Everything you need to know about Gameweek 9
If you’re in a rush and need some last-minute advice on the Fantasy Premier League (FPL), here’s a quick summary of what you need to know about Gameweek 9.
EARLY FPL MATCH WEEK 9 DEADLINE – DON’T FORGET!
All transfers and team selections must be completed today, at 6:30pm BST.
This is because Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest will be the first Friday night game since Gameweek 1.
Is SAKA really “unlikely”?
A very common cycle sees Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) takes a hit, Mikel Arteta gets nervous, only to throw at the attacker as if it never happened. Except last week the trend reversed. The Spaniard was optimistic about Saka’s availability but did not name him in the matchday squad.
These deliberately misleading mind games are becoming more and more tiring for FPL managers and the next round is on in Gameweek 9. Arteta described a call-up after Arsenal’s Champions League win as “unlikely” but declined to commit on Friday.
“He trained a bit on the pitch, how far we can get him until Sunday is another question. We have another day, and it’s a good thing we have an extra day this week. We’ll see.” – Mikel Arteta
The England star wasn’t visible in Sky Sports’ training ground footage, but they only got to see warm-ups – it would be easy to just hold Saka back for a few more minutes, especially when there is uncertainty at Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s headline game causes collision.
With such a big game coming after last week’s defeat at Bournemouth, we expect Arteta to do everything he can to get Saka into the starting XI.
At least we know this central defender well William Saliba (£6.0m) is sold out. He is suspended after receiving a red card and FPL Family’s Sam wonders what to do with him.
SON: LOST ASSIST + DOUBT OF INJURY
Last weekend brought mass hysteria when Son Heung-min (£9.9m) controversially received an assist for Spurs’ third goal against West Ham United.
It was finally removed on Monday, along with an official FPL statement as to why.
Not only did this drop his score from 12 to eight, but Ange Postecoglou also revealed today that the 32-year-old “unlikely for the weekend” because he doesn’t feel right.
That will disappoint the 395,000 managers who just added him to their squads. Perhaps Zophar’s eye on premium midfielders will help those looking to sell either Son or Saka.
HAALAND AS A THREE-TIME CAPTAIN?
Despite three consecutive misses and failing to register a single shot against last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, Erling Haaland (£15.4m) is the recommended wristband by both Captain Sensible and our Rate My Team (RMT) algorithm.
They return in second place Cole Palmer (£10.9m), with Bryan Mbeumo (£7.6m) and Phil Foden (£9.2m) splitting the votes for third place.
The bigger question concerns the managers’ triple captain chips. It can be used once per season – should Haaland face newly promoted Southampton at home?
The FA Cup schedules are different from now on, resulting in fewer and smaller double game weeks. Therefore, it won’t be so easy to plan for one of them when Bench Boost, Free Hit and the Mystery Chip are also available.
Zophar shared his thoughts on the debate in his usual weekly Q&A.
TEAM REVEALED
SCOUT PICKS + DIFFERENCES
Our weekly pick – which is essentially a free hit in all but name – is all-in on Manchester City, plus double-ups on Brentford, Spurs and Nottingham Forest.
In the meantime, move forward Matheus Cunha (£6.5m) is among the trio of differential picks after being the subject of a comparison article with the cheaper Wolves team-mate Jörgen Strand Larsen (£5.5m).
PROPOSED LINEUPS
We’ve predicted the starting XIs of all 20 Premier League teams.
Whatever you decide, good luck with FPL Gameweek 9!
