The Scout looks at how domestic cup and European competitions could affect future Blank and Double Gameweeks in Fantasy Premier League to help managers to plan for the run-in.
What we know
Gameweek 31 is the first confirmed Blank Gameweek of the season
The first Blank Gameweek of 2025/26 Fantasy will be Blank Gameweek 31 (BGW31), which takes place on the same weekend as the EFL Cup final.
The two Wembley finalists, Arsenal and Manchester City, along with their scheduled opponents, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace, are the four clubs who will have a BGW31.
Arsenal and Wolves have already played their rescheduled match in Gameweek 26, which was the first Double Gameweek (DGW) of the season.
Man City’s home match against Crystal Palace has yet to be rescheduled, with both clubs expected to be given a Double Gameweek later in the campaign.
This could create opportunities to use the Triple Captain chip, because a big-hitting player like Man City's Erling Haaland (£14.6m) would be given TWO matches in the same Gameweek.
Gameweek 34 will also be a Blank Gameweek
The second Blank Gameweek of the season will be Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34), which takes place on the same weekend as the FA Cup semi-finals.
At present, the competition is at the quarter-final stages, with six Premier League clubs still involved – Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool, Man City and West Ham United.
Four of those clubs go head-to-head, with Man City hosting Liverpool and West Ham facing Leeds.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
Southampton v Arsenal
Chelsea v Port Vale
Man City v Liverpool
West Ham v Leeds
This means that a MINIMUM of two matches will be postponed from Gameweek 34, with the winners of those ties – and their scheduled Gameweek 34 opponents – instead having a BGW34.
And if Arsenal and Chelsea win against their lower-league opponents Southampton and Port Vale respectively, there would be two more matches removed from Gameweek 34, giving us a total of four.
In other words, up to EIGHT clubs could be without a match in BGW34, a scenario which looks ideal for managers to play their Free Hit chip and temporarily replace their squad for that Gameweek.
The outcome of Liverpool’s match against Man City could prove particularly significant to your chip strategy.
For example, if Liverpool triumph, their Gameweek 34 match against Crystal Palace would need to be rescheduled. Added to their outstanding match against Man City, this would give Palace two yet-to-be-confirmed DGWs, along with a BGW31 and BGW34.
But if Man City beat the Reds, they are the ones who are likely to get two future DGWs, along with a BGW31 and BGW34.
SEVEN clubs won’t Blank in Gameweek 31 OR Gameweek 34
At present, only four matches are confirmed to go ahead in Gameweek 34 as all eight clubs have been eliminated from the FA Cup.
Confirmed GW34 matches
Man Utd v Brentford
Wolves v Spurs
Fulham v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Nott'm Forest
Crucially, if you've already played most or all of your chips, the good news is that all seven of those eight clubs also have a match in BGW31, with Wolves the only exception.
Picking the key players from those clubs can help you navigate the upcoming period with a little more ease, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (£10.1m), Brentford’s Igor Thiago (£7.2m), Fulham’s Harry Wilson (£6.0m) and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) the most-popular picks among those clubs.
Sunderland’s backline and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson (£5.5m) also look likely to reward investment, with the latter hosting Burnley in Gameweek 33 prior to his visit to the Black Cats in Gameweek 34.
When will we know more?
FA Cup AND European progress could determine Blanks and Doubles
Managers need to be aware that the progress of a number of clubs in Europe could also have a big say in when any outstanding fixtures can be rescheduled.
Indeed, we witnessed this as recently as DGW26: Arsenal were only free to play in that midweek as they had already qualified for the knockout stages in the UEFA Champions League, whereas both Man City and Palace were still involved in European competition and were unable to do so.
As you can see from the table below, you will have vital information at your disposal ahead of the deadlines in Gameweeks 31, 32 and 33. Waiting until you know more could make all the difference to your plans and strategy for the run-in.
Firstly, we will know the outcomes of both the Champions League and Europa League round of 16 by Thursday 19 March, which is one day before the BGW31 deadline, which is on Friday 20 March at 18:30 GMT.
The FA Cup quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of 4-5 April, which is one week before the Gameweek 32 deadline.
And the combination of those two is likely to prove particularly crucial for those managers who are then planning to use their Wildcard chip in Gameweek 32, as they will have a better idea of the clubs who are likely to have Blanks and Double Gameweeks.
Gameweek deadlines post-cup competition dates
| Outcomes of | Before |
|---|---|
| European last-16 second legs | GW31 deadline |
| FA Cup quarter-finals | GW32 deadline |
| European quarter-final second legs | GW33 deadline |
This is because it is not only the progress in Europe of any FA Cup semi-finalists that will determine any fixture rescheduling, it is ALSO the progress in Europe of their respective Gameweek 34 opponents which will have a say.
A look at the six fixtures still at risk of postponement shows that both Liverpool and Arsenal, and their Gameweek 34 opponents, Palace and Newcastle, are currently still involved in Europe.
As the table above shows, though, we will know both who has progressed in Europe and the FA Cup a full week before the Gameweek 32 deadline.
GW34 matches at risk of postponement
Bournemouth v Leeds
Liverpool* v Crystal Palace*
West Ham v Everton
Arsenal* v Newcastle*
Burnley v Man City*
Brighton v Chelsea*
*Still involved in European competition
What’s likely to happen?
Arsenal and Chelsea will progress to the FA Cup semi-finals
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have to be backed to make it through to the FA Cup semi-finals, which means that their respective Gameweek 34 matches against Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion would need to be postponed.
Again, European competition matters here when it comes to when those matches can be rescheduled.
Certainly, Arsenal are likelier to progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals than Chelsea: while the Gunners face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, the Blues are up against the defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain.
Therefore, if Arsenal defeat Southampton and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, they will definitely have a BGW34 as their progress in Europe means there is no space in their calendar for that match against Newcastle to be given another date in Gameweek 34.
But if Chelsea defeat Port Vale and lose to PSG, on the other hand, their match against Brighton could yet remain in Gameweek 34 and simply be moved into the midweek slot, as, unlike Arsenal, they would be free from European duties.
Gameweeks 33 and 36 are likely to be Double Gameweeks
Both Gameweek 33 and Gameweek 36 are expected to be Double Gameweeks for the simple reason that they do not clash with European competitions.
As an example, should Arsenal progress in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League and if their match against Newcastle in Gameweek 34 is moved into Gameweek 33, then their Double Gameweek 33 (DGW33) is made less appealing by the fact that their first match would be away to Man City.
Meanwhile, if Chelsea also end up with a DGW33, they would entertain Man Utd prior to visiting Brighton.
Double Gameweek 33 Arsenal/Chelsea example*
Arsenal = Man City (A), Newcastle (H)
Newcastle = Bournemouth (A), Arsenal (A)
Chelsea = Man Utd (H), Brighton (A)
Brighton = Spurs (A), Chelsea (H)
*If Arsenal and Chelsea reach both the FA Cup semi-finals and Champions League semi-finals
The winners of West Ham v Leeds might not have a BGW34
In the case of West Ham and Leeds, there's a chance that their match will remain in Gameweek 34 and simply be moved into the midweek slot, as neither club - or their Gameweek 34 opponents, Everton and AFC Bournemouth, are involved in Europe.
Indeed, we witnessed this only last season when Nottingham Forest's match against Brentford was rescheduled for those very reasons.