Double Gameweek 25 was another chip-heavy gameweek, and there were points to be had once again for those who backed Mohamed Salah or Arne Slot with the triple captain or assistant manager chip respectively.

It was a disappointing draw for Aston Villa who were the other side to double, although Ollie Watkins did produce a goal, while several interesting attacking options emerged for some of top sides in the league.

Here’s our brief rundown of some notable highlights from Double Gameweek 25 so far and key Opta stats leaders.

If you want details of every goalscorer and assister, plus bonus points and more, see our Match Centre, which updates live during matches. Below is some key takeaways from the fixtures so far.

Join the Hub – latest offers

New look Aston Villa unable to break down 10-man Ipswich

With many FPL managers activating the new Assistant Manager chip last week, Unai Emery was a popular selection for the second week of scoring, as Aston Villa were the only side with a double other than Liverpool.

Once again, the Liverpool double also rendered Salah a popular Triple Captain pick for those not playing Assistant Manager, but with most teams already set on their Liverpool assets, all eyes were on Villa’s performance heading into Gameweek 25.

It was a disappointing scoreline for Emery’s side in the end, as the Villans failed to make their man advantage count in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

It wasn’t for want of trying of however, with Morgan Rogers in particular having a busy afternoon – taking five shots and creating four chances for his teammates.

Morgan Rogers’ stats this gameweek

There were also debuts for Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, with the former grabbing an assist thanks to his free kick hitting the woodwork before being turned in by Ollie Watkins.

Lucas Digne further substantiated his reputation as a nightmare FPL pick with a half-time substitution, while an injury to Leon Bailey should increase security of starts for the aforementioned attacking triumvirate – along with Donyell Malen.

Villa host Liverpool on Wednesday in the final game of Double Gameweek 25, and as it stands it’s largely the Liverpool backers who are ahead, with Watkins the only highly owned Villa asset to return so far.

Four Villa players featured in the most transferred in players this week, although it was Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert sitting atop the list.

Most transferred in players ahead of Double Gameweek 25

Cherries assets spread the points around

There were returns to be had for all three of the most popular Bournemouth midfield picks in Gameweek 25, as Kluivert, Dango Ouattara, and Antoine Semenyo all produced attacking points.

On the day it was actually Ryan Christie who hit the highest score, with his double return giving him a score of 13 points.

Based on the average player positions however, it looks like FPL managers have the correct trio in mind, with their most popular picks operating in an attacking triangle at Southampton.

Average player positions, Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth

Ouattara continued to impress in the central role with a clinical header, while assists for both Kluivert and Semenyo marked a fine attacking display from the Cherries.

As things stand, it looks like Ouattara is offering the best value of the three given his low price, but that narrative could quickly change should Bournemouth be awarded a couple of penalties.

All three look like fine picks, and with Bournemouth sitting second in the Hub’s fixture ticker, there are very few reasons to avoid these well-priced midfield assets in the coming weeks.

Dango Ouattara’s stats

Makeshift forward Merino the difference for Gunners

With injuries piling up in attack for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta found himself with decisions to make heading into their game against Leicester.

Kai Havertz was the latest addition to an injury list including the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, which led to a relatively second-string frontline lining up against the Foxes.

Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling, and Ethan Nwaneri led the line for the Gunners, but it was an uninspiring first half from an attacking perspective.

Of the three, it was Nwaneri who impressed the most, with he and Trossard both picking up an assist for Arsenal’s eventual matchwinner.

It was Mikel Merino who Arteta turned to from the bench – the central midfielder was undeniably playing out of position, but he showcased a much needed clinical edge that Arsenal were sorely lacking in the first half.

The Spanish central midfielder coolly dispatched a brace to give Arsenal the win, but it remains to be seen if he will be used in this position from the start against West Ham next gameweek.

Mikel Merino’s stats this gameweek

Marmoush hat trick piles misery on Magpies

A hat trick for winger Omar Marmoush was the headline news from Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Newcastle, as the Egyptian took home the match ball after an impressive show of finishing.

It was a sorry day at the office for Eddie Howe’s side, who have now lost three of their last four in the Premier league, and may well have one eye on the Carabao Cup final.

There will be question marks around their FPL assets going forward, particularly given the return of Callum Wilson, which may provoke some itchy trigger fingers around Alexander Isak.

The Swede shifted to a left wing position following Wilson’s introduction, and is likely to lose penalties in addition to reduced minutes up front. His scoring rate this season has been excellent, but the fixture swing may provide the push FPL managers need to finally let go of Isak after an impressive first half of the season.

Alexander Isak’s stats

Marmoush meanwhile looks like he has the potential to be a serious FPL option, with set-pieces also in his locker alongside substantial open play threat.

His listing as a forward in FPL is slightly unusual, but it may actually favour FPL managers right now given the array of options available in midfield compared with the choices up front.

On the topic of Manchester City forwards, Erling Haaland was withdrawn with a knock in the latter stages of the game, although Pep Guardiola noted that the Norwegian striker exited the pitch smiling, and would “hopefully be fine.”

Average player positions, Manchester City 4-0 Newcastle (Gameweek 25)

Key players return in Spurs victory over United

The return to the side of Guglielmo Vicario was marked with a rare clean sheet for Spurs, as they were 1-0 victors over an injury-stricken Manchester United.

James Maddison was another returnee, and his 11-pointer will spark interest ahead of their game against Ipswich in Gameweek 26.

New signing Mathys Tel also impressed in a forward position, with his seven shots this gameweek only matched by Raul Jimenez.

Total shots, Gameweek 25

Lucas Bergvall picked up an assist and could be a useful enabler at just £4.4m in FPL, with a handful of Spurs options emerging ahead of the trip to Ipswich.

For United it was a different story, with Amad the latest to join the injury list for Ruben Amorim’s side, which includes the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte.

These midfield absences have seen the reintroduction of Casemiro, and a deeper role for Bruno Fernandes which could potentially hamper his FPL output.

Average player positions, Spurs 1-0 Manchester United

Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 25: Players

Here are the gameweek’s stats leaders in full, with additions following Monday’s game between Chelsea and West ham in bold.

Shots – Mathys Tel and Raul Jimenez – 7
Shots on target – Mathys Tel, Raul Jimenez, Omar Marmoush, Carlos Alcaraz, Alejandro Garnacho – 3
Shots in the box – Mathys Tel – 6
Big chances – Ollie Watkins – 3
Goals – Omar Marmoush – 3
xG – Mohamed Salah – 0.9
Non-penalty xG (NpxG) – Ollie Watkins – 0.8
Key passes – Sasa Lukic – 6
Big chances created – Carlos Alcaraz, Marcus Rashford, Adama Traore – 2
Assists – Danny Welbeck – 2
Expected assists (xA) – Marcus Rashford – 0.8
FPL points – Omar Marmoush – 17
Expected points (xPts) – Joel Veltman – 8.3

Danny Welbeck picked up two assists in Brighton’s 3-0 win over Chelsea

Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 25: Teams

Despite their 1-1 draw, Aston Villa produced the most shots of any side over the weekend with 25. Only six of these were on target however, although they did top the charts for expected goals (xG) alongside Fulham and Spurs.

Unlike Villa both of these sides produced victories against relatively strong opposition, albeit only by a single goal in both cases.

No team had more big chances than Villa’s six, while Brighton were clinical enough to score three from their five big chances against Chelsea.

Most shots – Aston Villa (v Ispwich) – 25
Highest xG – Aston Villa (v Ipswich) – 2.3
Lowest xG – Leicester (v Arsenal) – 0.2

Check out our fantasy football ultimate guides

Our Ultimate Guide to FPL has everything you could ever need to guide you through each gameweek. Regularly updated, it includes all our FPL content in one handy place – from team reveals from some of the best FPL managers in the game to tips on the best players and much more.

We also have ultimate guides for Dream Team and Telegraph Fantasy Football, which are also home to tips and regular articles from experts in these formats.

Follow the Hub

Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Tiktok
And view all our latest fantasy football tips on our Homepage

FPL Double Gameweek 25 notes: Slow start for Emery owners, Wilson return pushes Isak wide

Win at FPL

Community & tools