EPL Supercoach | The Cup Chaos Guide: How to Navigate DGWs and Blanks

The second half of the Supercoach EPL season is about to get messy.

Two major cup finals mean blanks, doubles, and plenty of opportunities to either fly up the ranks or tank your season.

The Carabao Cup Final hits Gameweek 31, the FA Cup Semi-Finals land in Gameweek 34, and between them, you’re looking at 2-6 teams blanking with multiple double gameweeks created in the chaos.

You need to start planning now. Here’s why.

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Understanding The Cup Chaos

Carabao Cup Final (GW31)

The Carabao Cup Final falls in Gameweek 31 and guarantees a blank for the two teams playing.

The semi-finals are nearly done:

• Newcastle vs Man City – City won 2-0 away at Newcastle
• Chelsea vs Arsenal – Arsenal won 3-2 away at Chelsea

The second legs are in early February, but let’s be honest about where this is headed. Arsenal and City are most likely going through.

That means two fixtures probably be blank in GW31:

• Arsenal vs Wolves
• City vs Crystal Palace

If Chelsea somehow pulls off the comeback, Chelsea vs Everton blanks instead.

If Newcastle do the same, Newcastle vs Sunderland blanks.

But plan for Arsenal and City given the semi-final scores.

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FA Cup Semi-Finals (GW34)

This is where it gets properly chaotic.

The FA Cup Semi-Finals sit in Gameweek 34, which means four teams blank – double the disruption of the Carabao.

That’s 2-4 fixtures moved, and we’re still three rounds away from knowing who’s involved.

The 4th Round, 5th Round, and Quarter-Finals all need to play out first.

Already eliminated: Manchester United, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Tottenham, and Crystal Palace.

Here’s the key detail – none of these eliminated teams play each other in GW34.

That means any fixture involving teams still in the FA Cup could potentially be moved.

Maximum uncertainty.

Maximum opportunity for chaos.

Where Can Games Move?

Fixtures can only move to midweeks where there’s no other football being played – no Premier League, no European matches, nothing.

Sounds simple, but the second half of the season is packed with fixtures, which limits the options significantly.

Thankfully, people have studied this and worked out exactly which weeks are available for rescheduling.

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The Gameweek-by-Gameweek Breakdown

The blanks are confirmed.

The doubles are educated guesses based on the fixture calendar.

Gameweek 26: The Potential Arsenal Double

Arsenal vs Wolves most likely lands here.

Why this week?

It’s the midweek round for European knockout phase matches – but only for teams that finished 9th-24th in the group stage.

Chelsea, Palace, and Newcastle likely all need to play their knockout ties.

Arsenal and City both finished top 8 and are straight through to the Round of 16.

That creates the opening for Arsenal vs Wolves.

The potential doubles:

• Arsenal: Brentford (A), Wolves (A)
• Wolves: Nottingham Forest (A), Arsenal (H)

Both Arsenal fixtures are away, but they’re in brilliant form, and both opponents are beatable.

If this double lands, load up Arsenal defenders, Saka, and Rice.

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Gameweek 31: The Carabao Blank

Here’s where Arsenal and City are likely blank for the final.

• Arsenal vs Wolves – blank
• City vs Palace – blank

You can carry three Arsenal and City players on your bench for the week.

But I’ve got Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Foden, Haaland, and Saka.

Scary!

Let alone Raya with a number of bench keepers.

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Gameweek 33: The Likely City Double (Plus Wildcards)

Next available midweek for the rescheduled Carabao fixture – this is where City vs Palace most likely lands.

The potential City double:

• Manchester City: Arsenal (H), Palace (H)
• Crystal Palace: West Ham (H), City (A)

Haaland with Arsenal and Palace at the Etihad?

Two tough fixtures, but I wouldn’t back against him in a double.

Palace‘s double looks mid – not loading up, but might have a pop on one or two.

West Ham at home is decent, City away kills most of the value.

Some FA Cup fixtures might land in GW33 as well, though expect most to go to GW36.

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Gameweek 34: The FA Cup Blank (The Big One)

Four teams blank. We don’t know which four yet.

Imagine if Arsenal, Liverpool, City, and Chelsea all make the semi-finals.

Who would be left?

Gabriel, Virgil van Dijk, Saka, Haaland, and Palmer – all blanking together.

No Free Hit to bail you out like in FPL.

Supercoach needs planning and boosts, with trades in the bank.

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Gameweek 36: The FA Cup DGW Bonanza

Expect most of the FA Cup rescheduled fixtures to land here.

That’s potentially 2-4 fixtures creating doubles.

If Arsenal, Liverpool, and City all have FA Cup fixtures moved to this week, you’ve got three elite doubles in one gameweek.

If it’s smaller teams doubling, it’s a trap.

We won’t know the semi-finalists until early April.

Stay flexible.

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Strategic Planning: Your Action Items

Trade Management

Stop making sideways moves now.

That mid-pricer upgrade can wait.

You need trades available for when they actually matter:

• Loading Arsenal if the GW26 double lands
• Covering the GW31 blank if needed
• Navigating whatever chaos GW34 brings
• Capitalising on GW36 doubles when we know who’s involved

Every unnecessary trade you make now is one you won’t have when it matters.

Near-Term Actions

1. Prepare for potential GW26 Arsenal double – If it lands, you’ll want 3-4 Arsenal assets minimum. Already got three? Consider going to four or five for the double.
2. Watch the FA Cup closely – Each round eliminates teams and narrows down the GW34 chaos
3. Stop making unnecessary trades – Every trade counts in Supercoach

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The Verdict

The second half is where leagues are won.

The Carabao brings manageable chaos.

The FA Cup brings complete uncertainty.

Stop the sideways trades, prepare for the doubles, and stay flexible as the chaos unfolds.