Excitement Builds as the End of the Season Draws Near
Arsenal were narrow favorites to beat perennial nemesis Manchester City at Wembley, but Arteta’s notorious pragmatic football came unstuck against Pep Guardiola’s side. A quickfire second-half brace from academy product Nico O’Reilly was enough to secure a 2-0 victory and the trophy for the Blues, immediately triggering panic at the Emirates. Can the Gunners dust themselves off to continue their march in the three competitions they remain in contention to win? Or will they collapse once again, just as we have seen so many times in recent years?
Excitement is now reaching a fever pitch as we head into the latter stages of Arsenal’s title challenge, to the point that a slew of alternative media outlets are offering supporters closer access to the action. Playing FPL is one such way that millions enjoy, but now online casinos are looking to follow in the fantasy world’s footsteps by rolling out a range of Premier League titles that have proven to be massive hits with their player base.
The popular SlotsLV, for example, has recently announced games such as Soccer Ball Plinko and World Cup Football, both centered on the beautiful game. And much like FPL, it’s not just the exciting gameplay that keeps players happy. Their accessibility has also been lauded, with players able to enjoy the games around the clock, provided they have a stable internet connection and a semi-decent smart device... You won’t have to go out and buy the latest iPhone, that’s for sure.
But while World Cup Football and Soccer Ball Plinko have been impressive, several expensive Premier League stars certainly haven’t been impressing FPL managers. Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive flops of the 2025/26 season.
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak was the talk of the footballing world last summer. The Swedish striker held former club Newcastle United to ransom throughout the summer transfer window, refusing to train unless the Magpies allowed him to leave for Liverpool. In the end, manager Eddie Howe ultimately relented, allowing Isak to swap Tyneside for Merseyside for a British record £125m. But to say his time at Anfield has been a flop would be an understatement.
FPL managers rushed to add Isak to their squads for the princely sum of £10.3m, the second-most expensive striker available behind the prolific Erling Haaland. However, without any preseason of note under his belt, the Swede immediately struggled. By December, he had just two Premier League goals and 29 points to his name, a measly average of just 2.9 points per game. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Isak would then suffer a disastrous broken leg in the win against Spurs, causing him to miss months of action.
Managers promptly reacted, dumping the expensive Swedish international as soon as news of his injury broke. Still, however, he cost fantasy bosses no shortage of points while he was fit, and he’s without doubt the most expensive flop of the season.
Omar Marmoush
Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush arrived at Manchester City last January and immediately lit up the Etihad, scoring a hat trick against Newcastle and a stunning Goal of the Season-winning strike against Bournemouth. FPL managers’ eyes lit up when he was listed as a midfielder as opposed to a striker, with players expecting that he would rack up the goals and the points at a cost of £8.3m. Unfortunately, however, that hasn’t proven to be the case.
Despite shining last term, Marmoush hasn’t managed to make an impact when called upon this term. The former Frankfurt man has started just eight games all season, managing just three assists and one solitary goal. An average of 2.4 points per game is a miserable return for someone commanding such a lofty price tag. He has, however, managed two assists in his last four games, suggesting that an uptick in form could be just around the corner. Still, we’re not sure he’ll ever justify that price tag.
Yoane Wissa
Striker Yoane Wissa was signed by Newcastle as Alexander Isak’s replacement, with the Magpies forking out £55m to secure his services. FPL managers were able to scoop him for far less than that, but the £7.3m still represents a sizable outlay considering his output this season.
Like the man he was signed to replace, Wissa has struggled for fitness all season long. He has made only 13 appearances so far this term, netting just one goal. He has fallen down the pecking order at St. James’ Park with both Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade preferred up front, and he has suffered a similar fate in FPL, with just 0.6% of players selecting him in their squad. Considering his disastrous points average of 1.5 per game, we’re not surprised.