Current World No. 1 Jonas Sand Labakk extended his lead to 52 points at the top Fantasy Premier League the score after his team, Onkel Blaascored 113 points in Gameweek 36;
Lambak from Norway won 42 points from his compatriot Erling Haaland (£14.2m) following his decision to hand him the captain’s armband.
Further double digit returns from Nicholas Jackson (£7.0m) and Bucayo Saka (£9.0m) helped Labakk’s Gameweek score over 100 points for the fourth time this season.
With such a big advantage and the Bench Boost chip still in play, can anyone catch the high-flying Liverpool fan?
Top 10 managers in the world
| Class | Club | Grades | DGW37 players | Chip + Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onkel Blaa | 2,585 | 12 | BB + 1 FT |
| 2 | Pinky and De Bruyne | 2,533 | 12 | BB + 2FT |
| 3 | Flying without Ings | 2,525 | 9 | BB + 1 FT |
| 4 | Alexandra the Great | 2,525 | 13 | BB + 1 FT |
| 5 | Schorlings Schakaler | 2,521 | 12 | BB + 1 FT |
| 6 | USS McAllister | 2,520 | 13 | BB + 1 FT |
| 7 | DropItLikeIt’sKlopp | 2,516 | 12 | BB + 2FT |
| 8 | InItToWinIt | 2,515 | 13 | BB + 2FT |
| 9 | FK Kolonija | 2,511 | 11 | BB + 1 FT |
| 10 | Alqahs | 2,510 | 12 | BB + 1 FT |
*BB = Bench Boost, FT = Free Transfers
All of the top 10 are in a similar position as each still has their Bench Boost chip to play with.
Arguably Labakk’s biggest threat comes from the second position Ewan Thompson and his team Pinky and De Bruyne.
Thompson, from Scotland, has a slight transfer lead, with two free transfers available compared to Labakk’s.
And, having been Wildcarded into Gameweek 35, five rounds later than Labakk, he will be hoping his team is in a stronger position to take advantage of Double Gameweek 37 (DGW37).
There are five differences between their squads before any transfers are made. Fortunately, neither manager has injured players to deal with at the moment.
Differences between the two top managers
| Director | Differentially |
|---|---|
| Jonas Sand Labakk | Pickford, Petrovic, Dalot, Garnazzo, Saka |
| Ewan Thompson | Onana, Vicario, Saliba, Gordon, Havertz |
Notably, Thompson has only Andre Onana (£5.0m) from Manchester United, despite playing twice in DGW37.
The Scottish manager will be hoping William Saliba (£5.9m) and Anthony Gordon (£6.4m) may overtake Labakk’s United duo Diogo Dalot (£5.2m) and Alejandro Garnazzo (£5.0m).
Thompson also supported the Chelsea defense in his Wildcard, picking only Cole Palmer (£6.2m) and Nicholas Jackson (£7.0m) from Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
With two free transfers and a Chelsea slot available, Thompson could decide to bring the fight back Malo Gusto (£4.3m) or the prospectus Noni Madueke (£5.3m), who scored two double-figures in three appearances.
Battle of the Arsenal midfielders
A key battle is expected to take place between Arsenal’s midfielders. Labakk owns Saka, while Thompson chose Kai Havertz (£7.5m).
Both players have impressed of late, each posting two double-digit rebounds in the past three Game Weeks.
Looking longer, however, Havertz has the edge. The German has 15 rebounds and 105 points since Game 25, compared to Saka’s 10 rebounds and 80 points.
The underlying stats suggest that Saka is perhaps underperforming, leading his teammate with 38 shots on 30 and 27 key passes on 21 in that span.
But it’s quality, not quantity, that has helped Havertz thrive.
During his fine run, he created six big chances to Saka’s three and was presented with 11 golden opportunities to Saka’s five.
The chase
One tactic Labakk could use is to take a few hits to close the gaps between his team and Thompson. With such a significant lead, he can afford to spend a few points to nullify his opponent’s differences.
Of course, such a move could open the door to one of the other challengers.
England’s third place Ashley Marsh he’s got Alfie Doughty (£4.4m) to his team Flying without Ings. The Luton Town defender created six chances in his last game against Everton to take his tally to 67 for the season, the most by a defender.
Former No. 1 Sandeep JaswalWHERE was the leader for nine of 11 rounds between Weeks 23 and 33 with his team Alexandra the Greathe has to make a decision James Madison (£7.8m).
Maddison has failed to start either of Tottenham’s last two games, but if he can regain his place in the starting line-up, he could prove a useful difference, with Spurs hosting Burnley and Manchester City in DGW37.
Meanwhile, Ireland Ben Houghton he has left his faith Richarlison (£6.8m), who recently returned from a spell on the sidelines. Encouragingly, Richarlison came off the bench to score and assist in Spurs’ 4-2 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
In fifth place Hjalmar Schorling and his team Schorlings Schakaler they will pin their hopes João Pedro (£5.2m).
The Brighton Brazilian returned to goalscoring form in matchday 36 and features twice in DGW37, with a trip to Newcastle United following a home game against Chelsea.
But Schorling, from Sweden, will be eagerly awaiting more news Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m), who missed Man Utd’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace through injury.
Explosive differentials
Otherwise, two of the top 10 managers own Mohamed Salah (£13.4m).
of South Africa Rishaad Khan and Adam Price from the US will be crossing their fingers that the Egyptian can propel them up the table when Liverpool visit Aston Villa.
And, unique among the top contenders, Stefan Josimovic and his team FK Kolonija he is the only one with a triple strike at Manchester City.
Ranked ninth overall, Josimovic was the last of this elite group to use his Wildcard, playing the chip in Gameweek 36.
He brought in Kevin De Bruyne (£10.5m) together Phil Foden (£8.4m) and Haaland, two players with almost 100 per cent ownership in the top 10 – only Rishaad Khan does not own Foden.
Tripling Man City’s forwards could prove to be a smart tactic.
If Pep Guardiola’s side finish level with Arsenal at the top of the table, the Premier League title could be decided on goal difference.
The Gunners currently enjoy a six-goal advantage over their opponents, so scoring goals will be a priority for City.
De Bruyne has 42 points in his last five games, thanks to three goals and three assists. He created 15 chances and took 17 shots in those games, suggesting he could continue to deliver. If he does, it will be good news for Josimovic.
