How Dream Team will adapt to Premier League winter break in Gameweek 20

DREAM TEAM managers should be aware that Gameweek 20 is a unique juncture in the 2023/24 season for a number of reasons.

Firstly, gaffers should note that the rescheduling of Burnley v Luton has changed has changed the deadline to 6:45pm this Friday (January 12th) – don’t get caught out by that fixture.

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Dream TeamLiverpool players will be popular again in Gameweek 20[/caption]

Deviating from the norm, Gameweek 20 will last a fortnight to accommodate the Premier League’s partial winter break.

The next round of top-flight fixtures are split across two weekends to ease the workload after a hectic festive schedule and so the upcoming Gameweek will do the same, ensuring all 20 clubs will play at least once.

To be clear, this means teams will be locked from 6:45pm on January 12th and any changes made after that deadline won’t come into effect until Gameweek 21 gets underway on January 26th/27th (depending on which FA Cup fourth round fixtures are selected for television).

For some players, the “winter break” is actually a rather busy period as Gameweek 20 will also feature FA Cup third round replays and the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

GAMEWEEK 20 FIXTURES:

Burnley v Luton (Premier League)

Chelsea v Fulham (Premier League)

Newcastle v Manchester City (Premier League)

Everton v Aston Villa (Premier League)

Manchester United v Tottenham (Premier League)

Wolves v Brentford (FA Cup)

Blackpool v Nottingham Forest (FA Cup)

Bolton v Luton (FA Cup)

Bristol City v West Ham (FA Cup)

Everton v Crystal Palace (FA Cup)

Arsenal v Crystal Palace (Premier League)

Brentford v Nottingham Forest (Premier League)

Sheffield United v West Ham (Premier League)

Bournemouth v Liverpool (Premier League)

Brighton v Wolves (Premier League)

Chelsea v Middlesbrough (Carabao Cup)

Fulham v Liverpool (Carabo Cup)

The schedule is always subject to change but as it stands, Gameweek 20 will feature 17 fixtures with ten clubs set to pull double duty.

The most notable of those teams being table-toppers Liverpool – Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.8m), Darwin Nunez (£4.1m) and company will be popular recruits ahead of the deadline.

RexWest Ham’s Gameweek 20 fixtures look favourable but several of their key players are unavailable[/caption]

But that’s not all, Gameweek 20 is also notable because it marks the start of the Second Shot Competition.

Existing gaffers will automatically be entered into the Second Shot Competition with £5,000 of prize money to be distributed among the five gaffers who earn the most points from Gameweek 20 until the end of the season, regardless of how they performed throughout the first half of the campaign.

Dream Team bosses who now feel familiar with the current version of the game after a rocky start should see the Second Shot competition as something of a clean slate.

All gaffers should be fully aware of the unique nature of Gameweek 20 before the confirm their strategy ahead of Friday’s deadline.