FPL Gameweek 23 Preview – How Many Liverpool Players Do We Need?

Greetings all, and welcome to your fully operational preview for FPL Gameweek 23. 

It was a funny old Gameweek 22. We had as many as four clean sheets, which is an enormous rarity in itself. Then in the other fixtures there were just loads of goals – 5 in 3 of the games, and 4 in the other 3. 

You’d have thought all that added up to a big FPL week, but the average score was only 46pts – largely, perhaps, because Salah, Palmer, and Isak – who everyone and their dog owns – all blanked. 

Anyway. We’re all about looking forward, here at Full 90 FPL, so let’s try and predict the future – that always goes well! 

Without further ado then, here’s your Gameweek 23 preview in all its glory. 

Double Gameweek 24 – Everton and Liverpool

In case you live under a rock or don’t religiously follow Ben Crellin on Twitter then I will remind you that Everton play Leicester and Liverpool at home; and, Liverpool play Bournemouth and Everton away in FPL gameweek 24.

Naturally, this is a pertinent issue to consider ahead of time.

How Many Everton Assets Do You Need?

None. This isn’t to say that picking up one or two of their assets is a bad idea. 

They have great fixtures in the medium term if you are dead-ending into blank gameweek 29 and they are guaranteed to play in 29. So, someone like Pickford or Mykolenko is a nice option.

The trouble is they are very, very bad at football. The defence has been pretty good again this year and they have seven clean sheets to show for it. The attack has been woeful though – they have scored the second fewest goals. 

Plus, we aren’t entirely sure if they will perform better or worse with their new/old manager, David Moyes.

If you have one, play him. If you need to buy a cheap defender, make it Mykolenko. But, don’t use two transfers to bring one in and then dump him immediately.

How Many Liverpool Assets Do You Need?

Given that Liverpool have a very favourable fixture this weekend at home to Ipswich, this is a pertinent question to consider this week.

Let’s start with the easy one. Salah is a must own for the double. I can’t believe you don’t already own him though.

In defence, I trust van Dijk’s minutes the most and Robertson’s the least. But, Trent has the highest ceiling and Konate is the cheapest.

In attack, you can only consider Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo. In FPL, Diaz is a midfielder and Gakpo is an attacker. I 100% believe Gakpo will start against Ipswich because he was rested midweek but I am less sure of Diaz who played 70 odd mins.

To answer the question, I think you need Salah and want at least one more asset. I would favour the second asset being a defender so you can cover any potential Trent hauls but it doesn’t need to be Trent. 

Personally, I have Trent and Salah and I am almost certainly buying Gakpo this week too.

Best Attacking Fixtures

Here are the five sides with the very best attacking FPL fixtures, from FPL Gameweek 23 to 27.

Over the next ten the following have the best fixtures:

1. Liverpool
2. Spurs
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Aston Villa

If you are dead-ending into gameweek 29, these teams have the best fixtures:

1. Liverpool
2. Everton
3. Spurs
4. Aston Villa
5. Brentford

Remember that this will change as one of Spurs or Liverpool and one of Arsenal or Newcastle will blank in 29.

Best Defensive Fixtures

Here are the five sides with the very best defensive FPL fixtures, from FPL Gameweek 23 to 27.

Over the next ten the following have the best fixtures:

1. Crystal Palace
2. Liverpool
3. Arsenal
4. Man United
5. Spurs

If you are dead-ending into gameweek 29, these teams have the best fixtures:

1. Man United
2. Brentford
3. Everton
4. Spurs
5. Crystal Palace

Remember that this will also change, since one of Spurs or Liverpool and one of Arsenal or Newcastle will blank in 29.

Should I Buy?

Looking at the most-bought players in FPL, ahead of Gameweek 23, and don’t know whether you should buy one? We will tell you!

• Kluivert – No. The next two fixtures are about as bad as you can get. Plus, despite the hat-trick this week, he doesn’t actually score that often from outfield. And, he’s the only player ever to get a hat-trick of pens. 
• Alexander-Arnold – Yes. Good for next few weeks.
• Wood – No. As I said earlier in the season, Wood is only really good when he has shit teams to play against. Yes he just got 12, 9, 8 and 12 points. But he also played Southampton, Everton and Wolves. Okay, he also scored against Liverpool but that sort of thing doesn’t really happen.
• Gakpo – Yes. A great short-term punt.
• Foden – No. Way too expensive and not sure he is nailed for 90 every week.
• Hall – No, not if you want to play him more than once in the next five.
• Mateta – Yes. The fixtures are really good and he is starting to look good too.
• Aina – No. Bad fixtures.
• Amad – No. Get Rogers instead.
• Isak – Yes. The best striker in the league at the moment.
• Watkins – Yes. But he is a little on the expensive side.
• Kerkez – I wouldn’t prioritise this move for a couple of weeks.
• Mbeumo/Wissa – Yes. I don’t love the game this weekend, but the fixtures are starting to turn and they are great.

Should I Sell?

And now let’s take a look at the most-sold players in FPL, ahead of Gameweek 23.

• Saliba – Maybe… but I wouldn’t. It sounds like he’ll be back sooner rather than later, and Arsenal have nice fixtures after the City game
• N.Jackson – Yes. I’ve had enough of him. He’s now failed to score in the last six games, and – for me – Wolves at home, in a 3-1 win, was just the final straw 

• Palmer – No. He’s the second-highest scoring player in the game… why wouldn’t you want him? City away isn’t a particularly hard attacking fixture any more, either

• Solanke – Yes – injured for a while. Making Richarlison an intriguing option, with Brennan Johnson also out, and some nice upcoming fixtures

• Jimenez – Maybe. I’d probably hold him for Man U at home, but you definitely want to sell him after that for Newcastle and Forest

• Cunha – Yes. Tough fixtures, and has annoyed the manager now

• Gabriel – No. Man City aside, the upcoming fixtures are very nice

• Gvardiol – Yes. City don’t keep cleans (their only recent ones were against Ipswich and Leicester), and they have brutal upcoming defensive fixtures

• Haaland – Maybe. I don’t know why you’d hold him this long and sell him when he starts scoring again, but the fixtures are tricky

• Mbeumo – No. A couple of blanks don’t worry me – he’s excellent, and has some very nice upcoming fixtures, including Spurs at home in GW 24

Captaincy Corner

Well, this might be the shortest Captaincy Corner I’ve ever written. 

It’s Salah against Ipswich. Obviously. Let’s not overthink this.

Isak against Southampton seems an equally obvious vice-captain. 

Captaincy Matrix

Final Thoughts

Well, that just about wraps things up for our FPL Gameweek 23 preview. I hope you enjoyed the ride – what a ride it’s been! 

If you did indeed find this preview not-completely-terrible, please chuck us a follow on Reddit. Either way, best of luck out there in Gameweek 23, dear reader!