Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (June 27-July 2)

Project Restart is all about getting the remainder of the 2019/20 completed in the top two Divisions in English Football and that means there are going to be matches every few days for teams through the month of July.

This week the latest round of Premier League fixtures are being played across six days with live offerings on each one. That is because it is also the weekend when the FA Cup Quarter Finals are played and so there is a situation where eight teams are playing twice in very short order and often against clubs who have had a few more days to prepare than they will at any other point through the next several weeks.

It does not make things easy for those of us playing the Fantasy Football game because injuries from the Cup or manager's rotating players in the League games to come could mean the eleven selected will need to be boosted by the bench. The problem is that usually we would have some inkling as to what managers will be thinking, but press conferences for the midweek games won't be taking place until at least two days after the deadline for GW32+ has already passed.

I will have further thoughts on the latest GameWeek below, but on top of that will be the thoughts on how the latest round of games may go. Those thoughts do have a real impact on how I want to set up my Fantasy team for the week.

Over the coming days I will add thoughts from the midweek set of Premier League games which are being made up by those clubs involved in the FA Cup Quarter Finals.

I fancy Manchester United, Sheffield United, Chelsea and Manchester City to make up the final four in the FA Cup, but I do think the last three Cup ties may all be highly competitive affairs.

And finally, I do know there has been a decisive moment in the Premier League in the last couple of days, but I couldn't care less and won't talk about it much... And that is most definitely the United fan in me speaking.


Aston Villa v Wolves Pick: One team is chasing a place in the top four and the other is simply chasing a place in the Premier League and that means there are a big three points on offer at Villa Park when Aston Villa host Wolves on Saturday lunchtime.

The majority of the League games in this round of fixtures will be played in midweek and so there is a big chance for these two clubs to put some real pressure on their rivals around them.

For Aston Villa things are most simple- a win would see them out of the bottom three and 3 points clear of the likes of Bournemouth and West Ham United below them. They have been a little unfortunate to not have more than the 2 points earned from three League games in the restart of English Football.

The underlying statistics have displayed the fact that Aston Villa have arguably created the better chances in each game and it is just a lack of a goalscorer which is letting them down. Defensively they do make mistakes which are proving to be costly, but they have limited the opportunities for Sheffield United and Newcastle United and Dean Smith has to be reminding his players how close they are coming to some real success.

Of course it is going to be far from easy against a Wolves team who could enter the top four if Chelsea have been beaten by Manchester City on Thursday. Regardless Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking for his team to make it three wins from three against clubs currently in the bottom four places after Wolves saw off West Ham United and Bournemouth with clean sheets in both games.

Defensively they have come out of the three month break with some real stubbornness that has become a feature of the Wolves team since the returned to the top flight under their Portuguese manager. They have simply not given West Ham United or Bournemouth much encouragement, but Aston Villa have looked a little more threatening than both of their relegation rivals.

And on the other side of the pitch, Wolves have relied on some magic from Adama Traore and clinical finishing of Raul Jimenez to earn the points they have. It would be foolish to criticise that combination, but Wolves have not been creating a lot of chances in their opening two games and that makes them vulnerable at short odds to win this fixture.

I think this is a real chance for Aston Villa who are unbeaten in 4 at home against Wolves and I do think they could earn an upset result. They are playing a little better than the results would indicate and Wolves have not dominated either match so having a strong start with the hosts is my feeling on the fixture.

I simply won't be surprised if Aston Villa avoid a defeat here on the form out of the break.


Watford v Southampton Pick: At this stage you would think Southampton have enough points to avoid relegation, but Ralph Hasenhuttl will be looking for his team to earn a big win on Sunday which would effectively confirm their spot in the top flight.

Make no mistake about, this is a huge game for Watford too who were beaten 1-0 at Burnley on Thursday. That follows a home draw with Leicester City, but Watford can't keep relying on the teams below them to falter as they have been and home form is going to be critical with the early signs from the Premier League being that the empty stands are not having the same kind of effect as they did in the Bundesliga.

In the next few weeks Watford host Southampton, Newcastle United and Norwich City and these are games they need to take advantage of. The short turnaround is a bit of a concern, but at least their opponent's also played in very hot weather on Thursday and Watford have been creating chances and playing well at Vicarage Road under Nigel Pearson.

They will need to be playing well to see off a Southampton team who have been better away from St Mary's in the Premier League. A 0-3 win at Norwich City to open 'Project Restart' has been followed by a 0-2 home loss to Arsenal, but Southampton have played some neat football in both games and have a player in Danny Ings who can be very clinical when the chances open up for him.

Both teams should want to be playing on the front foot and I do think it could lead to a decent game. Goals are slightly down on the small sample of games since the resumption of play, but Watford and Southampton have both created chances while looking vulnerable at the back.

They shared out three goals when meeting at St Mary's earlier in the season and both teams have scored in 3 straight meetings here. A 1-1 isn't out of the question, but Southampton have looked to be positive under Ralph Hasenhuttl and a point for Nigel Pearson is perhaps not the most suitable result either.

It should mean both are pushing for the three points and 8 of the last 10 between these clubs at Vicarage Road have ended with three or more goals scored. That is the direction I think this live Sunday fixture will be heading and my narrow lean is that Watford might come away with the three points.


Crystal Palace v Burnley Pick: There is no doubt that football being back is providing some entertainment for people in the United Kingdom on an almost daily basis, but some fixtures look to have all of the hallmarks of a tight, competitive affair with limited chances expected at either end of the pitch.

Crystal Palace versus Burnley looks to fit that mould, especially with the likes of Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha, Jay Rodriguez, Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes all looking like they may miss out.

Neither team is one that creates a lot of chances anyway, but when you remove that kind of attacking threat for both and it really becomes difficult to see where the goals will be coming from.

Even set pieces that both Roy Hodgson and Sean Dyche would look to take advantage of will be going into the defensive strengths of their opponents and I am expecting little action.

Those could be famous last words, but recent games for both have shown that chances come at a premium. Crystal Palace did have 4 clean sheets in a row before their thumping at Anfield, while Burnley had kept clean sheets in 2 of 3 away Premier League games before their own hammering but at the Etihad Stadium.

5 of the last 6 between Crystal Palace and Burnley have seen one or both teams fail to score including in the 0-2 win secured by The Eagles earlier this season. 8 of the last 9 at Selhurst Park between these clubs have done the same including the last 4 in a row and I think there is every chance that there will be at least one clean sheet in this game.

A single goal may be enough to take the three points, but picking a winner is not easy. I have to give a narrow edge to Crystal Palace who have won back to back games at Selhurst Park by the same 1-0 scoreline, but the empty stands and key injuries makes this a much more difficult game to pick a winner from.


Brighton v Manchester United Pick: Four points from six could easily have been maximum points for Brighton who missed a penalty at the King Power Stadium in a goalless draw with Leicester City. Despite that, Graham Potter has to be very glad of the 6 points that are now between Brighton and the bottom three and with seven games remaining it feels like The Seagulls are well on their way to a fourth consecutive season in the top flight.

Home games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to come are going to be difficult for Brighton to negotiate, but they have beaten Manchester United twice in a row here. Brighton have also lost 1 of their last 6 at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League which includes earning a draw with Chelsea and beating Arsenal, while the players have had a week to recover and prepare for this fixture.

Under Graham Potter Brighton do create chances and they play with positivity and any points earned from this fixture would be bonus ones in the fight to avoid the drop. Defensively there are some questions, but they are facing a Manchester United team who have drawn 4 of their last 6 away games in normal time and all by the same 1-1 scoreline.

1-1 has been a popular score in recent Brighton home games and only a Neal Maupay injury time goal against Arsenal prevented 4 of the last 5 at the Amex Stadium finishing with that final score.

It does suggest 1-1 is a player in this League game despite Manchester United's 14 game unbeaten run. I have already mentioned the 4 draws in 6 away games in all competitions in normal time which includes visits to Club Brugge and Norwich City and Brighton are arguably as good or better than both of those.

Manchester United have a poor record here having lost on back to back visits since Brighton were promoted to the top flight and they have won 2 of their last 14 away games in the Premier League when set as the favourite.

That is a worry for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he looks to push Manchester United back into the Champions League, but the recent performances have been encouraging. Breaking down Brighton won't be easy so it is important to make a fast start, but there have been enough chances in recent games at this Stadium to believe goals could be the outcome.

As alluded to above, 1-1 is a dangerous scoreline which would suit Brighton much more than Manchester United. All 4 of Manchester United's away draws in their last 6 on their travels have ended 1-1 in normal time, but an attacking line up will be selected and I do think Manchester United are creating enough to get at least one more here.

Even that may not be enough to win the game if Brighton are anything near as good as they can be under Graham Potter. There were four goals shared out when these teams met at Old Trafford back in November 2019, and I am going to be expecting at least three here. The chances in recent home/away games respectively for both teams suggest both can score and it may be an open encounter if the first goal comes in the first half hour of this one.


Bournemouth v Newcastle United Pick: Five of the final six games Bournemouth will be playing will be against clubs that are chasing European positions and so you have to feel that time is running out for them in their bid to escape the drop. Losses to Crystal Palace and Wolves without scoring a goal has to be a massive concern for a squad that might be missing Joshua King in a week where Callum Wilson is suspended.

This is not the time for excuses though and Bournemouth have had plenty of time to work on things ahead of what looks to be a winnable fixture at the Vitality Stadium. Eddie Howe has to be pleased his team have not lost touch with those sides above them despite the consecutive losses out of the restart, but games are running out and Bournemouth will really begin to fear the worst if they can't win this one.

It looks to be coming at a good time with Newcastle United essentially safe from relegation and having been chasing shadows for large portions of the late Sunday evening defeat to Manchester City. The FA Cup has been lost to Steve Bruce's men, but Newcastle United have to be respected with nothing to lose.

Motivation might be an issue, but some of these players are looking to prove they could be kept around if the rumoured takeover occurs at St James' Park. That should keep them honest and Newcastle United will believe they can take create chances here, although their own defence has not been nearly as effective away from home as it has at home.

Bournemouth are without key attacking talents, but they have generally been a team who do create chances in their own Stadium. The lack of fans is a blow for The Cherries, but excuses have to be left in the dressing room as they fight for their lives at the bottom of the table.

The last two times these teams have met at this ground have both ended 2-2 and I do think both will hit the net in this one too. With so much on the line for Bournemouth, I expect the last week to have been one in which they have worked on making sure they get things right in the final third and I expect the hosts to make this an open contest.

5 of the last 6 between these clubs have finished with three or more goals shared out including the last 2 at the Vitality Stadium. The assumption being made is that this one won't go the same way, but I am not sure that is the right thinking with Newcastle United showing they can score goals on their travels but conceding too many.

Chances in recent home/away games respectively suggest this one could go the same way as the recent trend indicates.


Arsenal v Norwich City Pick: A place in the FA Cup Semi Final will be welcomed by all associated with Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta will want to improve the League position and be in a position to earn a European spot through the final standings.

With the four that make up the Semi Final, Arsenal know they are likely to have two paths back into European competition. They could win the Cup and do that, but even if they don't, the final Europa League place looks set to fall down to 7th place in the Premier League and Arsenal are 2 points behind Tottenham Hotspur in that spot.

No one needs to get too far ahead of themselves and all Arsenal will want is to finish strongly and as high as possible in the Division. This looks like being one of the more straight-forward fixtures they are going to face down the stretch and Mikel Arteta will want a third straight win to give his players some momentum.

Following this home game against bottom club Norwich City, Arsenal play Wolves, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool so dropping points here could be fatal for Arsenal's European bid from their Premier League finish.

Arsenal have won 4 of their last 5 Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium and they have kept 3 clean sheets in those victories. They looked like they could be vulnerable from set pieces against Sheffield United and Brighton, but The Gunners have largely defended well enough in their last 3 games to believe they can control what has been a goal-shy Norwich City.

Only a Todd Cantwell strike has bothered the scoreboard since Norwich City returned to competitive action and the worry for Daniel Farke is the very small amount of chances created. That is a real worry for a team who have scored just 6 away goals all season and Norwich City are also going to have to deal with potential fatigue issues having played Extra Time with ten men on Saturday.

Timm Klose's suspension means the defence is missing yet another player and I think it would be a real surprise if Norwich City are able to contain Arsenal. They have only scored a single goal in their last 6 away Premier League games and unsurprisingly Norwich City have been beaten 5 times in that run.

This feels like a game in which Arsenal should be too strong and I would expect them to win the fixture. The defence can be a concern, but Arsenal may make it 4 clean sheets in 6 home Premier League games and that is the most likely outcome of this one in my opinion.


Everton v Leicester City Pick: At this stage of the Premier League season games do take on added significance and this is a huge one for both Everton and Leicester City who are trying to fulfil European ambitions.

When the season kicked off in August 2019, Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City would have been very pleased with a Europa League spot in absolute honesty. A strong run in Autumn and Winter meant Leicester City were massively overachieving as they entered the top four and looked pretty secure in those positions, but Leicester City have looked like a club that have peaked.

1 win from 7 Premier League games is an indication of that and Leicester City are arguably fortunate to have escaped with draws against Watford and Brighton since the restart. With Chelsea, Wolves and Manchester United improving, Leicester City suddenly see just 3 points between them and 5th place and 6 points between them and 6th.

Games are far from easy to complete the season and a visit to an Everton side that are unbeaten in 9 at home in all competitions is another huge test. That is especially so when playing on Sunday in a tough Cup tie while Everton were resting and recovering and preparing for this one.

Everton have drawn 3 of their last 4 here, but one of those saw them inexplicably concede twice deep in injury time in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. A late VAR intervention prevented Everton beating Manchester United in a 1-1 draw and they had much the better chances in their goalless draw with Liverpool to restart their League campaign after the three month break.

Put all together it suggests Everton are a very dangerous prospect for Leicester City and there are real aims of finishing in the top seven which may be enough for a Europa League spot. Win this one and they would only be a point behind Tottenham Hotspur who currently hold 7th place and I do think Everton's numbers are impressive enough to be respected.

Carlo Ancelotti should have the team ready to go and I do think Leicester City are vulnerable. The Foxes did win 0-1 here last season, but Everton might be able to expose any fatigue that may be lingering in the Leicester City legs after losing to Chelsea on Sunday and I do think the home team might have enough to edge to the three points.


West Ham United v Chelsea Pick: David Moyes will likely have appreciated the additional time to get his West Ham United team refocused after their latest defeat in the Premier League. While the manager felt his team were hard done by in their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United looked largely toothless and presented too many good chances for the hosts to pass up.

Defensively they were a little better when hosting Wolves, but West Ham United were dismissed that day too. The Hammers have been scoring more goals at home, but this is a team who have struggled defensively and it is not good news ahead of facing a Chelsea team that have only scored fewer away goals than Manchester City in the Premier League this season.

The 0-1 win at Leicester City will have given Chelsea another boost of confidence and they have now won 5 in a row including all 3 out of the three month break. They have created some very good chances, although there are always concerns about Chelsea at the back and especially if they are going to be missing Andreas Christensen this week.

It is difficult to see how West Ham United can exploit those vulnerabilities considering their recent performances. The squad look short of confidence and even the fact they have won 3 of their last 5 at home against rivals Chelsea is not really comforting at the moment.

The Hammers did win at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, but Chelsea look in a much better position now. Poor finishing cost Chelsea that day and recent games suggest that won't be the case now and I do very much believe The Blues win this one.

Chelsea had scored at least two goals in 4 away games in a row before the win at the King Power Stadium on Sunday. They should be able to hit at least two at the London Stadium against this West Ham United team and I expect that will be enough for Chelsea to maintain their gap to the Champions League chasing sides in 5th and 6th place. 


Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The restart to the Premier League season has not gone as planned for Sheffield United who have created very little and struggled for goals. They did finally look more threatening in their FA Cup tie against Arsenal, but even then Sheffield United were unable to secure a positive result and they have lost 3 in a row.

Chris Wilder will be proud of his players for the way the season has gone, but he will be demanding they don't end this season with a whimper. Being at home is a plus for Sheffield United if their performance against Arsenal is anything to go by and this Tottenham Hotspur team are far from watertight at the back.

Tottenham Hotspur did earn a clean sheet against West Ham United, but there were opportunities for the visitors that day. Jose Mourinho has had a lot of time to prepare his team for this difficult away game, but Tottenham Hotspur have looked anything but secure at the back and I think they will do very well to keep a clean sheet.

It is also hard to see Spurs at such a short price to win considering how they have been performing away from home before the break. You can't really read into form when the last away matches were so long ago, but Jose Mourinho has to be happy with his attacking options that are available for him now compared with March.

Those attackers will cause problems for Sheffield United who have not looked the same defensively without Jack O'Connell who could still be missing on Thursday.

Both teams hitting the net would not be a big surprise as was the case when these teams met in North London earlier this season. There should be chances and I am not sure why either manager would want to settle for a 1-1 draw considering they have ambitions of wanting to play in Europe next season.

An attacking game could quickly be in the making if we get another first half goal as we saw on Sunday and I think it could be a fixture that features at least three goals.


Manchester City v Liverpool Pick: There are some real unknowns ahead of this Premier League fixture between the top two in England and that does make things a little murkier when writing out a prediction for how I anticipate things to go.

Both Manchester City and Liverpool may already be thinking about how best to prepare their squads for other things at this point of the season- the former want to win the FA Cup and Champions League while the latter will be thinking about how they can defend their title in the 2020/21 season and making sure the whole squad is ready to kick on immediately knowing there is limited time for 'pre season' this time around.

In saying that I do think both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp will pick strong teams as they look to make a statement for the next season. The Spaniard will want to show his Manchester City team are ready to fight back having lost their grip on the title, while Klopp will want his team to show this season was anything but a flash in the pan.

Manchester City being at home should be an advantage, but Pep Guardiola's team have regularly found things difficult when facing Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. The pace of the front three that the visitors have expose Manchester City's defensive shortcomings, but for large portions of matches here it is the home team who dominate the ball.

No Sergio Aguero is a blow, but Manchester City do have plenty of quality to call upon and I do think they have had time from Sunday to recover and put in a big performance.

They have been strong at home out of the break in play and you can't forget Liverpool were just struggling away from home when that break came. Even in their sole away game at Everton since then it was the home team who had the better chances and Liverpool have not scored in their last 4 away games in all competitions while losing 3 in a row before escaping with a draw at Goodison Park.

A draw is not out of the realms of possibility in this one, but I do think Guardiola will be telling his players they can at least prevent Liverpool from earning the points they need to break their record haul of 100 points set a couple of seasons ago.

That should be motivation for Manchester City who might be more focused than the Liverpool players celebrating being Champions and I believe that will lead to a narrow home win.

MY PICKS: Aston Villa + 0.75 Asian Handicap
Watford-Southampton Over 2.5 Goals
Crystal Palace-Burnley BTTS NO
Brighton-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals
Bournemouth-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals
Arsenal Win to Nil
Everton 0 Asian Handicap
Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
Sheffield United-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals
Manchester City - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GW 32+

99 points in GW30+ followed by 98 points in GW31+ is pretty much the perfect way for the FPL game to restart for my team, but this is when things are going to get a little more difficult.

With the Premier League title race already over, you can imagine the top two are going to be doing a lot of rotating over the coming weeks which means their top names might not be getting the minutes they would usually. Effectively it will be similar to a pre-season for those two clubs knowing there is likely going to be a very short break between the 2019/20 season and the 2020/21 campaign which is rumoured to start on September 12th.

That will mean the whole squad being managed, while there is also the issues that come with having games every three or four days that is going to be make it difficult for every manager in the Division.

It seeps down to us playing the FPL game and it is the main reason I have decided against playing my Free Hit Chip in GW32+ as I suggested I may do earlier this week.

Instead I am comfortable enough with my options for the starting eleven and knowing I have decent bench players to come in if they are needed. This is all very much with GW33+ in mind when I want to use the squad I have to play my Bench Boost on a weekend when Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all host bottom five clubs and Manchester City play at Southampton.

In GW31+ it was the decision to Captain Anthony Martial that proved to be a huge reason I ended up with as many points as I did. His hat-trick as a midfield option in the game, but one who is playing up front in reality, was a huge boost and I also managed to secure the clean sheets from the defensive players targeted.

I was close to using a transfer this week to bring in a Burnley defender who have Crystal Palace away and Sheffield United at home in their next two games. I would have looked to replace my Newcastle United defender, Federico Fernandez, who are playing at Bournemouth just a couple of days after hosting Manchester City in the Cup. A rested Bournemouth team might cause more problems, but ultimately I feel it is not something I will end up doing so I can have two transfers to use in GW33+ if they are needed (injuries and suspensions could occur before that and I want fifteen players all getting minutes for the Bench Boost).

So at the time of writing and with not much time before the GW32+ deadline is locked down, this looks to be the team I am going with. I am toying with changing my Captain, but that might literally come down to a decision on Saturday morning moments before the deadline comes down.

Emiliano Martinez Arsenal (v Norwich): A cheap goalkeeper option opened up when Bernd Leno went down with an injury, but he does have to get through the Cup tie at Sheffield United.

Federico Fernandez Newcastle United (@ Bournemouth): This might have been a better looking game if Bournemouth did not have a full week to prepare and Newcastle United were not playing in the Cup on Sunday.

Harry Maguire Manchester United (@ Brighton): This has not been the best venue for Manchester United to visit of late, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has United in form and playing with confidence. Another who has to get through a Cup game before the Premier League outing.

Willy Boly Wolves (@ Aston Villa): My feeling is that Aston Villa can get a point out of this one, but I can't ignore the Wolves clean sheets in both games since the restart. I don't want to misjudge the early kick off and miss out on another if Wolves can keep the momentum behind them.

Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City (v Liverpool): There are four days between Manchester City's game at Newcastle United in the FA Cup and this Premier League game against Liverpool. I have to expect Pep Guardiola will pick a team to lay down a marker for the new season having lost his grip on the Premier League title.

Anthony Martial Manchester United (@ Brighton) [C]: A hat trick last time out and I have to expect the Frenchman to start here as Manchester United continue their push for the top four. Plays up front, and has scored in four of his last six Premier League games.

Bruno Fernandes Manchester United (@ Brighton): A kind fixture list, strong form, and a potential assist/goalscorer for Manchester United. Also on penalty duties.

Harvey Barnes Leicester City (@ Everton): This is a difficult game for a slumping Leicester City just a few days after a big Cup Quarter Final. Harvey Barnes has some strong underlying stats over his last few games, but I will be keeping an eye on him having not started last time out.

Mason Mount Chelsea (@ West Ham United): Has looked in good nick out of the break in play and Chelsea been creating chances and scoring goals. Mason Mount was a potential Captain choice, but yet another player having to complete a Cup tie and avoid injury.

Joelinton Newcastle United (@ Bournemouth): The home team are far from convincing at the back and have to take risks in a big fixture to try and avoid the drop. It could give Newcastle United some opportunities and Joelinton does find himself in good positions, even if he has had problems with his finishing.

Raul Jimenez Wolves (@ Aston Villa): As I have said above, I think Aston Villa have a chance in this game. However Raul Jimenez has proved to be clinical when the chances have come his way in the first two games since the restart and looks the biggest danger for relegation threatened Villa... A team who give up chances.

Bench- Alisson, Roberto Firmino, Virgil Van Dijk, James Justin

Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (June 23-25)

So how is everyone enjoying the return of the Premier League?

There is no doubt that things are not the same as we remember, and it did take a few matches to really build the interest but I do think most will be used to the 'new normal'.

Most importantly I do believe the players will be feeling more accustomed to playing in front of empty stands having done it once, or in some cases twice, although I do think the teams at the bottom of the table are suffering as I expected before the resumption. Without that push from the crowd, it is much harder for those clubs to bridge the talent gap to the sides they are facing and the limp manner in which Norwich City, Bournemouth and West Ham United were beaten at home this past weekend is worrying.

Aston Villa took a single point from two home games, but at least made a much greater effort than those three sides mentioned and I do believe the three relegated clubs will come from the four mentioned.

Things are still tight when it comes to the relegation battle and the race for the top four and European places so the whole outlook could change very quickly. With the fixtures staggered as they are, I do think the pressure will build on clubs in a different manner as you would expect if the schedule had played out as planned before the pandemic took over.

With another GW just a day after the previous one ended, it is another round of FPL that kicks off on Tuesday. The problem all players of the Official Fantasy game will be dealing with is the deadline comes at a time when not all the team news can be put together and that means second guessing things.

I will elaborate further on my plans below the thoughts for how this round of League fixtures will go.

Leicester City v Brighton Pick: Both Leicester City and Brighton are coming off of positive results and will be looking to build the momentum to take into the remaining Premier League games to be played.

For Leicester City it will also push them forward when it comes to a potential FA Cup success as they chase down one of the four Champions League places in the table. The late goal conceded to Watford would have hurt, but Leicester City will be happy with a positive result and the chance to maintain their lead over 5th placed Manchester United with one less game to be completed.

Playing at home should be a little more comfortable for Leicester City even if the early trend around the top European Leagues is that some of the advantage has been eroded without a crowd. I still believe that may affect the lesser talented squads more than the top teams though so I do expect Leicester City to have too much for Brighton on Tuesday in the first game of the latest round of fixtures.

That is no disrespect to a Brighton team coming off a big win over Arsenal and one that has proved to be stubborn to break down away from home in their most 'recent' games. Of course you can't really discuss that 3 game unbeaten run on their travels as form considering the last fixture was played three months ago, but Brighton have shown they can make life difficult so it will be up to the Leicester City players to find the motivation from within rather than from the stands.

The Foxes have won 3 of their last 5 games here in all competitions and during that time they have hit both West Ham United and Aston Villa for four goals. Brighton have shown themselves to be a slightly better defensive side than both of those, but the goalless draw at Wolves was only the third away clean sheet of the season.

Bournemouth and West Ham United both scored at least three goals against Brighton and Sheffield United created enough to believe they deserved more than the single strike in the previous 3 away games The Seagulls played before the draw at Wolves.

Brighton have lost twice in a row here and I think Leicester City will be able to create enough chances to win a game which features at least two goals.

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United Pick: This is a big game at the top and bottom of the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur look to ignite a push for a European place and West Ham United try and move clear of the bottom three.

Neither team were at their best this past weekend in home games against Manchester United and Wolves respectively, but I do think the teams will be better for having a game in the legs.

At least Tottenham Hotspur earned a point to remain in touch with 5th placed Manchester United, but Jose Mourinho will know they need more from their remaining eight games to have a chance of getting into the Champions League. More realistic is playing in the Europa League and Spurs will know the importance of that from a financial perspective as they look to repay the debt which came from building this new Stadium.

Chances were not created easily against Manchester United, but Dele Alli is back and West Ham United don't defend nearly as well as Tottenham Hotspur's last opponents. Teams have been able to create plenty against this West Ham United defence and Tottenham Hotspur should be able to do the same.

However it is a rivalry game and West Ham United have had success when visiting Tottenham Hotspur in recent times. They have won 2 in a row in games hosted by Spurs including winning in this Stadium last season and David Moyes will be looking for a big reaction from his team.

The Hammers did look a little toothless in attack against Wolves though and I think Tottenham Hotspur might have more control of the match. The empty Stadium might help the visitors, but Tottenham Hotspur might be able to edge them out narrowly with their greater attacking threats that can be employed.

I feel Tottenham Hotspur will need to score twice to win though considering their own defence has been far from trustworthy and I do think they have enough to do that as they put the pressure on teams above them that play later this week.

Manchester United v Sheffield United Pick: With very little between teams from Chelsea down to Tottenham Hotspur, this was an early fixture which looked like it could be very important for both Manchester United and Sheffield United's dreams of getting into the Champions League.

That is how it looked at the resumption of the Premier League, but Sheffield United have taken a point from a possible six and Manchester United also could only add a point from their opening returning fixture. It means both clubs have slipped behind Chelsea who won at Aston Villa on Sunday and means both Manchester United and Sheffield United need a big result here.

A heatwave hitting the United Kingdom is not going to be helpful for the players despite the 6pm kick off time and it does suggest goals could be in short supply. Temperatures could feel as high as 31 degrees Celsius when this fixture kicks off and that means mistakes could prove pivotal on the day.

With the attacking players short of football, it may also give the chance for defences to be largely on top and especially when you think of the two teams involved in this one at Old Trafford.

However the key difference may be that Manchester United look to have a touch more options in the midfield and attack that could provide a moment of magic to turn things in their favour. Add to that the fact that Sheffield United could be missing as many as three of their regular defensive unit and the chances of mistakes being in the away side more than the home one seem to ramp up.

Chris Wilder will always make his team hard to beat and I won't read too much into the 3-0 loss at Newcastle United as the game was finely balanced before John Egan was sent off to reduce Sheffield United to ten men. Even then I do think the defensive record is perhaps better than it should be with chances that Sheffield United have allowed and Manchester United should punish a more unfamiliar line up that Wilder will have to use.

It won't be easy because Sheffield United are a disciplined team that won't roll over for any team they face. They have not been at their best in the first couple of games and Manchester United have had plenty of time to prepare and I fancy the home side win this one with a clean sheet.

Newcastle United v Aston Villa Pick: Hot weather has to be expected at this time of the year in England, but the heatwave due during the week will only make it harder for players who have had limited match fitness from the first few days of the restart of Premier League Football.

It might mean a slow game develops in the North East where Newcastle United host Aston Villa in what is looking to be a much bigger game for the visitors than the hosts.

That is not to say that Steve Bruce would be happy to lose the momentum picked up in the win over Sheffield United on Sunday. The manager was very pleased with the performance and Newcastle United have a big week in front of them as they host two more matches here, while Bruce himself will be looking to show any prospective new owner that he is the right manager to take Newcastle United forward.

Winning games and finishing in the top half of the Premier League will only add to Bruce's argument and he will be looking to keep the unbeaten run going at St James' Park. Newcastle United have been well organised as they have produced 5 clean sheets in a row at St James' Park and now host an out of form Aston Villa side who have to have had some confidence knocked in the early days of the restart of the Premier League.

A single point and a single goal from two home games is not good enough for Aston Villa who are fighting to get out of the bottom three. They haven't played badly, but Aston Villa continue to struggle to score enough goals or keep enough clean sheets and that is a big worry for any team looking to avoid the drop.

Aston Villa did not score in their last couple of away games which were played three months ago, but the bigger concern for Dean Smith has to be the lack of chances created in those defeats. They have looked better this past week, but breaking down Newcastle United will be far from easy and I think goals may be difficult to find.

The layers are perhaps not seeing things the same way as I expected the 'under 2.5 goals' market to be much shorter than it is. Both teams were involved in high-scoring games on Sunday, but Newcastle United only broke down a ten man opponent, while Aston Villa faced a strong attacking unit of Chelsea.

Neither team will believe they have the same circumstances going into this game and I think we will see two or fewer goals shared out. Before the win over Sheffield United, Newcastle United had seen their previous 4 games finish with one or fewer goals scored, while Aston Villa have seen 3 of their last 5 away from home go the same way.

The last 8 between Newcastle United and Aston Villa have ended with two or fewer goals shared out, while the last 5 between them at St James' Park have ended that way too.

With the heat around and the lack of strong attacks in this one, I think that has to be the most likely outcome of this fixture. I narrowly favour Newcastle United, but will look for a lack of goals no matter the result.

Norwich City v Everton Pick: Both Norwich City and Everton will still feel there are big things to aim for at the end of the 2019/20 season, but you can't help feel this is more important for the home team.

Norwich City were hammered 0-3 by Southampton on Friday and they looked like a team that didn't really believe nine games were enough to avoid relegation to the Championship. Now there are eight left and it is hard to see how Norwich City will be able to pick up enough points if they don't produce a much better effort in their home Stadium.

Defensively they were messy and some rustiness was evident in their attacking play when chances did pop up. Having a game in the legs might sharpen up Norwich City, but this is a team who might have to rely on out-scoring opponents with the defensive injuries they are dealing with through the remainder of the season.

Those injuries will make them vulnerable to an Everton team who will believe they have missed two big opportunities to beat Liverpool this season. The goalless draw on Sunday might have seen Liverpool dominate the ball and the action area, but Everton created the best chances and better finishing would have resulted in a big three points.

Carlo Ancelotti is still convinced a European place is within the grasp of Everton with a strong end to the season and three points here will be important if they can earn them here. Everton have not played well away from home in terms of results, but performances under the Italian have been improved and a bit more luck would have led to better results.

They have created chances, although Everton still look shaky defensively, and I think they will be confident. Having two days fewer to prepare might be an issue for Everton though and it makes me think they are a short enough price to win here which makes it unappealing.

I do wonder if the heat will have a negative impact on the goals markets in the coming days in England, but this is one game where both teams should take risks in order to earn the three points. Neither defence is the most convincing and both Norwich City and Everton do have attacking players that can create chances and score goals.

Before the loss to Southampton, Norwich City were involved in some low-scoring home games, but the defensive injuries balances that out. It was evident in the chances that Southampton created against them, while 9 of the last 11 Everton away games have finished with three or more goals shared out.

I can see both teams hitting the net, but the three points are important enough for both to believe spaces are going to be exploited in the final twenty minutes. That means I will be looking for three or more goals to be shared out between Norwich City and Everton on Wednesday.

Wolves v Bournemouth Pick: Both of these teams were involved in 0-2 scorelines on Saturday, but unfortunately for Bournemouth they were hosting the game against Crystal Palace. On the other hand Wolves were comfortable winners at West Ham United in a game that was lacking some quality until Adama Traore and Pedro Neto were brought on in the second half and sparked Wolves to a successful visit to East London.

They had been in fine form going into the suspension of European Football and Nuno Espirito Santo has to be pleased with the way his Wolves team played in controlling the game on Saturday. This is a team that can find things a little difficult in the final third despite all the aesthetically pleasing football they do tend to play and that is underlined by two goalless draws in their last 4 here.

Wolves are not easy to break down, but they want to be more if they want to be playing in the Champions League next season and this game with Bournemouth does present a big chance for them. Win and they will be 2 points behind Chelsea in 4th and knowing the West London club are hosting Manchester City on Thursday, but any dropped points on Wednesday could be fatal in their bid to earn a Champions League spot through their Premier League finish.

I do think Wolves create chances and in Raul Jimenez they have a striker who scores goals at this level, but I also think Bournemouth will be better than they were on Saturday.

Two early goals knocked the stuffing out of The Cherries and they didn't create an awful lot, but David Brooks was in good nick despite the long lay off. He should be ready to help Bournemouth out here and they will cause problems for Wolves if the home side are slightly off their game, although Eddie Howe's men are hard to trust at the back.

6 straight away Premier League losses can't be easily ignored and I do think the Portuguese players that Wolves have throughout their squad won't be worried about the potential heat the teams will be playing in. Bournemouth concede too many goals and it is hard to see that changing even with the squad bolstered in the three month lay off and so the feeling is that Wolves will win a game that features at least two goals.

In only one win at home this season have Wolves failed to score at least twice while 13 of the last 14 home wins secured in the Premier League have also seen Wolves score at least twice. That includes all 5 played this season and Bournemouth have conceded twice in 5 of their last 6 away Premier League games.

Last season this fixture ended 2-0 and I think that may be the most likely outcome of this one too.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Pick: There is little doubt that Liverpool will eventually win the Premier League title, but the next eight games might be all about rebuilding fitness ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. There might be a very short pre-season between campaigns so this may be used as such by Jurgen Klopp whose side are perhaps days away from winning the title.

If Manchester City have dropped points on Monday, Liverpool can be confirmed Champions with a win over Crystal Palace, but Roy Hodgson's men have shown they are not one that will roll over for any opponent.

There were suggestions that the motivation may not be very high for a team in a safe position in the Premier League, but Crystal Palace deservedly beat Bournemouth at the weekend and may still have some European ambitions to fulfil.

It is still a long-shot to imagine that happening, but Crystal Palace will look to be organised and disciplined in what could be very hot conditions at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool didn't look their sharpest in the goalless draw with Everton on Sunday and perhaps were fortunate to escape with a point, but they desperately missed the influence of Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah. Both could return on Wednesday and that should give Liverpool a bit more spark in the final third which was really lacking in the Merseyside derby.

Defensively they have largely been sound and this Crystal Palace team don't offer a major threat. Roy Hodgson's men will look to play on the counter, but in hot conditions in the second game back from the three month break, it may not be easy to keep that going when spending a lot of time chasing shadows around the pitch.

It is hard to think Liverpool will be pushing to blow out a Crystal Palace team that have been a stubborn opponent for them and the best selection here may be looking for the home team to win with a clean sheet. Crystal Palace have been difficult to break down, but they are not creating a host of chances and a narrow home win would not be a big surprise.

Burnley v Watford Pick: It was never going to be easy to take on Manchester City with a squad that had been stretched by injuries and those who are about to be out of contract and have yet to agree terms on a new deal. With that in mind it is perhaps not surprising that Burnley suffered the latest of their heavy defeats at the Etihad Stadium, although the players will also admit they were affected by issues beyond their control.

For some ridiculous, boneheaded, moronic reason some Burnley fans decided to pool together to have a plane fly a 'White Lives Matter' banner over the Etihad Stadium at kick off. There is the suggestion they were hoping the players would be disgusted enough to refuse to play during what has been the support given to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement that has spread through the United States and Europe.

Instead the Burnley players have admitted that the banner does not represent them and had also seen them lose some focus on the fixture ahead. It is not an excuse, but it was part of the problem for Burnley who were 3-0 down at half time and who only named seven substitutes instead of nine (and two were goalkeepers).

There isn't much time to prepare for this fixture against Watford who will have had more than 48 hours longer to prepare for the game.

With the motivation high as Watford continue to battle to avoid the drop, Nigel Pearson has to believe his side can take advantage of any tired legs in the Burnley dressing room. His team were the better of the two when facing Leicester City on Saturday and Watford arguably deserved more points than they got, although this is a team that have not been as strong on their travels as they have at Vicarage Road.

The empty stands might help Watford here and hinder Burnley and there seems to be a lot of factors in the favour of the relegation threatened club.

Watford won here last season to snap a 10 game run without a victory at Turf Moor, and the squad looks to be in a better shape. It is perhaps a surprise to see Watford as such a strong favourite here considering the away form, but the time they have had to prepare for this fixture compared with Burnley should give the visitors to make it consecutive wins at this ground.

Southampton v Arsenal Pick: Both clubs are coming off contrasting first weeks during the Premier League resumption after Arsenal lost both League games played and Southampton were big winners at Norwich City.

The fact that some think home advantage is lost with no fans in the Stadium might actually suit Southampton who have been better on their travels than at St Mary's during this season. It is something that they will be hoping for anyway as they get set to take on an Arsenal team who need some momentum before a big FA Cup Quarter Final coming up.

Mikel Arteta has been far from impressed in the manner of both defeats Arsenal have suffered this past week- losing to Manchester City because of defensive errors is still an issue, but conceding in injury time against a relegation threatened Brighton to lose a game Arsenal had led in is almost unforgivable.

There is still hope a strong end to the season will see Arsenal earn a spot back in the Europa League, but they have to be better at both ends of the pitch.

I do think they would create chances against this Southampton team in normal circumstances, but I am a touch concerned Arsenal will use a weaker team knowing how important the upcoming Cup tie is for them. Even then they have some talented youngsters that can expose the defensive shortcomings of this Southampton team and I do think The Gunners will pose problems for the hosts.

However Arsenal have looked messy at the back to say the least and Southampton have shown they can create chances against any opponent. The home team are not under pressure and so are likely to push forward and look to create chances and in players like Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond they have pace and quality in the final third.

I can understand why the layers have made Southampton favourites with some of the uncertainty about the Arsenal team selection which is going to be something to keep an eye on. However The Saints can offer some gifts at the back too and I think this may be another game between these two which features at least three goals shared out.

An early strike may be needed to just open things up in what are likely to be very hot conditions, but if that happens I can see both teams playing with some freedom. That should see them share out three goals on the day as has happened in 3 of the last 4 between these clubs.

Chelsea v Manchester City Pick: Some teams have struggled in the first round of games during 'Project Restart' but both Chelsea and Manchester City have managed to overcome slow starts to really build a groove.

Manchester City have hit eight goals in two games, but they are playing away from home for the first time since losing the Manchester derby back in March. Now they have to face a Chelsea team who came from behind to beat Aston Villa and are looking to keep their top four rivals at bay by picking up what would be an unexpected result.

Games between Chelsea and Manchester City have been a mixed bag in recent seasons, but the last couple of seasons have seen Manchester City win 5 of the last 7 in all competitions.

However when they have visited Stamford Bridge the games have been very competitive and the last 4 have seen both clubs win twice. It was Chelsea who got the better of Manchester City last season and they will have seen the chances that the visitors have allowed in recent away games.

On the other side Manchester City continue to create plenty, but the absence of Sergio Aguero is a blow. Gabriel Jesus isn't a bad replacement, but he is not as clinical as his South American team-mate and Pep Guardiola will need the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to pick up the slack.

Both clubs have a FA Cup Quarter Final on deck which does cloud things- will the managers rotate their squads and will they perhaps prioritise the Cup game?

Frank Lampard is less likely to do that with Chelsea being chased for the Champions League spots and The Blues do look a big price to win at home. The younger squad might actually benefit from playing in front of an empty Stamford Bridge having been beaten 5 times here in the Premier League and being crushed by Bayern Munich 0-3 in the Champions League Second Round.

Chelsea should be able to create chances, but defensively they have also looked vulnerable and I would not be surprised another 2-1 scoreline between these clubs as we did at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season. My slight lean is towards Chelsea finding a result, but their defence is not trustworthy while Valencia, Liverpool, Manchester United (twice), Bayern Munich have all won here.

Manchester City are arguably the best of the lot to visit, but my selection for the game is the expectation of seeing at least three goals shared out. I expect both teams will score in this one, and neither manager looks like one that would settle for a draw unless the equaliser comes very late on.

Instead I expect both Chelsea and Manchester City to look to be positive and search out the win so expecting to see three or more goals shared out is my most confident selection.

MY PICKS: Leicester City & Over 1.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur & Over 1.5 Goals

Manchester United Win to Nil

Newcastle United-Aston Villa Under 2.5 Goals

Norwich City-Everton Over 2.5 Goals

Wolves & Over 1.5 Goals

Liverpool Win to Nil

Watford 0 Asian Handicap

Southampton-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals

Chelsea-Manchester City Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GW31+

The majority of FPL players looked to be playing their Bench Boost or Free Hit in GW30+ as the game returned, but I had my Triple Captain chip and using it on Kevin De Bruyne has turned out to be a reasonably good decision.

By far the worst call I made in GW30+ was including David Luiz in my team who not only was involved in conceding three goals at Manchester City, but managed to get himself sent off for a lovely - 3 total from two games!

Thankfully the majority of the other decisions paid off as expected and a return of 99 points with a Wild Card, Free Hit and Bench Boost all still to play is good enough for me.

So what is my plan? After careful thought I have decided I will use my Wild Card this week in creating a team that will be strong in both GW31+ and GW33+... With that in mind I would be using the Bench Boost Chip in GW33+ when some of the biggest clubs have good looking fixtures.

I honestly don't see a better way to do this and I then have the option of using my Free Hit either in GW32+ or another one. The team I am selecting looks like it has enough options to cover GW32+ too with some confidence and I am fairly happy with my decisions, while also thinking it may be a good idea to keep a hold of the Free Hit depending on whether any unexpected DGWs pop up.

It is unlikely though so the main plan is to still use the FH in GW32+ although that is something I will be thinking about in the next couple of days with the deadline for that GameWeek set for Saturday morning.

With a Wild Card in play you can imagine that there will be a number of changes right up until the deadline, but you can follow my Twitter page where I will list the final team moments after the deadline for GW31+ has passed.

What I will say is that the teams I am really focusing on to help me build my squad are Burnley, Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.

Obviously you have to bring in some players of 'lower' value to give the squad balance and that is where Brighton are a potential option knowing they play at Norwich City on GW33+ and the same goes for the hosts Norwich City with a 'winnable' game that weekend.

Everton are another team who have some decent stats to back their players, but who do face Tottenham Hotspur away from home in the weekend where I want to employ the Bench Boost.

Things will be chopped and changed as I have said, but my first interest was to build big from the back and not go huge with the strikers. Balancing the squad knowing the rotations the managers are using is not easy, but it is the way I want to use the Wild Card in a bid to maximise all of my remaining Chips as I look for a strong finish despite not being to use the Chips in the way I envisioned back in March.

Good luck to all players in the latest GameWeek and I will have more thoughts about GW32+ once I have concluded my Wild Card.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (June 17-22)

It's BACK!

There were times in this long lockdown period when I believed the Premier League may struggle to return to action, but the Bundesliga paved the way for the other top European Leagues to follow suit.

La Liga and Serie A are both due to start either just before the Premier League or on the same weekend as the English Division and it will raise some questions about the premature ending of the French top flight.


Without a doubt things have yet to really improve to pre-Covid levels and there are still far too many people suffering, but the return of football will be a boost for some. I know I've been having some very difficult days with the routine of every day blending into the next, while also losing a very close loved one in a period where it is very difficult to mourn them in the manner they deserve.

I know there are plenty suffering more hardships than myself so this is far from a 'woe is me' post, but we are all going to be dealing with things in different ways. Different things and events affect each of us individually so there is no need to criticise anyone who may look to have it all, but who is suffering mentally from the restrictions we are all dealing with in our every day lives.


I do hope anyone reading this has been coping as well as they can and have been looking after themselves as much as has been possible. Football won't help everyone, the return of sports in general won't be the vaccine to the pandemic we are all coping with, but at least it gives many a chance to focus on something other than what has become the mundane activities of day to day life.


The return of the Premier League also means we have the return of the Official Fantasy Football game and I will have my thoughts on that below.

That follows my opinions on how the first twelve League games will go which can be read before I get into the Fantasy Football opinions and how to play things before the big restart.

I will add my thoughts from the remaining four Premier League games to be played before the next GW on Thursday.


Aston Villa v Sheffield United Pick: The Premier League is BACK!

Not many would have predicted that Aston Villa's 4-0 hammering at the hands of Leicester City in early March would be the last time the Premier League would be in action, but we have all had to come to terms with the pandemic raging across the world.

The governments have yet to gain a complete control of the virus, but Europe has begun to edge towards normality and that means the resumption of Leagues in Germany, Spain, England and Italy.

The two opening games of the Premier League season are games that had to be pushed back due to Aston Villa and Manchester City participating in the League Cup Final.

Opening up the resumption of play is a key game at the top and bottom of the Premier League when Aston Villa host Sheffield United in an empty Villa Park. A win for the hosts will take them out of the bottom three, while a win for the visitors would take them into the top five and I do think it will be important that both teams push forward.

Dean Smith and Chris Wilder both seem very keen on getting going and believe the players are fully behind the restart. There are some unknown factors as we don't know how the empty stands will really affect the players, while the long lay off will have drained some momentum in the legs.

I do think the empty stands won't help those teams who have struggled to defend like Aston Villa have throughout the season. They are not playing a team who have created a lot of chances away from home, but Sheffield United have enough going forward to hurt their hosts who will have had to have a big change in quality to become much tougher to score against.

Aston Villa have posed a greater threat going forward at home though and I do think Sheffield United's underlying stats suggest their lack of goals being conceded is more of a mirage than an indication of how they are playing.

Both teams should have chances to hit the net and the draw is not really a positive result for either considering fixtures that are remaining on the schedule. That should mean both teams are pushing for a win in a game where they should both score and backing at least three goals to be shared out is the play for me.

5 of the last 6 Aston Villa games here in the Premier League have ended with at least three goals shared out. That is not the case in Sheffield United away games, but their last 4 visits to Villa Park have all ended with three or more goals shared out too.

Some potential tiredness in the legs over the ninety minutes may leave more spaces for attackers to exploit and so looking for three or more goals in this one at odds against it the selection.

Manchester City v Arsenal Pick: On the face of things you would think the Arsenal squad has a lot more motivation on the restart of the Premier League than Manchester City.

The hosts are almost guaranteed to finish in the top four and their biggest fight may be making sure they can compete in the Champions League next season by overturning the two year ban handed out by UEFA. There are two chances of Manchester City winning the Premier League this season- fat and no and fat has left the building after losing 2 of their last 4 League games.

However there are two Cup competitions that Manchester City will be keen on securing and Pep Guardiola will want to make sure his players are in peak condition when it comes to the Champions League resumption. That might mean more rotation than you would see normally, but I also think Guardiola will want to make sure key players get enough minutes in the legs to build up to peak fitness.

The returns of Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane is a huge boost for the entire squad and I think Manchester City are going to be in good shape to deal with the break in play.

They won't have it all their own way against Arsenal for a couple of reasons- one, The Gunners were in decent enough form under Mikel Arteta, and two, the manager is very much aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this Manchester City squad and has had plenty of time to prepare his team for the fixture.

Unfortunately the defensive issues have yet to clear up if the 2-3 home loss to Brentford in a friendly game is anything to go by. That will always make it very difficult to beat a team like Manchester City and I am not that surprised that Arsenal have lost 6 in a row to this opponent and with all those defeats coming by two or more goals.

Playing in front of empty stands will be difficult for players, but neither squad is that unfamiliar with that feeling.

I do think that ultimately Manchester City have the deeper squad, the better quality and they have enjoyed playing against an Arsenal team that have not defended well enough and lost some of their attacking thrust.

Despite the positive run Arsenal had been on, the underlying stats suggest they are still giving up too many good opportunities. Unlike Everton and West Ham United, I expect Manchester City to be much more ruthless and I think they can win this game by a comfortable margin.

Norwich City v Southampton Pick: Being able to play for their Premier League future on the pitch is about all that Norwich City could hope for as relegation would be a huge blow to the club financially.

Daniel Farke has been working under some restrictions anyway with the season in the top flight a boost to a debt filled club, but a second season in the Premier League could see Norwich City begin to improve their squad. Some key players will be sought after at the end of this campaign, but it is much easier to hold out for the bigger fees if Norwich City are playing in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season.

There is plenty of work to do for Norwich City who are 6 points from safety, but they are going to be hosting three clubs who are currently 14th or lower in the Premier League table. Further home games with Everton and Burnley and a trip to Watford have to be seen as good ones for Norwich City fans, but the importance of this opening fixture against Southampton can't be underestimated.

A win will give Norwich City momentum, but a defeat could be hard to recover from if results go against them over the remainder of the weekend.

They actually go into the fixture as the underdog which says a lot about how well Southampton have played away from St Mary's as they have dragged themselves out of the bottom three. A 7 point gap to 18th placed Bournemouth looks a comfortable one, but Ralph Hasenhuttl will want his team to take a giant step towards safety on Friday.

The Austrian should be confident as Southampton have only won fewer away games in the Premier League than the current top four clubs. That has to be respected, although Southampton have remained an attacking threat with defensive vulnerabilities under Hasenhuttl.

Southampton have scored in all but one of their last 17 away games in all competitions, while they have scored at least twice in 5 of their last 7 on their travels. That will be challenged by a Norwich City team who have shown a bit more stubbornness at home compared to earlier in the season, but Southampton have to be confident of scoring here.

On the other hand The Saints have 2 clean sheets in their last 13 away games in all competitions. They went into the suspension having conceded at least three times in 3 away games in a row, and Norwich City have scored in 7 of their last 8 at home.

Unsurprisingly the layers have offered short odds on both teams scoring, but I don't think a 1-1 result will be accepted by either. It would suit Southampton more, but they have shown an attacking spirit under Ralph Hasenhuttl, while Norwich City should be looking to win games like this if they are going to avoid relegation.

Defensive mistakes have been something both clubs have struggled to avoid and the setting of playing behind closed doors might mean those at the back are perhaps not as concentrated as they should be.

Backign at least three goals to be shared out in this fixture like there were at St Mary's in the reverse fixture is the selection.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United Pick: If this fixture had been played back in March as scheduled I think there would have been a lot of people comfortably backing the in-form visitors against an injury hit host.

Tottenham Hotspur had been conceding far too many goals and not scoring enough in the absence of key players like Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane. Jose Mourinho had overseen a limp exit from the Champions League and FA Cup, while Tottenham Hotspur were set for their lowest finish in ten years when ending the campaign in 8th place.

The suspension of play means those key players are back and a much stronger squad will also have benefited from working under Mourinho in what can only be described as a 'mini pre season'. It is an ageing squad in areas, but I would think Tottenham Hotspur will be improved coming out of the break and having a fuller squad also means they are in a position where they will believe they can bridge the gap to the top four.

This is a key fixture for Spurs- win and the Champions League race is on, but a defeat would leave them scrambling for a place in Europe let alone the premier competition.

Being at home will help against a Manchester United team who have been inconsistent on their travels all season. However they have played pretty well against the better teams in the Division and Manchester United looked to have found a groove before the suspension of play.

Like Tottenham Hotspur, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be boosted by the return of key players and both Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford look like they will be able to earn starts. Both impressed in friendly games and Solskjaer insists his team are ready to go on the resumption of play with winning silverware and a return to the Champions League the ambitions to fulfil.

Back in March I would really fancy United to win here, but I am a touch surprised they are clear favourites to win in an area of North London where they have not had a lot of recent success. Jose Mourinho should be well prepared to set his team up to take on Manchester United and Spurs have been bolstered by the return of big names.

Manchester United have improved and looked in good shape back in March, but they are still a team who will give up chances and especially away from home. The defensive issues Tottenham Hotspur have had all season are unlikely to have completely cleared up and this is another game where goals look likely.

I can see both teams hitting the net and both managers should be keen on pushing their teams ahead to win this fixture. It was 2-1 earlier this season and the same scoreline would not surprise me with my slight lean going towards Manchester United.

Playing in an empty bowl will be different, but I will back at least three goals to be shared out here.

Watford v Leicester City Pick: Both Watford and Leicester City will be thankful they can complete the Premier League season even though the hosts are in a more precarious position than their visitors.

A curtailment of the season might have suited Watford, but Craig Shakespeare was bullish in looking forward to the return of competitive football. That underlines the kind of attitude Nigel Pearson has instilled in his Watford squad and the enforced break has at least given his players time to return to full fitness.

Poor form would have been a concern with a single win in 8 games in all competitions, but that came in an impressive 3-0 dismantling of then unbeaten Liverpool. Playing at home has been important for Watford under Nigel Pearson and they have won 4 of their last 6 here in the Premier League. The Hornets blew a 2-0 lead over Everton in a 2-3 defeat which would have made the run even more impressive at home and they are not going to be intimidated by any visitor to Vicarage Road.

Anything they can earn from this fixture would be seen as a bonus, but Watford have to believe they can get the better of Leicester City even though The Foxes are chasing a Champions League spot. The home team have won this fixture the last 3 times it has been run at Vicarage Road and Leicester City were not exactly in top form going into the suspension.

Leicester City had lost at Burnley, Aston Villa (in the League Cup Semi Final) and Norwich City in recent away games. They are a team that have not been scoring as many away goals as they would like and Leicester City have failed to score in their last 2 away Premier League games.

Now they have to play at a ground where they have had little recent success and knowing Watford have scored at least twice in 5 of their last 6 League games here.

I do think the odds for the game have been influenced by the run of away successes layers saw in the Bundesliga on their resumption. Leicester City look far too short to win considering their away form going into the suspension of the Premier League and Watford have played well at Vicarage Road under Nigel Pearson.

With a stronger looking squad than the one he would have called upon back in March, I will look for Pearson to set his team up to earn a positive result here.

Brighton v Arsenal Pick: I am looking forward to seeing how the four teams who have played on Wednesday will cope with the quick turnaround into the next set of fixtures to come this weekend.

It could go either of two ways- one way is that the players will be tired and opponents can take advantage, the other is that the first competitive game will have given the players the chance to shake off some match rustiness and they can kick on from here.

The managers will be hoping it is the second route their teams will take and Mikel Arteta will be looking for a big response from his Arsenal team who were beaten 3-0 at Manchester City. It was a difficult day all around for Arteta who lost two players to injury and another to suspension in a game Arsenal had started brightly, but were quickly dimmed by the hosts.

Now they have to get ready to take on something of a bogey team having not won any of their last 4 against Brighton and losing 2 of those games.

Back in March Brighton looked to be slipping into the bottom three as they had failed to win any of 10 games and also gone down to a 0-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the last game here. Brighton had been unbeaten in 4 at home prior to that including 3 straight 1-1 draws, but Graham Potter knows his team need to turn a few of those draws into wins if they are going to avoid relegation.

The fixture list looks difficult over the last nine games for Brighton so this one looks very important. In the next six, Brighton face four of the current top five and an away game at Norwich City so Graham Potter will be looking for a big performance out of the gate.

His team have actually played pretty well going forward through the season, although the defensive record is something that Arsenal will feel they can take advantage of.

Both teams have scored the last 4 times these two teams have played each other and I do think Brighton will be able to create chances against this Arsenal defence missing key performers. Arsenal should be better going forward against a Brighton team who have conceded plenty of chances and I think this is a game where we will see at least three goals.

1-1 is perhaps the most dangerous scoreline against the selection, but that isn't a result that suits either party and so another 2-1 either way looks the most likely outcome.

West Ham United v Wolves Pick: This looks to be a big opening game for both West Ham United and Wolves on the restart of the Premier League and has implications at both the top and bottom of the table.

West Ham United were not in the best of form when the Premier League was suspended, but they did score three times in back to back games at the London Stadium. Only the continued poor defensive performances prevented West Ham United from winning both fixtures, but David Moyes has been given some unexpected time to turn things around for the team.

Playing in front of an empty London Stadium could be a benefit for West Ham United considering the irritation the fans feel towards the board. With a struggling team the last thing needed is the fans turning the atmosphere toxic and in that sense West Ham United might be able to perform with some freedom.

They are facing a Wolves team who have a real ambition of playing in the Champions League and who will be looking to put the pressure on Chelsea by winning twenty-four hours before the latter kick off for the first time since March. Throughout their time in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves have been a team who can beat any other on their best day, although they are perhaps still missing a touch of consistency in turning draws into wins.

Along with Arsenal, Wolves have the most draws in the Premier League as they perhaps struggle to score enough goals. However that was not the case in recent away games in the Premier League having scored three times at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, and Wolves have scored in 11 of 13 away Premier League games.

The Hammers have one clean sheet in their last 12 games at home in all competitions so it would be a surprise if Wolves don't score here considering they have won 3 in a row against West Ham United since returning to the top flight. In the same token, West Ham United have scored in 12 of 13 home Premier League games and Wolves have a single clean sheet in 10 away League games.

West Ham United have not scored in 3 games against Wolves, but they look to have a fit squad and should have chances to snap that run here. David Moyes has had time to work on the defensive side, but Wolves do create chances too and I do think both teams will hit the back of the net.

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Pick: In all honesty it would be a surprise if Crystal Palace are dragged back into the relegation battle having moved onto 39 points off the back of 3 consecutive Premier League wins before the suspension of play.

Roy Hodgson would love to get over the 40 point mark as soon as this weekend, but it is an absolutely massive game for Bournemouth as they look to climb out of the relegation zone.

Both teams have difficult League games to negotiate before the end of the season, but the importance for Bournemouth can not be underestimated. Eddie Howe's men were performing well at the Vitality Stadium when the Premier League was suspended and they do have a much stronger looking squad available to select from this weekend which will give them confidence.

Bournemouth will hope to pick up momentum immediately and they have been scoring goals at home which will further than confidence. They have scored at least twice in 3 consecutive League games here and Eddie Howe is hoping that his team will be stronger defensively with reinforcements returning that wouldn't have been available back in March.

They are facing a stubborn Crystal Palace team who showed their resiliency and experience in winning 3 games in a row by the same 1-0 scoreline. All of those teams beaten are below The Eagles in the standings and Roy Hodgson will be expecting his fully fit squad to head to the south coast and look to pick up from where they left off.

This is a team who play counter attacking football which works well away from home and Crystal Palace have scored in 5 away Premier League games in a row. Before the clean sheet at Brighton, Crystal Palace had conceded 5 away League games in a row too and I do think the two teams will perhaps offer up a more entertaining Premier League game for the fans to enjoy than it would seem on paper.

It is a fixture that will be played on national, free to air television, the first time a Premier League fixture has been broadcasted in such a way. Ratings should be high enough with that in mind and both Bournemouth and Crystal Palace can hit the back of the net in this one.

Newcastle United v Sheffield United Pick: The mistake made by the technology cost Sheffield United two points on Wednesday and that could be huge over the coming weeks as Chris Wilder's men chase a first ever European campaign.

Wilder will be looking to keep the spirits up in the squad with some big things to achieve over the coming weeks and the game in the legs might aid Sheffield United this weekend.

It has to be part of the reason The Blades are favourites to win at St James' Park especially when you think of how stubborn Newcastle United were in the lead up to the suspension of play. Steve Bruce will be boosted by the return to fitness of the majority of the squad and his team have had 4 clean sheets in a row at home which suggests they could be difficult to beat.

Form isn't really relevant with the three month break between games, but Newcastle United were playing pretty well in friendly games as they prepared for the restart.

Both of these teams have shown they can be well organised without offering a really consistent attacking threat. That has shown in the results and the lack of goals scored in their home/away games respectively, something the layers are very much on top of.

The last 3 games here finished goalless and I do think one of the teams will likely fail to find the net in this one. Again the 1-1 could be the problem score, but Newcastle United have had 4 clean sheets in a row at home and Sheffield United have 3 clean sheets in their last 4 away from home in all competitions including in the goalless draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday.

At the prices I think backing one or both to fail to hit the net is reasonable.

Aston Villa v Chelsea Pick: It was largely a much improved performance from Aston Villa on Wednesday compared to how they were playing going into the suspension of football back in March. However the goalless draw with Sheffield United is a game in which Dean Smith expected a bit more from his team and Aston Villa also needed a huge slice of luck to keep a clean sheet.

For the majority of the game they did defend better than they have through the course of the season, but playing this Chelsea team is a different test to Sheffield United. While The Blades have scored 13 away goals, Chelsea have scored 29 and the squad looks in good shape to chase a Champions League spot on the resumption of play.

Frank Lampard's men have the advantage in the race for a top four place, but there is work to do for a club that have made some big moves in the transfer market already. The likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner are going to offer a lot more attacking options for the team so the current faces in the squad will be looking to show Lampard what they are going to be able to offer in the coming years.

Chelsea had been in decent form going into the suspension and looked very good in crushing Queens Park Rangers in a friendly game. That doesn't make up for competitive action, but Chelsea do play with some freedom under Frank Lampard and they should challenge an Aston Villa defence that had a surprisingly easy day for much of Wednesday.

At the same time Chelsea have not been convincing defensively and that should encourage Aston Villa to try and get forward. They created the better chances against Sheffield United, although the lack of a real goalscorer might prove costly when the season draws to a close.

I do think Aston Villa can cause problems though and that makes Chelsea look plenty short to win this one. A more open game is expected than the one we saw between Villa and Sheffield United and much of that will be down to the approach Chelsea take to fixtures.

3 of the last 5 Chelsea away games in the Premier League have ended with three or more goals shared out. While there wasn't much goal mouth action here on Wednesday, I do think that will change on Sunday and will look for plenty of goals to be the outcome of this one.

Everton v Liverpool Pick: There were suggestions that the third Merseyside derby of the 2019/20 season would have to be played away from Liverpool, but Goodison Park has been confirmed as the venue.

This has been a ground on which Liverpool have not tasted defeat for some time, but 6 of the last 7 at Goodison Park have ended in draws. A win might be enough for Liverpool to win the title on Sunday if Manchester City have lost to Arsenal on the opening day of the resumption of the Premier League, but Everton have played well under Carlo Ancelotti and will believe they can extend the wait for a few more days.

The 4-0 loss at Stamford Bridge would have sapped some confidence, but Everton have largely played well under Ancelotti. At home they have been particularly strong and only a slight bit of misfortune has prevented Everton from putting a run of 5 consecutive wins together prior to the suspension of play.

That suspension might be good news for Liverpool who had been running on fumes before it came about. While they were very unlikely to blow the huge lead in the Premier League, Liverpool did exit the Champions League and the FA Cup and they had also seen their unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end at Watford.

Liverpool have lost 3 away games in a row in all competitions and they did not score in any of those fixtures at Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Watford. The players should have had time to just recharge the batteries for the final run in though and that makes them dangerous, even if Liverpool are perhaps not as strong as their overall points tally would suggest.

Beating Everton here won't be easy if the home team are able to pick up from where they left off in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United. The hammering at Stamford Bridge was as poor a performance as Everton have had under Carlo Ancelotti, but I think there will be a big reaction out of the suspension.

I was intrigued with the prices for under 2.5 goals and backing one or both teams to fail to score- both are strong odds against shots.

The last 5 at Goodison Park have all ended with less than three goals shared out and both teams have scored in only one of those fixtures.

Everton have also proven to be a stubborn team for their local rivals to get the better of and having the chance to back the home team on the Asian Handicap with a full goal start looks the best play. A narrow defeat returns the stake, while the performances under Carlo Ancelotti could see Everton help snap the recent trend of low-scoring Merseyside derbies at this ground.

The home team should be ready to give a huge effort to stop Liverpool celebrating at their expense, although the absence of fans is a blow to the home team. Even then I will back Everton with the full goal start on the Asian Handicap here.

Manchester City v Burnley Pick: This has been a bad match up for a number of clubs in the Premier League, but Burnley have really struggled to cope with Manchester City since Pep Guardiola took over at the Etihad Stadium.

Burnley have been outscored 19-2 in 5 meetings here and were beaten 1-4 at home earlier this season. The three month lay off might have just slowed Manchester City and Guardiola has been concerned about the fitness levels, but they seemed to shake off any rust by impressively dismissing Arsenal on Wednesday.

Even in the best of times this would be a difficult test for Burnley, but you do have to wonder if they will just lose some defensive discipline in their first game back. They will be worked by Manchester City and that can tire out any legs looking to build up fitness, and even the changes that are likely to be made by Guardiola are unlikely to weaken this team significantly.

This has been a very good season for Burnley who look set for a fifth consecutive season the top flight. It will be their longest streak in the top flight since twenty-four seasons came to an end in the early 1970s and all credit has to be given to Sean Dyche.

That credit won't be dismissed regardless of how this tough game goes and Burnley will know anything they can get out of this one is a bonus. Without Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood those chances are harder to envision and even scoring here will be difficult if Manchester City control the game as well as they did against Arsenal.

The home team should win and I imagine that comes with a clean sheet too.

MY PICKS: Aston Villa-Sheffield United Over 2.5 Goals

Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Norwich City-Southampton Over 2.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals

Watford + 0.5 Asian Handicap

West Ham United-Wolves Both Teams to Score

Bournemouth-Crystal Palace Both Teams to Score

Everton + 1 Asian Handicap

Brighton-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals

Newcastle United-Sheffield United Both Teams to Score- NO

Aston Villa-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals

Manchester City Win to Nil

Fantasy Football GameWeek 30+

The Official Fantasy Football game is back and there is no doubt that we are all going to be facing unprecedented times.

When the game came to an end three months ago I was positioning my team to make full use of the three Chips I had including the 'Triple Captain', and I had been focusing on what was likely to be at least two DGWs and potentially the extremely rare TGW for one team.

Things have changed significantly not only in our general lives but how I am going to approach the remainder of the season.

I have the three Chips as well as a WC to use, but effectively we are all going into GW30+ with an additional WC.

There are going to be different options depending on how many Chips you have left, but for someone in my position I can only really see one way to approach the next few weeks to close the season.

First off I am planning on building a team that will be loaded with those players involved in the DGW that is going to open the restart- those four teams Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Manchester City and Arsenal are effectively the only teams that will have DGWs through the remainder of the season barring something unexpected happening (rain outs, a Covid crisis affecting one or two clubs).

While we have all realised that life is precarious over the last three months, I have to play the game in the belief that things will go as smoothly as possible over the next few weeks.

That effectively means I can't see a better time to play my TC Chip even though there is always a possibility for another DGW to come around. The only concern with the use of five substitutions is that we won't get a full amount out of our TC as we might have done when the season was being played without the cloud of a pandemic hanging over teams.

The best play still looks to be a player from Manchester City who play both Arsenal and Burnley in this GW- they do play Burnley on Monday and then have to travel to Stamford Bridge on Thursday, and Manchester City arguably have the most attacking options in the Premier League that has only been bolstered by the return of Leroy Sane.

Even those concerns have to be put to the back of the mind- my personal opinion is not to use Sergio Aguero because I do think Gabriel Jesus will get his chance. With that in mind, I do like Kevin De Bruyne who should be given plenty of minutes over those two games, while I am looking at another couple of options in the midfield.

With the TC being used in GW30+, I am focusing on building an eleven or twelve team squad knowing I will be looking to use my WC or FH immediately afterwards. The most likely approach will be to play my WC in GW31+ and that will mean picking a GW in which I am going to use my FH.

The Bench Boost Chip is most likely going to be played by most in this upcoming GW, but it is largely by those who have already used the Triple Captain and will be maximising their Chip. That is not something I can do with the TC in mind, but I do think there are a couple of GWs that look like they could be productive for a deeper squad than the one I will go with to open the restart.

In GW30+ I am going to load up my squad with those that are playing twice over the next few days, although it is hard to know what the new rules regarding five substitutions are going to do. The deeper squads are perhaps going to be harder to judge, namely Manchester City this week, but the need to get minutes into the legs should mean the big names are out there.

The fact Manchester City are playing twice at home means it is easy to pick three of their players in the GW30+ squad and I also think it is a comfortable decision to do the same with Sheffield United despite playing away both times.

I think Aston Villa can at least push The Blades and have some momentum to take into their second game with Chelsea at Villa Park on Sunday, while the Arsenal options are perhaps hardest to select. An away game at Brighton looks winnable, but Arsenal have not travelled well this season and the game at Manchester City won't be easy.

Even then the potential of the DGW can't be ignored and so an eleven made up of the four teams looks the best way to go in GW30+ with the WC or FH to be used in GW31+.

That is something I will think about over the next few days, but for this week you can see my squad as it is (barring some late changes which are always a potential coming up to the 6pm deadline).

GK: Ederson (Man City), David Martin (West Ham United)

DEF: Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), John Egan (Sheffield United), Sokratis (Arsenal), Willy Boly (Wolves), Kayne Ramsey (Southampton)

MID: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Pepe (Arsenal), Todd Cantwell (Norwich City)

FWD: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Oliver McBurnie (Sheffield United), Mbwana Samatta (Aston Villa).

Good luck to all on the resumption of play and let's hope people are keeping safe and there is a strong un to end the Fantasy game for the 2019/20 season.