The Scout assesses the pros and cons of using the Triple Captain chip in Double Gameweek 26 of Fantasy Premier League.
Arsenal’s pair of fixtures against Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers presents Fantasy managers with a prime opportunity to use their Triple Captain chip in the first Double Gameweek of 2025/26.
The Gunners’ progress to the EFL Cup final, which takes place on the same weekend as Gameweek 31, means their match against Wolves in Gameweek 31 has been rescheduled into Gameweek 26, giving both clubs a Double Gameweek 26 (DGW26) and then a Blank Gameweek 31 (BGW31).
With Arsenal playing TWO matches in this round of fixtures, their players will get two opportunities to score points in Fantasy, and using the Triple Captain chip (with your chosen captain getting triple points instead of the usual double) is a great way to capitalise on that.
Who is the best Arsenal player to pick?
Gabriel's (£7.1m) form since his return from injury in Gameweek 19 could barely be more convincing.
The centre-back's total of 53 points is not only more than any team-mate, it ranks top among all players in Fantasy in those seven rounds of matches.
As the table below shows, Gabriel's multiple routes to returns means he has blanked only once in that spell. He has combined two goals with five clean sheets, four defensive contribution points and five bonus points.
While Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has rotated his line-up, looking to compete for silverware on a number of fronts, Gabriel is among five players who have started all seven of those matches - along with Jurrien Timber (£6.4m), Martin Zubimendi (£5.3m), William Saliba (£6.1m) and David Raya (£5.9m).
Midfielder Declan Rice (£7.5m) only missed out once due to a minor injury and is similarly rotation-proof right now.
Arsenal's top scorers in FPL, GW19-25
| Player | Pts | Pts/match | Blanks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | 53 | 7.6 | 1/7 |
| Zubimendi | 40 | 5.7 | 3/7 |
| Timber | 35 | 5.0 | 2/7 |
| Rice | 32 | 5.3 | 4/7 |
| Saliba | 32 | 4.6 | 3/7 |
| Raya | 29 | 4.1 | 3/7 |
| Trossard | 28 | 4.0 | 5/7 |
| Gyokeres | 27 | 3.9 | 5/7 |
| Madueke | 21 | 3.0 | 6/7 |
Who are Arsenal's top scorers in away matches?
As the Gunners are playing away from home in both matches in DGW26, it makes sense to analyse their form on the road.
And it's fair to say that Gabriel's numbers only strengthen his claim as their standout captain option.
The Brazilian's many routes to returns are again in evidence here, with just two blanks in nine away outings showing why he's unlikely to disappoint.
When it comes to points per match (ppm), Gabriel's average of 7.9 is once again ranked top for Arsenal and places first among all players in Fantasy.
Rice has been the Gunners' top overall points scorer away from home, producing 81 of them at an average of 6.8ppm. The midfielder is second only to Gabriel in terms of consistency, with just four blanks in 12 away outings thanks to his potential for attacking returns and defensive contribution points.
Meanwhile, both Saliba and Raya have the edge over Timber on the road due to the latter's lack of attacking output. Timber has proven far more productive in home matches, with all of his attacking returns - two goals and four assists - coming at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal's top scorers in away matches 2025/26
| Player | Pts | Pts/match | Blanks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 81 | 6.8 | 4/12 |
| Gabriel | 71 | 7.9 | 2/9 |
| Raya | 52 | 4.3 | 6/12 |
| Saliba | 45 | 4.5 | 4/10 |
| Saka | 44 | 4.4 | 5/10 |
| Trossard | 41 | 4.6 | 5/9 |
| Timber | 41 | 3.4 | 7/12 |
| Zubimendi | 40 | 3.3 | 9/12 |
Will there be a better time to use the Triple Captain chip?
One of the main arguments against using the Triple Captain chip right now is the possibility of a Double Gameweek later in the season for Manchester City and Erling Haaland (£14.9m).
Pep Guardiola’s side face Arsenal in the EFL Cup final, which means their home match with Crystal Palace has also been removed from Gameweek 31, giving both clubs a BGW31. It is yet to be rescheduled.
Although there is a chance that the match will be placed into another Gameweek and give both Man City and Palace a Double Gameweek, it is by no means certain.
For example, if both teams are eliminated from European competition before the quarter-final stages, it would open up a space for their Premier League duel to be given a new date that puts it back into Gameweek 31, with each club only playing once, and no Double Gameweek.
A similar situation would occur if Man City, like Palace, are eliminated from the FA Cup.
Clearly, a dream Double Gameweek scenario for Haaland would be if the home match against Palace is moved into a Gameweek where he already has ANOTHER home match, because he is far more likely to get huge returns when playing at the Etihad Stadium.
How does Haaland's home form compare with Gabriel's away form?
Haaland has delivered five double-figure hauls in 12 home outings.
On the other hand, he's also blanked in five of those contests. And notably, three of those blanks have been across Man City's last six home matches - in starts against Leeds United and Sunderland, and as a substitute against Wolves.
By comparison, Gabriel's three double-figure hauls in nine away outings are more than respectable for a defender in Fantasy, giving him a 33.3 per cent success rate.
Ultimately, he has the slight advantage here - the Arsenal centre-back has averaged 7.9ppm in away matches, compared with Haaland's 7.5ppm in home matches.
Haaland v Gabriel comparison
| Gabriel (A) | Haaland (H) | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 9 | 12 |
| Double-figure hauls | 3 | 5 |
| Blanks | 2 | 5 |
| Pts/match | 7.9 | 7.5 |
Will there be other Blank and Double Gameweeks?
The FA Cup semi-finals and final are expected to cause more Blank and Double Gameweeks later in the season.
The FA Cup semi-finals take place on the same weekend as Gameweek 34, which means that any Premier League clubs who are still involved will have a Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34).
Ideally for Fantasy managers, those four semi-finalists will all be Premier League clubs as the rescheduling of their fixtures would very likely lead to the biggest Double Gameweek of the season.
In this scenario, though, it’s the Bench Boost chip which is likely to prove the most productive, because you could theoretically fill your squad with 15 players who ALL play twice and all earn points for your team.
Meanwhile, the FA Cup final takes place on the same weekend as Gameweek 37, which means that any Premier League clubs who are still involved will very likely have a Blank Gameweek 37 (BGW37) and a Double Gameweek.
This could also allow an opportunity to use the Triple Captain chip, although it does arguably come with a greater degree of risk as the clubs involved are more likely to rotate ahead of the FA Cup final.
So, should managers play the Triple Captain chip now?
While there is merit in both strategies, Gabriel's statistics both recently and over the season shows why you should play your Triple Captain chip on him in DGW26.
Even in the event that Haaland does get a Double Gameweek with two home matches, Gabriel's away output is on a par with the Norwegian's home form.
Haaland's poor recent form also goes against him and, as we saw as recently as Gameweek 21, Pep Guardiola may spring the occasional benching on us.
While there will very likely be further opportunities to play the Triple Captain chip in a Double Gameweek later this season, it's a case of "striking while the iron is hot" and Gabriel ticks too many boxes to turn down.