Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 4: A Tale of Two Players
More than 1.3 million Fantasy Premier League managers were left ruing their luck as Gameweek 4's most-bought player, Joao Pedro (£5.7m), frustrated his new owners. Never before has a player been recruited in such large numbers and recorded zero points or fewer.
Following goals in back-to-back matches, Joao Pedro's good form coupled with a home match against promoted Ipswich Town proved irresistible for many. Indeed, no-one has been more in demand ahead of a Gameweek deadline this season. However, a knock sustained on international duty ruled the Brazilian out of the encounter at the Amex Stadium. It's the second successive Gameweek that the No 1 transfer target has blanked, following Noni Madueke's (£6.6m) two points at home to Crystal Palace in the last round.
Managers will be hoping the "curse" of the most-transferred in player is not about to make a return. Last season, the most-popular recruit blanked in each of the first five Gameweeks where FPL managers could make a trade. And more than 940,000 managers opted to use their Wildcard ahead of Gameweek 4, the third-highest total on record. While a further 25,930,392 transfers were made, the fourth-highest tally ever. But many will be feeling disappointed as four of the top-five recruits failed to score or assist.
Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) and Luis Diaz (£7.7m) drew blanks as Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest, while Amadou Onana (£5.1m) was taken off at half-time in Aston Villa's 3-2 win over Everton, having mustered just a single point.
Haaland's Continued Dominance
Erling Haaland (£15.2m) was the exception as he continued his fine start to 2024/25 Fantasy in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Brentford. The Norwegian produced his eighth and ninth goals of the campaign and, in doing so, became the first player to go past 50 points this season. Remarkably, only Wayne Rooney, when playing for Manchester United in 2011/12, has recorded more points over the opening four rounds. Haaland justified the decision of 5,125,800 people to hand him the captain's armband, his biggest backing of the campaign.
The Rise and Fall of Ollie Watkins
There was better news for those selected who Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), however. The differential captain pick rewarded the 267,000+ to hand him the armband with his first goals of the campaign in Villa's success against Everton. He claimed 13 points, or 26 with the armband. But to the frustration of many who deployed their Wildcard or made a transfer, Watkins was the second most-sold player of the Gameweek, ditched by more than 735,000 managers. Only Alexander Isak (£8.5m) has been sold in greater numbers. Newcastle United visit Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday and the 893,616 who parted company with him will be hoping he has a quiet afternoon.
The Other Side of the Coin
It wasn't such a good evening elsewhere as Cole Palmer (£10.6m) joined Salah in recording a blank as the Chelsea midfielder only recorded three points in their 1-0 win at AFC Bournemouth. While many managers enjoyed the points from Watkins, others were left disappointed by the performance of several high-profile players. The all-important bonus points in Fantasy Premier League are in for the matches played in Gameweek 4 so far.
The Future of FPL
FPL managers should be aware that as of this season, all points are only final approximately one hour after the LAST MATCH of the Gameweek, meaning points and bonus points earned on a previous day are subject to change. Click here for more information on what's changed. Gameweek 4 provided a mix of joy and despair for Fantasy Premier League managers. While Haaland continued his impressive form, the struggles of several high-profile players, including Joao Pedro and Watkins, serve as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the game. With the season still in its early stages, managers will be hoping for better fortunes in the coming weeks.
