This is it—the final double gameweek of the FPL season is here, and it's time to make your moves count. Manchester City and Crystal Palace both play twice, so loading up on Pep Guardiola's stars is practically a must. But the big question is: which City assets do you pick beyond the obvious Erling Haaland? And how many Palace players should you trust as Oliver Glasner's side chases European glory?
I've put together my ideal Free Hit team for this crucial week, keeping within a £100m budget as if you were playing the chip. The picks are based on current FPL prices, so you can plug and play. Don't forget to catch our FPL special Q&A with expert Holly Shand, live on the BBC Sport website on Friday at 15:30 BST—it could be the edge you need.
Last week, a triple Arsenal defence paid off with three clean sheets, plus we saw 10-pointers from Noah Okafor and James Hill, and a goal from captain Igor Thiago. Now, let's dive into this week's lineup.
Keeper and Defence
Start with Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) and Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.6m), both Brighton, facing Wolves at home. Wolves have lost their past two away games 3-0 and 4-0 and have only scored seven goals on the road all season. Betting on Brighton's defence is a smart, logical play.
Next up, Nico O'Reilly (£5.2m) of Manchester City, with home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace. There's a case for doubling up on City's defence, but with goal difference potentially deciding the title, this team leans into the attacking upside of two Pep assets. If you're picking just one City defender, make it the goalscoring, bonus-grabbing O'Reilly.
For Crystal Palace, Jaydee Canvot (£4.5m) faces Everton at home and Manchester City away. I'm not too worried about rotation here—if Palace reach the Uefa Conference League final on Thursday, they'll have three weeks before the big game. And rotating hasn't worked for Glasner lately, with just one point from their last three games and a nervous eye on the relegation zone. Canvot has started eight straight matches and tends to earn defensive contribution points (defcon) in five of those outings.
Finally, Arsenal's defence is on a roll, so Gabriel has to be in the team of the week again. Four clean sheets in the last five games speaks for itself—lock him in for that solidity.
