Cherki your man for double gameweek 36 – FPL team of the week

May 7, 2026 No Comments

Cherki your man for double gameweek 36 – FPL team of the weekImage source, BBC SportByThomas WoodsBBC Sport Senior JournalistPublished4 minutes agoThis week is the final double gameweek of the FPL season, with Manchester City and Crystal Palace both playing twice.

Which City assets do you choose, aside from the obvious Erling Haaland?

And how many Palace players should you pick, with Oliver Glasner’s side chasing European glory?

Here I’ve picked my ideal Free Hit team, in a crucial week as the end of the season approaches.

The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

Don’t miss our FPL special Q&A with expert Holly Shand, live on the BBC Sport website on Friday at 15:30 BST.

How did last week’s team do?

Triple Arsenal defence paid off with three clean sheets, there were 10-pointers from Noah Okafor and James Hill, plus a goal for captain Igor Thiago.

That resulted in a strong 64 points.

BBC Sport’s FPL team of the week for double gameweek 36

BBC Sport's FPL team of the week for gameweek 36

Keeper and defence

Bart Verbruggen, keeper, £4.5m and Jan Paul van Hecke, £4.6m, both Brighton – Wolves (h)

Wolves lost their past two away games 3-0 and 4-0 and have only scored seven goals on the road all season, so a bet on Brighton’s defence is a logical one.

Nico O’Reilly, Manchester City, £5.2m – Brentford (h) and Crystal Palace (h)

There’s an argument for going double City defence this week but, given goal difference might decide the title, this team has the upside of two attacking assets from Pep Guardiola’s side.

If you’re only picking one City defender, then it has to be goalscoring, bonus-grabbing O’Reilly.

Jaydee Canvot, Crystal Palace, £4.5m – Everton (h) and Manchester City (a)

I’m not that worried about more potential Palace rotation because, if they reach the Uefa Conference League final on Thursday, they then have three weeks before the big game.

And rotating hasn’t really worked for Glasner either, with his side having earned just a point from their past three games. They will be looking a little nervously at the relegation zone.

Either way, Canvot has started eight straight games and tends to get defensive contribution points (defcon), earning them in five of those matches.

Gabriel, Arsenal, £7.2m – West Ham (a)

Arsenal’s defence is on a roll so Gabriel has to be in the team of the week again.

Four clean sheets in their past six and the Brazilian had an xG of 0.64 against Fulham last time so you could say he is due a goal.

Midfield

Rayan Cherki, Manchester City, £6.6m – Brentford (h) and Crystal Palace (h)

Cherki has become City’s best midfield asset, with Antoine Semenyo’s output drying up in recent weeks.

You might be tempted by Jeremy Doku after his two-goal performance at Everton, and he certainly has explosive potential, but the Belgian only has four goals this season.

Cherki has 12 assists in 18 starts in his debut season and, with two home games this week for a City side chasing goals, he has a more reliable chance of a return.

Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United, £10.4m – Sunderland (a)

Fernandes is returning every week at the moment and is a must-pick FPL asset.

Ismaila Sarr, Crystal Palace, £6.4m – Everton (h) and Manchester City (a)

Presuming Palace’s first XI play both games in this double gameweek, then Sarr is the pick of the attacking assets.

Only Cole Palmer has a higher xG per 90 minutes than Sarr’s 0.43, and only Bournemouth’s David Brooks has more big chances per 90 minutes than his 0.7.

And when Jean-Philippe Mateta is not on the pitch, Sarr will be on penalties.

Harry Wilson, Fulham, £5.9m – Bournemouth (h)

Wilson has more goals than any other midfielder at home, with eight of his 10 this season at Craven Cottage.

He may have blanked in his last home game, but Bournemouth’s defence on the road is leaky, with only Burnley having conceded more.

Strikers

Erling Haaland, Manchester City, £14.6m – Brentford (h) and Crystal Palace (h)

Don’t mess about this week! Haaland is the obvious captain and if you still have your Triple Captain chip left then you are laughing – he could score four or five!

Richarlison, Tottenham, £6.3m – Leeds (h)

What a difference a good performance makes. Spurs have been an FPL dead zone for the second half of the season, but managers are now looking at their next couple of games and seeing points.

Richarlison was Tottenham’s biggest threat in the win at Aston Villa, has returns in each of his previous two games and now has 10 goals and four assists in just 17 starts.

If Spurs continue their upturn in form, he’ll be at the heart of their attacking threat.