While current circumstances may hinder what would be the end-of-season parties, ceremonies, and celebrations; the final day of the Premier League will undoubtedly produce that unparalleled drama; setting up for an enthralling Sunday evening.
The first observation to note is the tendency for goals on the final day. Across the last five final weekends of the season, the teams have produced just one 0-0 draw; that was last year when Leicester City and Chelsea produced a lackluster effort with seven shots on target between them.
With defensive prowess out the window on the final day, the desirable ‘6 points for a defender’ maybe a tall ask; suggesting different ways to maximize points. Playing with a three-defender formation, in theory, would reap the benefits of a traditionally low scoring weekend for the defensive ranks.
Is Pukki worth a Punt?
Should your league have ten or more players, then strikers have been a scarce commodity since the opening weekend. There is a good chance that the Norwich City striker, Teemu Pukki has become available recently. The Canaries play Manchester City on the final day, only to compound their misery of already being relegated and finishing rock-bottom of the division.
On paper, the Championship-bound side shouldn’t bother the Citizens. What must be considered is that Pukki is playing for himself now. He’s shown some evidence that he can play in the Premier League, and is playing for a money move to stay in the Premier League. The Finnish international scored against City at Carrow Road, so has the confidence to do it again.
Prepared for Points?
Football has those odd moments where a team who’ve been objectively poor all season, turn up to a game against a side who’ve been better all season. That’s what happened when Aston Villa’s Trézéguet fired home the winner against Arsenal.
The question is now whether the Villains can defeat West Ham, stay in the Premier League and earn some Draft Fantasy points along the way. By comparison, the Hammers have almost nothing left to play for. Their maximum finish won’t allow them to move any higher than their current position, nor could they drop too far down and of course, no fans to play for at the ground. The carrot is dangling for Villa to win.
The aforementioned Trézéguet has been electric over the last five games, on average scoring 5.6 points per game. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings might not have been remarkable all season long, but have stepped up with points; another clean sheet for the duo would ensure they lift their status for the upcoming season.
Any Spur is a Good Spur
The end of the season pits together the two sides who sit at opposites of the form table. Over the last five games, Tottenham Hotspur is mathematically the best team with their four wins and one draw. There’s never been a better time to visit Selhurst Park, with Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace, which has lost all of their last seven games.
Tottenham is often involved in high-scoring games on the final weekend too, having ousted Hull City 7-1 back in 2017, triumphant against Leicester one year later in a match that finished 5-4; the North London Whites have all the odds in their favor.
While the likes of Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, and Toby Alderweireld are almost certainly not available in your leagues, players like Harry Winks, Ben Davies, and Moussa Sissoko have all had their game time increased recently, so could feature and help Tottenham to another empathic final-day victory.
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