. This is why I should have just put Kelleher in goal to be honest. The game began and I thought I had been given the perfect start. Habib Diallo scored the opening goal, and it was assisted by Brobbey. A side note is I had also bet on Brobbey to score or assist too. Then after another look, it was decided that Diallo’s deflected shot was going wide so consequently it was changed to an own goal. So, no assist for Brobbey to go with no money won either! If it was not an evening kick-off then this was ‘daylight Brobbery’. Mukiele assisted a second goal that was given to Diallo and Chemsdine Talbi scored a brilliant second half goal for it to end 3-0. Just before the Talbi goal Dubravka had the audacity to get booked too, so with Roefs getting a clean sheet I lost 65-60. Brobbey had a low effort saved by Dubravka, it could have been all so different man.

This pretty much summed up my season, so close but yet so far. I remain 16th, while Gary stayed in seventh place. This FPL life we chose honestly sucks man; I have no words. This could end up being my ‘Wirtz’ season ever if I am not careful.

@DubulDee