Premier League 2020/21: FPL Gameweek 27 Fantasy Forecast
Ahead of each Gameweek in the Premier League, The Hype Train's team, Robert Austin, Sam Austin and Phil Jones, duel for FPL and league supremacy in predicting Premier League scores, as well as going head to head in picking a Scout Picks squad for each round of games. With the 2020/21 Premier League season starting tomorrow, we provide our Gameweek Forecast predictions, speculating how we think the latest round of games will be played out. Welcome to the Forecast. All aboard.
Premier League 2020/21: Gameweek 27 Fixtures
Premier League 2020/21: FPL Gameweek 27 Forecast
Enjoy our FPL Forecast article, with each of our team forecasting how we think the Premier League will shape up this upcoming Gameweek. If you agree or want to challenge us on our point of view, get in touch with us on our main Twitter account, @RealHypeTrain.
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 27
Burnley 1-2 Arsenal
Sheffield United 1-2 Southampton
Aston Villa 1-0 Wolves
Brighton 1-2 Leicester
West Brom 2-0 Newcastle
Liverpool 1-0 Fulham
Man City 2-0 Man United
Spurs 2-0 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 1-1 Everton
West Ham 2-2 Leeds
Man City 2-0 Southampton
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 27
Two teams have a Double Gameweek:
Man City: Man United (H), Southampton (H)
Southampton: Sheffield United (A), Man City (A)
Top FPL player targets ahead of the upcoming Gameweek:
GK: Ederson (MCI)
DEF: Ruben Dias (MCI)
DEF: John Stones (MCI)
MID: Ilkay Gundogan (MCI)
That’s right, no forwards, the only players you need to look at this Gameweek are City players. Due to the absolute state of the Premier League the riches of City have risen above everyone else. Shocker. They are scoring and keeping clean sheets and walking away with it, so its easy.
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid?:
Man City (Watch): Thirteen league wins out of thirteen games in 2021 for City makes it an easy and default answer.
The quality of the Premier League is so dire now I have no idea who is going to be good from week-to-week.
Remember United last week? Two goalless draws.
Liverpool? Dead, they just downright struggle in most games.
Chelsea? Still figuring out things under Tuchel, though are defensively solid.
Leicester? A home loss and an away draw, with Barnes now injured.
Wolves? Nothing without Jimenez and got a loss and draw in GW26.
Due to the poor quality of the league a sudden drop of points if on the cusp of every team, other than Manchester City. Every other team might as well be in the ‘Avoid’ category.
Gameweek 27 – FPL Differential Picks:
BUR/ARS: Alexandre Lacazette (ARS, FWD, £8.1mil, 4.0% ownership)
SHU/SOU: David McGoldrick (SHU, FWD, £5.2mil, 1.7% ownership)
AVL/WOL: Bertrand Traoré (AVL, MID, £5.9mil, 1.3% ownership)
BHA/LEI: Çaglar Söyüncü (LEI, DEF, £5.3mil, 3.1% ownership)
WBA/NEW: Sam Johnstone (WBA, GK, £4.5mil, 2.4% ownership)
LIV/FUL: Alisson (LIV, GK, £5.9mil, 6.0% ownership)
MCI/MUN: Gabriel Jesus (MCI, FWD, £9.2mil, 3.6% ownership)
TOT/CRY: Gareth Bale (TOT, MID, £9.3mil, 1.2% ownership)
CHE/EVE: César Azpilicueta (CHE, DEF, £5.7mil, 4.9% ownership)
WHU/LEE: Jesse Lingard (WHU, MID, £6.0mil, 5.5% ownership)
MCI/SOU: Gabriel Jesus (MCI, FWD, £9.2mil, 3.6% ownership)
Differential Captain: Jesse Lingard (WHU)
West Ham have accumulated the second most points of any team in 2021 and has accumulated three goals and two assists in five games since he joined from Manchester United. Lingard has helped revitalised the West Ham midfield and propel the London club up the Premier League table. Playing almost as a second striker, Lingard is someone that gets in and around the box, a crucial outlet for the Hammers attack, and has been a real difference maker. Lingard is the only differential of the above list that doesn’t cause any internal debate, which is good enough to be captain in a Premier League campaign that keeps stagnating.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 27
Formation: 343
Starting 11
GK: Alisson (LIV)
DEF: John Stones (MCI)
DEF: Ruben Dias (MCI)
DEF: Luke Shaw (MUN)
MID: Hueng-Min Son (TOT)
MID: Mohamad Salah (LIV) - (VC)
MID: Jesse Lingard (WHU)
MID: Ilkay Gundogan (MCI)
FOR: Patrick Bamford (LEE)
FOR: Michail Antonio (WHU)
FOR: Harry Kane (TOT) - (C)
Substitutes
GK: Emiliano Martinez (AVL)
MID: Gareth Bale (TOT)
DEF: Cezar Azpilicueta (CHE)
DEF: Kieran Tierney (ARS)
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 27
Burnley 0-1 Arsenal
Sheffield United 0-0 Southampton
Aston Villa 1-1 Wolves
Brighton 1-0 Leicester
West Brom 2-0 Newcastle
Liverpool 2-0 Fulham
Man City 2-1 Man United
Spurs 1-0 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 1-0 Everton
West Ham 1-1 Leeds
Man City 3-0 Southampton
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 27
Two teams have a Double Gameweek:
Man City: Man United (H), Southampton (H)
Southampton: Sheffield United (A), Man City (A)
Right off the bat, I’m not even sure this should be classified as a Double Gameweek. On current form it will take Southampton until the end of the season until one of their players accumulates enough points for DGW consideration. The Saints have the worst form in the league, carrying just 1 draw and 4 defeats from their last 5 outings, which means they are untouchable for any type of praise, selection or analysis this week. Ralph Hasenhuttl must be counting his lucky stars that they had some patches of good form before 2021, otherwise they’d be rivalling Newcastle and Fulham for the drop.
Pep Guardiola, who has sworn to an oath that he had no idea of what Fantasy Football was until the Aston Villa injury leaks spread around social media, just doesn’t indulge in Double Gameweek’s and will rotate the pack again. The downside to City’s huge wealth is the abundance of talent at Pep’s disposable has become a necessity as he looks to field a largely different squad in every game in order to keep pace with winning every single trophy this season. The larger theme here is that your FPL team will be impacted somewhat, especially if we all persist with Cancelo, Stones, Dias and Gundogan.
This is more like a Single Gameweek+ as the FPL ceiling has been dramatically lowered to the point of becoming obsolete due to the challenges faced by the rigid game, meanwhile the football in the league has become completely sterile since the turn of the year. This is the result of condensing down the fixture lists and reducing hours on the training ground, leaving clubs to play it safe (and incredibly defensive) as they’re given limited tactical options in game. Defending deep in two narrow blocks has become the norm.
I’m not sure how much football I am going to watch this weekend as a result – I tallied and only saw 15 goals from 13 games, missing large chunks of City’s 4-1 win over Wolves and Spurs’s 4-0 home win over Burnley.
Top FPL player targets ahead of the upcoming Gameweek:
Andreas Christensen (CHE), Cesar Azpilicueta (CHE), Mbaye Diagne (WBA), Jesse Lingard (WHU), Kevin De Bruyne (MCI)
Are you planning for the reduced Gameweek 29?:
There are only 8 teams competing in this shortened Gameweek and only 3 teams – Spurs, Aston Villa, and Fulham – that played twice during the recent Double Gameweek 26. Any transfer activity if you’re lacking a desirable chip to play should be done, ideally, with this upcoming round of games in the back of your head, though due to the polarising, numbing state of top-flight football right now, I’m not so sure we should delve too much into this, though it gives us a good roadmap of how transfer activity will shape up in the coming month as the Premier League enters the business end of the campaign.
Gameweek 29 Fixtures:
Fulham vs. Leeds
Brighton vs. Newcastle
West Ham vs. Arsenal
Aston Villa vs. Spurs
Upcoming League Fixtures for Gameweek 29 Teams:
Fulham: Liverpool (A), Man City (H), Leeds (H), Aston Villa (A)
Leeds: West Ham (A), Chelsea (H), Fulham (A), Sheffield United (H)
Brighton: Leicester (H), Southampton (A), Newcastle (H), Man United (A)
Newcastle: West Brom (A), Aston Villa (H), Brighton (A), Spurs (H)
West Ham: Leeds (H), Man United (A), Arsenal (H), Wolves (A)
Arsenal: Burnley (A), Spurs (H), West Ham (A), Liverpool (H)
Aston Villa: Wolves (H), Newcastle (A), Spurs (H), Fulham (H)
Spurs: Crystal Palace (H), Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (A), Newcastle (A)
From a purely fixtures standpoint, the path is clear to bolster on your Leeds assets and potentially a cheap Brighton defender (or Robert Sanchez in goal if you’re looking to make a change) as both have favourable fixtures, even though it feels like we’re grasping at straws.
The road to Gameweek 29 is simply just full of potholes that can destroy your fantasy car at any moment, though it looks like millions of players will be looking for key Spurs assets, and will chuck the odds against Fulham and Newcastle as both are in the midst of a deep relegation battle.
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid ahead of Gameweek 27?:
Liverpool (Watch):
I’ve been sitting next to my twin brother week after week after he said this freefall would happen, all the way back from the point Virgil van Dijk was injured by the outstretched legs of Jordan Pickford. No, he didn’t expect five consecutive home league losses, especially for the champions – yet it happened against Chelsea of all teams to end Gameweek 26.
Looking short of flair in attack, this is purely a hunch and nothing else, but I kind of expect Liverpool to come on strong against Fulham. They dispatched a stubborn Sheffield United side in similar fashion a few weeks back and can see this being another similar outcome – Scott Parker operates without much of an outlet, which should allow the Reds a sense of creative freedom.
It's ben a tough season for Jurgen Klopp. Injuries have ravaged his team and little niggles that turn into several month injuries have slowed the team gelling. Their recruitment of Ozan Kabak, one of those ‘FIFA 21 Career Mode Wonderkids’, even on an initial loan looks a mistake. I’m all for a defenders union as I play my trade at grassroots level in the rear-guard of my team, but the way Kabak has nervously slotted into the team without any confidence, looking like a headless chicken without much instruction, much be addressed. Other teams such as West Ham, Leicester and Everton have done a better job with supposed ‘lesser’ players, so it surely has to be LFC’s tactical set-up as central defenders are increasingly isolated and slow to recover against speedsters such as Richarlison (EVE) and Timo Werner (CHE).
Newcastle (Avoid, but stay for the reactions of supporters):
I’m kind a mild-mannered Newcastle fan. I’m not so hot on the many fanatical NUFC social media accounts that over-analyse every single little action at the club, from understandable viewpoints about the lack of a training regime, actual backstage dramas and inside moles leaking club infighting, all the way down to the size of the individual blades of grass at the training centre and the colour of the tea lady’s socks on a Wednesday afternoon. I’m not attacking any of these fan accounts, just pointing out that following this trend of news around the club has become unhealthy and breeding toxicity – even if the reported news is completely true – especially as Newcastle United continue their transition from a once proud football club, to a 20-minute sketch comedy on Comedy Central
I am not even surprised to be saying that it’s been another week of turmoil at the club, however. This week, Matt Ritchie and Steve Bruce had words and a little nudge after Wolves scored seconds after Ritchie entered the field of play as substitute against Wolves. Ritchie claims he wasn’t passed many instructions about the change of shape which saw Jacob Murphy moved to right wing-back, but on the other side of the coin Steve Bruce has again placed a fair deal of criticism on his players – this has become a worrying trend. Regardless of the truth, this loses dressing rooms and probably led to the leak as players are clearly fed up.
This all leads up to a spectacularly timed trip to West Brom this weekend, with the Magpies missing our best three players through injury – Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin. West Brom (17 points) could close the gap to 6 points beneath Newcastle (26 points) with a win, and I’m expecting that exact thing to happen. Form also indicates that Fulham will upset the odds at Anfield, whilst Brighton host an injury-hit Leicester side, which could all pile on more pressure to an already dire situation at the club as we veer towards the drop.
Mbaye Diagne, a Senegal international teammate of Sadio Mane’s, has been a real handful in the penalty area and can just see his influence rattling Newcastle’s crooked foundations even further. It’s just hard to see what the plan of action will be from Bruce too, which has already given me uncomfortable stomach cramps as I brace myself for another soul-destroying week, especially as the club’s takeover attempt has more newsworthy talking points.
Chelsea (Watch):
Defensively solid and have a few in-form midfielders in Mount and Werner. I was purring over the performance of Chelsea’s back three against Liverpool - Andreas Christensen at the heart of the team has become a Bonus Points magnet, Azpilicueta must have realised I captained him in the Double Gameweek and put on a show, whilst Rudiger didn’t give Mane an inch. It looks like it will be more of the same against a stubborn Everton outfit.
Man City (Watch):
The W’s keep on rolling and they don’t have to worry about the return Gladbach game in the Champions League for a while, so it *should* be a couple of strong outings at home to get the league title wrapped up as soon as possible.
Leicester (Avoid):
It’s like watching last season repeat itself, with a host of injuries threatening Leicester’s Champions League dreams. Barnes and Justin are huge losses and it gives the team less driving power against towering defenders that exist at clubs like Brighton who will suck up pressure all afternoon.
Southampton (Avoid):
A spent force. I can’t even see them scoring this Gameweek in away ties at Sheffield of City.
Gameweek 27 - FPL Captaincy Picks:
Essential: Ruben Dias (MCI)
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (LIV)
Differential: Mbaye Diagne (WBA)
Other Gameweek Comments:
FPL fatigue is real this year and I’m no different. The egg-heads that arrange the fixtures have to stop spreading out viewing experiences – the thought of watching four games on Saturday all spread out followed by the same on Sunday, with a couple on Monday and then more games in midweek, which includes European competition currently – is enough to put a mosquito off of drinking blood.
The more the season drags on, the less interesting it has become. When the WWE Network was launched, it threw too much content at you. When that same company had three television shows (RAW, SmackDown and NXT) all on cable television, it tired out casual viewers. The same happened at the UFC on FOX. That’s why the NFL creates a culture of Monday and Thursday Night Football and why broadcasting rights in the UK limited live events such as football. The point is, over-saturation of sports is a bad idea (just ask Troy Barnes from Community who ate too much of a good thing), and it’s driving viewers crazy at home. A break is good sometimes, especially when virtually every Premier League match is making everyone head to bed early.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 27
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Sam Johnstone (WBA)
DEF: Joao Cancelo (MCI)
DEF: Ruben Dias (MCI) – (C)
DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta (CHE)
MID: Mohamed Salah (LIV) – (VC)
MID: Kevin De Bruyne (MCI)
MID: Heung-Min Son (TOT)
MID: Jesse Lingard (WHU)
FOR: Harry Kane (TOT)
FOR: Michail Antonio (WHU)
FOR: Mbaye Diagne (WBA)
Substitutes
GK: Robert Sanchez (BHA)
MID: Bukayo Saka (ARS)
DEF: Lewis Dunk (BHA)
DEF: Mason Holgate (EVE)
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.
In 2019, Hype Train Football Club was formed, becoming the first Fantasy Football website to take to the field. HTFC is a socially active team across social and web channels, providing regular match highlights, match reports, comprehensive player statistics and unique player profiles. We won both Goal of the Season Awards in the Berkshire and County FA regions, with Callum Parr-Jones winning the Berks & Bucks FA award, whilst Martin King won the PlaySport UK award.
The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.
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