The Premier League season reaches its conclusion on Matchday 38. With the title race settled but European qualification and relegation still in the balance, Sofascore Fantasy has unveiled an “England XI” built from Fantasy points—set out in the 4-3-3 shape Thomas Tuchel favours, with each spot filled by this season’s top Premier League Fantasy scorer in that position—as a guide for final-day squad picks and pre-World Cup scouting.
Final-day backdrop: champions crowned, places still up for grabs
Arsenal have officially lifted this season’s Premier League title after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on the south coast. For Manchester City, that stalemate not only ended the title race but also landed alongside news of manager Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of the season, raising the stakes for their final-day meeting with Aston Villa. In Europe, Champions League and Europa League places are still not fully secured; lower down, Tottenham and West Ham remain fighting to stay clear of the Championship. With the World Cup approaching, this lineup can also be read as a Fantasy-flavoured glimpse of Thomas Tuchel’s eventual England squad—it should be noted that this piece focuses on the Premier League, so Harry Kane, who is no longer in the division, has not been included.
Goalkeeper: Henderson — big returns at a bargain price
Crystal Palace host Arsenal at home, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson, valued at just €6.1M, is nonetheless the top pick in goal for this gameweek. On the pitch, his positioning between the posts and timing when coming off his line have been relatively steady this season; his Sofascore squad rating of 6.92 ranks third among Crystal Palace players, and his 178 Fantasy points have already edged out incumbent England No. 1 Jordan Pickford. From a squad-management angle, Glasner has taken his side into the Conference League final, with the twin-track workload clearly taking its toll—the club still sit 15th in the league. In the final round against title-winning Arsenal, the visitors’ attacking intensity may dip slightly, but Henderson’s recent-season profile of “few mistakes, plenty of saves” is exactly the underlying logic Fantasy managers need for the season finale.
Final-round fixture and value
Crystal Palace’s home is Selhurst Park, capacity 26,309; Henderson’s €6.1M price tag has delivered close to 180 points, giving him a clear points-per-cost edge at goalkeeper. For Fantasy managers, the season closer is partly a bet on the opponent’s attacking quality and partly a read on the goalkeeper’s own season curve—Henderson falls into the latter, more trustworthy category.
Defenders: Guehi—the all-round contribution behind 257 points
Man City host Aston Villa at the Etihad in the final round, with defender Marc Guéhi (€9.0M) a core pick at the back. The numbers tell the story: 257 Fantasy points and a Sofascore rating of 7.30 this season, plus 3 goals and 3 assists — for a centre-back, that kind of secondary attacking output converts directly into Fantasy returns. He trails Arsenal's Gabriel by just 10 points, yet remains a strong contender for Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad.
Technical talking points for Man City's finale
After a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth midweek, City's title chase is over and the final matchday is more about momentum and sentiment. Guéhi's positioning, headed clearances and set-piece runs are the keys to his Fantasy value: those 257 points come not only from clean sheets but also from sporadic attacking gains. England, ranked fourth by FIFA (1825.97 points), are heading to the World Cup — whether Guéhi can close the 10-point gap to Gabriel in the season finale and impress the national team staff is one of the biggest storylines of the round.
The operator's view: how to pick for the finale
Round 38 carries a triple narrative of European qualification, relegation battles and England World Cup squad auditions. In a 4-3-3, Fantasy managers can prioritise Henderson's value in goal; at the back, Guéhi offers solid ratings and attacking upside. Fine-tune the rest by each team's motivations on the last day — post-title relaxation, survival desperation, European distraction — rather than simply chasing big names.
What to watch next
Whether the England players on the list can make Thomas Tuchel’s final World Cup squad will become clear over the next few weeks. With the final matchday done, the Fantasy season is officially over; for managers who still have transfer budget left, the low- to mid-price, high-return route typified by Henderson and Guéhi may offer a better risk-reward balance for the closing gameweek than chasing premium attackers from sides that have already won the title.
