Liverpool secured the league title with four games to spare and Ipswich were relegated in FPL Blank Gameweek 34.

Here’s some of the key highlights of the weekend’s action from an FPL perspective, when the Free Hit was a very common strategy.

If you want details of every goalscorer and assister, plus bonus points and more, see our Match Centre, which updates live during matches.

Free Hits deployed on mass in blank gameweek

More than one million Free Hits were activated ahead of Blank Gameweek 34 as FPL managers scrambled to compensate for key players not having a fixture.

It was the second time this season that this many Free Hits were used in a single week, although slightly more were used in Blank Gameweek 29 according to FPL.

Big at the back would have been a successful way to play the Free Hit, with five of the six top-scoring players of the weekend being either defenders or goalkeepers.

Matheus Cunha was the biggest scorer of the week and was the top transfer target, being brought into 801,000 teams – nearly 250,000 more than second most popular Bryan Mbeumo.

The attention was on Mohamed Salah for the captaincy, with 65% of the game’s top 250,000 backing the Liverpool talisman.

Although not the highest-scoring player of the week, Salah at least delivered one attacking return for his backers and scoring eight points.

Gameweek 34 captaincy picks

FPL Blank Gameweek 34 fixtures

Four teams were without a league match at the weekend due to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Manchester City and Crystal Palace made it through to the final at the expense of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Forest host Brentford on Thursday (May 1) in the last match of Blank Gameweek 34, by which point we may learn more about fixture changes around the final. A Double Gameweek 36 and Blank Gameweek 37 is possible. Our guide will be updated when news is confirmed.

FPL Blank and Double Gameweek Guide

Here is a brief summary of the weekend’s matches:

Chelsea 1 – 0 Everton

xG: 0.97 v 0.52

Enzo Fernandez set up Nicolas Jackson for the only goal of the game as the Blues edged out David Moyes’ visiting Toffees.

The away side had just six shots on goal, the second lowest of the gameweek behind Ipswich.

Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah – whose tackle led to the goal – topped the bonus charts ahead of Jackson and Robert Sanchez, who made three saves.

It was another quiet day for Cole Palmer, who had no shots on goal and completed two key passes – neither resulting in big chances.

Nicolas Jackson’s stats

Brighton 3 – 2 West Ham

xG: 1.36 v 1.23

Brighton stole all three points thanks to two late goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba in the 89th and 92nd minutes.

Yasin Ayari had given the Seagulls the lead with a wonder strike of his own, only for Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek to strike back.

Conceding late goals has been a feature of the Hammers’ performances recently – something Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler had clearly picked up on:

“We mentioned how we wanted to play the last 10 minutes if we needed a goal.”

Despite their troubles, Jarrod Bowen continues to pick up points. He contributed two assists here, with the league’s best expected assists (xA) tally. It was his second successive nine-point haul.

Jarrod Bowen’s stats

Newcastle 3 – 0 Ipswich

xG: 3.04 v 0.12

Ipswich’s relegation back to the Championship was confirmed on Saturday.

The Tractor Boys lost Ben Johnson in the first half after he was sent off for two bookable offences.

A Bruno Guimaraes goal was ruled out before Alexander Isak put the Magpies ahead from the penalty spot, with Jacob Murphy earning the spot-kick.

It was otherwise a disappointing day for the Swedish striker, who had three big chances and six shots – but only one (the penalty) on target.

Speaking after the game, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said of his star man:

“Well, I think, yeah, in part, Ipswich’s game plan would have been to stop Alex today. So I think the reducing of space, the low defensive line, does limit his ability to bring his main strengths to the game.

“Of course, as a team, then we still need to find a way to get him into the game. And I felt we did. And I felt he did. I felt he improved as the game went on.

“Possibly not [playing his best football] but I think that’s the same with any player. There’ll be little peaks and troughs.”

The star of this game was not Isak but Kieran Trippier, whose two assists led him to 15 points – the joint-best total of the week.

Dan Burn’s goal and clean sheet also saw him rack up a double-digit score (13).

Kieran Trippier’s stats

All the talk pre-deadline was how many minutes Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Murphy would get and who would start.

Howe stuck with Barnes and Murphy on the wings, with the former’s form and Gordon’s fitness contributing factors. He said:

“I think Harvey has been outstanding since he got his opportunity in the team. I think he’s grabbed it with both hands, and that’s all he can do.

“Anthony, I still don’t think is 100 per cent match fit. This week in training, he is still aware of some feeling in his knee, so we need to protect him and make sure that when we bring him back into the team, that he’s 100 per cent fit.”

Murphy played 67 minutes and Barnes 77, with Gordon coming on for Murphy. William Osula played 13 minutes alongside Callum Wilson and grabbed the third goal.

Alexander Isak’s stats

Southampton 1 – 2 Fulham

xG: 0.56 v 2.15

Antonee Robinson was a surprise absentee with a knee injury, something Marco Silva said the American has been managing over the last five or six games.

Ryan Sessegnon deputised and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.

Sessegnon was a popular Free Hit choice as he has been playing on the right wing in the absence of Harry Wilson. Both started against Southampton but Wilson was limited to a single shot on goal and two key passes.

Raul Jimenez had seven shots but just one on target. A yellow card limited him to a single FPL point.

Ryan Sessegnon’s stats

Wolves 3 – 0 Leicester

xG: 2.22 v 1.15

Backers of Wolves’ defence have Jose Sa to thank after his penalty save helped them to a clean sheet against the Foxes.

Sa conceded the penalty after he was judged to have fouled Jamie Vardy, who missed from 12 yards.

Matheus Cunha top scored with 15 points after a superb performance, scoring one and assisting two. Jorgen Strand Larsen was on target but could not keep up with the Brazilian, managing six points.

Full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri was at his attacking best and his assist put him top among defenders with 11 for the season.

Matheus Cunha’s stats

Bournemouth 1 – 1 Manchester United

xG: 0.67 v 2.56

Bournemouth took a first-half lead through Antoine Semenyo and looked to be heading for a win before Rasmus Hojlund’s 96th minute equaliser.

Ruben Amorim has stuck with the Danish forward despite his lack of goals, hoping to boost his confidence ahead of the Red Devils’ crucial Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Youngster Chido Obi did get some minutes in this match but played 15 minutes alongside Hojlund, rather than replacing him.

The game’s big talking point came when Evanilson was controversially handed a straight red. Cherries boss Andoni Iraola protested that a ‘slip’ had caused the foul on Noussair Mazraoui but VAR disagreed.

Antoine Semenyo’s stats

Liverpool 5 – 1 Spurs

xG: 2.14 v 0.39

Spurs threatened to spoil Liverpool’s title-winning party after Dominic Solanke gave them the lead from a corner.

But it was soon business as usual for Arne Slot’s side, with goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.

Destiny Udogie turned a Trent Alexander-Arnold ball into his own net before Salah could pounce.

Dominik Szoboszlai was among the returnees, with two assists.

Mohamed Salah’s stats

Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 34: Players

Here are the gameweek’s stats leaders in full, following the conclusion of the gameweek:

Shots – Alejandro Garnacho – 8
Shots on target – Noni Madueke – 4
Shots in the box – Raul Jimenez – 7
Big chances – Alexander Isak – 3
Goals – Multiple players – 1
xG – Alexander Isak – 1.53
Non-penalty xG (NpxG) – Jorgen Strand Larsen – 1.0
Key passes – Dominik Szoboszlai – 8
Big chances created – Jarrod Bowen – 2
Assists – Jarrod Bowen, Dominik Szoboszlai, Brajan Gruda, Matheus Cunha and Kieran Trippier – 2
Expected assists (xA) – Jarrod Bowen – 0.92
FPL points – Matheus Cunha and Kieran Trippier – 15
Expected points (xPts) – Alexander Isak – 9.81

Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 32: Teams

Most shots – Fulham (v Southampton) – 26
Highest xG – Newcastle (v Ipswich) – 3.04
Lowest xG – Ipswich – 0.12

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FPL Gameweek 34 notes: Cunha stars, why Robinson missed out, Free Hit stats

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