What to do with Erling Haaland?
After averaging a whopping 12.6 points in his first five gameweeks, the expensive Manchester City striker has just two points per game in his past three.
In that form, he’s not worth the hefty £15.4m price tag but do you have the guts to take him out of your Fantasy Premier League team?
In a couple of weeks, going no Haaland and spreading the cash might become a serious consideration – but he faces leaky Southampton on Saturday.
One more week for captain Erling.
The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.
How did last week’s team do?
Did anyone have a good week last week, aside from Mohamed Salah and Michael Keane owners?
Haaland blank, Cole Palmer blank, Bukayo Saka no-show, Arsenal failing to score = lots of unhappy FPL managers.
It was the same case here. Matz Sels (11 points) was a Monday hero in an otherwise turgid 36-point week – let’s move along!
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Goalkeeper and defence
Robert Sanchez, Chelsea, keeper, £4.7m – home to Newcastle
Newcastle’s goals have really dried up, with just one in their past three games and star striker Alexander Isak is out of form.
Sanchez, meanwhile, has two double-digit hauls this season and can be relied on for a save point or two – he is averaging 4.5 saves per game.
Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City, defender, £6.1m – home to Southampton
City have just one clean in eight games this season, which is baffling when you consider they kept 13 in 2023-24.
Surely one comes against Saints, who only have six goals so far.
Gvardiol scored a cracker at Wolves last time out and he’s one of the best goalscoring options in defence if you can afford him.
Rico Lewis, Manchester City, defender, £4.8m – home to Southampton
Going all in on City’s defence this week. Lewis has started seven of City’s eight games this week so, famous last words, it seems as though he is a first-choice player for Pep Guardiola.
Lewis’ underlying stats are still strong. Against Wolves he had seven entries into the final third and five touches in the box – the third most among defenders behind Gvardiol (6) and Leicester’s James Justin (7).
Nathan Collins, Brentford, defender, £4.5m – home to Ipswich
Like Southampton, Ipswich have also scored just six this season and Brentford will fancy their first clean sheet of the season.
Collins has had four goal involvements this season, which is decent for a £4.5m defender.
Midfield
Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford, midfielder, £7.6m – home to Ipswich
Not much you need to say about Mbeumo. He has 40 points in four home games this season. An obvious pick.
Cole Palmer, Chelsea, midfielder, £10.9m – home to Newcastle
Like Mbeumo, another player who nearly guarantees points at home – he has returns in three of his four home games, including that famous 25-pointer three weeks ago.
With Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah facing off this week in a potentially tight affair at Emirates Stadium, Palmer is the clear best choice of the premium midfielders.
Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham, midfielder, £6.2m – away at Crystal Palace
The Swede has been brilliant this season – there aren’t many players around who dribble and carry the ball the way he does.
Kulusevski is in the top five in the Premier League for key passes (23) and touches in the box (62).
He was a minutes risk last season but has started seven of eight games this campaign and faces a struggling Palace side next.
Dwight McNeil, Everton, midfielder, £5.8m – home to Fulham
It’s a midfield full of talismen this week. Only Bukayo Saka (27) has more key passes than McNeil this season and only Saka and Palmer have created more than the Everton man’s seven big chances.
McNeil has been involved in 67% of Everton’s goals this season and is in the middle of an inviting run of games highlighted previously in this column.
Georginio Rutter, Brighton, midfielder, £5.5m – home to Wolves
The big-money signing from Leeds has really come alive in the past three games, having now started five in a row.
Rutter has two goals and two assists in those three games and, in a Brighton side with plenty of attacking options, he is a safe bet at the moment to get minutes.
Wolves at home is about as good as it gets this season – they let in five in their last away game.
Strikers
Erling Haaland (captain), Manchester City, striker, £15.4m – home to Southampton
Hang fire, don’t be hasty and sell Haaland yet!
Yes, the last three blank weeks have been disappointing but you just can’t pass up Southampton at home – the second-worst defence in the league.
Another blank and we can talk about selling the City man, who hasn’t scored in the league since Rodri got injured.
Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa, striker, £9.1m – home to Bournemouth
In contrast to Haaland, Watkins is in form – the same kind of form that made him last season’s top-scoring striker.
Five goals and an assist in his past five games and just one blank. That makes him an easy pick in this team.
Subs bench
Matt Turner, Crystal Palace, goalkeeper, £4m – home to Spurs
A cheap keeper option.
Lucas Digne, Aston Villa, defender, £4.6m – home to Bournemouth
The Frenchman has held on to his left-back starting place and has three assists already this season.
Iliman Ndiaye, Everton, forward, £5.4m – home to Fulham
A better budget forward than his team-mate Dominic Calvert-Lewin? He’s only two points behind for the season.
James Justin, Leicester City, defender, £4.6m – home to Nottingham Forrest
Forest have not won away from home, failing to score in 50% of those games and Justin presents an attacking threat too.
Total team cost: £99.2m
Player to watch
Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolves, striker, £5.5m
The second Wolves player in a row in this spot but it’s hard to ignore their incredible fixture run coming up, starting with Crystal Palace and Southampton at home in weeks 10 and 11.
Norway striker Larsen has three goals already from just five big chances and six shots on target – that’s efficient and, with easier fixtures, he should have more success.
At £5.5m, he could emerge as one of the best budget strikers.
Team to target
Fulham – Everton (a), Brentford (h), Palace (a)
The Cottagers have a nice run of six fixtures, with three home games and trips to struggling Everton and Palace.
You might want to take a look at Raul Jimenez (£5.7m) who has five returns this season – one in every game he has started.
They also offer decent defensive options, especially Antonee Robinson (£4.7m) if you are looking to free up budget by downgrading an expensive defender.