FPL DGW37 Man City Preview | Player-Wise Analysis & Thoughts

In this article, our Man City correspondent Alex (@4lex_mcfc) covers all things Man City for FPL DGW37.

Headed into Double Gameweek 37, everyone wants to end the season on a high note. What better way to do that than with the most explosive team in the league? With a Double Gameweek and being one of only four teams to double (including generally uninspiring options from Chelsea), Man City assets are a hot commodity. In this article, I’ll discuss my expectations for each relevant City player and provide my opinion on what to do with them in FPL this week.

First, we need to add some context to the nature of this Double Gameweek, in particular.

Four points ahead with a game in hand, if Arsenal lose against Nottingham Forest or Man City win against Chelsea, the Premier League title is officially secured by the Blues. If Arsenal draw, the title will be all but guaranteed on goal differential.

With regards to FPL, this spells trouble.

If City win the league ahead of the second game of FPL DGW37 (Brighton, away), then Pep will most likely give some of his key figures a much needed, celebratory rest; along with starting some bench players who deserve some true playing time. We need only look back to the 2020-21 season for some context – when City clinched the league with 3 games remaining, but also had the Champions League Final to look forward to, afterwards.

In that season, Pep Guardiola nearly fully rotated in the first title-clinched game, against Newcastle (utilizing Ferran, Ake, Garcia, and Carson). The following game, against Brighton, Pep reintroduced some key figures. The following game – the final preparation for the UCL Final – was nearly full strength, with 9 of 11 starters in that Final, less than a week later.

If (CHE) + (new) were a DGW, there’d be 6 overlapping starters (Sterling, Jesus, Ferran, Rodri, Cancelo, and Ake). If (new) + (bha) were a DGW, there’d be 4 overlapping starter (Ferran, Bernardo, Rodri, and Cancelo).

City’s remaining schedule this season is as follows:

• May 21 – Chelsea (H) (DGW37)
• May 24 – Brighton (A) (DGW37)
• May 28 – Brentford (A) (GW38)
• June 3 – Man United (FA Cup Final)
• June 10 – Inter Milan (UCL Final)

In my opinion, Pep will follow a similar pattern to the 2020-21 season, in terms of rotation. Whenever City clinch the PL title, the following game Pep will likely rest key figures and gift some generous playing time to Carson, Lewis and Phillips, as well as potentially Gomez and Palmer. Most likely, Arsenal will beat Nottingham Forest then City will beat Chelsea – meaning the rotation-filled game will likely be in the second leg of DGW37.

Of course, Arsenal or City could always lose. In that case, the widespread rotation may come against Chelsea, Brentford, or not at all. However, acting based on percentages, I think we should proceed in FPL as if Arsenal and City both win this weekend.

If Pep is fielding close to a first-choice squad against Chelsea, but a rotation-filled squad against Brighton (or vice-versa), it makes minutes very difficult to judge across both games of DGW37.

We know there will be several players who start both, but that’s trying to guess 4-6 players from a group of over 15. Overall, it’s a difficult task (as always).

A counterargument to Pep rotating against Brighton is he may want to show up De Zerbi (the new, savvy manager on the block), in their second PL game against each other. My response to that idea is two-fold. First, Pep has bigger things to worry about than stroking his ego at the moment. City are chasing the treble and given the amount of minutes played this year coupled with the recent schedule, some rest amongst the squad is much needed. He will be strongly advised by his staff to heavily rotate at some point, if possible. Second, let’s say that game does come against Brighton – isn’t beating De Zerbi with a rotated squad that much more of an ego boost? In that case, even if Pep loses, he can brush it off as a write-off. It’s a win-win for Pep, in my eyes.

After the Brighton game, Pep will likely want to use the GW38 Brentford game as preparation for the FA Cup and UCL Final. Especially because Brentford play a similar 5-at-the-back system to Inter Milan (as do Chelsea, in a way).

So, my assumption for the most likely scenario is Pep fields a near first-choice XI against Chelsea, followed by a rotated XI against Brighton, followed by a near first-choice XI against Brentford.

Link to all our FPL GW37 blogs including Fixtures to target, Double gameweek news, Captaincy metrics, Differentials, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL DGW37 Man City Player-by-Player Analysis (FWDs + MIDs)

Forwards

• Erling Haaland (12.4 m): Expect 2/2 starts; with Haaland, I think the only question is a matter of captaincy. Of course, there’s a chance Pep rests Haaland against Brighton, but it’s all the more likely he starts both, in my opinion. Captaining him is the safe options, but there are justifiable high-reward picks elsewhere (mainly on Brighton and Man United).
• Julian Alvarez (6.0 m): Expect 1/2 starts; the expectation with Alvarez for this DGW has to be just 1/2 starts – assuming a cameo against Chelsea and a start against Brighton. However, the upside for 2/2 starts is certainly there, consider he acts at the deputy for Gundogan, Haaland, and KDB, should any of them need a rest. At just 6.0 m with great underlying stats, Alvarez is one of my favorite City picks for DGW37

Further Read: FPL GW37 Scout Selection- Top Picks for Double Gameweek 37

Midfielders

• Kevin De Bruyne (12.2 m): Expect 1/2 starts; KDB is a bit of a nightmare for this DGW. Before Brighton beat Arsenal, many of us would have said he was one of the best picks. Now, with City likely clinching the title at some point during DGW37, you’d expect him to get a rest. I expect him to start against Chelsea and be benched against Brighton, which makes a KDB to Bruno switch (assuming you don’t own the latter) very attractive. I certainly wouldn’t look to buy KDB this DGW and if I owned, I’d likely move him on (even though he could haul in the first game alone).
• Phil Foden (8.0 m): Expect 1/2 starts; you can’t expect 2/2 starts for Foden, but there’s a decent chance it happens. He’s caught in that middle-ground between the first-choice squad and the rotation squad, so if City do clinch the title against Chelsea, he could still start both games. Given his attacking output (0.89 G+A/90 this season) and 100+ minutes almost nailed on, Foden is my favorite City MID for DGW37.
• Ilkay Gundogan (7.4 m): Expect 1/2 starts; after back-to-back hauls, many will be looking to the German this DGW. However, he’s in a similar boat to KDB. I expect him to start against Chelsea, but if City win, you’d think he gets a deserved rest against Brighton. I think he’s more likely than KDB to start 2/2, but compared to the explosiveness of Foden and Mahrez, I can’t recommend Gundogan as a Top 2 MID pick.
• Riyad Mahrez (7.4 m): Expect 1/2 starts; very, very similar outlook to Foden. I expect one start and one cameo at a minimum. One of those two will likely start 2/2 (unless Palmer gets a start), but it’s a matter of guesswork to anticipate which one. With great attacking stats and 100+ minutes almost nailed on, Mahrez is right behind Foden as my second favorite City MID for DGW37.
• Jack Grealish (7.2 m): Expect 1/2 starts; I don’t think there’s much of a chance Grealish starts 2/2. Unless the title is still up in the air before Brighton, I’d expect Pep to rest his main winger (likely hungover from title celebrations) before the final stretch of games. With a player like Foden able to takeover the LW role for a game, it seems like a no-brainer for Pep. With that said, I do expect Grealish to start in GW38, so factor that into your decision about keeping or selling him.

All-in-all, you have to expect 1/2 starts for everyone but Haaland. I could see Alvarez, Foden, Gundogan, or Mahrez starting 2/2, but it’s a shot in the dark to anticipate who that is, in the end. Down to that, Alvarez, Foden, and Mahrez are my 3 favorite non-Haaland City attackers for DGW37, as they have the explosiveness to make the most of similar minutes across the board.

Further Read: Top FPL GW37 Differential Picks(<10% TSB) with Stats and Matchups

FPL DGW37 Man City Defensive Analysis

I’ll keep this section relatively brief: I don’t have much to say regarding individual City DEFs.

Based on my expectation of City clinching the title against Chelsea then rotating against Brighton, there isn’t a single defender I would back to start 2/2. Against Chelsea, I think Dias, Stones, and 2 of (Akanji/Laporte/Walker) start. Against Brighton, I think Laporte, Lewis, and 2 of (Akanji/Dias/Stones/Walker) start. Ake will likely be unfit for selection across DGW37, but keep an eye out for any updates on that front.

With that outlook, even though there will be someone who starts 2/2, my advice would be as follows:

• Don’t buy a City DEF ahead of DGW37 (even on FH)
• If you own a City DEF, they aren’t a priority transfer out, but if selling them is convenient, do it
• If you make your transfers and still own a City DEF, I would bench them in most cases

I would certainly start BHA DEFs, MUN DEFs, and Trent Alexander-Arnold over any City DEF. Trippier is a borderline call. I would be most comfortable starting Akanji, Dias, or Laporte, if I had to call out some names from City.

When it comes to Ederson, I think you have to view him as a Single Gameweek GK (with Chelsea (H)). Again, assuming City clinch the title against Chelsea, I’d expect him to be benched for Carson or Ortega against Brighton.

Further Read: FPL GW37 Tips & Preview – Breaking Down The Key Dilemmas

FPL DGW37 Man City Assets Conclusion

Thank you for reading! FPL GW37 is quite a tricky one for City assets. I would prioritize focus on Brighton and Man United assets, as they come with more certainty than any of City’s assets. If you are driven to change up the City assets you own, I would look to move towards a triple-up of Haaland + 2 of (Alvarez/Foden/Mahrez). Haaland is a no-brainer and the other options all come with a decent potential for 2/2 starts, coupled with explosive upside.

For more Man City analysis, including Starting XI Predictions and Starting Odds for FPL DGW37 (out on Friday after Pep’s press conference), you can follow me on Twitter @4lex_mcfc!

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW37

Top FPL GW37 Differential Picks(<10% TSB) with Stats and Matchups
Top FPL Gameweek 37 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW37 Scout Selection- Top Picks for Double Gameweek 37
FPL GW37 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
FPL GW37 Tips & Preview – Breaking Down The Key Dilemmas
FPL DGW37 Man City Preview | Player-Wise Analysis & Thoughts
FPL GW37 Free Hit Guide- Players to Target and Best Drafts

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