FPL 25/26 Gameweek 2 has been an interesting week in the world of FPL. With lots of shocking results, injuries, and, a brutal Monday Night fixture, it does feel like it's been a bit catastrophic at points. Especially since two of the major premiums seem to be out going into Gameweek 3, it does feel like the start of the season has been more turbulent than previous ones.
With a lot of players still failing to perform, a shaky looking Liverpool team, and an Aston Villa team that can only be described as shocking, a lot of the initial picks going into the season are looking to be far worse than we thought. And, with a difficult gameweek ahead for both Liverpool and Arsenal (facing one another), and the international break on the horizon, it's looking like it's time to put the pedal to the metal.
There's a lot to talk about, including a possible Wildcard strategy for Gameweek 3, as well as my thoughts on the games this weekend and how I feel as though each team is looking. We'll take a look at my own team as well, and go over the changes and doubts I have, as well as what I'm planning to do about it all.
FPL 25/26 Gameweek 2: My Team Overview and Thoughts
To be really honest, FPL Gameweek 2 has simply added to what's been a terrible start to the season. With so many injuries this week as well as no-shows from the Villa players as well as Florian Wirtz, things are looking quite dire. To put it simply, I have three options this week.
- Wildcard for Gameweek 3 and try and fix my team to gain momentum.
- Free Hit for Gameweek 3 before the international break, and then see what happens afterwards.
- Stay the course and continue with the plan, hoping that my team perks up in the future.
Being incredibly honest, I don't feel great about my team right now. I refuse to take a point hit, but I need to deal with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers as soon as possible. Aston Villa look so lost, and Emery's tactics just feel abysmal. I also need to keep myself open to fixing the Cole Palmer injury problem, and would like to move away from Florian Wirtz as I don't think he's quite ready to shine in the Premier League just yet either.
With this, I do have a lot to consider, so keep an eye out in the following days for my Gameweek 3 preparation article!
FPL 25/26 Gameweek 2 Review: Brutal.
There were a ton of surprises throughout Gameweek 2, with a clash of two Big Six teams as well as the fiery Liverpool vs. Newcastle match. Not just for me, but a lot of top managers are struggling to find their feet at the beginning of the season.
This tweet from FPL Raptor says it all, in that this has definitely been one of the most unpredictable openings in recent memory, and it feels as though this week has completely thrown a spanner in the works.
West Ham 1 - 5 Chelsea
When West Ham went 1 - 0 up, I thought that Chelsea had been found out. But, it does seem that the goal was a fluke, as West Ham looked completely miserable. El Hadji Malick Diouf managed an assist, but West Ham is just a team that I wouldn't invest in whatsoever.
On the other hand, Cole Palmer didn't even play, and 249-joao-pedro performed massively. I had my doubts about him, but now I'm considering him in my team with Chelsea's fixtures.
Man City 0 - 2 Spurs
Spurs' defense looks outstanding under their new manager, whereas Man City felt completely absent. Maybe it's too early to make a judgement on whether Man City will succeed or not, but one thing is for sure; Spurs have shown that they're a completely new side this season.
João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves put on a masterclass, scoring a goal and obtaining three bonus points for his first 90 at the club. Genuinely, I feel as though his only risk is minutes, and that with Spurs' form and fixtures he could be a great pick if he can get those minutes.
Bournemouth 1 - 0 Wolves
This was an expected result, and honestly only cements my belief that Wolves are going to be battling relegation this season.
The brilliant Antoine Semenyo returned again, with an assist. I really like how Bournemouth look, and I feel as though they've got pretty good form going into the rest of the season.
On the other hand, Wolves looked pretty bad, with Jørgen Strand Larsen failing to return and also looking far worse this week over.
Brentford 1 - 0 Aston Villa
Put simply, Aston Villa looked woeful. Their offensive threat seems completely disconnected, and Ollie Watkins was essentially a ghost for the whole match. Brentford looked better this week, with Dango Ouattara scoring in his debut.
Burnley 2 - 0 Sunderland
Sunderland looked far worse than they did last week against West Ham. Daniel Ballard going off injured at the start of the game felt very frustrating, and it felt like the team just had far less bite in general. I don't think much can be said here about either team otherwise, as promoted teams can be inconsistent.
Arsenal 5 - 0 Leeds
Bukayo Saka scored and then came off with an injury, but Arsenal thrashed Leeds with Viktor Gyökeres and (unexpectedly) Jurriën Timber coming ahead with a brace.
Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest
This game was pretty uneventful, with a goal for each side. Ismaïla Sarr had a return, as did Callum Hudson-Odoi, but the most annoying thing was losing points on clean sheets.
It's obvious that Forest have more attacking threat than we thought in the preseason, but otherwise I don't know if this game is enough to say that either team has a leaky defense. It's disappointing to see the lack of Defensive Contribution points from the 'DEFCON Beasts' in Forest's team, though.
Everton 2 - 0 Brighton
Brighton definitely look weaker than they did last season, with Georginio Rutter absent. Danny Welbeck scuffed a penalty, and they just looked very uninspired.
On the other hand, James Tarkowski continues being consistent for DEFCON at his price, and Jack Grealish hits two assists on his first 90 for the Toffees. Iliman Ndiaye scored, but I still feel like he's on the worse end of the £6.5ms.
Fulham 1 -1 Manchester United:
United looked pretty weak, with their only goal being scored by an opposing player. Bruno Borges Fernandes missed a penalty but hit DEFCON points, and so I don't know if it means much for the future. Otherwise, both of these teams just looked icnredibly uninspiring.
Newcastle 2 - 3 Liverpool:
This was the game of the week, and it was incredibly eventful. Liverpool had the first half, but seemed to completely turn off in the second, and Newcastle looked like they were going to win it at some points.
Their stand-in no.9 Anthony Gordon stupidly went off and is now suspended for three games, and so Newcastle's striker problem seems to be even more dire at this point.
However, Liverpool also just look terrible defensively, and Florian Wirtz is nowhere to be seen. Mohamed Salah got a late assist, but otherwise I feel as though Hugo Ekitiké is the player to watch. He looked magical, and obviously scored a goal. Ryan Gravenberch also looked really good, and was the defensive backbone of the team, especially as Liverpool's defence seemed to fall apart thoroughly.
Closing Time
Next week is going to be interesting, with Liverpool facing off against Arsenal and a ton of injuries across the league. With the international break a week away, this week of FPL is definitely looking to be killer. So, keep an eye out for our Gameweek 3 Preview article, as well as our Wildcard article if we decide to take the WC3.
Even though the start of the season has been rough, it's looking to be a great season nonetheless. If you want more great FPL content, FPLZone will be here every week for your FPL fix. We'll go over each week's games, as well as our team selection and captaincy, to ensure that you have all the information you need. In the meantime, keep an eye out on my Twitter for more commentary throughout the week.
In any case, thank you for your time, and I'll see you later this week!
