📝 FPL Gameweek 13 Blog: How to Pick Your Squad

1. Setting the Scene

Gameweek 13 arrives at a pivotal point in the season. With the deadline at 13:30 GMT on Saturday, November 29, managers face a compressed schedule and tricky fixture list. Chelsea host Arsenal in a headline clash, while Manchester City and Liverpool enjoy favourable runs against struggling opposition.

This week is about balancing premium assets with value picks, while keeping an eye on upcoming fixture congestion and the looming AFCON absences

2. Fixtures to Target

🔵 Manchester City

Opponents: Leeds, Fulham, West Ham, Forest, Sunderland, Crystal Palace
Why: A golden run of fixtures against bottom-half sides.
Key Picks:
- Erling Haaland (£14.9m) – automatic captaincy candidate.
- Phil Foden (£8.0m) – corner duties, nailed minutes.
- Jeremy Doku (£6.5m) – explosive differential.
- Nico O’Reilly (£5.0m) – budget defensive option.

🔴 Liverpool

Opponents: West Ham, Leeds, Wolves, Spurs, Brighton, Sunderland
Why: Facing three of the bottom five in quick succession.
Key Picks:
- Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.6m) – mid-price punt, though on four yellows.
- Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m) – attacking threat from set pieces.

⚪ Arsenal

Opponents: Chelsea (GW13), Villa (GW15), Wolves, Everton
Why: Tougher fixtures but still defensively solid.
Key Picks:
- David Raya (£5.9m) – premium goalkeeper.
- William Saliba (£6.0m) – reliable defender.
- Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) – attacking full-back.

3. Captaincy Choices

Erling Haaland – safest pick, fixture-proof.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) – differential captain for risk-takers.

4. Differential Picks

Chelsea Midfielders: Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer could shine against Arsenal and in upcoming fixtures.
Brighton Attackers: João Pedro and Minteh offer mid-price attacking potential.
Budget Defenders: Bournemouth’s Senesi (£4.5m) and Tavernier (£5.5m) are rotation-friendly.

5. Chip Strategy

Triple Captain: Haaland in GW13 is tempting given fixtures.
Free Hit: Could be used to navigate Chelsea v Arsenal if your squad is overloaded with players from both sides.

6. How to Pick Your Team

Step 1: Lock in Premiums

Haaland is non-negotiable.
Pair with one Arsenal defender for balance.

Step 2: Build Around Fixtures

Double up on City midfielders (Foden + Doku).
Add Liverpool defensive cover (van Dijk or Konate).

Step 3: Identify Differentials

One Chelsea attacker for upside.
A Brighton forward for rotation.

Step 4: Bench Strength

Cheap enablers like Tavernier (Bournemouth) or Dubravka (Burnley GK).

7. Predicted Lineups & Team News

Arsenal: Gabriel injury complicates defensive picks.
Chelsea: Chalobah (£5.1m) could return.
Brighton: João Pedro expected to start.

8. Final Thoughts

Gameweek 13 is about maximising fixture runs while preparing for AFCON disruption. Haaland remains the safest captain, Salah is a short-term must, and Arsenal defenders provide stability. The real edge lies in picking the right differentials—Chelsea midfielders and Brighton forwards could be the rank-changers.

My advice: lock in premiums, chase fixture form, and don’t be afraid to gamble on one or two differentials.

Bought to you by Co-pilot and JAM-IE

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