Following the release of the 2025/26 fixtures, The Scout highlights the clubs and players to target for the opening Gameweeks in Fantasy Premier League.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s side have a very appealing run of opponents that can make their key players popular picks in managers’ opening squads.
Man City will face only TWO of last season’s top eight over the first eight Gameweeks of the new campaign. Those matches are at Brighton & Hove Albion in Gameweek 3 and away to Arsenal in Gameweek 5.
Assessing the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) helps to highlight the clubs who have the most favourable starts. The FDR is a tool based on a complex algorithm developed by FPL experts, where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five, with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest.
Only ONE of City's opening eight contests scores more than three in the FDR. That is when they travel to Emirates Stadium to face the Gunners in Gameweek 5.
Man City's first eight fixtures
| GW | Opponent | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolves (A) | 3 |
| 2 | Spurs (H) | 3 |
| 3 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 4 | Man Utd (H) | 3 |
| 5 | Arsenal (A) | 4 |
| 6 | Burnley (H) | 2 |
| 7 | Brentford (A) | 3 |
| 8 | Everton (H) | 2 |
*1 = easiest, 5 = hardest
Having finished as Man City’s top-scoring player in Fantasy in two of the last three seasons, Erling Haaland will surely be their most-popular pick at the start of 2025/26.
The Norwegian’s potential for huge hauls also lifts his appeal as a standout captaincy pick across the opening stages of the campaign.
A look at the underlying statistics only helps to highlight Haaland’s role as the focal point of Guardiola’s attack.
His totals of 108 shots and 98 shots inside the box were both team-leading totals last season.
When it comes to big chances – or situations where the player is expected to score – Haaland's goal threat is far superior to that of his team-mates.
His 40 big chances last season were FOUR times the total of any other Man City player.
Elsewhere in attack, the departure of Kevin De Bruyne can allow Phil Foden the chance to re-establish himself as a key midfield pick.
The England international endured a poor 2024/25, with his 105 points less than half his tally of 230 points from 2023/24 Fantasy.
That is likely to earn Foden a drop in price from his cost of £9.5m in the previous campaign and could help raise his appeal in FPL. Certainly, he’s been quick to impress at the FIFA Club World Cup, producing a goal and an assist against Wydad FC.
New faces
Summer signing Rayan Cherki could also prove a big influence, arriving from French club Lyon on the back of 12 goals and 19 assists in all competitions last season.
Nonetheless, it’s another of Guardiola’s new recruits, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, who could be a better option.
Playing as a wing-back for Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Algerian was involved in 11 goals last season, scoring four and assisting a further seven.
Ait-Nouri is expected to occupy the left-back berth this season, with Josko Gvardiol continuing as a centre-back.
Gvardiol was the top-scoring defender in 2024/25 Fantasy, producing 153 points, thanks to five goals and 13 clean sheets.
However, if Ait-Nouri is priced cheaper than the Croat, his all-round attacking ability can give him the edge as Man City’s go-to defender in 2025/26 FPL.
Next: Aston Villa
