Another season of Fantasy Premier League has come to an end, and it’s time to crown the champion.
Out of 11m players, Ali Jahangirov (FPL Gunz) has finished in first place, edging out second place by just five points in a hotly-contested season.
And the overall winner has spoken exclusively to Sky Sports to reveal his secrets – and his tips for next season.
How does it feel to crowned FPL champion for 2022/23?
It feels surreal to be honest. It’s an amazing feeling to be best in the world – especially in a football-related game I love. It has not sunk in yet but the messages of support have been overwhelming.
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A look back at how the Soccer Saturday team got on when they went head to head in FPL – it’s fair to say Paul Merson still has a bit to learn about fantasy football…
What has surprised you most about this season?
I have surprised myself by being patient and calm enough when things got really stressful. Some of the decisions have gone my way but most of them were calculated and well thought through. I am usually more compulsive in stressful moments.
No one knows exactly which players could do well beforehand and even if your team looks weak on paper it may well surprise you and do amazing. Surprisingly I have kept faith in players who were out of form at that particular moment but managed to recover and perform well again, when other managers opted to get rid.
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Mohamed Salah breaks Robbie Fowler’s Premier League goal record to become Liverpool’s greatest Premier League goal scorer with 129 goals as he scored two in the club’s 7-0 thrashing to arch rivals Manchester United
It was really tempting to go with the flow but somehow my gut feeling told me to stick with Gabriel Martinelli, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tyrone Mings who delivered crucial points for me as a result.
What were your best and worst decisions this season?
I would say having Callum Wilson and Mings as differentials in my team when needed was by far the best decision. I have owned Wilson for his monster hauls throughout the season when he was really low-owned. I also went for him instead of the more popular Alexander Isak and captained him which resulted in 48 points in Double Gameweek 36.
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Callum Wilson opens up about a dip in motivation after the World Cup and how he rediscovered his spark to fire Newcastle towards Champions League qualification
Wilson played a massive role in my win, as he was subbed on for a short cameo in GW38 and blocked Ethan Pinnock’s 15 points for No 2 in the world.
I have had Mings as my first bench player and stepped up with points every time I had a missing starter in my team. He has done absolute wonders for me this season.
The worst decision was getting Kevin De Bruyne in my WC, which almost cost me a win. I wildcarded in GW34 and squeezed in De Bruyne by getting cheap players in other positions. As a result, he missed three out of the four games I owned him for and got me only three points in one game. The rest of my team looked very weak but somehow I managed to get it over the line.
What trends from this season will continue in 2023/2024?
I will definitely follow the same patterns as in the previous two seasons. It served me well for sure as I finished 215th last season.
Looking at chip strategy, I will try to use my wildcard as late as possible as it is the strongest chip which allows you to change your entire team when things go wrong.
Try to take as few hits as possible as they don’t necessarily pay off. Play your own game no matter what as it is the only way to have fun in FPL.
