The release of the 2024/25 Premier League fixtures indicates Cole Palmer (£10.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) can offer a strong captaincy rotation pairing in the opening Gameweeks of Fantasy Premier League.
Palmer was the top-scoring player in 2023/24 Fantasy, delivering 244 points in his debut season for Chelsea thanks to 22 goals and 13 assists.
The midfielder can immediately make his mark on the new season thanks to a very favourable opening run of opponents.
Enzo Maresca’s side face only one of last season's top six sides in the first seven Gameweeks - that occurs in the opening round of matches, when they entertain Manchester City.
Chelsea also host Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest in this spell, which gives Palmer the opportunity to extend his prolific record at Stamford Bridge.
He blanked just once in his 13 home starts in 2023/24, averaging 10.8 points per match in those contests.
Liverpool also have a kind early schedule under their own new head coach, Arne Slot. They avoid all of last season’s top six sides in the first seven Gameweeks, which lifts Salah’s captaincy credentials.
Crucially, the Reds alternate home/away with Chelsea in this period, offering Anfield encounters with Brentford, Nott’m Forest and AFC Bournemouth.
Palmer and Salah's first seven Gameweeks
| Gameweek | Chelsea | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| GW1 | Man City (H) | Ipswich (A) |
| GW2 | Wolves (A) | Brentford (H) |
| GW3 | Crystal Palace (H) | Man Utd (A) |
| GW4 | Bournemouth (A) | Nott'm Forest (H) |
| GW5 | West Ham (A) | Bournemouth (H) |
| GW6 | Brighton (H) | Wolves (A) |
| GW7 | Nott'm Forest (H) | Crystal Palace (A) |
Similarly to Palmer, Salah was far more reliable in home matches last campaign. He scored 13 of his 18 goals for the season in those fixtures, averaging 8.2 points per start.
The Egyptian also offers a strong alternative to Palmer for the Gameweek 1 captaincy, with the Reds visiting promoted Ipswich Town.
