FPL Gameweek 38 Scout Picks: Arsenal + West Ham double-ups

This is it, then. The final Scout Picks of the 2024/25 season.

We considered the Scout Squad submissions made by Neale, Tom, Sam and Marc before coming up with our final selection.

As ever, we are limited by certain restrictions:

An £83.0m budget for our starting XI

An overall squad limit of £100.0m

No more than three players per team

GAMEWEEK 38 SCOUT PICKS

GOALKEEPER

David Raya (£5.5m) is our chosen representative from the Arsenal backline in Gameweek 38. The Spaniard will surely start in his pursuit of the Golden Glove, and requires a clean sheet to at least claim a share of the award. It’s certainly an achievable aim, considering Mikel Arteta’s men have kept three shut-outs in their last six away matches. Furthermore, opponents Southampton have scored just two goals in Gameweeks 33-37, the fewest in the top-flight.

DEFENDERS

If it wasn’t for Bournemouth’s late consolation goal on Tuesday, Josko Gvardiol (£6.5m) would have been celebrating a sixth clean sheet in eight matches. It’s his potential at the other end of the pitch that stands out in Gameweek 38, however, having returned to left-back duties against Andoni Iraola’s side. Gvardiol has five goals to his name this season, the joint-most of any defender.

Fabian Schar (£5.5m) welcomes Everton to St James’ Park on the back of three home clean sheets in succession. The Swiss international is placed joint-top among defenders for shots over the last six Gameweeks, as he looks to add to his four-goal tally for Eddie Howe’s side. As for the Toffees, they have failed to score in two of their last four away matches.

Above: Defenders sorted by shots (Tot) over the last six Gameweeks

We’ve also called up Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.4m) as our final defender ahead of West Ham United’s trip to Portman Road. The Tractor Boys have failed to score in four of their last five matches, which enhances the defender’s chances of a clean sheet on Sunday. Wan-Bissaka’s raids down the left flank offer a further route to points, having created the joint-highest number of big chances among all defenders since Graham Potter’s appointment.

MIDFIELDERS

Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) has blanked in each of his last three matches, with just one goal and one assist in eight, but he still carries significant appeal in Gameweek 38, with Liverpool set to lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield on Sunday. There’s nothing on the line for Arne Slot’s side, of course, but the Egyptian needs two attacking returns to break Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer’s goal involvement record, so he could benefit from the party atmosphere against Crystal Palace. Salah has blanked in only three of his 18 appearances on home turf in 2024/25, averaging 7.9 points per start.

Rotation is very much a concern with our second midfielder. Arsenal sewed up second place last week with a win against Newcastle United, with the possibility being that Mikel Arteta may turn to his fringe players for the dead rubber against Southampton. Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) subsequently carries risk, but in the absence of any concrete evidence that he will be rested, we prefer to focus on the upside. The winger has 17 attacking returns in 20 starts and a handful of substitute appearances this season, banking 126 points at an average of 5.2 per match.

Bryan Mbeumo (£8.3m) is our chosen Brentford attacker for the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the last six away matches, none of his teammates have managed more shots or efforts on target, while he also has the highest expected goal involvement (xGI) figure in that sample. That has translated to 11 attacking returns on the road this season, the most of any midfielder except Salah and Justin Kluivert (£5.9m). It’s also worth pointing out that Vitor Pereira’s side have conceded six goals in their last two matches, seemingly checking out for 2024/25.

Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m) added his sixth attacking return in five matches against Nottingham Forest last weekend, taking his tally to seven goals and four assists in 14 appearances under Graham Potter. He’s potentially on penalties if Lucas Paqueta (£5.7m) isn’t on the pitch, against an Ipswich Town side that are yet to keep a clean sheet in 2025.

Above: Midfielders sorted by FPL points (Tot) since Jarrod Bowen’s first start under Graham Potter in Gameweek 24

FORWARDS

With Fantasy managers sweating on the fitness of Alexander Isak (£9.4m), Ollie Watkins (£9.1m) is an easy inclusion for Aston Villa’s away trip to Manchester United. The visitors have won eight of their last nine matches, with another victory on Sunday potentially securing UEFA Champions League qualification. Few forwards can match Watkins’ output in 2025, with eight goals and four assists in 18 appearances since the turn of the year.

Evanilson gets the nod as Bournemouth host already-relegated Leicester City on Sunday. Costing just £5.8m, the Brazilian has plundered 10 goals and five assists this season. Part of a Bournemouth attack that sits fifth for expected goals (xG) in 2024/25, Evanilson will fancy his chances against a Jamie Vardy-less Leicester outfit who have nothing to play for.

With goals in each of his last three away appearances, Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) is in decent form as Brighton and Hove Albion head to Tottenham Hotspur. The Seagulls know a point will be enough for them to confirm an eighth-place finish, which could secure European football next season. With Spurs’ trophy parade on Friday, Welbeck – who registered an eye-catching six shots against Liverpool on Monday – will be looking to capitalise.

SUBSTITUTES

Jakub Stolarczyk (£4.0m): Budget was a huge factor with our subs. With Stolarczyk, he at least travels to Bournemouth on the back of two clean sheets in his last three appearances.

(£4.0m): Budget was a huge factor with our subs. With Stolarczyk, he at least travels to Bournemouth on the back of two clean sheets in his last three appearances. Ezri Konsa (£4.4m): The Aston Villa backline is in superb form at present, having kept clean sheets in six of their last nine matches.

(£4.4m): The Aston Villa backline is in superb form at present, having kept clean sheets in six of their last nine matches. Illia Zabarnyi (£4.4m): Opponents Leicester have failed to score in five of their last seven away games.

(£4.4m): Opponents Leicester have failed to score in five of their last seven away games. Yankuba Minteh (£4.8m): The cheap midfielder has delivered six goals and five assists across the season.

THE CAPTAIN

We chose the Scout Picks captain using a vote between our Scout Squad panel.

Marc: Saka, Salah, Watkins

Saka, Salah, Watkins Tom: Salah, Bowen, Mbeumo

Salah, Bowen, Mbeumo Neale: Salah, Mbeumo, Bowen

We’re handing Mohamed Salah the armband this week, with Bryan Mbeumo named as the vice-captain.

COMMUNITY CHAMPION

A Fantasy Football Scout community member takes on the Scout Picks each week.

The community member who beats our team by the largest margin will win a £100 Amazon voucher. They’ll also get a place in our Moderators and Contributors League for the following season.

Boleyn Boy’s 80-44 victory in Gameweek 6 gave them the biggest win (36-point difference) of 2024/25 so far.

Our champion this week will be announced in due course.

The Scout Picks are 22-12 up on the community this season.

FOLLOW THE SCOUT’S WEEKLY TRANSFER PLANS

We’re running a Scout FPL community team this season, with regulars like TopMarx, Tom Freeman, Marc Jobling and more contributing to the weekly decisions.

You can follow our team via the Premier Fantasy Tools Pro Planner, which you can read more about here.

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