GM football fans. Route One here, the only thing that’s sweet and good for you.

🚨 FPL Deadline reminder: Saturday 10th February 11:00

Today’s briefing is a ~4 min read:

1. All you need to know about Matchweek 24 🤩

2. Fantasy Premier League: our Foden humblebrag 😋

3. Extra time: Paul Scholes “tapped up” Rooney 🤔

🎉 REFERRAL SHOUTOUTS 🎉

Freddie P (Clacton-on-Sea), Christala S (London), Tommy M (London), Joey S (New York City), Sven O (Stockholm)

MATCHDAY 24 PREVIEW 🤩

Welcome back, Router.

It’s time for Matchweek 24. Let’s take a look at the featured fixtures…

⛵️ Man City vs Everton 🍬

Hey Toffee fans, be warned… not of point deductions or even Erling Haaland (aka Robot)…

… but of Phil Foden. Why?

• He has eight goal involvements in his last six league games.

• He has scored four goals against Everton.

Adding to this, Everton are now winless in six league games… not exactly the form you want to be in against this City side.

So, how can they do The Impossible?

• Set pieces will be key. Dyche’s side have scored 50% of their goals from dead-ball scenarios.

• Have their best players back in action. We’re talking Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucouré.

• Touch as much wood before the game as humanly possible…

Don’t shoot the messenger! 

• 💉 Quick hit: City are unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League games against Everton.

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⚒️ West Ham vs Arsenal 🔫

Do you remember the last time West Ham beat Arsenal?

• That thing starting with C and ending in 19 paused our lives.

• Declan Rice got the winner.

• I was single and tapping away on Tinder.

Ohhh… how times have changed.

Aside from the EFL Cup defeat earlier this season, Arsenal have dominated this fixture… winning nine and drawing five of 14 against the Hammers in the league.

With the win against Liverpool, the Gunners will be coming into this game confident.

But we’re not ruling out West Ham. A derby is a derby is a derby.

• 💉 Quick hit: Bukayo Saka is the only player to have 50+ shots, chances created, attempted dribbles and touches in the opposition’s box.

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🦁 Aston Villa vs Manchester United 👹

This is what my economics professor described as Direct Competition.

Yup. Just two points separates these two.

So we’ll call this one The Battle of Champions League spot.

Villa fans will be pleased they’re at home…

• They’re joint-top scorers (30) at home.

• They’re joint-second for goals conceded (11) at home.

United’s away form has been - um - a little iffy this season. But, they’ll take confidence in their consecutive league wins.

• 💉 Quick hit: Ollie Watkins has been directly involved in 38 goals in 47 league appearances under Unai Emery, averaging a goal or assist every 107 minutes.

FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE 📊

DOUBLE GAMEWEEKS CONFIRMED ✅

In case you missed the news, double GW’s have been confirmed and we think we can predict two more:

• Double GW 25 = Confirmed.

• Double GW 28 = Confirmed.

• Double GW 34 = Expected.

• Double GW 37 = Expected.

Who doubles in GW 25 you ask?

• Manchester City – vs Chelsea (H) and Brentford (H)

• Liverpool – vs Brentford (A) and Luton (H)

• Luton – vs Manchester United (H) and Liverpool (A)

• Brentford – vs Liverpool (H) and Brentford (A)

Something to bear in mind whilst making your GW 24 transfers…

AI PICKS THE BEST CHIP STRATEGY 🧠

We like featuring AI models here at R1 because they are as unbiased as you’re going to get in FPL.

The AI model we feature below is designed by Spiro Valouxis which finished first out of 25,000 teams which started their season at GW 24 last season.

Spiro has kindly laid out for us which chips to use and when. Super useful with the double GW announcements.

Thank YOU, Spiros.

CAPTAINCY FOR GAMEWEEK 24 🫡

After captaining Phil Foden last week parts of our body are swinging a bit lower than usual…

And Foden has a crazy stat going into GW 24: he’s only blanked once in his last six starts against Everton.

But this week, things are a little different because… The Robot, Erling Haaland (£13.9m) is back.

If you can’t fit either of them in your team this week, don’t worry, we have you covered:

• Diogo Jota (£8.0m) v Burnley (H)

Liverpool’s “best finisher” according to Jamie Carragher scored in the reverse fixture and didn’t start the game.

• Darwin Núñez (£7.4m) v Burnley (H)

Our favourite player to love and hate also scored in the reverse fixture.

• Richarlison (£7.2m) v Brighton (H)

The wild Brazilian blanked in the reverse fixture, but has been on fire since that game.

• Bukayo Saka (£9.0m) v West Ham (A)

Has blanked the last two starts against West Ham but returned in each of the three games before then.

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

The AFCON final is this Sunday at 8 PM GMT and The Asian Cup final is this Saturday at 3 PM GMT. Click the links for discussion around each final.

No one could get the ball from Juan Román Riquelme… and we mean no one.

The Undertaker presented the Riyadh Season trophy after the game between Al Nassr and Al Hilal. Yup, you read that right.

Paul Scholes tells us how he “tapped up” Wayne Rooney whilst at Everton. Does someone want to tell Paul this is illegal?

Gareth Bale’s hattrick for Spurs at the San Siro was special… enjoy the highlights of his big Champions League performance.

Micah Richards was steaming before a game. So he asked the physios to make up an excuse so he didn’t play.

MEME 😆

R1 REFERRAL