Best FPL differentials: Why you need Kai Havertz as Arsenal seek to benefit from first Double Gameweek of the season
Published 09/02/2026 at 14:52 GMT
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Fantasy Premier League is back for Gameweek 26, and it is largely made up by a midweek set of fixtures with all 20 teams involved between Tuesday and Thursday. However, it is the first Double Gameweek of the season, with Arsenal and Wolves the teams with an extra match, making Gunners players an attractive option. But there could also be benefits from turning to Crystal Palace and Manchester City.
Highlights: Man Utd punish 10-man Spurs to claim fourth win in a row
Video credit: TNT Sports
Fantasy Premier League is entering the business end of the season, with just 13 rounds remaining.
Most managers will still have plenty of cards up their sleeve, so planning when to activate them becomes crucial to make up ground in mini-leagues and the pursuit of a competitive overall rank.
Gameweek 26 is up next, and it is mostly made up of a midweek set of fixtures between Tuesday and Thursday, with all 20 teams involved, and all 10 games live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
However, it is also the first Double Gameweek of the season, and it's for the two teams at either end of the table, with Arsenal's trip to Wolves being brought forward after the Gunners progressed into the Carabao Cup final.
Arsenal's first match of the Gameweek is away at Brentford on Thursday, while Wolves make the trip to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The pair will then meet at Molineux a week later, following the weekend's FA Cup fourth round action.
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With Arsenal back in rampant form and Wolves languishing at the foot of the table, tripling up on Arsenal will be an extremely popular move among the herd.
But there may also be an increased investment in Crystal Palace, who host Burnley after ending their winless run, while Manchester City and Chelsea have inviting home games against Fulham and Leeds United, respectively.
If you are unsure where to turn, here are three other players who could make a big difference in Gameweek 26.
As ever, the categories are:
Player 1: Max 10% ownership
Player 2: Max 5% ownership
Player 3: Max 2% ownership
FPL players only have until the 18:00 UK time deadline on Tuesday, February 9, to make changes to their side ahead of a full round of fixtures.
1: Rayan Cherki, £6.5m - Midfielder, Manchester City, 9.5% - Fulham (H)
Despite a place in the starting line-up not being guaranteed, Rayan Cherki has the potential to bring in a big points haul this week as Manchester City host Fulham, who they scored five against in December.
Cherki has started on the bench in City's last two games against Liverpool in the league and Newcastle in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
However, City rotated against the Magpies, having been in control of the tie following the first leg, in which Cherki scored, while the Frenchman was unfortunate to have a late goal ruled out at Anfield on Sunday.
Before these last couple of games, the 22-year-old scored four goals in six matches in all competitions, including in his last Premier League start away at Tottenham.
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Highlights: Cherki hits late winner to help Man City overcome Nottingham Forest
Video credit: TNT Sports
Cherki is perhaps seen as somewhat of a luxury player, more likely to be included in home games against teams lower down in the table, and with 10th-placed Fulham visiting the Etihad, this feels like a fixture for him to thrive in.
In his last eight games against teams outside the current top six, Cherki has scored or assisted in six of them, while he produced two goal involvements in two of those matches.
Only Erling Haaland has more goal involvements in the league this season for City than Cherki, who has three goals and seven assists to his name so far.
Following their meeting with Fulham, City will then face a struggling Newcastle side, who have lost their last three in the league, before taking on Leeds, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, who currently occupy 16th-18th in the table.
Priced at just £6.5m, Cherki could be a cheap way to benefit from a potentially fruitful attacking period for Pep Guardiola's side.
2: Ismaila Sarr, £6.3m - Forward, Crystal Palace, 2.7% - Burnley (H)
Crystal Palace had been enduring a rotten 2026 before their trip to Brighton, going nine league games without a win and 12 games in all competitions without victory before their 1-0 triumph over their rivals at the Amex.
The match was decided by Ismaila Sarr's well-taken finish just after the hour mark, with the Senegal forward scoring for the second game in a row after converting his spot-kick at Nottingham Forest a week earlier.
Palace's squad had looked incredibly bare during their dismal run in January, with Oliver Glasner making no changes against Sunderland before complaining about a lack of depth - while he only named seven substitutes against Forest.
But victory on the South Coast on Sunday provided cause for optimism, with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Evann Guessand making their debuts for the club to bolster the attack. Fellow January signing Brennan Johnson came off the bench, while Daichi Kamada made his return from injury.
Meanwhile, Sarr's return from the Africa Cup of Nations last month coincided with a return from injury for Daniel Munoz, allowing Palace's right side, which has been so dangerous in the last couple of seasons, to return to full strength.
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Ismaila Sarr celebrates his winning goal against Brighton
Image credit: Getty Images
So, with Sarr finding his shooting boots, seemingly on penalties and playing in all but two minutes of Palace's last three games, and with Glasner's squad looking in much better shape generally, the visit of 19th-placed Burnley to Selhurst Park makes the Senegal international a tempting prospect.
Scott Parker's side have conceded at least two goals in six of their last seven games in the league, while their most recent away day ended in a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland. They have now conceded the most goals of any team in the competition this season.
Priced at just £6.3m, Sarr feels like a worthy investment, particularly with home games against Wolves and Leeds coming in the following four gameweeks.
3: Kai Havertz, £7.3m - Forward, Arsenal, 0.7% - Brentford (A) & Wolves (A)
With Arsenal having a Double Gameweek, which includes a trip to 20th-placed Wolves, it's going to be an extremely popular move to triple-up on the Gunners.
While their defence is comfortably the best in the league, with just 17 goals conceded in 25 games this season, it will be difficult to find a reliable differential across these positions.
Going forward, though, is a different matter, and last week we suggested Noni Madueke because of Bukayo Saka's injury, and the former Chelsea man remains a solid differential heading into Gameweek 26, currently selected by just 1.3% of players.
But there is another former Blue potentially worth turning to, with Kai Havertz scoring twice and registering two assists in four games in all competitions since returning from injury.
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Havertz marks first start in almost a year with 'really clinical' finish
Video credit: TNT Sports
The German has been generally deployed in attacking midfield, with Martin Odegaard struggling for fitness, but he has been occupying advanced positions and came on up front in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea when he scored the goal which sealed victory in the tie.
He has started in Arsenal's last two league games, and after drawing a blank at Elland Road, he provided an assist for Viktor Gyokeres in the 3-0 win over Sunderland, having been inches away from scoring himself earlier in the match.
Havertz's versatility increases his potential minutes during this Double Gameweek for the Gunners, who have scored at least twice in five of their last six games in all competitions.
Despite struggling with injuries during his time in north London, the 26-year-old has produced a solid output when fit, scoring 22 league goals in 63 appearances.
Currently selected by just 0.7% of players, he could be a useful differential.
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