148. GW37: Arsenal Are Champions. Your GW38 Final Week Guide.

Arsenal ended 22 years of hurt on Thursday. Villa took apart Liverpool 4-2. Ouattara Dango returned 15 points from nowhere. And now one gameweek stands between you and the end of the season. Here is everything you need for GW38.

Introduction and Gameweek 37 Overview

Gameweek 37 had it all. A title was clinched after 22 years of waiting. The Europa League winners came home and dismantled Liverpool 4-2 without breaking a sweat. A 96th-minute error gifted Leeds a goal that hurt Brighton badly. And the most-transferred-in player of the week played 17 minutes and returned one point.

This is the second-to-last episode of the season. One more gameweek stands between you and the finish line. GW38 is the final chapter — read this before you make a single move.

Host's Personal Gameweek Review

I scored 75 points in GW37. A solid return — but it comes with a significant asterisk.

McGinn scored and delivered six points. Mukiele, a pick I had backed with genuine hope, did nothing. The team was not the issue. The bench was.

22 points sat unused on my bench this week. Twenty-two. Not bad beats on individual players — actual points, from players in the squad, that never counted because of bench order.

That decision — whether to bench boost now or save it — is the central question for every manager heading into GW38. I am going to be thinking about those 22 points all week.

Key Gameweek 37 Results

Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool

Europa League winners. Home. Back to business within days.

McGinn scored. Rogers, Digne, and Pau Torres all contributed assists. Van Dijk scored twice for Liverpool — but FPL owners of Szoboszlai did well too, with the Hungarian providing two assists for those Van Dijk goals.

Villa won a European trophy mid-week and then came home and put four past Liverpool. That is not the form of a team running on empty. That is a squad with depth and confidence. If you had the Villa midfielders and attack, this gameweek was kind to you.

Arsenal 1-0 Burnley — Twenty-Two Years Done

This was the moment.

Saka took the corner. Havertz attacked it and headed home. Three bonus points for Havertz. Two each for Calafiori and Saliba. One apiece for Mosquera and Saka.

Guardiola's City had made Arsenal wait for the better part of a decade. The Emirates was packed. The title was sealed. If you had Havertz and captained him, you got FPL points and a piece of history at the same time.

Bournemouth vs Man City

Junior Kroupi curled a beautiful effort into the corner — Truffert with the assist. At the other end, Rodri found Haaland. A game that paid out at both ends. Kroupi Jr. earned two bonus points; Rodri claimed one.

A useful reminder that in fixtures where both teams have attacking intent, spread of assets across both sides gives you the best chance of coverage.

Leeds 1-0 Brighton

A defensive error in the 96th minute. Calvert-Lewin was alert, capitalised on the mistake, found the keeper unready, and scored. Darlow earned three bonus points. Calvert-Lewin took two. Pascal Gross got one.

Brighton had a clean sheet in their pocket. Then it fell apart in stoppage time. Classic end-of-season football — the kind of goal that moves FPL ranks significantly for both clubs' owners.

Top Fantasy Performers

Ouattara Dango was the standout performer of GW37 with 15 points from midfield — matching Watkins from the forward position. Six different midfielders returned double figures. If you had Havertz and captained him, you got both the points and a historic moment.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointments

Two of the most-transferred-in players of GW37 returned almost nothing.

Viktor Gyokeres — 433,000 managers made the move. He played 17 minutes and scored one point. For context: 433,000 is not a small number. That is a mass wave of managers all taking the same risk, and almost every one of them will have felt it in their ranks.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the third most-transferred-in player. He returned two points. The managers who shifted out trusted assets to bring in these two names paid the price.

My own week reflects this theme on a personal level. Mukiele arrived with expectations. He delivered nothing. When your premium pick blanks and your bench sits unused at 22 points, it is a difficult gameweek to review without some frustration.

Standout Matches of the Gameweek

Arsenal 1-0 Burnley will be remembered long after the FPL points are forgotten. The first title in 22 years. Havertz's header. The Emirates in full voice. For the FPL angle — Havertz, Saka, Calafiori, and Saliba all rewarded their owners. For the football angle — this was a moment the sport will talk about for years.

Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool deserves equal billing. Days after lifting the Europa League, Villa came home and put four past Liverpool. McGinn scored. The full attacking XI contributed. The FPL returns were spread across the squad — exactly the kind of team performance that rewards managers who backed the whole Villa structure rather than a single premium pick.

Fantasy Points Round-Up

Goalkeepers

Darlow was the clear standout with 11 points — clean sheet, bonus points, and save returns from the Leeds vs Brighton result. A well-timed differential that moved ranks significantly. The rest of the goalkeeper pool was modest. Hermansen continued his solid season form. If you made the call on Darlow this week, you will be pleased with yourself heading into the final gameweek.

Defenders

Antonee Robinson led all defenders with 12 points — and became the first FPL defender in the game's history to take and score a penalty. That is a stat that will be in FPL records permanently.

Morato earned 9 points. Saliba and Calafiori both returned 8 — Arsenal's defensive strength rewarding patient managers who backed them through a title-winning campaign. Truffert contributed an assist from the Bournemouth game.

A very good gameweek for those with coverage of the Arsenal backline and Fulham's attacking fullbacks.

Midfielders

Ouattara Dango — 15 points. That number led all midfielders and matched the top forward score for the week. If you had him, you had the best midfielder on the pitch this gameweek.

Enzo Le Fée delivered 13. Morgan Rogers 12. Wharton 11. Saka and Andrey Santos both returned 10. Six midfielders between 10 and 15 points — a genuinely open position this week where ownership spread mattered more than any single pick.

Forwards

Watkins led with 15 points. Osula returned 13 — a haul that will have moved mini-league positions significantly for owners. Havertz, Junior Kroupi, and Woltemade all tied on 8 apiece.

Worth noting: Havertz's 8 came with the emotional weight of the title-clinching goal. The points were real regardless of the occasion — but the occasion made them feel better.

Interesting Football and FPL Statistics

1. 01
   Viktor Gyokeres was the most transferred-in player of GW37 — 433,000 managers brought him in. He played 17 minutes and scored one point.
2. 02
   Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the third most transferred-in and returned two points. Both mass transfers failed to deliver.
3. 03
   Antonee Robinson became the first FPL defender to take and score a penalty in the game's history — a permanent stat attached to his name.
4. 04
   Jack Clarke of Leeds has returned points in 8 consecutive matches — one of the quietest consistent performers of the entire run-in.
5. 05
   Nordi Mukiele set the record for the highest-scoring sub-4M defender in FPL history with 147 points for the season, overtaking Lundstrom's previous benchmark of 144.
6. 06
   Bruno Fernandes was the most vice-captained player of GW37 — a signal of how much trust managers placed in him as the season reaches its conclusion.
7. 07
   Antoine Semenyo scored 10 Premier League goals across his stints at both Bournemouth and Man City — 10 goals for two different clubs in a single campaign.

Transfer Trends

The story of GW37 transfers is one of expectation versus reality.

Gyokeres drew in 433,000 managers on the back of Arsenal's form, his personal goal record, and the energy of a title run-in. He played 17 minutes. One point. The managers who held last week and transferred in this week will be asking themselves whether to hold for GW38 — where rotation risk at Arsenal is genuinely high — or cut and move.

Dewsbury-Hall was the third biggest mover. He returned two points. A similar story: real quality, wrong week.

Bruno Fernandes as the most vice-captained player of the week tells you something useful. A lot of managers wanted coverage on Man United's premium option without fully committing the armband. He was a hedge — and a reasonable one.

Going into GW38, the transfer window is the last one of the season. Before making any move, ask one question: does the player's club have something to play for on the final day? That answer matters more than anything else for the last gameweek.

Top FPL Players and Season Rankings

Heading into the final week, Haaland leads the overall FPL scoring charts. He has been the top-returning asset of the season from the forward position — despite Man City's inconsistent domestic form, his individual output remained formidable.

Bruno Fernandes sits in second in the overall FPL standings. He has been the most consistent premium midfielder in the game this season — regular returns, multiple big hauls, and the captain option of choice for a significant portion of the manager base at key moments.

Gabriel from Arsenal rounds out the top performers. His season total reflects the quality of Arsenal's defensive structure as much as his individual contribution — clean sheets, goals from set pieces, and bonus points throughout. Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest has been the most surprising inclusion among the top midfielders — a pick that rewarded early adopters and frustrated everyone who left him out.

One more gameweek remains. The gap between these names and the rest will likely only extend on the final day.

Defcon Points

The Defcon segment covers the managers in the podcast league who took the biggest hits from poor decisions, bad timing, or points left on the bench. GW37 had a clear theme for Defcon: the mass transfer double-down.

The managers who moved on both Gyokeres and Dewsbury-Hall this week — whether through a double transfer or back-to-back moves — saw a combined return of three points from two of their starting slots. When that happens alongside normal bench points, the Defcon calculation compounds fast.

My 22 bench points is the personal headline. The wider league had its own version of that pain, spread across players who blanked when they were expected to deliver and benches that outscored starting lineups.

The Defcon clock is almost out. After GW38, there are no more decisions to make bad. Get the final week right and there is no next bad gameweek to recover from.

Overall Gameweek Statistics

My 75 points gives a useful benchmark for GW37. A week where the high scores came from managers with Villa coverage, the Havertz captain, or a differential pick in Darlow. A week where Gyokeres and Dewsbury-Hall ownership dragged the average down significantly.

The bench boost is the statistical wrinkle of this week. My 22 bench points is a large number — but it is not unusual. Several managers will have had 15-20 points sitting off the pitch. Those are points that could have changed the mini-league picture.

Bruno Fernandes as the most vice-captained player of the week suggests broad distribution of the armband decision — rather than a single dominant captain choice, managers spread across Bruno, Havertz, Watkins, and a few others. That spread means rank differentiation was sharper than usual this week.

Podcast League Review

Inside the 38wks2go mini-league, GW37 produced the kind of variation that makes a competitive final week possible.

CTRL ALT DE LIGT (Ashwin Lee) had a difficult week — some of the key picks failed to return, and the squad's point total reflected that. Ashwin sits in a strong position overall but will want a clean final week.

Finishing Strong (Solo Kamau) — well-named and well-positioned heading into GW38, sitting inside the top quarter of the table. A consistent campaign that has kept him in the conversation throughout.

Pepball (Eric Moranga) — competing in the upper half of the table, part of a tight cluster just outside the top ten. A strong GW38 with the right captain could move things significantly.

CharlieReds (Charles Cardovillis) — one of the managers who felt the impact of GW37's transfer market most directly, with a significant drop in global rank this week after picks failed to return.

Dandaman Squad (Rendy Agusta) — holding a strong position in the table and showing consistency through the final run of fixtures.

The league remains genuinely competitive at multiple positions. GW38 will decide several of them.

League Standings

Going into GW38, Arnold Midunga leads the 38wks2go mini-league. John Mwangemi and Leon Mwotia are closest behind, with Franklin Asiema and Luffy D completing the top five. Teddy Mwalo, Rendy Agusta, Mathangani Kihoro, Jayaram Prajapati, and Papï Chüllö round out the top ten.

The gap from first to tenth is tighter than you might expect at this stage of the season. One strong gameweek — particularly with a chip deployed — can move a manager multiple positions. GW38 is not a formality for anyone in this league.

The final standings will be confirmed after the last whistle on the final day.

Global FPL Rankings

The Gyokeres transfer hurt global ranks at scale. When 433,000 managers all take the same player and he returns one point, the ranks move — and they move everyone who made that call in the same direction.

Charles Cardovillis dropped 460,000 global rank positions in a single gameweek. That is the full weight of a mis-timed mass transfer landing on one week's result. Recovery in a single gameweek is possible but requires a very strong GW38 to offset.

Several other league members saw their global positions slide for similar reasons. The managers who avoided those two transfers — or who had differential picks that returned — made substantial rank gains this week without doing anything exceptional. That is sometimes how rank moves work.

GW38 can swing global rank by hundreds of thousands in either direction depending on captaincy and chip decisions.

Looking Ahead to Gameweek 38

One week left. Here is how to approach it.

Teams With Something to Play For

This is the most important section for GW38 planning. Motivation dictates performance on the final day. These are the clubs where starting intent is high:

West Ham — fighting relegation. Maximum motivation. Every player knows what is at stake. West Ham assets carry real upside if you can pick the right ones.

Chelsea — need a win to secure European football. A Chelsea loss combined with the right results elsewhere means they miss out. That is genuine pressure to perform on the last day of the season.

Sunderland — unlikely position to be in, but they are in with a chance of taking a European spot if Chelsea drop points. Motivated, organised, and worth monitoring.

Man City — the Pep Guardiola farewell tour. City will want to send him off with a win. Haaland is chasing the Golden Boot. That combination means City start with full intent.

Tottenham — still fighting for their final position and European qualification. Palhinha has been excellent and could deliver one more strong return.

Leeds — Jack Clarke has returned points in eight consecutive matches. Leeds have been a source of consistent differential picks across the run-in.

Brentford vs Liverpool — Brentford won the last meeting 3-2. They are not a team rolling over for anyone, even on the final day.

Fixture-by-Fixture Preview

Liverpool vs Brentford — Brentford won 3-2 last time. Thiago caused real problems. This is the headline fixture of GW38 for FPL. Van Dijk is in form, Liverpool have motivation, clean sheet upside is real. The key armband race of the week.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace — Champions, and likely to rotate. Gyokeres in particular carries minutes risk. Avoid the captain from this fixture unless you know who starts.

Man City vs [opponent] — Haaland plays. The Golden Boot race is not over. City want to send Guardiola off well. Back this fixture for Haaland returns.

Chelsea vs Sunderland — Chelsea need European football. Sunderland want it too. Two motivated clubs. The managers who bet on Chelsea here were backing pressure to deliver.

West Ham vs [opponent] — Survival football. The highest-motivation fixture of the weekend from a relegation standpoint. West Ham players could deliver for owners who get the pick right.

Man United vs Brighton — Bruno Fernandes finishing the season strongly. United want a positive end to the campaign after a difficult year. Bruno is reliable.

Aston Villa vs [opponent] — Europa League winners with Watkins in form. Villa may be relaxed after their mid-week triumph, but the quality is there.

Tottenham vs [opponent] — Spurs still pushing for final-day position. Palhinha is worth considering.

Leeds vs [opponent] — Jack Clarke, eight consecutive returns. A differential worth considering if your budget allows.

Fulham vs Newcastle — Antonee Robinson is the FPL angle here. Attacking fullback with one more chance to add to his remarkable season total.

Captaincy Picks

The captain call for GW38 comes down to your read on the fixtures and your risk tolerance.

Van Dijk is the premium safety option — clean sheet upside from a live Liverpool game, plus his own threat from set pieces. If Liverpool win and keep a clean sheet, the return is enormous.

Haaland is the ceiling pick. Golden Boot on the line, City motivated, the farewell game. The concern is that City have rotated in certain fixtures — but with the Golden Boot at stake and Guardiola's final game, this feels different.

Bruno Fernandes is the consistency argument. He has been one of the two best FPL players in the game this season. Man United want to finish strongly. He is the safest non-Liverpool, non-City captain in the pool.

Watkins is the Villa play. Fresh motivation from the European trophy. A striker in form with goals in him.

Do not captain from Arsenal unless you see a confirmed starting lineup that gives you confidence.

Final Thoughts and Good Luck for GW38

This is it. One week. Here is the checklist before you lock in:

Chips — if you have the bench boost and have not used it, GW38 is your last chance. It does not carry over to next season. If you have multiple live fixtures and a strong bench, this is the week to press it. Triple captain is the same: last chance, no next week.

Transfers — only make the move if you are confident the club has motivation and the player will start. Do not chase last week's points. Look at who is playing for something on the final day.

Captain — Van Dijk, Haaland, or Bruno Fernandes. Pick the one your gut agrees with and do not change it the morning of the deadline.

Enjoy it — 37 gameweeks done. One to go. Whatever your final position, you made it this far. That counts for something.