Gameweek 12 Preview and Team Selection

Overall points: 683

Overall rank: 256,580

Free transfers: 2

Transfers made: 0

The final international break has concluded and we can now turn the clock back to the real football we are all interested in! FPL. 

This week I have two free transfers to use with the plan to go all in on Wolves assets and sell Pedro Porro who has really not been good for me since I brought him in. I will likely sell him to Rayan Aït-Nouri of Wolves and I may roll my other transfer or sell Joao Pedro for  Strand-Larsen. Otherwise here is how I will lineup for Gameweek 12. 

I was tempted by a goalkeeper transfer but may as well just wait until I wildcard as I will most likely pull the trigger soon. Therefore, Dean Henderson starts in goal this week, of course, against Aston Villa. I am not hopeful of a clean sheet but who knows? 

In the back three this week I am starting Lucas Digne against Crystal Palace where there should be clean sheet potential and maybe something attacking wise too. Anontee Robinson stays in the 11 as he faces Wolves who have been struggling and he once again could return for me. With the likely transfer to Aït-Nouri, he will start in the defense too. 

In midfield, I am once again going with five players. Emilie Smith Rowe has been good recently so I am hoping he can continue in the returns against Wolves who seem a good team to play right now. Cole Palmer faces Leicester for Chelsea and we all know what he can do especially against teams lower down in the league. Mohamed Salah also has a great fixture this week against Southampton away, he will most likely once again have my captain's armband due to the form of Manchester City and Erling Haaland. Bryan Mbeumo has also been a gem this season and Brentford face Everton this week who are very hit and miss in terms of how they play and what team will turn up for them. Finally, Morgan Rogers rounds out the midfield for Aston Villa against Palace, I am hoping he can get back into the attacking returns. 

Up front I am going with two, however, I debated starting all three. The two I am going with are Erling Haaland against Tottenham who I am hoping can start scoring again after his great start to the season. I am between Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck for the other spot but am currently going with Welbeck. 

Really hoping for another green arrow this week but it cannot last forever so just hoping for a solid Gameweek at least that can solidify my position in the top 500,000 of managers.  

Gameweek 11 Review

Gameweek points: 67

Gameweek average: 49

Overall points: 683

Overall rank: 256,580

Gameweek rank: 1,135,536

Free transfers: 2

Transfers made: 0

Another green arrow for the third week in a row and I am now up close to the top 250,000 of managers in the world (around the top 2% mark). I am absolutely taking it, however, a surprise appearance from a certain player who I benched could have made my Gameweek 11 even better. 

Dean Henderson managed his weekly two appearance points as Crystal Palace lost 2-0 at home to Fulham (although this was good for some other players in my team). At the back, Pedro Porro finally returned with the assist for Rodrigo Bentacur’s goal despite the 2-1 defeat to Ipswich. Porro finished with four points as Spurs conceded two goals meaning he lost one point. Fulham’s clean sheet against Crystal Palace meant Antonee Robinson got six points for being part of that defense. While Leicester’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United meant Wout Faes only managed a point. Unfortunately what was meant to be a four man defense turned into a three man one this week as Michael Keane did not start for Everton against West Ham. This was particularly annoying as Everton kept a clean sheet. 

In midfield, the decision to keep the captains armband on Mohamed Salah once again paid off as he managed a goal and an assist against Aston Villa in the 2-0 victory. Salah also picked up a clean sheet point and the maximum three bonus points for 14 on the week- doubled to 28 as captain. Emilie Smith Rowe scored for Fulham in the 2-0 win and took home all three bonus points too for a score of 11 this week. Bryan Mbeumo’s assist for Mikkel Damsgaard’s goal meant he finished with five points this week. My other two midfielders were unable to return this week however. Cole Palmer picked up only the two appearance points against Arsenal in the 1-1 draw, while Morgan Rogers only managed one point as he received a yellow card against Liverpool.

Danny Welbeck once again blanked this week only getting two appearance points in Brighton’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City. In good news though, Erling Haaland scored City’s lone goal in the game but was booked so managed five points. 

67 points this week is once again a good week and a green arrow as this score was 18 points above the average and I continue to climb the standings gradually. However, I had Joao Pedro as third sub this week as he came off the bench for a goal and an assist against Manchester City alongside the maximum three bonus points for 11 points total. This would have made my week even better but he did start on the bench so I am not too mad, however, I should have paid closer attention to the FPL app as he was seen as “could play”. Valdimarsson blanked of course and elsewhere on the bench saw Lucas Digne manage two points and Michael Keane zero as he did not play. 

With two free transfers this week I plan to use at least one and maybe two. The idea is to sell Pedro Porro to someone like Rayan Aït-Nouri of Wolves to get some money in the bank. I may also go to a Nottingham Forest defender but their upcoming fixtures are tougher. I also like Noussair Mazaraoui of Manchester United as Amorim takes charge and they should get better. I toyed with a goalkeeper transfer but will probably just wait until my wildcard. The other options are selling either Smith Rowe or Morgan Rogers to a midfielder like Noni Madueke or Brennan Johnson or selling either Danny Welbeck or Joao Pedro to Chris Wood despite Forest's tough fixtures or perhaps Cunha of Wolves. Again though I will ponder this over the international break as I may have to put fires out elsewhere. 

Gameweek 11 Preview and Team Selection

I cannot believe we are already at Gameweek 11 of the 2024 Fantasy Premier League season already, where did the time go? Here is my current starting 11 for this week… 

In goal, I am sticking with Dean Henderson with a very small chance I sell him to either Robert Sanchez of Chelsea or Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest in the next couple of fixtures. Most likely I will wait until I use my wildcard. 

In the defense this week, I am currently once again going with four. Everton face West Ham away but I believe they can perhaps keep a clean sheet so Michael Keane starts. Pedro Prro has been terrible for me, having returned just once since I brought him in. Tottenham play Ipswich at home this week though so I am really hoping he gets either a clean sheet or attacking return this week. Whatever way, with Manchester City in Gameweek 12 for Spurs, his time in my team is limited most likely. Wout Faes faces Manchester United away, while I ideally would not play him this week, Aston Villa playing Liverpool away at Anfield this week means I am forced to start Faes. After sacking Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United will most likely improve too, however, the one good thing is Ruben Amorim’s first game will be against Ipswich and not Leicester. Finally, Antonee Robinson also starts this week against Crystal Palace away. I am much more confident in him though after his attacking return last week and a potential clean sheet this week against struggling Palace. 

In midfield this week there is a slight change as I go with four instead of five. Emilie Smith Rowe did not return last week and I may sell him soon but against Crystal Palace this week, hopefully he does something. Cole Palmer’s first week in my team eas a blank, however, it was a tougher fixture away at Old Trafford to Manchester United with players under an interim manager wanting to prove themselves before Amorim comes in so I have no doubt Palmer will be back amongst the returns soon. Bryan Mbeumo faces Bournemouth at home and looks set to continue his fine form after not getting an attacking return last week. Finally, my captain will most likely once again be Mohamed Salah who faces Aston Villa at home. 

Up front this week I am sticking with Erling Haaland for now with his fixture away to Brighton. To me, people selling him will panic if he returns with a goal or two in any fixture so you may as well keep him and ride out this poor run of form. Danny Welbeck starts next to him and against him. However, Welbeck showed against Liverpool that he can return against the best teams and this feels like a decent enough time to play Manchester City in their poor run of form. 

On the bench this week is Valdimarsson for Brentford against Bournemouth. The Aston Villa pair of Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne are first and second subs. While currently Joao Pedro, having still not been in the squad for a while, is third sub and he most likely goes before Gameweek 13 but I am holding off for now.

Top transfers in this week-

1. Chris Wood (6.5), Nottingham Forest, 380,109 transfers in: Chris Wood and Nottingham Forest have been fantastic so far this season. The New Zealand native already has eight goals this season in 10 matches. However, with a tougher run of fixtures in the next four matches I am not sure he is worth transferring in until after this period. Could be a good transfer in.

2. Mohamed Salah (12.8), Liverpool, 284,216 transfers in: Every year it feels like people say “Mohamed Salah will fall off” and he keeps proving them wrong. While there will come a point in his career when this does happen it is certainly not happening yet. 12 attacking returns from seven goals and five assists this season alongside 18 bonus points so far means he has the most points of any midfielder through 10 Gameweeks. If you have the budget he is a great transfer in. 

3. Ola Aina (4.7), Nottingham Forest, 270,889 transfers in: Nottingham Forest have almost certainly been the biggest surprise so far this season as they currently sit third in the league table. You would also say they are playing well and this has absolutely not been a fluke, whether they can carry it on or not though remains to be seen. Their defense has been great too, only conceding seven goals so far this season and Ola Aina got his first attacking return of the season with his goal against West Ham last weekend. The fixtures are tough next few but with the way they are playing, this could carry on. Could be a good transfer in

4. Dominic Solanke (7.7), Tottenham Hotspurs, 252,170 transfers in: You would possibly class Dom Solanke’s start to life at Tottenham as mixed with the early injury and only two goals in his first seven matches. However, he bagged two against Aston Villa last weekend and hopefully is over the hump. Tottenham are so attacking it is hard to see him not getting chances. A good transfer if you can fit him in and afford his 7.7 million price tag. 

5. Bryan Mbeumo (7.9), Brentford, 187,802 transfers in: You all know by now my love for Bryan Mbeumo but Brentford’s fixtures are also juicy now until probably around Gameweek 19. Therefore, I shrill class him as a great transfer in

Top transfers out-

1. Erling Haaland (15.3), Manchester City, 339,224 transfers out: His price tag demands returns and that is not what he has been doing recently. Still, if he scores a hat trick in the next game, how many of these managers who sold him this week will panic? For me, not a good transfer out. 

2. Luis Díaz (7.7), Liverpool, 241,1-5 transfers out: His Premier League minutes over the last few Gameweeks have really not been good. However, he scored a hat trick midweek against a good Bayer Leverkusen side. If he starts on saturday I see no reason why he will not return again in FPL. A bad transfer out for me. 

3. Ollie Watkins (9.0), Aston Villa, 197,853 transfers out: Despite many not believing Ollie Watkins to be having the best of seasons, the Englishman has returned in five out of 10 Gameweeks so far. However, he is the second most expensive attacker behind Haaland. Watkins currently sits fifth for attackers on 53 points. Aston Villa face a tough test against Liverpool next but their next five games are pretty good except for the Chelsea fixture. I feel people are moving off him too quickly. A bad transfer out. 

4. Micky van de Ven (4.6), Tottenham Hotspurs, 175,203 transfers out: He is currently flagged with a hamstring injury and these are never  good. Tottenham's defense has also been pretty poor this season. Definitely avoid and although he is only 4.6 million there are plenty of better options at this price tag. A good transfer out. 

5. Kai Havertz (8.1), Arsenal, 156,450 transfers out: Havertz is also flagged with a head injury, another injury for Arsenal. He has been pretty solid this season. I too did transfer him out though to get the funds for Cole Palmer a few weeks ago and 8.1 million is a lot of money so if you need these funds he is probably a sell. Could be a good transfer out.

Gameweek 10 Review

Gameweek points: 49

Gameweek average: 39

Overall points: 616

Overall rank: 361,527

Gameweek rank: 2,101,195

Free transfers: 1

Transfers made: 0

Gameweek 10 marked a green arrow for the second week in a row up to 361,527 from 398,072- an increase of 36,545. The main reason for this being Mohamed Salah. The Gameweek did not start off well but I had three players in the Fulham vs Brentford game which helped a lot to boost my ranking. 

Dean Henderson reverted back to blanking with his two points for playing with Crystal Palace conceding twice to Wolves in the second half in the 2-2 draw. Elsewhere at the back, my four man defense was pretty disappointing for the most part with Michael Keane only managing one point as Everton lost 1-0 to Southampton and he also got a yellow card. Pedro Porro’s time in my team is certainly running out as I will likely move him on very soon, he only managed a single point too as Tottenham conceded in the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa and he was also booked. With Leicester conceding against Ipswich in the 1-1 draw, Wout Faes only got the two appearance points. However, the one shining light was Antonee Robinson returning for the first time since Gameweek six with an assist in the 2-1 Fulham win against Brentford. Robinson finished with six points this week as he also got a bonus point. 

The midfield was - you guessed it- once again a mixed bag. Emilie Smith Rowe was the lowest scorer with just the two appearance points against Brentford- I may actually move him on soon as well with Fulham attacking returns seemingly often going to other players such as Alex Iwobi. Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbeumo both scored three points each. The pair got two appearance points each with Palmer’s extra point coming as a single bonus point and Mbeumo’s a clean sheet as he was subbed off before Brentford conceded two late goals. Morgan Rogers was back amongst the returns this week and it was a pretty high score with nine points. Rogers scored Aston Villa’s only goal against Tottenham in the 4-1 defeat and managed two bonus points. Rogers was however subbed early again so something to watch. Finally my captain this week, the inevitable Moahmed Salah scored the winning goal for Liverpool against Brighton in the comeback victory. Salah also managed two bonus points meaning he scored nine overall for 18 as my captain.

Up front this week, worryingly my lone striker Erling Haaland blanked for the fifth time in six Gameweeks, his only return in this time a single goal against Southampton. Haaland is concerning, as Manchester City have not been playing well and he has been missing big chances. Haaland’s price tag demands returns and many FPL managers are now selling, however, I want to hold due to his ceiling still being very high. I may sell him when I use my wildcard though depending on how he is doing then. 

I did leave some points on my bench this week. Danny Welbeck scoring against Liverpool meant he managed five points, however, I do not regret benching him as the Liverpool fixture was tough on paper and I am a Liverpool supporter so did not want to bet against my own team. Lucas Digne scored zero points as Aston Villa conceded four so it was the correct decision to bench him. Joao Pedro is back in contention but was not named in the squad for the Liverpool match. I still plan on selling Pedro next week. Brentford’s Valdimarsson also did not play as Mark Flekken’s understudy. 

The plan this week is to roll my transfer for two free transfers next week and then bring in perhaps Chris Wood by selling Pedro Porro for a 4.5-4.6 defender such as Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest or Rayan Aït-Nouri of Wolves. Another transfer I have planned is Dean Henderson to Robert Sanchez of Chelsea, however, I may save this for a wildcard. Joško Gvardiol’s return to last season's more advanced position also makes me want him again but he now costs 6.2 million so I would have to sell Joao Pedro to a 5.0 million attacker to afford him most likely. I am not 100% set on my transfer plans yet so will ponder on my thoughts this week.

Gameweek 10 Team selection

With last week’s transfer debacle where I did not realize there was a Friday fixture I was forced to roll but the good thing is this gives me three transfers this week. I have already made all my transfers for the week prior to the deadline with a slight change from what I said in the last blog. 

I was tempted to move early but held off to see the team and injury news after the midweek Carabao Cup fixtures which has changed a few things for me. Cole Palmer increased to 11.0 million but I still transferred him in. In the end I sold Trent Alexander-Arnold for Michael Keane, Harvey Barnes for Cole Palmer and Kai Havertz for Danny Welbeck. I was priced out of getting Chris Wood, however, he is still flagged due to injury so I am happy I did not get him. 

The other major news is that Joao Pedro finally returned to training after missing four Gameweeks. This is big, however, I am now doubling up on Brighton forwards which I am not 100% keen on so will most likely still move him on in the next two weeks unless he starts scoring. I may well go to Chris Wood still if he is fit and sell Pedro Porro as part of a double swap and move him to a 4.5 or 4.6 such as Aït-Nouri. I also finally have some bank funds with 0.4 due to going to Welbeck instead. 
So with all this considered and factoring in, here is how I lineup for this week… 

In goal is Dean Henderson who I believe can improve now after his eight points last week as he has a kind fixture run with Wolves and Fulham in the next two, however, he has decreased in price to 4.4 million now. I actually may use a goalkeeper transfer soon to move him to either Sels of Nottingham Forest or Sanchez of Chelsea though but will wait for the next two fixtures for Crystal Palace. 

In defense, I have four men this week with Brigthon playing Liverpool. I am starting Michael Keane for Everton against Southampton. He has some attacking threat and certainly a clean sheet potential this week. Pedro Porro plays Aston Villa at home this week. He has not been good since I brought him in but hoping he can turn the tide, however, I am losing patience with him. Leicester play Ipswich this week so I am starting Wout Faes. While Antonee Robinson for Fulham is against Brentford so he also gets the nod. 

In midfield, I am starting five, going with a 4-5-1 which I do not often adopt in FPL. Emile Smith Rowe’s return last week has eased my hard feelings on him and he has every chance of returning again against Brentford. Morgan Rogers has a tougher fixture against Tottenham and there is now some minutes risk but he is good enough to do something. Newly acquired Cole Palmer plays Manchester United this week but he can return against anyone and is often explosive in his points scoring. Bryan Mbeumo plays against Fulham this week and has been a revelation this season, he looks only set to score more. Finally my captain's arm band is currently on Moahmed Salah against Brighton this week, however, Palmer and Haaland are also great options. 
Obviously my sole striker this week is Erling Haaland, while I am tempted to captain him this week currently I am sticking with Salah as Haaland is a little out of form in terms of scoring. Danny Welbeck is ready to come on as first bench option though. Then it is Lucas Digne before Joao Pedro at three, however, his return to training may change my plans slightly. 

Gameweek 9 Review

Gameweek points: 66

Gameweek average: 54

Overall points: 567

Overall rank: 398,072

Gameweek rank: 1,790,613

Free transfers: 3

Transfers made: 0

Let's start with the main positive: I was 12 points above the average and found myself with another green arrow of 66,665. However, I did make a serious error before this week as I missed that there was a Friday night game and therefore missed the deadline and was unable to use my two free transfers. On the positive side though, three free transfers ahead of Gameweek 10 allows me to make a major move this week that I believe really improves my team but I will come onto that in a little bit. For now here is how my team did. 

In goal, Dean Henderson finally returned for just the third time this season. Crystal Palace’s clean sheet against Spurs, one save point and one bonus points meant he finished the Gameweek with 8 points- his second highest total this season. Unfortunately, before the Gameweek started he went down to 4.4 million meaning I will lose value on him if I sell now. 

In the defense I feel like I say the same thing every week so I will say this week that only Lucas Digne returned with his seven point haul from the clean sheet he earned as he was subbed before Bournemotuh scored against Aston Villa and he also notched two bonus points. Elsewhere, Trent Alexander-Arnold only managed one point as Liverpool conceded two away to Arsenal and Pedro Porro only managed two points as Tottenham lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace. I surprisingly may move on either or both of the formers this week. 

Midfield was where my team really shone this week with three players notching returns. I was beginning to get frustrated with Emile Smith Rowe but his assist and clean sheet this week for six Gameweek 9 points have caused these doubts to subside somewhat, he also has a kind upcoming fixture run. Bryan Mbeumo once again managed a double digit haul in the game classic 4-3 victory over Ipswich Town. Mbeumo put Brentford ahead with a penalty in the 51st minute before scoring the winner in the 6th minute of stoppage time at the end of the game. Mbeumo also received all three bonus points for 15 in the Gameweek. Mohamed Salah was the other midfielder to return with the equalizer for Liverpool in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, he too picked up all three bonus points. 

My other two midfielders were a little disappointing. Morgan Rogers was taken off early for the first time this season- only managing a single point. While Harvey Barnes also only managed two points for Newcastle against Chelsea- he is another play I am probably selling this week. 

Finally in attack, Kai Havertz blanked for the first time at home this season only managing two points. It may seem weird to sell him after a tough fixture but the reason for this is that I can get one of the best players in the game currently by doing so. Finally, my captain stayed on Erling Haaland this week as again I missed the early deadline, however, I probably still would have captained him against Southampton anyway. Haaland scored the only goal of the game for a six point haul doubled to 12 as captain. 

Overall I am very happy with the green arrow despite not using transfers and I have a major plan for the three free transfers this week which almost feels like a mini wildcard. The plan is to sell Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Barnes and Kai Havertz in order to get Cole Palmer. The other two players in will most likely be a 4.5 defender such as Rayan Aït-Nouri and the striker will most likely be Danny Welbeck.

Gameweek 9 Preview/ transfer tips

After last week’s Gameweek score and ranking can be described using the ‘meh’ emoji, I am hoping this for a sharp rise in rank this week. I currently still have my two free transfers this week and while I toyed with selling Salah I am still not 100% sure on this. If I do end up selling him I will most likely bring in either Son or Palmer with the funds and spread the rest of the money elsewhere such as upfront or to upgrade either Smith Rowe or Harvey Barnes. 

The main issue I need to deal with this week though is Joao Pedro and I also want to move Harvey Barnes on as I no longer believe him to be a good option. Therefore, alternatively to selling Salah I may instead move Barnes to Dejan Kulusevski and Joao Pedro to Strand Larsen of Wolves. This would also give me 0.1 in the bank and a better team with more options in my opinion. While the Salah and Haaland double up has not paid off as much recently I still believe they will both return in the same Gameweek soon. An alternative to Kulusevski is Dwight McNeil of Everton who is cheaper and has better fixtures, however, Kulusevski’s upside is higher. 

With that said, here is my Gameweek 9 team selection… 

In goal this week it’s of course once again Dean Henderson. Crystal Palace were unlucky not to get a clean sheet against Nottingham Forest but Henderson did get me some save points though. At the back nothing changes with the same back three as last week of Trent Alexander-Arnold against Arsenal away, Pedro Prro against Crystal Palace away and Lucas Digne against Bournemouth at home. While Trent has a tough fixture I do believe he can get an attacking return this week, similar to the other two who also have clean sheet potential. 

In midfield, I plan to deal with Joao Pedro and sell him and depending on who I sell him to, I may go with a 3-4-3 formation this week. For now though I am going with a five man midfield before I make the changes. This means that I have Emile Smith Rowe against Everton, he has the potential to score or assist this week. Alongside him is Mohamed Salah against Arsenal, a tough fixture but it’s Salah he always has the potential for points. Morgan Rogers faces Bournemouth and he has been in some good form. Harvey Barnes has a tougher fixture against Chelsea but I may sell him anyway and even if I do not, Newcastle can beat Chelsea on their day and Barnes can get returns. Finally, although Bryan Mbeumo blanked last week he has been so good this season and against Ipswich I believe he is set for more points. 

Gameweek 8 Review

Gameweek points: 39

Gameweek average: 36

Overall points: 501

Overall rank: 464,737

Gameweek rank: 4,021,892

Free transfers: 2

Transfers made: 0

Gameweek 8 was a low scoring affair for most Fantasy Premier League managers with the highest scorer this week only at 98 points and the Gameweek average at 36. There were a couple of reasons for this such as top teams with assets many of us own such as Arsenal players losing. Bukayo Saka did not play as he was injured, Haaland blanked again and Manchester  City just beat Wolves with Liverpool and Chelsa playing each other. 

While for my team this week, I did beat the average by three points (I know groundbreaking), I still saw my team drop in the overall rankings slightly down to 464,737- a 31,754 ranking drop from Gameweek 7. This week could have been better for me as Crystal Palace were on track for a clean sheet against Nottingham Forest for a while and five out of seven of my attackers blanked. However, with an overall low scoring week things could have been a lot worse. I also have two free transfers to use this week to hopefully improve my team. 

In goal, as I mentioned, Crystal Palace ended up conceding to Nottingham Forest in a 1-0 defeat thanks to another Chris Wood goal so Dean Henderson only managed three points in the end thanks to a save point and the two points for minutes played. Similarly, both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Pedro Porro also only notched me their points for playing with two apiece. Lucas Digne was the one shining light at the back with his assist against Fulham but a yellow card meant he scored four points instead of five but he was still better than the rest. While I would like more points from my defense, clean sheets are currently hard to come by and some tough fixtures played into things this week. However, I picked my defenders more for attacking threat so I would like to see more from them. 

In midfield, my five-man was once again a mixed bag. Mohamed Salah saved my Gameweek somewhat with his 12 point haul against Chelsea thanks to him scoring a penalty, an assist and two bonus points- he would have been the best captain option for me this week. Morgan Rogers once again continued to purr too as he scored again to notch six points which would have been seven but he too received a yellow card. Elsewhere in midfield things were a bit disappointing with Bryan Mbeumo only getting the two appearance points but he has been fantastic and has some good fixtures so I am not too worried. However, Emile Smith Rowe and Harvey Barnes both only got one point this week due to Barnes’ lack of minutes and a yellow card for Smith Rowe- I may move both on soon. 

Finally up front, both Kai Havertz and Erling Haaland blanked this week and as Haaland was my captain so he got four points. I am not too worried about Havertz as Arsenal had a poor performance but did have William Saliba sent off so it was always going to be a difficult day for them. Meanwhile, Haaland blanks for the third week in a row after this supreme early form. Manchester City play Southampton at home in Gameweek 9 though so he is certainly worth holding onto. 

In terms of my transfer plans, I have two free this week and could use both. I am cutting my losses and finally dealing with Joao Pedro this week but will most likely need funds from elsewhere. Therefore, this may also be the week that I sell Mohamed Salah. As much as he is a fantastic option, the money can be reinvested into the rest of my team and bringing in someone like Son, Palmer or Saka, I believe will cover his points mostly. For Joao Pedro’s replacement I have toyed with Solanke but feel he is a little expensive and double Tottenham attack is risky. I will most likely go with Chris Wood but he could also be Danny Welbeck, Wissa, Nicholas Jackson or Strand Larsen. 

Gameweek 8 Preview and Team selection

My current team for Gameweek 8

Finally after the international break, Premier League football is back this weekend and we are at Gameweek 8 in Fantasy Premier League. This break felt long after my green arrow in Gameweek 7 as I wanted to keep the ball rolling but I am still very hopeful I can do just that. 

My team appears to be in pretty good shape post international break but let’s hope there are not too many players carrying small knocks or injuries in my team. The only current question marks are of course still Joao Pedro of Brighton who is still out and who I do need to deal with soon. Alongside this, Kai Havertz has a knock due to a knee injury and has a 75% (FPL) chance of playing. 

Having said that, here’s how my team currently looks going into Gameweek 8…

Formation 3-5-2

Goalkeeper-

Starting- Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest away): After a couple of tougher fixtures and not a good start to the season, I am hoping it starts to click for Crystal Palace this week. There is certainly a chance of a clean sheet against Nottingham Forest but they are also in great form but until I wildcard I am stuck with Henderson in goal. 

Defense-

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool vs Chelsea at home): A difficult fixture for Liverpool this week with their first proper test of the season against a talented Chelsea team who have started the season well. A clean sheet may be a push but Trent was fantastic for England over the international break so hopefully an attacking return perhaps. 

Pedro Porro (Tottenham vs West Ham at home): Porro has been disappointing since I brought him in with only a clean sheet against Manchester United his only return. The biggest issue has been his attacking threat, but West Ham are a chance for him to make amends. 

Lucas Digne (Aston Villa vs Fulham away): Digne in the last Gameweek was fantastic, receiving an eight-point haul for the clean sheet alongside two bonus points and the playing points. Fulham poses a chance for both a clean sheet and an attacking return this week. 

Midfielders-

Emile Smith Rowe (Fulham vs Aston Villa at home): Smith Rowe has struggled somewhat the last two weeks with only a combined four points, however, Fulham have been scoring even in the tough last two fixtures. With Joao Pedro still injured too I am starting him, he has been good and can be great again this week. 

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool vs Chelsea at home): Salah blanked last time around against Crystal Palace in a hard-fought Liverpool win. With the tough Chelsea fixture this week and Arsenal next week it may be time to sell him soon to free up funds but I also want to keep a Liverpool attacking asset and Salah can score against anyone so looks good this week. 

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa vs Fulham away): After his back-to-back returns in Gameweeks 5 and 6, Rogers blanked last week against Manchester United. However, he continues to start getting the minutes and has a high attacking threat and potential so he stays for now and starts for me again. 

Harvey Barnes (Newcastle vs Brighton at home): The rage transfer for Morgan Gibbs-White getting sent off remains in my team. He has not yet scored any real points for me but again I am stuck with him for now and he has Brighton this week so a much better chance for a return. The minutes are there enough to keep for now but I may move him on soon. 

Bryen Mbeumo (Brentford vs Manchester United away): This man has been a revelation this season with a great price tag at 7.5 million for the current 6th overall top scorer in the game. He is also the most transferred in player ahead of Gameweek. While I did not start with him, I am very glad I now have him and he is sure to get more attacking returns in the upcoming fixtures. 

Forwards

Kai Havertz (Arsenal vs Bournemouth away): A slight injury doubt this week and worry but I personally think he will start and can get goals against Bournemouth away. Some tougher fixtures and tests are coming up for Arsenal though. 

Erling Haaland (Captain: Manchester City vs Wolves away): Haaland takes my captain's armband this week against bottom of the league Wolves who have conceded a league high 21 goals. Manchester City could win this by five or six on their day so I am 100% captaining Haaland and am not against triple captaining him this week either. 

Bench-

Hákon Valdimarsson (Brentford vs Manchester United away): Understudy to Dean Henderson in my team and Mark Flekken at Brentford. Maybe he comes into Brentford’s starting 11 at some point due to injury or poor form. 

Wout Faes (Leicester vs Southampton away): Faes may come off the bench for me this week if Havertz is not fit enough to play and with Southampton away there is a chance for a Leicester clean sheet and Faes always has some threat from set pieces. He is first sub over Antonee Robinson this week. 

Antonee Robinson (Fulham vs Aston Villa at home): Robinson has mainly been a bench option for me recently and currently has three returns from the first seven Gameweeks. Hoping I do not need him to come off the bench this week but he could return still of he does. 

Joao Pedro (Brighton vs Newcastle away): Really not good that he is still out and will most likely move him on next week if he is still out as his price is back down to 5.5 million and could lower further. Hopefully we see him back soon though. 

Most transferred in players-

1. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford (233,484 transfers in): A great relatively cheap option for the returns he is getting. What a breakout season I only see more points for the rest of the season. A must buy for me. - Great transfer in

2. Brennan Johnson, Spurs (204,047 transfers in): Another player on my radar. He has some recent returns and could be a great budget option in the Spurs attack if his minutes remain. - Good transfer in

3. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal (202,489 transfers in): Sake is a great FPL option. He has great minutes, can score goals, gets assists and bonus points, there is not much to go against him. His price is pretty hefty at 10.1 million though and he is a slight doubt but normally plays even when flagged. - Great transfer in

4. Dwight McNeil, Everton (191,389 transfers in): Everton did not start the season well but they are picking their form up with a win and two draws in their last three matches. McNeil has two double digit scores for them this season but blanked in the other five weeks. A good budget option perhaps but this seems like too many transfers in for him. - Could be good 

5. Cole Palmer, Chelsea (176,196 transfers in): Palmer’s price has already risen .3 to 10.8 million. This is also justified as he is so good and explosive. If you can find the funds definitely fit him into your team. - Great transfer in 

Most transferred out players-

1. Luis Diaz, Liverpool (236,232 transfers out): Liverpool faces Chelsea and Arsenal in their next two before some slightly nicer fixtures. Diaz was great starting the season but was benched in Gameweek 7 against Crystal Palace. Diaz will also be returning from international duty with Colombia so may be benched to start with. He is a minutes risk but can return when he plays. - Could be a good transfer out

2. Joao Pedro, Brighton (179,016 transfers out): Was a great option but perhaps not anymore. If he comes back soon he could return to his early season form. Unfortunately though, the injury looks like he will be out at least a few more weeks, probably a sell. - Good transfer out

3. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (159,995 transfers out): The FPL King himself. Salah gets slept on every season as people think he will slow down and never does. He is currently the third highest scoring player in the game behind Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer. He does cost 12.7 million though and someone like Palmer or Saka frees up funds for elsewhere so not a bad transfer out if the money is improving your team elsewhere. - Could be a good transfer out

4. Noussair Mazaraoui, Manchester United (134,469 transfers out): Mazaraoui is one of my favorite defenders in FPL right now. However, he is perhaps a little overrated. He does have attacking threat and Manchester United have shown they can keep clean sheets but if you want to get rid of him fair enough. - A good transfer out

5. Alexander Isak, Newcastle (132,166 transfers out): Isak was one of the most popular players entering the season, however, never really lived up to expectations. He did not play the last two Gameweeks with injuries and is a doubt once again. At 8.3 million he is too pricey to keep hold of. - Great transfer out

Gameweek 8 Wildcard draft

There are several positives and negatives to wildcarding after an international break. The timing is a nice reset if your team is struggling and you need to make several transfers, while you can also see what players are injured or those who are doubts. However, with increased international travel to South America and Oceania, some players may be benched for rest due to long flights such as Chris Wood going to Vanuatu this break. Having said that a wildcard can include some of these players but remember to cover yourself with bench options in case they are rested.  

Bear in mind this draft is based on my current team value of 100.1 million which is probably slightly less than many but also better than some, your team may look different if you have more in the bank or in value. While I am currently not looking to wildcard myself this week, if I were wildcarding my draft would look something like this… 

Goalkeepers-

David Raya, Arsenal (5.6): Despite Arsenal having only kept three clean sheets in the first seven and Rayas’ hefty price tag, he is still the best goalkeeper in the game and sits second to only Andre Onana of Manchester United in current overall points. Clean sheets for Arsenal will come and Raya will continue to tick over nicely and he is the cheapest way into the Arsenal defence.  

Lukasz Fabianski, West Ham (4.0): Probably the best option at 4.0. With Raya in the team you only need a 4.0 bench option. Fabianski is the most likely to play but do not expect much from him if he is needed ever. 

Defenders-

Joško Gvardiol, Manchester City (5.9): Gvardiol was a player I started the season with but ended up selling him for Pedro Porro because he was playing as part of a three centre-back defence, was not attacking and Manchester City were not keeping clean sheets. However, with Kyle Walker back, Gvardiol looks set to go back to his high attacking position he finished last season in. City also have great fixtures coming up, with their next four opponents only scoring a two on the FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR). 

Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool (5.2): As much as I would love to put Trent Alexander-Arnold in this team, his attacking threat has not been there to warrant his 7.1 million price tag. However, the Liverpool defence offers great overall value having kept five clean sheets in their first seven games under Arne Slot. Konate offers the cheapest and most reliable way into their defence and could be a bargain with some minor attacking threat. 

Noussair Mazraoui, Manchester United (4.6): Manchester United have actually kept four clean sheets out of their first seven this season despite their poor attacking form. Mazraoui was taken off at halftime against Aston Villa with a minor injury but should be back after the international break. He offers attacking threat too with one assist already and that number could have been more. 

Leif Davis, Ipswich (4.5): Ipswich does not seem like a defence you would target, however, their upcoming fixtures are great. Their next three opponents only score a two on the FDR and Ipswich have a pretty good fixture run until Gameweek 16. Davis also offers attacking threat with one assist already and he managed 18 assists last season in the Championship so in Ipswich’s nice upcoming fixture run he looks set for more. 

Michael Keane, Everton (4.0): Everton started the season poorly however picked up their first clean sheet of the season in the 0-0 draw against Newcastle. Once again this would target the fixtures with six of Everton’s next seven games scoring a two on the FDR. Keane would also most weeks be a bench option to come on in emergencies and he has played the full 90 minutes in six out of seven of their games this season.  

Midfielders-

Cole Palmer, Chelsea (10.8): Palmer is the most expensive midfielder in this team. Salah, Saka and Son are all also great options but Palmer can be explosive and runs the Chelsea attacks. Therefore Palmer at 10.8 is the best value pick in here as he will always tick over with returns. 

Diogo Jota, Liverpool (7.4): With no room for Mohamed Salah in this team I still wanted to cover the Liverpool attack and Diogo Jota seems the best way to do so. He has 34 overall points, two goals and three assists in six matches played. While Luis Diaz is also a great pick he is a minutes risk as he was benched last game and costs 0.7 million more. For me Jota is the better option now. 

Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford (7.5): I have spoken a lot about Bryan Mbeumo and still regret not starting the season with him as Eze was my preferred choice (we all know how that turned out). However, his stats speak for themselves, 51 overall points and he has only blanked twice in seven Gameweeks. Brentford’s fixtures are also good until around Gameweek 14 and he runs the attacks, a must have. 

Mateo Kovačić, Manchester City (5.5): Certainly a bit of a differential here as Kovačić is a traditional defensive midfielder and will most likely play there in the absence of Rodri. However, for 5.5 million he is a cheap way into Manchester City midfielder and he always seems to come up with attacking returns. So far he has three goals and an assist and will likely continue to tick over with returns as he continues to play. 

Brennan Johnson, Tottenham (6.5): Another differential pick here to help us climb our mini leagues and the overall standings. Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures are good and he is a cheaper way to a consistent playing midfielder for Spurs. Johnson also already has 36 points through five attacking returns and his expected data has been good the last three Gameweeks. 

Forwards-

Danny Welbeck, Brighton (5.8): Joao Pedro looked like the best Brighton attacking asset and probably was the first few weeks of the season, however, his injury has been damaging, especially for my team. Danny Welbeck however has been fantastic. The 33-year-old already has 41 overall points- joint 3rd in strikers, five attacking returns (4 goals, 1 assist) and although Brighton’s short-term fixtures are not great, their long-term ones get better and Welbeck has shown he can score against good teams anyway. 

Dominic Solanke-Mitchell (7.6): While we all know about Tottenham’s defensive record, their attack is great and they keep playing an expansive style where they will score goals. Solanke as the main striker will get chances and attacking returns in this team, therefore he is a great pick and can make a mockery of his price tag. 

Erling Haaland, Manchester City (15.4): Erling Haaland is as Erling Haaland does. He is a goal machine. While he has blanked in the last two Gameweeks he has gone longer before without a goal. Obviously his price tag demands returns, however, he is only a match away from yet another hat trick, in my opinion, a must have for our teams.

GAMEWEEK 7 REVIEW

Gameweek points: 56

Gameweek average: 46

Overall Points: 462

Overall rank: 432,983 

Gameweek rank: 2,180,449

Free transfers remaining: 1

Transfers made: 0

Gameweek 7 finally marked my first green arrow in FPL in four Gameweeks and this came at the perfect time just before the next international break. With my Gameweek 7 score of 56 points and the average being only 46, I managed to catapult myself back up into the top 500,000 of managers in the game, moving from 666,032 overall up to 432,983 an increase in rank of 233,089. The international break brings another unwelcomed pause in Premier league action but does give us FPL managers a bit of a rest bite which is appreciated. Having said that, I will still be checking if the players I own are not injured playing for their countries and will be looking at my plan for the next few Gameweeks. Gameweek 8 is also a time where some managers may again look to wildcard, while I am not currently thinking of doing this (but never say never) I will be releasing a draft for a Gameweek 8 wildcard. 

Now though onto my Gameweek review of number 7- I cannot believe we are already at this point in the season. Overall I am absolutely not complaining about a fairly large green arrow, however, if some things went a little differently it could have been even better and even if I had got my team right in terms of benching players. 

In goal, while Dean Henderson did not get a clean sheet in Crystal Palaces’ 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, he did haul me three points- better than I thought. I was concerned Liverpool could put 3 three or four past Palace- and on a different day they could have- but I will take his three Gameweek 7 points. Trent Alexander-Arnold once again picked up a clean sheet and two bonus points in the same game against Crystal Palace although I am still looking for him to return more in an attacking sense he has been a really solid pick and continues to tick over nicely, this week with eight points. But for 7 million I am hoping for a little more from him. Elsewhere at the back the positives were that Lucas Digne finally returned with a clean sheet and two bonus points against Manchester United in the 0-0 draw- hauling me 8 points, a very nice week. However, Tottenham’s collapse from 2-0 up against Brighton at halftime to losing 3-2 killed me a bit with Pedro Porro only scoring one point due to Spurs conceding three goals. 

In the midfield, I will start with the one shining light as with Salah and Haaland both blanking my captains armband going on Bryan Mbeumo felt justified as he scored eight points, doubled to 16 points as my captain this Gameweek from scoring his penalty against Wolves. However, as Brentford scored five goals I was hoping that he would have at least got another attacking return but it was not to be this week. 

Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah, Harvey Barnes and Morgan Rogers all only notched three points from the playing points and one point for a clean sheet with their respective teams so this week was far from ideal in midfield. Finally, Emilie Smith Rowe was benched against Manchester City and came on as a sub for one point, all the more frustrating as Wout Faes, my first player on the bench this week, kept a clean sheet against Bournemouth with Leicster- so could have added five extra points to my score. While I am a little concerned about the returns, especially with Smith Rowe being benched I do think that he will come back in as it looked like Fulham simply went with a more defensive strategy against Manchester City and unfortunately he was the player to miss out. I fully expect him to be back in the starting 11 next time around. Having said that, if his minutes are now a risk there are other options I will look at around his price point such as Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth at 5.7. 

The forwards once again were a mixed bag too, very much summing up this Gameweek of a good one which could have been a great one. Kai Havertz continued his fine home scoring form at the Emirates with the equaliser against Southampton notching eight points as he also received two bonus points. Erling Haaland however blanked with just two points for the second Gameweek in a row. While it is Erling Haaland and we have seen him go through mini goal or attacking return droughts before I do hope it does not last too much longer as his price tag now of 15.4 is too high if he continues to blank but I have full faith he will return again soon. 

Overall I’m pretty happy with the Gameweek, there will always be things in hindsight  I could have done differently but a green arrow was the goal this week and that is exactly what I got. I will say though I do think it will be time soon to sell either Salah or Haaland to free up some funds with other more budget premiums and players in the points. As a Liveerpool fan selling Salah from my team is hard but the money it frees up will most likely improve my team so it will most likely be him who gives way but I will wait on this for a couple more weeks at least.

Team selection gameweek 7

Gameweek 7 is already here and it is time for the Gameweek preview and my team selection. After three consecutive red arrows I am hoping that my team can finally boost me up the rankings again. My overall rank still looks pretty healthy at 666,072 overall so I am in a good spot with the hope of being ever better after Gameweek 7. 

In goal this week it is of course Dean Henderson although at home to Liverpool I am not confident in any returns but have no option so hopefully he can get some save points. At the back it is the exact same as last week, Trent Alexander-Arnold against Crystal Palace away will hopefully get some attacking returns again perhaps alongside a clean sheet. Then Pedro Porro is against Brigthon away hopefully he can finally get some attacking returns too and I still really like Lucas Digne despite no big recent hauls against Manchester United at home with how they are playing. 

My midfield this week is a five-man one. Emile Smith Rowe faces Manchester City away so my expectations for him are much lower but still think he can haul. Mohamed Salah maintains the Liverpool double up against Crystal Palace in addition to the Aston Villa double up with Morgan Rogers who I am hoping can keep up his recent returns. Harvey Barnes has a much nicer fixture with Everton away hopefully he will be better this week from an attacking stance. Finally Bryan Mbeumo with his home match against Wolves rounds out my midfield and is my differential captain pick this week who I am currently leaning towards. Mbeumo has returned in four out of six Gameweeks this season, hopefully he continues this now he is in my team. 

Up front I stick with the pair from last week with Joao Pedro still out injured he may need dealing with soon as he still has an unknown return date. My two playing strikers are Kai Havertz with his fixture against Southampton at home and Erling Haaland against Fulham at home. I have high expectations for this pair this week with their fixtures and recent form.

GAMEWEEK 7 TRANSFER TIPS

With Gameweek 6 behind us it is time to start thinking about Gameweek 7. I have put myself at a disadvantage by already using my one free transfer early but I really did not want to be priced out having already lost 0.3 million with Mbuemo going up 0.2 to 7.4 and Eze going down 0.1 to 6.8 so I do not regret it. However, any injuries this week for my team with players playing in Europe or even in training would be diabolical. 

With a lot of managers wildcarding, not too many people will be looking to make many if any transfers. However, if you are one of those people like myself who did not wildcard here is who I would be looking to bring in. 

Goalkeepers-

If you are in that small percentage of managers making a goalkeeper transfer this week, this is where I would go… 

Best pick, David Raya (Arsenal, 5.6): Despite his premium price tag Arsenal continue to have one of the best defences and will keep clean sheets. He is now 5.6 million though. 

Budget pick, Mark Flekken (Brentford, 4.5): Cheating a little here as Flekken is a great option anyway with Brentford’s fixtures and possibly competes with Raya for best pick. But at only 4.5 million he will no doubt haul points over Gameweeks 7-13 at least. 

Differential Pick, Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest, 4.5): Nottingham Forest have gone under the radar this season, really starting well sitting in 11th place in the league only conceding five goals in that time. Sels at 4.5 million looks a great option. 

Honourable mention, Robert Sanchez (Chelsea, 4.7): Despite slightly difficult upcoming fixtures, Sanchez is Chelsea’s starting goalkeeper at just 4.7 and has 32 points through the first six Gameweeks. Albeit 25 of those points came across two Gameweeks. 

Defenders-

Best pick, Josko Gvardiol (Manchester city, 5.9): Gvardiol despite his premium tag and starting the season slow, scored last week against Newcastle and with Kyle Walker back looks set to resume his more attacking role in the side. City play Fulham next and have a nice fixture run until Spurs in Gameweek 12, if you can deal with the potential occasional rotation he is fantastic. 

Budget pick, Noussair Mazaraoui (Manchester United, 4.6): Despite Manchester United's terrible form Mazaraoui is attacking and despite playing Aston Villa next, the fixtures after that get better until Arsenal in Gameweek 14. Plenty of clean sheet opportunities coming up alongside his attacking threat makes him a good option at 4.6. 

Differential pick, Jurrien Timber (Arsenal, 5.5): Arsenal defenders are not differential, however, Timber is only 5.5 million, cheaper than any other player who could play in that backline and has started the last three matches playing the full 90 minutes in each, he is only owned by 2.1%. 

Honourable mention, Nathan Collins (Brentford, 4.5): Brentford’s nice run of fixtures should reap some clean sheet benefits. Collins has started every single game to date playing the full 90 minutes in each. 

Midfielders-

Best Pick: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford, 7.4): Could have gone many different directions with the best pick this week, Cole Palmer is so explosive and can haul major scores, however, with Brentford playing Wolves this week I am going with Bryan Mbeumo. If you follow this blog you will know I am such a fan of his and am kicking myself for not starting the season with him. I may even captain him this week, hoping he repays me, at 7.4 million he is just a great asset. 

Budget pick: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, 5.7): Plays Leicester next before a more difficult run of three fixtures of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City. However, he already has four attacking returns this season including an assist against Newcastle, showing he can return against the better teams and only costs 5.7. 

Differential pick: Tomas Soucek (West Ham, 5.0): Hauled 10 points due to a goal and three bonus points against Brentford in Gameweek 6. Has a historic record of being able to score goals and only costs 5.0 million. Ipswich next up before playing Spurs away but then it is Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Everton. 

Honourable mention: James Maddison (Tottenham, 7.5): Seems to be back to top form and firing at 7.5 million offers a differential to the 10 million plus options and will get returns especially with Solanke back in the side. 

Forwards-

Best Pick, Erling Haaland (Manchester City, 15.3): Seems too easy picking him but he is just the best and if you do not already own him the risk is too high for me but much respect for going without. Not easy to bring in if you do not have him without wildcarding but still do if you can and do not already own. 

Budget Pick: Liam Delap (Ipswich, 5.6): Perhaps some recency bias here with his 12 point haul in Gameweek 6 ,however, Ipswich have one great upcoming fixtures so a great chance for him to continue this form. 

Differential Pick: Jhon Duran (Aston Villa, 6.2): A certain minutes risk, however, has been returning frequently and if you can put the minutes to one side he will notch points. Perhaps too high a price for the actual number of minutes he is playing though. 

Honourable mention: Kai Havertz (Arsenal, 8.2): Another player in my team so again maybe some bias but with a goal against Leicester, the next two fixtures being Southampton and Bournemouth, he looks set to haul again and is another really good forward option.

GAMEWEEK 6 REVIEW

Gameweek 6 Review-

Gameweek points: 49

Gameweek average: 50

Overall Points: 406

Overall rank: 666,072

Gameweek rank: 5,275,637

Free transfers remaining: 0

Transfers made: 1

Another red arrow, however, I will say with the number of wildcards played and the fact I did not and with my score still just below average I will absolutely take it. My team also had several issues such as Joao Pedro being injured and the way it played out. I am thankful I stemmed the tide a little this week to hopefully push on in gameweek 7. 

Again, I keep breaking my rule of not making an early transfer but I could not wait on this one as I continue to regret not starting the season with Bryan Mbeumo but have finally made the transfer, getting rid of Eberechi Eze for the Brentford midfielder. Unfortunately I lost all my bank in the process as Mbeumo has risen to 7.4 and Eze went down 6.8 wiping my budget. How typical of FPL would it be if Eze returns and Mbeumo does not this week?  

The rundown-

In goal this week Dean Henderson went back to blanking scoring one single point against Everton as Crystal Palace conceded three goals to Everton. The defence was not much better scoring a measly six points combined. Trent Alexander-Arnold getting booked and Liverpool conceding meant he only got one point. Lucas Digne blanked with zero as Aston Villa conceded two to Ipswich and he was also booked. Pedro Porro was the one silver-lining with Spurs keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 over Man United, he was also booked though meaning all three of my defenders received a yellow but he did at least score five points. 

In midfield, I will start with the positives. Captaining Mohamed Salah was the correct decision as he scored 10 points doubling up to 20 with a goal and three bonus points. Playing Morgan Rogers finally reaped rewards for me as he scored his first goal against Ipswich to notch me seven points. This was where the returns stopped though, Harvey Barnes blanked against Manchester City although I did not expect too much from him and his fixtures get a lot better. Emilie Smith Rowe only got three points against Nottingham Forest in the 1-0 win, he still looks really good and dangerous though and Forest are a decent team. Finally, Eberechi Eze again blanked and he has run out of time for me as I have already sold him for Mbeumo, I may even captain Mbeumo this week as he is on fire and plays Wolves in Gameweek 7.

Finally upfront, it was just the two strikers for me this week with Joao Pedro being injured, meaning I started Kai Havertz and of course Erling Haaland. Havertz returned his first points for me with a goal against Leicester in the 4-2 win. While Haaland blanked for the first time this season. This was always going to happen but he is probably the best option in the game still so no need to panic as the next five games for Manchester City feature teams with a 2 on the Fixture Difficulty Rating. He will be back in the points very soon. 

Obviously having already used my transfer this week I am in a bit of a precarious position if Joao Pedro is not back soon and I have any more issues crop up. However, I like this team even with some tough fixtures this week and with the Gameweek not going horribly the plan to defer the wildcard will continue with the hope of getting this team to around gameweek 12 when the fixtures swings occur again.

GAmeweek 5 review

My gameweek 4 at a glance-

Gameweek points: 57

Gameweek average: 58

Overall Points: 357

Overall rank: 483,186

Gameweek rank: 5,550,284

Free transfers remaining: 0

Transfers made: 1

A very mixed bag this week with some really good returns and points from players, but also some benching mistakes and several things going awry. This meant that unfortunately I was once again below the average and took another red arrow down to 483,186 overall. This is still not bad though and in retrospect I am still just in the top 500,000 and where I want to be at the end of the season, however, I do need to make some adjustments, which I will get onto. 

My defence this week summarises the mixed week that I had. Dean Henderson got an unexpected clean sheet in goal for Crystal Palace against Manchester United, in addition to this he got his points for playing the full game, two bonus points and made seven saves for two points, but a yellow card meant a -1 for nine points overall- the best return he has hauled for me this season. On a similar note, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first assist of the season came against Bournemouth in the 3-0 win as he made the pass for Luis Diaz's second goal. With the three points for an assist, four points for a clean sheet, playing points and two bonus points, Trent hauled me 11 on the Gameweek. However, this was where the returns at the back stopped for me. Spurs conceded against Brentford so Pedro Porro only got the two points for playing, made worse as the scorer was Bryan Mbeumo who is on my high priority list and who I do wish I started the season with. Lucas Digne only played 45 minutes against Wolves which is another concern so he only scored one point. Overall though, I will take 23 points from my defence. 

My midfield was a similar Jekyll and Hyde story. Mohamed Salah was my captain and he bagged an assist and clean sheet for six points, so doubled to 12 as he was my captain. While I hoped for more, he does continue to return, however, Luis Diaz is on fire and only costs 7.9 million and is currently the highest scoring midfielder with 51 points. Emile Smith Rowe continues to be a fantastic budget option as he bagged me eight points this week with a goal, one bonus points and the two minutes points. 

Eberechi Eze continues to be frustrating to own as he plays really well, gets into great positions but this has not transpired into many attacking returns yet, so he only got me three this week with the two points for playing and one for a clean sheet. 

Finally, the major villain of my gameweek was Morgan Gibbs-White who was sent off against Brighton- in my opinion rightfully so as it was a rash tackle and he was already on a yellow, however Nottingham Forest should feel aggrieved as I do think the referee allowed the Brighton reaction to play into his decision. The other bad thing about Gibbs-White was that he was supposedly on penalties but Chris Wood ended up taking their penalty and scored to rub salt into my wounds. I must confess that I had just turned this game on when I saw him sent off and in a rash rage transfer immediately sold him for Harvey Barnes of Newcastle while the game was still going on. While this was not smart, I was worried about losing yet more money on him and after Man City I do think Barnes is a good option as he is getting attacking returns and the fixtures get a little better, however, I probably did overreact slightly. 

Up front, Joao Pedro was benched to start but of course annoyingly came on for one appearance point. Kai Havertz just got the two appearance points for Arsenal, but I didn't really expect him to do great and given how the game went with Trossard getting sent off before halftime, Arsenal were going to struggle to score in the second half anyway. Finally, Erling Haaland’s inevitable goal to put Man City in front alongside his appearance points and all three bonus points hauled him nine on the Gameweek, he now has a whopping 63 points in five Gameweeks meaning he is averaging over 12 points a game so far which is out of this world. 

On the bench, obviously Valdimarsson did not play. But what made the Gibbs-White sending off and Joao Pedro coming on for one point even more frustrating was that Morgan Rogers finally broke his duck of attacking returns with two assists and all three bonus points against Wolves for ten points. I really could have used these extra points this week as I would have had 66 which makes the Gameweek look a lot better, however, this happens in FPL. Robinson and Faes also only picked up two points each so at least there were no more returns on my bench. 

In summary, this Gameweek promised a lot but quite a few setbacks has left me wondering whether or not to wildcard this week. I do still think I can ride this rough patch out but having already used my one free transfer this week by selling Morgan Gibbs-White for Harvey Barnes I am leaning towards perhaps taking a hit or wildcarding, however I am mostly against both. The only reason I want to take a hit is because I still really want Bryan Mbeumo and expect his price to sharply rise with Brentford’s nice fixture run and he has already gone up 0.1 million from last week. 

Although there are several issues I need and want to deal with I do not think there are enough yet with my team to wildcard so will likely hold off at least another week with the hope of getting this team through a few more gameweeks. However, with Arsenal’s fixtures taking a turn for the better and Bryan Mbeumo still one of my favourite current FPL players without owning him I am very close to hitting the button but my head also says to stay calm and not overreact. I do not regret selling Gibbs-White early either as since his goal against Southampton he has not returned but I will give an update on my plan later this week.

Gameweek 5 transfer tips and team selection

My Team Selection for Gameweek 5

Team selection

My starting 11 this week of course features Dean Henderson in goal as my only playing goalkeeper, and while he has Manchester United this week I feel Crystal Palace have an outside chance of a clean sheet and believe he will also get save points. In my starting back three I have Trent Alexander-Arnold against Bournemouth, I am hoping Liverpool bounce back after defeat to Forest, they did win in the Champions League midweek so I am hopeful. My other two defenders this week are Pedro Porro against Brentford at home and Lucas Digne against Wolves at home. I am confident all three defenders this week can return with all having attacking potential and a clean sheet chance. Porro’s expected data has not been great so I would like to see more from him and although both Trent and Digne started in the Champions League on Tuesday they were both brought off early so I am confident they will start this weekend. 

My formation to start this week is 3-4-3 and the midfielder’s I am starting include Mohamed Salah as my captain against Bournemouth at home, Emiie Smith Rowe against Newcastle at home, Eberechi Eze with other issues in my team gets another week against Manchester United at home, he looks dangerous so I am confident of a return. Finally, Morgan Gibbs-White against Brighton away is my final midfielder, meaning I am benching Morgan Rogers against Wolves at home due to his lack of returns so far.

In attack, I am going with the triple threat of the machine Erling Haaland, my new addition Kai Havertz despite both playing each other this week and Joao Pedro. Pedro was not even in the Brighton squad last week against Ipswich in the 0-0 draw and perhaps more alarmingly was again not in the squad in the 3-2 EFL Cup victory over Wolves on Wednesday. However, hopefully with the extra rest he will be ok and he was back in training Wednesday sohopefully he plays against Nottingham Forest. I do have bench cover though with Morgan Rogers at the ready as first substitution if needed. 

My complete bench this week features Valdimarsson as Brenftord’s second atriung goalkeeper, Morgan Rogers, then Antonee Robinson for Fulham against Newscastle at home and finally Wout Faes for Leicester versus Everton at home. I am happy with the strength of my bench apart from Valdimarsson and am confident if some issues arise with my starting 11 that they can come on and do a job. 

Transfer tips-

During this part of the blog each week I will go through my recommended transfers and give you my thoughts on the top players being transferred into and out of our squads. 

Goalkeepers: If you are that desperate and need to make a goalkeeper transfer this week or perhaps you are on wildcard, the best option for me long-term would be David Raya (5.5) of Arsenal with their fixture swing in gameweek 6. Alisson Becker (5.5) of Liverpool is also a great option with Liverpool getting three clean sheets out of the first four games, however, he is an injury doubt for this weekend so probably avoid. However, their prices are high, for more budget-friendly options I would consider Sanchez (4.5) as he looks to have the number one spot at Stamford Bridge and with their upcoming kind fixtures and can score some points. Matz Sels (4.5) of Nottingham Forest and Mark Flekken (4.5) of Brentford look good. Andre Onana (5.0) scored 13 points this week, however, he only had 7 points in three games before that so I would avoid. Fabianski (4.0) of West Ham and Valdimarsson (4.0) of Brentford are the best 4 million options likely to play but are both currently number two. 

Defenders: In the premium bracket I still cannot look past Trent (7.0), despite his premium price tag and lack of attacking returns I believe it is only a matter of time and he did pick up an assist against AC Milan on Tuesday. Elsewhere, I would hold off Arsenal defenders until next week when their fixtures improve and Man City premium’s such as Gvardiol (6.0) are not attacking enough to warrant their price tags. The other best premium defender I believe is Pedro Porro (5.5), with his attacking threat and Tottenham's higher potential for clean sheets this season. 

If you are looking for budget options, I really like Ola Aina (4.4) of Nottingham Forest after his 8 points against Liverpool last week. Lucas Digne (4.5) of Aston Villa, Joel Veltman (4.5) of Brighton, Noussir Mazraoui (4.5) of Manchester United and Leif Davis (4.5) of Ipswich are all great options too. 

Midfielders: Mohamed Salah (12.7) of Liverpool is still for me one if not the best midfield option. However, Luis Diaz (7.8) and Diogo Jota (7.6) are both great options although with the Champions League back rotation is a risk. Jota started midweek while Diaz came off the bench. I also really like Tottenham’s run of upcoming fixtures so Son Heung-min  (10.0) is good. Chelsea’s nice run of fixtures means Cole Palmer (10.6) is great, however, I am not convinced any of their other midfielders are options due to rotation. 

On the budget end, Antoine Semenyo (5.6) of Bournemouth is good but after good fixtures in 6 and 7, Bournemouth run is tough but he can return against good teams. Dwight McNeil (5.4) of Everton has returned in the last two but I am not a massive fan. I am planning on bringing Bryan Mbeumo (7.1) of Brentford in next gameweek but would hold off as he plays Tottenham this week before a nice fixture run from 6-13. 

Attack: If you do not have Erling Haaland by now I do not know what to tell you, he is owned by 69.7% of players and averages 2.25 games a game through the first four. Outside of that, not too many strikers have shown themselves to be really good options so far. However, Ollie Watkins (8.9) of Aston Villa seems to be over the hump. I also like Kai Havertz (8.1) of Arsenal but maybe wait (unlike I did) until Gameweek 6. Jean-Philipe Mateta (7.4) of Crystal Palace and Dominic Solanke (7.5) of Tottneham now he is back from injury and are both great options. 

On the budget striker front, I would avoid and sell Muniz (6.0) of Fulham. I nearly went with him in my opening squad but no longer believe him a good option and I think Raul Jimenez (5.4)will continue to play ahead of him. Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood (6.1) is a great option and if Joao Pedro (5.7) plays he is great. Danny Welbeck (5.7) of Brighton is also a great option especially if Joao Pedro is still injured for this week. Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran (6.0) has returned in three of the first four, however, he has only played a combined total of 103 minutes so I do not think he will keep this up. Joshua Zirksee (7.0) for Manchester United is a great differential option but I would wait to see how he does in the next few weeks. 

This weeks top transfers-

Player 

Number of transfers in/ out 

Great/ good/ could be good/ not good

Notes

Ollie Watkins 

363,113 IN 

Could be good

Broke his duck of returns last week, bought off early midweek, should be good, minutes good, lack of early returns a concern 

Jamie Vardy 

313,232 IN

Could be good 

Good budget option, not sure he will get too many attacking returns

Luis Diaz

295,142 IN

Could be good

When he plays he is great, a bit of a minutes risk now with European matches back but still good option as can return from bench 

Erling Haaland

252,956 IN

Great

It's Erling Haaland, if you don’t have him in your team what are you doing? 

Emilie Smith-Rowe

210,737 IN

Could be good

No European matches and his minutes look set to increase, a good budget option, don’t expect the world from him though

Alexander Isak

610,261 OUT

Good transfer out 

Possibly still out with an eye injury, has not played as well as we thought or been as good of an asset, definitely overhyped in pre-season

Joao Pedro 

339,802 OUT

Not a good transfer out 

Even though he missed out last week, he should be back this week, a great asset not sure why so many are selling him, just make sure you have someone to come off the bench if needed

Yoane Wissa

232,435 OUT

Good transfer out 

Injured and could be out for a while, avoid, but when he is back is a great option 

Josko Gvardiol 

220,389 OUT

Good transfer out 

Solid for City defence but they always seem to concede, is now a minutes risk and not as attacking as last year, a hard avoid 

Bukayo Saka

165,588 OUT

Not a good transfer out 

Again no idea why he is being transferred out by so many, yes he has not got too many returns yet and plays Man City this week but fixtures improve after and he is so consistent 

Gameweek 5 preview

After some thought, Gameweek 4 despite not being what I had hoped for was still a solid week and most mangers struggled so at this point a small red arrow is ok but I want to bounce back this week. I am still pretty happy with my team and will therefore stick to the plan and try and wildcard as late as possible unless I have too many issues, in which case I will use it, perhaps in the next major fixture swing for teams?  

Ahead of Gameweek 5, I have gone early already using my one free transfer this week in order to sell Isak who dropped to 8.4 million, at the end of the gameweek 4 to bring in Kai Havertz of Arsenal. Isak also is a doubt due to an eye injury sustained in his last game. This was a move I spoke about and toyed with and although going early may come back to bite me as Arsenal play in the Champions League on Thursday before visiting Manchester City on Sunday, I am happy with my decision. Worst case scenario Havertz misses the City game for me and as I am not banking on major returns from him until the week after and I am able to cover with my bench players this week, I feel this decision is ok although rotation and injuries with European matches starting will begin to play a role in our teams. 

I will most likely not take a hit for another transfer this week unless absolutely necessary and if I believe it will be worth it- that player needs to return otherwise the transfer was most likely not be worth it. I am also currently sticking to the Morgan Gibbs-White to Bryan Mbeumo plan for my transfer next week but unfortunately I may have to move early again as he has a good run of fixtures and I foresee him being transferred in a lot after the Tottenham match, meaning his price will likely rise which at this point would price me out of this move. 

In terms of general transfer plans for our teams, after many wildcarded last week I would think that most should not be making too many transfers as the wildcard team should have been made for at least five gameweeks so for now stick to the plan, as you picked that team for a reason. If you did not wildcard also do not panic if you had a bad week I am sure most people wildcarding wanted more than they got, stick to your team plan and try to not be blinded by other people, this is my big thing this season.

The next blog will be my team selection for Gameweek 5 and transfer tips on the players managers are selling and buying and some hidden gems as well as some more information for our teams. 

Gameweek 4 Review

My FPL Gameweek 4 Points

My Gameweek 4 at a glance-

Gameweek points: 50

Gameweek average: 51

Overall Points: 300

Overall rank: 208,994

Gameweek rank: 5,678,638

Free transfers: 1

Transfers made: 2

It was inevitable, this week in FPL marked the first time this season that I got a red arrow as I had a tough gameweek, similar to a lot of other FPL managers. I went down from 98,670 overall to 208,994 overall with my score of 50 points, with the average this week being 51 points, so although it was a red arrow it could have been much worse and one point below the average for this week was not a disaster given the issues my team ended up having. Still, I came out with a very poor gameweek rank of 5,678,638, with my overall points currently standing at 300 exactly. 

The main issue this week was that only three out of 11 of my players returned and several injuries after the international break haunted me. At the back, Dean Henderson in goal (1 point), Trent Alexander-Arnold (1 point), Pedro Porro (2 points) and Antonee Robinson (2 points), who ended up coming off my bench but we will get to that in a minute, only scored me a combined six points. While Lucas Digne with an assist notched me four points it could have been better as his yellow card gave him a minus one so would have given me an extra point, however, as he was one of the transfers I made this week I am glad he did return and is a useful transfer so far. 

From last week, Pedro Porro was my other transfer as I got rid of Gvardiol and although Porro only got appearance points against Arsenal, this ended up being the correct call as Gvardiol was dropped from the starting 11 and Manchester City also conceded. Gvardiol did end up coming off the bench for 45 minutes but this decision felt justified and I also did not expect Tottenham to keep a clean sheet against Arsenal. Porro was always my plan but I was tempted to punt on Rico Lewis instead of Lucas Digne but he only ended up playing the first half and I also did not want to price myself out of my next two transfers which I will get on to in the next blog. Overall though the defence was not good this week, however, I am optimistic next week will be better. 

In the midfield, it was again disappointing just like the overall gameweek for me. Emilie Smith-Rowe, was the only returner with seven points from 72 minutes, with two points coming from his minutes, an assist, a clean sheet and one bonus point. The other three midfielders this week were very disappointing. Morgan Rogers agonisingly blanked with two points only from appearance and while it is encouraging that he continues to play, his lack of attacking returns is a cause for concern especially when he should have had an assist this week. Eberechi Eze also blanked with two points, he has also been frustrating as this week he did not take the equalising penalty, instead giving the ball to Mateta. Finally, the normally reliant Mohamed Salah finally blanked, however, Liverpool always seem to be slow and lethargic after the international break as they lost 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest ending the terrific start for Arne Slot. While I am not 100% on this midfield right now I will most likely stick with it for another week at least. 

Up front, my three forwards were all in my starting 11, however, Joao Pedro came back with a knock from international duty so he was not even named on the bench. Going forward, I may rethink starting him after international breaks if he is called up due to the injury risk and the travel time he has with Brazil. Because of him, Robinson came off my bench. Alexander Isak was also a frustration this week as he only scored one point, going off injured at halftime only getting me a point. Finally, the one major positive of my gameweek like it was for many other managers was my captain this week, Erling Haaland, who scored both goals for Manchester City against Brentford in the 2-1 win. Haaland now has nine goals in four Premier league games, so you are a very brave player to not have him in your team even for his price but he continues to be Mr reliable and is going nowhere from my team. 

Looking ahead I am tempted to roll my transfer this week but with the issues I have and the form of some players such as Isak, Eze and Morgan Rogers, I will most likely end up making one transfer at least but will try and avoid a hit if possible. Currently I am looking to move Isak on for Kai Havertz even though Arsenal play Manchester City next as I want to make this move anyway. This is also in preparation to get Bryan Mbueumo after Brentford’s next fixture against Tottenham as I need the extra money from Isak to fund this. Morgan Gibbs-White will most likely be the player to make way as I am not convinced by him, but it could end up being Eze too. However, the transfer I use this week if I do indeed use one I am yet to decide on, but I may well end up going early as Isak has already gone down to 8.4 million and I do not want him to drop again as it will price my out of Gibs-White to Mbeumo next week. 

Gameweeks 1-3 Overview, Gameweek 1 Review

My FPL Gameweek 1 Points

As I am starting this blog a few weeks into the season this first post will go through my first three game weeks before the first international break. As this week there are no Premier League fixtures I will just go through my team and a give a few thoughts including my overall score and pointers. 

Gameweek 1-

Overall Points: 67 

Overall rank: 1,950,328

Free transfers: 1

Transfers made: 0

Gameweek Points Rundown- 

For my opening day lineup for the first gameweek of the 2024-2025 season I went with both Salah and Haaland despite their combined starting price of 27.5 million. My thought process for this was to have the two best captaincy options and knowing their reliability for points scoring and as overall picks. I also wanted to have Haaland before European matches start where he is more likely to be rotated then Salah. 

Both these players returned in the first gameweek but my captain armband went on Salah who was playing Ipswich away and he scored 14 points for 28 due to the double captain points and this was where most of my points came from. My other points returners in Gameweek one featured Haaland with his goal for 7 points, Alexander Isak with an assist for five points, then Trent Alexander-Arnold with his clean sheet against Ipswich got me an eight point haul and Man City’s clean sheet against Chelsea gave me another seven points. 

Unfortunately the rest of my picks this week did not return. Henderson in goal got the two points for appearance but a -1 due to conceding two goals to Brentford away but he did pick up three saves to earn the point back. Elsewhere at the back, one of my biggest regrets was the punt on Jarrell Quansah which did not pay off as he was hooked at halftime by Arne Slot after a difficult first half performance. He is a player I need to immediately deal with as it looks like he has already lost his place. 

In midfield my Nottingham Forest pick of captain and penalty taker Morgan Gibbs-White only got two points but I am optimistic with the kind opening fixtures that he could return. Similarly Emilie Smith-Rowe got three points, for the appearance and a clean sheet point for Fulham but he looked lively and I am confident he will return soon. Meanwhile Eberechi Eze was so unlucky not return after scoring a free kick but it was ruled out for a foul, but as the Crystal Palace talisman looked really sharp he is going nowhere from my team. 

Finally upfront, my final forward spot went to Joao Pedro who did not return except for the appearance points but I think he is a really good pick and a great enabler so I am sticking with him. On the bench I went with Valdimarsson at Brentford as the second keeper if Flekken gets injured, but he did not play. I think Morgan Rogers is a bargain in the Aston Villa midfield for 5 million to come in for some games and Antonee Robinson looked really attacking against Manchester United, so he will come into my team next week for attacking and clean sheet potential. Unfortunately, while Valentin Barco of Brighton was an FPL tipsters dream sold to me, the gamble has not paid off, I need to deal with him similar to Quansah with potential price falls on the way. 

Unfortunately this is the second season in a row where my opening day defence had major issues with Gabriel benched last year and John Stones injured so I only had three playing defenders and it looks like it could now be the same this year but I am hoping my current solid three of Trent, Gvardiol and Robinson can bail me out until I manage to deal with Barco and Quansah. 

Transfer plans/ strategy-

Even despite the major issues with my defence as I potentially only have three playing defenders out of five I am rolling my transfer as I used all my 100 million budget on my opening day team so have no money in the bank to deal with my issues. With Jarrell Quansah dropping to 4.4 million in price I need to wait to deal with him anyway and take money out of a different player in the team. I will most likely switch him to a different playing and more reliable 4.5 defender such as Konsa at Aston Villa but Mazraoui at Manchester United looked attacking and could be a good option. Where that money is coming from I am not 100% sure yet but perhaps Morgan Gibbs-White down to a 6 million or 5.5 midfielder as I like the players better in that bracket anyway. 

In the forward positions I picked this team for a reason so I am sticking with all the players for at least the first few game weeks before making any major decisions on changing the players when fixture swings occur. 

Gameweeks 1-3 overview: gameweek 2 Review

My Gameweek 2 Points 

Gameweek 2-

Gameweek points: 92

Overall Points: 159 

Overall rank: 1,950,328

Gameweek rank: 658,362

Free transfers: 2

Transfers made: 0

After a solid but not spectacular start to the FPL season I was hoping for a better gameweek two as I picked my opening squad for the first few games not just the first. Fortunately this is exactly what I got. The scoring started in the defence. Despite Dean Henderson only getting a single point as Crystal Palace conceded two goals to West Ham and Manchester City conceding against Ipswich so Gvardiol missed out also, Trent and Robinson both returned for me. Liverpool picked up the clean sheet against Brentford in their 2-0 win for six points for Trent while Antonee Robinson’s assist and two bonus points against Leicester scored me seven points. 

Into the midfield and this was where I got most of my points this week. I once again went with a 3-4-3 formation with Morgan Rogers on my bench again. Eberechi Eze was the only player not to return for me in midfield. Morgan Gibbs-White and Emile Smith-Rowe both scored ten points each. Both players got goals and Gibbs-White got two bonus points with Smith-Rowe getting me three and the extra point for Gibbs-White coming via a Nottingham Forest clean sheet. I felt justified going with these picks with their returns this gameweek, especially as they are both differential picks. Elsewhere the inevitable Mohamed Salah once again returned also snagging me ten points via a goal, clean sheet and two bonus points. 

Into attack and it was the same three from the previous week with two out of three returning. Alexander Isak is not looking like the great pick he appeared to be as he only scored two points but Joao Pedro’s goal in the win against Manchester United and two bonus points gave me eight points from him. Finally my captain for the week was of course Erling Haaland against Ipswich- no differential pick here for obvious reasons. Although, I will say I was very close to giving the armband to Salah against Brentford which would have been somewhat warranted if it was not for Haaland’s hat trick and three bonus points. 

My Gameweek three plan is to bench Joao Pedro in my midfielder/ attacker lineup due to his tough fixture against Arsenal, however, he is a great pick but someone has to miss out for me next week. In defence, I will most likely continue with Trent, Gvardiol and Robinson although Gvardiol’s position change back to a central defender in a back three has really limited his attacking threat so far which is a concern as he costs 6 million. This is something I am monitoring ahead of the next few games. Right now I am holding due to clean sheet potential and thinking of selling soon perhaps to a Pedro Porro.