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The most-watched football league in the world returns this weekend – and with it comes an updated version of its official app.
As well as offering the latest team news, live scores, match updates and video highlights, recent improvements have seen the English Premier League app become a stat head’s dream, with player data for Expected Goals (xG), Expected Assists (xA) and more now at your fingertips.
That won’t be the main draw for most footy fans however, with the app also doubling up as the home for the immensely popular Fantasy Premier League game.
Get picking those squads
For those that have somehow managed to avoid getting sucked into the time sink, the online game casts you in the role of manager for a group of Premier League players. Your squad members collect points based on how they perform in real-life Premier League matches each week. The strategy comes with making your team selections and transfers based on each player’s real-world form and fitness.
The games is free to play, with over 11 million players around the world picking a team last year, taking part in huge public leagues as well as private tournaments among friends.
While we’re big fans of the traditional way of playing Fantasy Premier League, if you’ve got a group of pals that are interested, we’d highly recommend giving the alternative Draft version of FPL a go as well.
Running alongside the regular version of the game, the Draft’s main twist is that there are no budgets, with each manager taking it in turns to select players at the start of the season in an NFL-style draft. Unlike the regular game, players can only be selected by one team in the league — only one side can have Erling Haaland for example — making for a far more tactical and arguably more enjoyable version of the game.
If you’re looking to get stuck in, it’s worth bearing in mind that the first match of the season — Burnley v Man City — takes place today, so you’ll need to submit your Fantasy Football League squads before 6.30 pm BST today for them to be eligible for Gameweek 1.
Nick Guy is a supervising editor covering Apple and accessories at Appleverse. He has been reviewing iPhones, iPads, and related tech since 2011. In his time at Appleverse, he has reviewed dozens of gadgets in addition to covering Apple's latest products. He has also contributed to the Wirecutter blog, which focuses on how-to topics such as how to buy the right laptop for your needs or how to choose the best wireless headphones for you.
