It’s a cruel game, Fantasy Premier League. As Arsenal and Manchester City squared off and many sought to pick up points outside the big clash, Jamie Vardy and Dwight McNeil passed up opportunities to return in Leicester 1-1 Everton, as Erling Haaland and Gabriel scored in the main event of the weekend, a 2-2 draw at the Etihad. So much for differentials.
Nicolas Jackson, meanwhile, picked up two goals and an assist as a changeable Chelsea put West Ham to the sword 3-0, and Dominic Solanke bagged his first Premier League goal for Spurs as they dispatched Brentford, 3-1.
Luis Diaz continued his exceptional early season form with two goals as Liverpool smashed Bournemouth 3-0, taking his tally to five, and promising Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling got his first Premier League goal in just his second start, as the Saints drew 1-1 with Ipswich.
As a result the FPL dream team had a bit of an unconventional look in GW5. If anyone had Riccardo Calafiori, Robert Sanchez, Diogo Dalot, Dibling and Jack Hinshelwood all starting then you truly deserve those 49 points, my friend.
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This week some of the bigger sides have some more approachable games, as Arsenal host Leicester, Liverpool travel to Molineux to take on Wolves and Aston Villa go to Ipswich. There’s some rich pickings likely there if you’ve timed your signings well.
The Gameweek 6 deadline is at 11am on Saturday 28 September.
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Gameweek 6 fixtures
Saturday 28 September
*3pm unless otherwise stated
- Newcastle vs Man City (12.30pm)
- Arsenal vs Leicester
- Brentford vs West Ham
- Chelsea vs Brighton
- Everton vs Crystal Palace
- Nottingham Forest vs Fulham
- Wolves vs Liverpool (5.30pm)
Sunday 29 September
- Ipswich vs Aston Villa (2pm)
- Man United vs Spurs (4.30pm)
Monday 30 September
- Bournemouth vs Southampton (8pm)
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
The most essential defender in the game at the minute. The Gunners’ set-piece threat has delivered 36 points and two goals in just five games this season and looks a nailed-on starter for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal will have a certain amount of pent-up frustration to unleash given the manner of John Stones’ late equaliser at the weekend. Leicester look a side physically incapable of conjuring a win, having only beaten Walsall in the Carabao Cup on penalties midweek. It doesn’t take a soothsayer to predict some ugly scenes for an already under-pressure Steve Cooper.
A clean sheet looks probable for the Gunners, and with the possibility of picking up a goal from a corner or free-kick header Gabriel just nudges ahead of Bukayo Saka in our recommendations (although not by much).
Price: £6.1m Points: 36 Gameweek 6 fixture: Leicester (h)
Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)
Four goals from five games from the bench, a higher xG per 90 minutes than Haaland, an inviting match against Ipswich – at what point does Unai Emery throw Jhon Duran a start? You’d think perhaps this could be the week.
The Colombian is in lethal form, but his biggest barrier is that Ollie Watkins (19 goals and 18 assists last campaign, let’s not forget), has also just found his scoring boots, with three in his last two Premier League games.
Might Emery be tempted to let Morgan Rogers or Watkins have a rest and introduce a little more direct competition? Letting Duran fire a few past the Tractor Boys and giving Watkins a rest before a match with Bayern Munich on Wednesday seems prudent. Or maybe Emery is perfectly happy with Duran in the super-sub role.
If you have £6.1m easily accessible and fancy a punt, this is one with potentially a large upside.
Price: £6.1m Points: 25 Gameweek 6 fixture: Ipswich (a)
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
With only one goal and no assists this campaign, you might be raising an eyebrow at Eberechi. But – hear us out. His underlying numbers are good – 2.04xG and 0.75 xA from five games suggests he is due an uptick – and this week he travels to Goodison Park, where Everton have conceded six goals in two games of football this Premier League season.
If you’re not yet sold, then once again hear us out: Why do you play FPL? Is it to relentlessly accrue points? Or is it for the glorious moment you back someone just before their streak? You saw something in them, you studied the fixtures, you perceived what others could not and believed when they did not – and reaped the rewards!
Is that not worth more than just picking Mohamed Salah against a Wolves side bereft of centre-backs? Is that not more fun than crushing your friends, family and Sandra from accounts in the various mini-leagues?
Fine. Enjoy your obvious points, you charlatans.
Price: £6.9m Points: 19 Gameweek 6 fixture: Everton (a)
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
The formula when picking attackers in FPL is quite simple really.
To maximise your chances you want someone in-form, hopefully against a team who seem likely to concede, with a strong likelihood of making the starting XI.
Bryan Mbeumo, starting for a injury-laden Brentford, against a leaky and rudderless West Ham? Groundbreaking stuff.
With Yoane Wissa and Igor Thiago injured, Mbeumo will start up top. Brentford are scoring 1.4 goals per game this campaign and Mbeumo has four of their seven.
West Ham are conceding 1.8 per game in the league this season and just played a bizarrely high line against Chelsea and Jackson. Julen Lopetegui looks out of ideas already and West Ham fans don’t seem too enamoured with him. The whole thing just reeks of points for Bryan.
Price: £7.2m Points: 34 Gameweek 6 fixture: West Ham (h)
Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)
Fulham are pretty timid in front of goal away from home, all things considered. They did not find the net at Old Trafford (Liverpool scored three there), only managed one at Ipswich (where Liverpool scored twice and could have had more), and in general only Southampton have been less prolific on the road this campaign per 90 minutes.
Last year the Cottagers scored 24 goals away from home, on par with Wolves and Luton. Only Forest, Burnley, Palace, Everton and Sheffield United were worse. Marco Silva’s men love scoring in the capital, but they’re a bit soft outside it.
Nottingham Forest have found some solidity under Nuno Espirito Santo this season, conceding only four goals so far and having kept clean sheets against Liverpool and Southampton. It seems as good a time as any to pick a marauding Forest wing back, and Ola Aina fits the bill.
He’s got the best chance of starting and picking up an assist from what the underlying numbers say, and at 4.5m and only 5.6 per cent ownership, he’s a cheap little differential.
He was also loaned to Fulham in 2020-21, with an option to buy which Fulham did not trigger after relegation to the Championship. How much extra motivation does that give him, you wonder?
Price: £4.5m Points: 20 Gameweek 6 fixture: Fulham (h)
