GW 30 – Review

As the number of gameweeks ticked over into the 30s, we saw welcome signs of improvement from the last few weeks. There was a bit of a return to normality with some of the scorelines across the leagues, which gave us a decent average and some pleasing scores. Let’s get going with the analysis!

We’ll get started at the summit of the Weekly Global League table and Dale Bayford’s inspiring effort of 97 points. Tantalisingly close to that coveted Club 100 ticket, Dale selected two of the named Perfect 7 sides in Tottenham Hotspur (32 picks) and Wrexham (16 picks), positioned on x8 and x5 respectively, which got 52 points on the board for the weekend’s top scorer. Notts County (11) and Manchester City (74) each reeled in 12 points with their goals on x4 and x6 respectively and Liverpool (58 picks) returned to being the team we have become accustomed to with 2 goals on Dale’s x7. Although this was not enough to reach ‘triple-digit delight’, the table-topper’s score made up 77% of the Perfect 7, the highest proportion for seven gameweeks, nice going Dale!

Things are on the up it seems, although maybe not where the Perfect 7 is concerned! At 126, the P7 was the joint lowest of the season and only featured three named sides. Plymouth Argyle (2 picks) joined Tottenham and Wrexham in firing four into the net (one of them in added time in their highly entertaining 4-3 win over Lincoln City) at the weekend to make up the x6 to x8 slots. Chuck in any 3 goal sides from x2 to x5 and you’d have been on to that maximum score and lucrative jackpot.

With Rangers not in action at the weekend, the ‘banker’ side for many of you was Man City, who were chosen 34 times on x2, although 18 of you backed Championship chasing Peterborough United on x2 (the highest picked side of the weekend with 85 selections) in their game with relegation threatened Wigan Athletic. The Posh were highly popular as a points earner too, being the most selected side overall on x5, x6 and x8, while Hartlepool Utd (70) were the most selected on x3 and x7, and Norwich City (61) the most popular x4 choice.

All these highly selected sides conjured up the goods at the weekend, just not in quite the quantity you might have hoped, meaning we had only 14 minus scores. Solid selections mixed with a low number of players ‘in the red’ saw 52% of you beat the weekend’s challenging average of 36. Good work!

That’s all until next week and in GW 31 we have some interesting early kick-offs to select from. In the Premier League, Burnley host Arsenal, while a solid Nottingham Forest side who on the up travel to promotion hopefuls Watford in The Championship. In League One Gillingham face Ipswich, while League Two’s early kick-off sees Exeter City take on Leyton Orient. Good luck and happy scoring!!

-Sam Brooke-Wilkinson