Pre-season is heating up and I am sure you are already busy creating your first FPL drafts. We know you all love the official Premier League fantasy game. It is great fun, but you can’t really win any prizes, as there are only a few, and you are up against millions of opponents! So, for those, that might seek an extra amount of thrill, we did some research and found an interesting tournament with a better prize structure – FanTeam.

This is a premier league season game that pays out prizes to more than 15% of the entries. Real money prizes of up to 50,000 euros to the winner! Of course, there is a buy-in too, so it is not as if they are giving away money for free, but having big, real prizes really increases the excitement with premier league season-long fantasy football! We have been testing FanTeam‘s platform in the last few weeks and can recommend it. It is fun, easy to understand, clean and backed up by a stock-listed company, based in Norway.

A first look at Fanteam’s  Premier League Season 19/20

At the first glance, Fanteam’s season tournament and the official premier league event are quite similar. This allows for regular FPL players to quickly get started.

But of course, some differences exist, so let’s have a look at the season game in detail.

Prize Structure

As previously mentioned, Fanteam has a completely different prize structure. This year they offer a minimum guarantee of 250.000€ to win amongst the players. The prizes for the main event are spread among the first 15%, which ensures that even newer players will have a good chance of recovering their buy-in. The first prize is 50.000€ and should be easier to reach with the 12,000 player entry cap, than on the official FPL tournament, with millions of participants. The most important facts for you shortly summarised:

• 250,000€ minimum guarantees
• 50,000€ for the first prize
• 1,250 prizes in total!
• Prizes to the best monthly manager
• Prizes to the best gameweek manager

Additional Side-Events

Fanteam offers additional chances to receive prizes even if you did not perform so well in the first few gameweeks. This is why Fanteam has a manager of the month award, with a prize of 1,000€ for first place. In addition to that, Fanteam will introduce a manager of the gameweek prize this year, which gives out 400€ every week to the top performers.

Different Rules

For you players, there are some minor changes, which you should note before you get started. First of all, Fanteam has no chips. They preferred to keep things more simple, and the only thing similar to a chip are the two wildcards for transfers, which the official FPL also applies.

Considering the time of the price changes, you might want to know that they happen at random times, whenever a drastic demand increase or decrease happens.

There are also some slight points scoring differences. At Fanteam, the midfielder and forward receive 1 point more if they play the entire game. There are also no bonus points, instead they implied an “impact” factor, which is awarded to the player with a positive or negative point, depending on whether the team was winning or losing while he was on the pitch. The entire rules can be found at Fanteam.

Conclusion

We believe that Fanteam is an excellent option for those, who are looking to raise the stakes a bit. It can be played easily alongside the official FPL game, since the main concept is very similar and the prices don’t vary too much either.

We, at FISO, are definitely looking forward to play the season game on Fanteam this season and we will keep you updated along the way.

GClub offers an online casino experience unlike any other. With this innovative site, members can place bets easily on live broadcasts. They can exchange money through a foolproof system. And best of all, they can learn and play games like baccarat without leaving the comfort of the home.

Among the countless games available to members on GClub, baccarat is perhaps one of the most popular. The convenient mobile app allows users new to the game to see instructional information. This way, all are welcome to bet and to play.

Before you download the app, let’s go over what you can expect from a game of baccarat.

What Is Baccarat?

Baccarat is a two or three card hand game. Playing the game is simple. However, it does involve a bit of math. Members who try out the GClub mobile app will see a “How to Play” section. The app is compatible with many mobile phones. The “How to Play” offers a crash course on playing or betting on baccarat.

This informational section also covers how betting works with the game. Bets are placed on the banker’s cards or the players’ cards. The game begins when both players and the banker are dealt with cards. Players then place their bets on hands. The winner is the one who placed a bet on the hand with a total closest to the number nine.

In addition to their own gameplay, members can also watch and bet on the pros. GClub shows live broadcasts of pros playing in a real casino. This is a great way to pick up some pointers from bettors in action.

The GClub Way

Baccarat is the most widely played game on the site and on the mobile app. GClub has garnered a positive reputation among players as a popular website for the game. Its popularity comes down to ease of access and customer service.

The online casino offers a free application process and twenty-four hour a day customer service to members. They truly value each of their clients. As such, they work to provide fast, reliable, and convenient services for betting on and playing a variety of games.

Their staff is ready and available around the clock to assist potential members. They can even help with getting registered. Their aim is to set up players to truly enjoy baccarat with industry professionals.

The Number One Baccarat Experience

GClub staff prioritizes the member experience to ensure it is the number one baccarat experience. This is why the dedicated staff have even gone beyond offering members instructional tips—they even offer winning formulas. This formula is based on the knowledge of industry experts and professionals of the game.

Secure Betting

Your safety and monetary security are in good hands with the GClub financial management system. Funds are exchanged privately and securely to ensure the best user experience for all members. Members are given a security guarantee that their finances are properly managed.

Depositing and withdrawing can be completed twenty-four hours a day online. This means there is no annoying lagging or delaying. Playing on the app is free. Users also can receive ten percent more on each deposit.

With the GClub baccarat experience, members can protect their money and save time. Novice and pro baccarat players alike have raved about their high-end online casino experience with GClub. Once you get comfortable watching the pros play, try this game yourself!

When you are going to bet or trade on football matches, you usually pay attention to the form stats. The very next thing you need to check are the head to head trends. Moreover, you can see the football stats on ExtraTips and if you are German you can check ExtraTips.de the German versions. It is always better to reassure the stats that are being backed by H2H stats. In this article, we are going to explain how you can benefit from H2H trends and also will help you use these smart H2H columns.

What is Head to Head?

It is basically a record of teams that are playing against each other. Actually, the two teams always play two matches in a season. One in their home ground and second in other ground. H2H trends will help you get a pattern of how a team performs in their home and away. Moreover, it will give you a pattern of the goals they score and another kind of patterns. For example, if two teams of the same city are playing in their home ground then these stats can go wrong. But you can still get some opportunities for trade or bet by looking at some H2H records.

There is the following type of stat tables you can find

H2H No – it is the stats of matches played between the teams

H2H% or average – it is basically the percentage of goals and winnings, etc.

If you want to find the best possible records, then go for H2H%.

Looking for Bets and Trades with H2H

When you are able to understand the stats, you can get a good opportunity for the betting. For example, if a match is backed with high percentage then you can see some more details to get an idea where you need to bet.

Are the H2H Stats Being Enough to Place a Bet?

The goal market does not rely on little information. You need more analysis before taking any action. If the stats are showing the results of the previous 7 matches, then this information is not enough. There must be some other odds too that can affect the situation. Another thing, you can look is the number of key players such as strikers and defenders. You need to watch them playing and you need to check the weather forecast. Weather can affect the playing surface and the match can be delayed. For example, a match is going to held in Scotland in the evening. You need to see the weather condition and the morale of the team. If you get all of this information right, there are great chances of winning the bet.

Other opportunities

Another way you can use these stats are sending off markets and bookings. These stats will give you an idea but, in the end, the decision is up to you. They are not enough to take the decision whether you put your bet or not. But they are very helpful for the analysis of the match.

With sports betting becoming an increasingly common activity amongst fans worldwide, now is a better time than ever to check out some of the online gambling platforms that let you bet on your favourite teams. Placing a wager on which team will win the match is certainly the most straightforward approach to betting on football in general, but when it comes to really maximising your profits in a sports betting strategy, there are numerous options and lines to choose from.

However, before you jump right in and make a deposit with a phone pay betting platform, it’s important to know the terminology and methods that are commonly used in football betting. If you’ve never placed a bet on a football match before, some of these concepts will undoubtedly be new to you. With that said, here are seven tips you can use to enhance your experience and increase your chances of winning when betting on European football:

1. Use a Mobile Sports Betting App or Platform for Convenience

While you can always place a bet at a physical sports booking location, it’s much easier and more convenient to simply download an app or log into an online sports betting account instead. Since football is the busiest sport in the world, with the most matches played per year, you may often find yourself betting on a variety of games, so it’s much more feasible to bet from your phone rather than actually leaving your home and disrupting your schedule or free time every time you want  to make a bet. If you’re not yet familiar with online sports betting platforms it’s worth checking them out for phone pay betting options.  

2. Bet on the 3-Way Money Line if You Want to Keep it Simple

The 3-way money line is the simplest form of betting because it gives you the opportunity to capitalise in the rare event of a draw. Of course, since the most likely outcome is not a draw, if you’re one of the few people who bets on a  draw and the match ends in your favour, then you could wind up winning a larger amount than you would have if you had only bet on one team to win or lose. Keep in mind that bet verdicts are based on the official 90 minutes of play without any consideration given to overtime in matches where draws are not allowed, such as during the World Cup.

3. Bet on the 2-Way Money Line to Avoid Losing on a Draw

If you want to completely rule out the possibility of losing money due to a draw, you could bet the 2-way line, which only pays out if the match results in one of the teams winning. In this type of bet, if a draw occurs, then there would be a “No Action” verdict which results in a refund to all of the people who placed a bet on the 2-way line.

4. Betting on Goal Lines Can Be Lucrative

Goal lines are a lot like point spreads in other sports. Basically, you’re betting on how many points the winning team will win by. Betting that a team will win by 2.5+ goals or more is the best way to win big if your bet turns out to be right. However, most matches result in a goal line of between 0.5 to 2.0, so be realistic and try to use this form of betting when you’re confident that one team is going to absolutely demolish another.

5. Betting on Score Totals Can Hedge Your Bets

Betting on score totals can get a bit complicated and is therefore a technique that was reserved for the latter half of this guide, since most people won’t get into this until later on. However, it’s also one of the least risky ways to place a bet because half of your bet is allocated towards one side of the potential outcome and half towards the other. However, that also means that in order to win big, you have to be very right about your prediction.

6. Set a Betting Budget

One of the most important tips you can remember when betting on any sport is to set a limit for how much you’re willing to lose within a set time frame. For example, you could say that you’re willing to bet no more than £200 this week.

7. Pay Attention to Football News

Finally, paying attention to headlines related to the teams you’re betting on is something that every true football fan should do. This will help you learn about injuries and player acquisitions or losses that could affect your team’s chances at winning a match.

There are No Guarantees, But It’s Always Fun

In closing, it’s important to realise that even with all of the tips above, there’s never a guarantee that the team you bet on is going to win. With that in mind, try not to worry too much about the outcome and use sports betting as a source of fun instead.

Well FPL 2019/20 launched yesterday 27 June, hardly giving us time to take a breath from the end of the previous season! Now as any experienced FPL manager knows, picking a good line-up for gameweek 1 (starting on August, 9^th) can be crucial to success later on in the season. The obvious benefit of a bang-on starting line-up is that you’ll start off the season with a few nice scores, thus creating an immediate points cushion between your rivals and yourself. Another advantage is that it will allow you to save your chips for later in the season. The period between gameweeks 3 and 5 is usually when many FPL managers deploy a Wild Card to adjust their rosters after the smoke of the first few gameweeks of the new season has cleared up. When your team does not need too much tinkering after the opening weeks, you can save the first Wild Card for emergency situations later on, for example.

In order to help you maximise your start to the 2019-2020 FPL season, we’re going to take a quick look at so-called ideal rotation pairs among Goalkeepers/Defenders and Midfielders/Forwards. This strategy is basically aimed at selecting pairs of players in such a way that at least one of the two has a favourable fixture in each gameweek. In most cases, a favourable fixture will be a home fixture, though sometimes an away game against a theoretically weaker opponent might also qualify as  favourable. On top of everything, rotation pairing can also considerably benefit your budget, as two cut-price players might form an excellent pair. However if you’re only interested in maximising players that play at Home and avoiding those that play Away then consider the combinations below – this and other fixture planning is highlighted on the FISO FPL fixture planning forum topic:

ARS – TOT, AVA – BUR, BHN – LEI, BOU – SOT, CHE – WAT, CRY – NOR, EVE – LIV, MCI – MUN, NEW – SHU & WHU – WLV

Based on the volatile nature of the Premier League, we’ve decided to take the first nine gameweeks of the coming season (i.e. the first quarter of the season) into consideration for this article. In our opinion, if you manage to plan correctly for the first nine gameweeks, meaning you’ve correctly predicted a few good performers and managed to need little to no point hits for transfers, you’ve done a pretty good job. Nine gameweeks is quite a long period in the FPL universe.

Optimal rotation pairs: Goalkeepers/Defenders (defensive)

Especially in terms of your goalkeepers and your last defenders, defensive rotation pairs can reap relatively huge rewards. Whether you’re playing with three, four, or five defenders, some of your defenders will normally be lower-budget assets. Selecting the right pairs can guarantee that, despite their lower prices, you will have at least one lower-price defender with a favourable fixture every gameweek.

Despite Burnley’s up-and-down performance last season, we’re still quite confident that manager Sean Dyche can put together a solid defensive unit, like the one that formed the foundation of the club’s qualification for European football in the 2017-18 season. Aston Villa were not exactly kings of the clean sheet in the Championship last season, with 6 clean sheets in 23 home games, but a combination with Burnley defensive assets represents a budget-friendly rotation pair with a lot of promise. You could, for example, opt for Burnley goalkeeper Heaton (£4.5m) and Villa stopper Nyland (£4.5m), or for Clarets centre back Tarkowski (£5.0m) and Villans central defender Chester (£4.5) for additional aerial threat from set-pieces (Chester scored five goals from set-pieces in the Championship last season).

	GW1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
AST	TOT (a)	BOU (h)	EVE (h)	CRY (a)	WHU (h)	ARS (a)	BUR (h)	NOR (a)	BRI (h)
BUR	SOU (h)	ARS (a)	WOL (a)	LIV (h)	BRI (a)	NOR (h)	AST (a)	EVE (h)	LEI (a)

Our suggestion: SOU (h), BOU (h), WOL (a), CRY (a), BRI (a), NOR (h), AST (a), EVE (h), BRI (h).

Another attractive rotation pair for the opening nine fixtures could be Brighton and Leicester. The Seagulls put in some solid defensive displays at home, while the Foxes, besides some clean sheet potential, also offer considerable offensive potential from defence. Brighton booked 7 clean sheets last season (5 at home) and Leicester managed 10 clean sheets (6 at home). On the goalkeeper front, for example, a combination of Brighton’s Ryan (£4.5m) and Leicester’s Schmeichel (£5.0m) offers two fine goalkeepers with ample Premier League experience at a total cost of just £9.5m. In terms of defenders, a pairing of Foxes Pereira (£6.0m) or Chilwell (£5.5m), with their assist potential, and Seagulls Duffy (£4.5m) or Dunk (£5.0m), with their threat from set-pieces, could pay off handsomely.

	GW1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
BRI	WAT (a)	WHU (h)	SOU (h)	CIT (a)	BUR (h)	NEW (a)	CHE (a)	TOT (h)	AST (a)
LEI	WOL (h)	CHE (a)	SHE (a)	BOU (h)	UTD (a)	TOT (h)	NEW (h)	LIV (a)	BUR (h)

Our suggestion: WOL (h), WHU (h), SHE (a), BOU (h), BUR (h), NEW (a), NEW (h), TOT (h), BUR (h)

Optimal rotation pairs: Midfielders/Forwards (offensive)

Apart from the top clubs, which we generally don’t include in rotation pair analysis pieces due to their relative immunity to fixture difficulty, there are not a lot of teams with a opening run of fixtures that stand out in the attacking sense. One of the mid-table club with a decent opening quarter of the season is Everton and the Toffees also boost a few interesting offensive options, like Richarlison (£8.0m), Sigurdsson (£8.0m), and even Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m), of which only the latter is classified as a forward in the official game. It could be worth looking at pairing an Everton player with an attacking asset from Bournemouth, whose schedule seems quite complimentary to Everton’s. Like the Toffees, the Cherries also boast a few attractive attacking players, such as Fraser (£7.5m), Wilson (£8.0m), and King (£6.5m). With the budget looking tighter than ever this season, a pair of Fraser and Calvert-Lewin(as a third striker), for example, could offer considerable value for money. The same would go for a combination of Richarlison and King.

	GW1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
BOU	SHE (h)	AST (a)	CIT (h)	LEI (a)	EVE (h)	SOU (a)	WHU (h)	ARS (a)	NOR (h)
EVE	CRY (a)	WAT (h)	AST (a)	WOL (h)	BOU (a)	SHE (h)	CIT (h)	BUR (a)	WHU (h)

Our suggestion: SHE (h), AST (a), AST (a), WOL (h), EVE (h), SHE (h), WHU (h), BUR (a), NOR (h)

A more budget-friendly option could be a pairing of West Ham and Southampton attackers. The Hammers scored a decent 54 goals in 38 games last season, while the Saints netted 45 times. It should be noted though, that the latter have looked a lot more threatening in the final third since Ralph Hasenhüttl took over as manager in gameweek 16. Up until that point, Southamption had scored just 13 goals in 15 games, meaning that they scored 32 times in the remaining 23 games under Hasenhüttl. West Ham were largely unreliable as far as their results went, but the attacking quality in their roster gives them decent scoring potential in the majority of games. Stand-out West Ham offensive options are Arnautovic (£7.0m) and Felipe Anderson (£7.0m), while Redmond (£6.5m) and Ward-Prowse (£6.0m) could offer value for Southampton. The Saints also have Austin, Long, and Ings at their disposal, but it remains to be seen which of these strikers will be starting up front. As soon as that’s clear though, have a look. New signing Djenepo is not yet included in FPL and, with him coming from the Belgian league, we recommend to give him a few games before considering him for your FPL team.

As you can see below, this pairing is more about avoiding top six opposition than focusing on home games. This can be interesting when you’re looking for a fourth or fifth midfielder, or a third attacker. With a total investment of £13m, for example, you could get Arnautovic and Ward-Prowse, as a second or third striker and a fourth or even fifth midfielder, respectively, which would give you considerable squad depth.

	GW1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
SOU	BUR (a)	LIV (h)	BRI (a)	UTD (h)	SHE (a)	BOU (h)	TOT (a)	CHE (h)	WOL (a)
WHU	CIT (h)	BRI (a)	WAT (a)	NOR (h)	AST (a)	UTD (h)	BOU (a)	CRY (h)	EVE (a)

For further comment and discussions about FPL check FISO’s FPL forum.

Microgaming is one of our favorite software providers when it comes to progressive jackpot slots, and it should be yours too. They have a large variety of titles that explore various themes. Most importantly, their slots have awarded some of the highest jackpots of all time.

Choosing the five best ones with the best Microgaming casino bonuses was not an easy task, but here’s the hall of fame. Check out the list below and start spinning the reels!

1. Mega Moolah

Mega Moolah is one of the most popular jackpot slots by Microgaming. Its theme is inspired by the African savannas and numerous wild and exotic animals that live there. This game is a video slot, played on a 5×3 layout with 25 paylines. It has a 2D design, but considering how old it is, the graphics are quite nice, especially if you like the cartoonish approach.

The biggest jackpot ever awarded by Mega Moolah was €18,910,668.01 ($21,300,976.45). It happened in September 2018 and broke the Guinness World Record. If you don’t trigger the jackpot right away, you can count on the 94% RTP, as well as the Wild Lion bonus feature and the 15 Free Spins bonus to make your time worthwhile.

2. King Cashalot

King Cashalot is the second jackpot slot by Microgaming you must try. As you can guess from the name, the theme revolves around a benevolent king who does not hesitate to reward his loyal friends. If you like modern games, you won’t find the graphics spectacular or flashy, but they are not bad either. This video slot is played on a standard 5×3 grid and has a total of 9 paylines.

The luckiest King Cashalot player managed to win $1.7 million. Do you think you can outplay him? You are guaranteed to have fun thanks to the 90.59% RTP and an interesting Treasure bonus. Wilds and Scatters are included as well.

3. Treasure Nile

Treasure Nile is another exciting jackpot slot by Microgaming played on a 5×3 layout. This exciting game does not have any bonus features, but still has a Wild symbol and a Scatter symbol that may multiply your wins. The luckiest guy to ever play this game managed to trigger a jackpot of $360,506, which is enough for early retirement if you ask us.

This is a pretty old game, so the graphics are not impressive. The theme is set in Ancient Egypt, so when you spin the reels you can see symbols of pharaohs, Egyptian gods, and other old relics. The RTP in this game is 92.1%, which is pretty good for a jackpot slot.

4. Major Millions

In terms of the best Microgaming casino bonuses, Major Millions is just behind Mega Moolah. It’s played on five reels and 15 paylines and even though it’s quite old, it still has a large player base. That’s probably because the largest jackpot ever paid by this slot was $2,801,619. That’s enough to motivate anyone, including us.

Other than the fantastic progressive jackpot, this game does not have any other bonus features. However, there is a Wild symbol and a Scatter symbol, both of which will multiply your wins. Major Millions has a slightly lower 89% RTP than other Microgaming slots, but the interesting military theme makes up for it.

5. Fruit Fiesta

Last but not least, Fruit Fiesta jackpot slot also deserves a place on this exciting list. Microgaming has put a lot of effort into this game, so the graphics are quite smooth and attractive. The symbols resemble those seen in classic slot games, but don’t get fooled — it’s a video slot title played on 5 reels and 15 paylines.

The highest jackpot awarded by Fruit Fiesta was $94,845. That’s lower than the other ones, but you should give it a try and you might beat the record. Even if you don’t hit the jackpot right away, you should still continue slicing the fruit with your spins. With the 90.09 RTP, you should have a good return.

Final Thoughts

Now that you are familiar with the top five slots that feature the best Microgaming casino bonuses you should definitely try your luck! Microgaming casinos also offer hefty bonuses, so give them a try as well!

The off-season is no time for dwelling on the past, unless you’re one of the canny fantasy football managers who strategized their way to a top-1000 finish. For the rest of us, there should be no time wasted ruminating on the mistakes of last season, on the disappointing triple captains, on the weeks spent with Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott in your team for some unfathomable reason.

Just as Premier League managers are working feverishly to improve their side, many fantasy football bosses will be looking with interest to three new squads of players who have become open for selection. Norwich, Sheffield United and Aston Villa arrive back in the Premier League after absences of varying lengths. There’s no doubt that there’s a fantasy football bargain or two somewhere in those squads.

Norwich City

Most expected Leeds United to top the Championship under the wisdom of Marcelo Bielsa, but it was Daniel Farke’s Norwich who defied the odds and impressed with their fluid attacking play. While Bielsa is preparing for another season as Championship betting favourites with Leeds, Farke will be contemplating how to adapt to life in the top flight.

Adaptation will be much easier if Teemu Pukki continues his fine form, with the Finnish forward finishing the season as the top scorer last year with 29 goals. Pukki’s inability to score prolifically in the Bundesliga or the SPL will raise concerns, although a possible price of around £6.0 could make Norwich’s main man a risk worth taking.

Include newly promoted defenders at your peril, but swashbuckling full-backs Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis look like the kind of players whose price could quickly rise once a bigger audience sees their potential.

Sheffield United

It would be harsh to write Billy Sharp off as another Dwight Gayle/Cameron Jerome in waiting, a player attuned to the rigours of the Championship but lacking in Premier League skill. Nevertheless, it may be worth holding off on Sharp for a few weeks.

The more creative David McGoldrick could be the pick of the Blades’ attacking options. He may lack pace, but McGoldrick has the vision to rack up assist points even if the goals dry up.

Wing-backs always appeal, with Chris Wilder’s side well-accustomed to that system. Could one of George Baldock or Enda Stevens be this season’s Matt Doherty, in that you stubbornly keep them out of your team in the assumption that they have to stop scoring/assisting at some point?

Aston Villa

Despite arriving via the playoffs, Villa’s squad on paper will have many journalists predicting Dean Smith’s side to enjoy the best fortunes of the promoted clubs. Fantasy football is also played on paper (at least before the season starts), so there are likely to be many benches filled with Villa players for the first game week.

Of those, Jack Grealish may be the most popular choice. Grealish notched a fairly indifferent 6 goals in 35 appearances last year, but the tricky midfielder is likely to draw many free-kicks and penalties from desperate defenders.

Ahmed Elmohamady’s versatility and Premier League experience could bode well for his hopes of securing regular football. Elmohamady has never been a goal machine, but he was often deployed in midfield for Villa last year. Simply by being further forward than advertised, Elmohamady’s chances of unwittingly deflecting in a Villa goal are greatly improved.

How many promoted players you sign ultimately depends on how you think the promoted sides will fare. Fulham and Cardiff offered little for fantasy football managers last season, with Mitrovic and Etheridge respectively excluded. Whichever side you anticipate coming closest to pulling a Wolves should be your first port of call for potential bargains.

On the one hand, it’s early, sure, but on the other hand, is it ever too early to start preparing for the Fantasy Premier League? Exactly, that’s what we figured as well and after all the EPL fixtures for 2019/20 were released today. Welcome back and let’s get this show on the road. It’s promising to become another teeth-crunching, brain-munching, wall-punching season, so why wait?

Today, June 13^th 2019, is the day on which the fixture calendar for the 2019-20 season of the Premier League are announced, so we figured it was the perfect day to get a first impression of the newly-promoted teams this season: Championship champions Norwich City, Sheffield United, and Aston Villa. Seeing as the transfer window hasn’t officially opened yet, we’ll just take a look at what each club’s performances last season might say about their expectations this season and what each of them has been doing so far to make their stay in the Premier League last longer than just a single season. Later on, we will, of course, be looking at each of them in more depth, but a first impression can be useful to get your own FPL pre-season started, just as taking advantage of the best bonuses with online UK casinos can get you a useful start at NetEnt Casino.

Norwich City

Position in the Championship last season: champions

Major imcoming transfers so far	Major outgoing transfers so far
Patrick Roberts (RW) from Man City: loan	None yet

When the Canaries beat Blackburn Rovers on the 27^th of April, 2019, they secured promotion to the Premier League after an absence of three years. In the trend of several other young German coaches who have made it in Europe’s top leagues over the past years, like ex-Huddersfields manager David Wagner and PSG’s Thomas Tuchel, it was the now 45-year old Daniel Farke who played an important role in Norwich success’ story. Advocating a possession-based, dominant brand of football with a clear focus on youthful talent and tactical maturity, the young German generally prefers a 4-2-3-1 set-up. He has done so successfully in the Championship and he’s not expected to change these formational tactics too much, though he will surely be wary of the Premier League’s unique challenges.

The German influence at the club has not been limited to the coaching staff though, as several key players hold a German passport as well. Midfielders Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic, for example, are both products from the German youth system (Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, respectively) and are expected to play a significant role coming season as well. Where Vrancic scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists last season, Stiepermann was just a tad less productive with his 9 goals and 6 assists.

The eye-catcher in the Canaries has been topscorer and Championship Player of the Year, Teemu Pukki, though. His 29 goals and 9 assists in 42 games underline his crucial importance to the team and he will be heavily looked at in the coming season to deliver in the Premier League as well. From an FPL point of view, the Finnish striker might become an interesting start-of-the-season punt, though that will depend on various factors, including what his price will be and what Norwich’ starting fixtures will look like and an Away match at Liverpool is not very enticing to start with.

It will also be interesting to see to what extent the young English prospects in the Canary ranks will be featuring among the elite, because Norwich have focused heavily on homegrown talent as well. The likes of right-back Max Aarons, just 19 years of age and voted the Championship’s Young Player of the Year, left-back Jamal Lewis, and central midfielder Todd Cantwell are all 21 years old or younger. Farke has shown that he’s not afraid at all to give his talents considerable responsibilities on the pitch and the hope is that he’ll be continuing to do say in the Premier League.

Sheffield United

Position in the Championship last season: runner-up

Major imcoming transfers so far	Major outgoing transfers so far
None yet	None yet

For many of us, Sheffield United were a familiar face in the Premier League for a long time, but the Blades might not enjoy that same kind of recognition among the younger FPL managers. After their direct rivals for second place, Leeds United, tied against Aston Villa on April 28^th, 2019, United secured a return to the Premier League for the first time in no less than twelve years. Under the leadership of experienced local hero Chris Wilder, who joined his boyhood club back in 2016, Sheffield have deservedly been promoted to the elite of English football after a typically long and exhausting Championship season in which they spent the majority of their time among the top six.

As far as expectations for the 2019-20 campaign go, Sheffield are probably looking forward to a tough season in which they will be fighting in the lower side of the bottom of the table for most of the season, but if there’s one thing that Wilder’s exceptional at, it’s squeezing every single drop of quality and intensity from his players. He’ll be looking to create a hard-to-beat unit based on his preferred 3-5-2 formation in which the overlapping wing-backs in particular play an important role, both in terms of offensive threat and defensive versatility. If the Blades manage to bring in some new blood, hopefully infused with Premier League experience, they could be in it until the very end.

The new recruits are most likely to find another local hero up top in the shape of Billy Sharp. He started his third spell at Bramall Lane back in 2015 and he hasn’t looked back since. The now 33-year old scored 23 goals and provided 4 assists in 40 Championship games last season, and he’ll be raring to continue this excellent form at the very highest level. Irish striker David McGoldrick, their Player of the Season 18-19, is likely to feature next to Sharp up front after scoring 15 goals and providing 4 assists last season, although the Blades would probably be wise to at least supplement the pair with a forward of proven Premier League quality. In the midfield, the 28-year old Northern Ireland international Oliver Norwood has also been an outstanding performer for them and he’s expected to keep pulling the strings at the center of the park in the Prem as well.

Aston Villa

Position in the Championshop last season:

Major imcoming transfers so far	Major outgoing transfers so far
Anwar el Ghazi (RW) from Lille: £8 million	Micah Richards: out of contract
	Ritchie de Laet: out of contract
	Mile Jedinak: out of contract

Out of all of the promoted teams, Aston Villa has made the biggest signing so far, in the person of Dutch winger and play-off hero Anwar el Ghazi. He is a bright prospect who came up through the famed Ajax Amsterdam ranks before joining French side Lille in 2017. After a year and a half in the Ligue 1, he was loaned out to Villa, who have now splashed a cool £8 million to sign the 24-year old. Including the play-offs, El Ghazi scored 6 goals and provided 6 assists in 34 games, and the Dutchman has shown an overall quality to worry opposition defences with his pace and powerful right foot. He has played at the highest level in different countries as well as in Europe, and he even earned two caps for the Dutch national team during his years at Ajax. It will be interesting to see what his price will be in FPL,  as he might just turn into a popular third-striker or fifth-midfielder option.

As far as the club goes, the Villans are returning to the English top flight after an absence of three years, an absence that hurt among the faithful of the seven-time champions of England. They’ve got the history, they’ve got the fan base, and they’ve even got the wealthy owners to back a successful return bid to the Premier League, but the challenge is real. This starts with the fact that several of their key players were actually on loan last season, including Man United defender Axel Tuanzebe, Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings and Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. Villa have managed to convert the loan agreement for El Ghazi into a permanent contract and they’ll probably try to do so with one or more of the previous names as well, if only for the sake of consistency after a successful Championship season.

The key player at Villa Park is highly-rated youngster Jack Grealish, who has attracted interest from England’s top clubs over the past few seasons. The still just 23-year old attacking midfielder is currently the most prized asset among the Villa ranks, something that’s underlined by the £60 million escape clause in his current contract. He scored 6 goals and provided 8 assists in 34 games, including 3 play-off games, last season and he’ll be part of the foundation for the coming season. If Villa’s opening fixture are a bit decent and his FPL price is reasonable, Grealish could well become a popular early-season FPL asset, although they start with an Away fixture at Spurs. Let’s just hope he keeps himself out of the tabloid headlines a bit more this coming season though…

Manager Dean Smith likes to field a balanced mix of young talent and more experienced players, in this particular case spearheaded by the earlier mentioned Birmingham boy Jack Grealish. At the beginning of 2019, Villa looked doomed for another anonymous mid-table season in the Championship, until Smith engineered a remarkable run of 10 consecutive victories that saw his team back in the top six. After an up-and-down season, and keeping in mind the number of transformations that will be taking place over the coming summer in terms of players, it’s hard predict how Villa will turn up for the first game of the season. Be sure to keep an eye on activity in and around Villa Park though, because they have already been linked to the likes of Southampton right-back Matt Targett and Stoke goalie Jack Butland, while several established names from Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1 are rumored to consider a transfer to the Villans as well.

There’s no better way to follow the Premier League action than via FPL and FISO’s FPL Forum

Adrian Frost won Telegraph Fantasy Football (TFF) for the 2nd time (!) with his entry ‘Live Mix’. This was a ‘late’ entry on Sunday 12th August, and with only three games remaining of the 1st round of EPL matches, the selection was restricted to those teams. (For the build up to the last match in TFF 2018/19 (the 2019 FA Cup Final) and some more details on Adrian’s previous wins, check out our earlier TFF article).

The starting 11 for his Live Mix team was:
Alisson, Van Dyke, Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold , Gomez, Mahrez, Sterling, Redmond, Sane, Salah, Aguero, So ten players from Man City and Liverpool (with the entire Liverpool backline).

The team slipped away into oblivion hitting 59,532 position but recovered very nicely and was in the top 1,000 in December with ZERO transfers used. Realising that this was a very strong position Adrian took the view that he would only concentrate on this one team. Adrian made his first transfer on 5th December when Aguero was injured.

The grid below prepared by a fiso forum member, ffstuff, summarises all the details on Adrian’s transfers and positions for his winning team.

Adrian’s final team was: E Moraes, K Walker, V Kompany, A Laporte, A Robertson, Trent Alexander Arnold, B Silva, R Sterling, E Hazard, S Aguero & Jimenez. This was one player difference to the team in second place with just the FA Cup Final to play and B Silva outscored his Deulofeu by 6 so Adrian won by 13 points.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions on how TFF could be improved then please have a say on this fiso forum TFF topic.

And just like that, it’s over. After months of smiles and tears, joy and misery, and relief and frustration, the Fantasy Premier League season 2018-2019 has come to an end. Did City players get you plenty of points despite the extreme rotation risk? Did you jump on the United bandwagon as soon as Solskjaer was appointed interim manager and, more importantly, did you jump off when things reverted to this season’s normal? Did you make every transfer deadline this season? Whatever your answers, don’t worry too much about them. It’s over, and now is the time to look back at yet another thrilling Premier League season and evaluate your own season as a Fantasy manager. Where can you improve next season? Which wise lessons have you learned? Are you happy with the chip strategy you chose just like you need to be with the top casinos online?

It’s been a pleasure for us again to preview each gameweek for you this season and we hope that we somehow, at some point, in some area, have managed to make a positive contribution to your fantasy managerial decisions this year. Seeing as the title decision this season amazingly came down to the very last gameweek, we’ve decided to have a look back at gameweek 38 from a Fantasy Football point of view. After all, not just Man City and Liverpool, but also hundreds of thousands of FPL managers around the world, still had something to play for. In many mini-leagues, a decent score last weekend could mean closing that small gap with your league’s leader or climbing into the overall 1% or top 10,000 overall, just to name a few high-stakes scenarios. We’ll take a quick look at this season’s best performers per position in terms of FPL points and go over last weekend’s deciding action.

Don’t forget that there’s no deadline set for this weekend. It’ll take some getting used to again and don’t worry about the withdrawal symptoms: with the all-English European finals and the Nations League coming up before August, it’ll be FPL time again soon. And if you’re bored, there’s always casino online united kingdom to play and keep you entertained.

An overview of the highest scorers in FPL per position (number of FPL points behind each name):

GOALKEEPERS		DEFENDERS		MIDFIELDERS		FORWARDS
Allison (176)		Robertson (213)		Salah (259)		Aubameyang (205)
Ederson (169)		Van Dijk (208)		Hazard (238)		Aguero (201)
Pickford (161)		A-Arnold (185)		Sterling (234)		Jimenez (181)
Etheridge (154)		Laporte (177)		Mané (231)		Vardy (174)
Lloris (145)		David Luiz (164)		Sigurdsson (182)		Wilson (168)

Gameweek 38: the title decider

Obviously, all eyes were on Manchester City and Liverpool during gameweek 38. The Cityzens collected 95 points after 37 games this season, while the Reds were right behind them with 94 points. The scenarios were clear to everyone and each team knew what they had to do: a victory against Brighton at the AMEX would bring Man City the title regardless of the Liverpool result, while Liverpool had to beat Wolves at Anfield and hope for City slip on the British south coast. As we know now, neither of the two made a mistake, meaning that City crowned themselves champions with Liverpool left behind as the best runner-up in the history of the Premier League and indeed of all five major European leagues. The previous record was set in the 2009-2010 season, when Real Madrid finished La Liga in second place with 96 points, behind Barcelona, at the time coached by… Pep Guardiola.

The Cityzens surprisingly went behind first at the AMEX, courtesy of a goal from Glenn “So experienced fixtures don’t matter anymore” Murray. City weren’t phased in the least, though, because literally a minute later, Kun Aguero equalized, followed by an Aymeric Laporte goal ten minutes after that to put City in the lead. The Seagulls had put up a good fight for about half an hour, but it now seemed like a question of time before the visitors would be crowned champions. Guardiola saw his men net twice more in the second half (Mahrez from David Silva’s second assist of the day and Gundogan), which was more than enough to claim the title for a second year in a row. Well-deserved, to say the least.

In most cases, the position of runner-up is the most bitter one, because you almost made it, but no one will remember you in a few years time. It might be a different reality for this year’s runner-up Liverpool. The Reds have been nothing short of impressive throughout their 2018-19 campaign, which is illustrated by their 97 points in the League and their spot in the Champions League final. Sadio Mané scored two against Wolves on the final day of the season, but an eventually routine victory of their sky blue rivals from Manchester meant Liverpool will have to wait at least another year before lifting their first English league trophy since 1990.

Obviously, both teams have been excellent, both in real life and followed via fiso’s FPL forum. It’s not often that FPL managers can pick, for example, from a defence as reliable as Liverpool’s (22 goals conceded in 38 games, 21 clean sheets) or City’s (23 goals conceded, 20 clean sheets). At the same time, the likes of Mo Salah, Kun Aguero, Sadio Mané and Raheem Sterling, just to name a few, have shown on a weekly basis why the Premier League is the most competitive league in world football. In other words, both these teams have been exceptional and both deserved the title. We couldn’t have wished for a more thrilling title race.

Gameweek 38: the European spots

The title race wasn’t the only event of importance on the final day of the season. Below the top two, four more teams had to battle it out for two more Champions League spots and two Europa League spots for next season. Thanks to a Spurs draw at White Hart Lane against Everton, a draw at the King Power was enough for Chelsea to claim third place, while their London rivals remained in fourth. For both teams, these positions will feel satisfactory, considering the fact that the former has gone through some slumps throughout the season and the latter has had to deal with several injury crises. On top of that, both of these teams have made it to a European final, with Spurs battling Liverpool for the Champions League and Chelsea facing Arsenal in the Europa League final.

As far as FPL goes, these two teams were up and down for most managers. In the rankings for best players per position in terms of FPL points, only three players from these two teams make the cut: Eden Hazard (238 points), David Luiz (164) and Hugo Lloris (145). Of course, Harry Kane’s misfortune on the injury front this season is a major reason for him not being amongst the top-scoring forwards, but for the rest, neither of these teams have offered mini-league-winning consistent value over the course of the campaign. Hopefully next season, Maurizio Sarri freshens up the starting eleven that he tinkers so little with even if he has transfer restrictions and Mauricio Pocchetino gets the chance to add serious title-challenging quality to his squad.

Just a tier lower, Arsenal and Manchester United took fifth and sixth place, respectively. The Gunners did what they had to do by beating Burnley away from home, courtesy of an Aubameyang double to give him the Golden Boot (shared with Sadio Mané and Mo Salah) and a late goal by Eddie Nketiah. United, on the other hand, ended the season in a fashion that, unfortunately for them, illustrated the disappointing campaign they’ve had. The general consensus was that, despite their horrid form, the Red Devils were going to use the home game against relegated Cardiff in the final gameweek as a way to finish the season on a positive note, but no… Instead, Solskjaer’s men put in another unacceptable performance, this time one ending in an embarrassing 0-2 home loss.

Neither Arsenal, mainly due to Unai Emery’s love of rotation, nor United, mainly due to their unpredictable form, offered much joy to FPL managers this season. Sure, Aubameyang jumps out with his 22 goals and 5 assists in 36 games, but he has the £10.5m+ price tag to go with it. The likes of Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba enjoyed a brilliant month or two following the appointment of OGS as caretaker manager, but outside of that period, there were many better options available for your teams. Neither team was consistently stable enough in the back to make their defensive assets essential for FPL managers, while fluctuating form and at times maddening rotation up front (we’re talking to you, Unai Emery) limited the FPL potential of most of the Arsenal and United forward options. Both teams will be playing Europa League football next season and when comparing them to the current top four, that’s probably a correct reflection of the season.

Gameweek 38: three goodbyes

Unfortunately for the teams involved, the relegation battle did not need to be decided on the very last day. Huddersfield surprised many fans and pundits last year when they managed to avoid relegation in their first season amongst the elite, but this season they became the joint-earliest relegated team in Premier League history. Their 2-0 loss at Selhurst Park in gameweek 32 confirmed their relegation and the end-of-season stats show us why: 38 games played, 3 victories, 28 losses and a goal difference of minus 54. Goalkeeper Jonas Lössl (99 FPL points) proved to be a wanted cheap goalkeeper option in the official game, while Christopher Schindler and Aaron Mooy (both 76 points) were probably the best outfield options for those managers who really wanted a Terrier in their rosters. Overall though, there wasn’t much joy to be found here for FPL managers this season.

Fulham FC are probably the disappointment of the season. After a stellar season under Slavisa Jokanovic in the Championship that ended with promotion to the elite and a transfer summer in which more than £100 million were spent on new recruits, the 2018-19 Premier League campaign soon turned into a nightmare for them. With just two victories over the first half of the season and the increasing number of FPL managers basing some part of their transfer strategy on “Who’s playing Fulham this week?”, Fulham looked well on their way back down already before Christmas. Current manager Scott Parker was appointed after Claudio Ranieri couldn’t manage to turn around the club’s horrible start under Jokanovic, but despite improving performances under the young English manager, Fulham will be playing in the Championship again next season. No matter how many Mitrovic’ or Babel’s you bring in, when your team ends the season with 81 goals conceded and a goal difference of -47, you kind of deserve it.

Finally, newly-promoted Cardiff City joined Huddersfield and Fulham on the way down after losing 2-3 at home to Crystal Palace in gameweek 37. As a sidenote, as far as we’re aware, Palace are the only Premier League side ever to condemn two sides to relegation in the same season. Back to the Bluebirds, who started the season in a bad way, losing six of their first eight games. Many people saw them back in the Championship before Christmas, but Neil Warnock’s men got their act together and stayed in the fight until the penultimate gameweek. They can be proud of their season regardless, especially considering the unspeakable drama that unfolded around the transfer of Emiliano Sala during the January transfer window. From an FPL point of view, the Bluebirds offered some serious value as well, especially in goal, where first-choice goalie Neil Etheridge had a fantastic season that culminated in 154 FPL points and a fourth place in the goalkeeper rankings overall. Captain Sol Bamba (despite his unfortunate long-term injury in gameweek 29), midfielder Victor Camarasa (106 FPL points) and even forward Bobby Reid (£5.2m, 5 goals, 3 assists, 80 FPL points) were other Cardiff assets that, at one point or another, enjoyed surges in their ownership as a result of Cardiff’s performances.