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The English Premier League is all to set to return this weekend after the international break, along with the Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Teams prepare to fight in Gameweek 9 after the last gameweek saw three fixtures get postponed.
The previous matchday was highlighted by Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min's hat-trick against Leicester City. Highly-rated FPL forwards like Aleksander Mitrovic and Ivan Toney failed to get on the scoresheet.
Gameweek 9 is tipped to be big in Wildcard, which means most managers will field new faces in their lineups. With teams like Leicester City and Crystal Palace having a fixture swinging at this point, it shouldn't be a surprise to see the likes of James Maddison and Wilfried Zaha on the list of most transferred-in players.
FPL managers should not forget to lock in their teams ahead of the deadline on Saturday.
Gameweek 9 Deadline: Saturday, October 1, at 11:00 AM (BST)/ 03:30 PM (Indian Standard Time).
FPL Gameweek 9 Fixtures
Gameweek 9 has some delicious contests on display. It starts with the North London derby on Saturday, with Liverpool hosting Brightin & Hove Albion later on the same day.
Sunday will see the Manchester derby with both teams in good form. Gameweek 9 concludes with a Monday night meeting between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium.
FPL Team suggested for the previous gameweek
Here's the suggested team for Gameweek 8:
Goalkeepers: Nick Pope (NEW) (£5.0 million) and Karl Darlow (NEW) (£4.0 million).
Defenders: Reece James (CHE) (£6.0 million), Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) (£7.5 million), Ryan Sessegnon (TOT) (£4.5 million), Joao Cancelo (MCI) (£7.1 million), and Neco Williams (NFO) (£4.0 million).
Midfielders: Gabriel Martinelli (ARS) (£6.4 million), Jarrod Bowen (WHU) (£8.1 million), Raheem Sterling (CHE) (£10.0 million), Dejan Kulusevski (TOT) (£8.1 million), and Andreas Pereira (FUL) (£4.6 million).
Forwards: Erling Haaland (MCI) (£11.9 million), Alexander Isak (NEW) (£7.0 million), and Cameron Archer (AVL) (£4.4 million).
Captain/Vice-Captain: Alexander Isak/ Erling Haaland.
GW 8 Average score: 50.
GW 8 Transfers made: 2.
Points Scored (- hits): 48(-0): 48
Overall Points: 392.
Overall Rank: 3,352,583.
Free Transfers available: 1.
Money Remaining: £0.8 million
Note: Prices for players reflect their current sellable value (at the time of writing) and not their market value.
FPL Transfers
1) Dejan Kulusevski (TOT) (MID) (£8.1 million) - OUT | James Maddison (MID) (LEI) (£7.9 m) - IN.
2) Ryan Sessegnon (TOT) (DEF) (£4.5 million) - OUT | Marc Cucurella (DEF) (CHE) (£5.1 m) - IN.
While Alexander Isak's injury during the international break was a blow, I'm sticking with the plan of taking both the Spurs players out of my team due to rotation risk. Leicester City's James Maddison is in imperious form and he is an obvious replacement for Dejan Kulusevski. Moreover, with Leicester embarking on a relatively easy run of matches in the next few games, Maddison might be a smart buy for managers. However, I am also keeping an eye on options like Wilfried Zaha for future GWs.
In defense, there weren't quite as many options to choose from. After considering Graham Potter's favorable relationship with Cucurella, I have decided to back the Spaniard and Chelsea to deliver in the next few weeks. This is the first time I am taking a hit this season, and I feel the players I've used it on will justify that cost.
Best FPL Team for Gameweek 9
Gameweek 9 Bench: Karl Darlow (GK) vs FUL (A), Andreas Pereira (MID) vs NEW (H), Neco Williams (DEF) vs LEI (A), Cameron Archer (FWD) vs LEE (A).
I feared a red arrow in GW 8 after going in with only ten players, but I expected it to come because I didn't captain Erling Haaland. In the end, Isak outscored the Norwegian to allay those fears, but not owning Gabriel Jesus, Harry Kane, and an Arsenal defender cost me around 200k places.
Most FPL teams that haven't wildcarded yet should do so in GW 9, and we're likely to have a more diverse set of players than the templates we started with.
Pope has been the standout pick from my Wildcard, and I expect him to make saves against Fulham, if not keep a cleansheet. While I have Isak on my lineup just in case, I don't think he'll feature so soon after his injury. The punt on Jarrod Bowen didn't quite work in Gameweek 8. I hope a home game helps him end his goal drought, but it won't be that easy against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
I've gone with a Chelsea triple-up that includes a double defense. This would be an ideal time for them to keep their first clean sheet since their opening encounter against Everton. Believe it or not, Trent Alexander-Arnold is a differential on my team, with most FPL managers taking him out on their Wildcard. If the Reds can capitalize on the managerial shift at Brighton, Trent could end up with a sizeable FPL haul.
The highly-owned Gabriel Martinelli, Joao Cancelo, and Erling Haaland will all be involved in derbies this week. Haaland is almost certain to have an effective ownership north of 100%, and how he performs will have a major impact on how GW 9 goes.
I am backing the differential FPL elements in my team to start this second leg of fixtures before the international break in a positive manner.
Gameweek 9 - FPL Captaincy
Erling Haaland is the go-to captain for most FPL managers yet again, but I'm not quite sure. Manchester United has been defensively solid, and the Martinez-Varane combination might keep Haaland quiet. While I haven't ruled him out of consideration, Raheem Sterling and James Maddison are tempting alternatives.
Crystal Palace aren't an easy side to break down, but if Chelsea do score, there's a good chance Sterling will be involved. James Maddison has a much easier fixture on paper, but with Leicester themselves in poor form, it is a tough call to make.
Best FPL XI for Gameweek 9 - Summary
Starting XI
GK - Nick Pope (NEW) vs FUL (A).
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) vs BHA (H), Marc Cucurella (CHE) vs CRY (A), Reece James (CHE) vs CRY (A), and Joao Cancelo (MCI) vs MUN (H).
MID: Raheem Sterling (CHE) vs CRY (A), Gabriel Martinelli (ARS) vs TOT (H), James Maddison (LEI) vs NFO (H), and Jarrod Bowen (WHU) vs WOL (H).
FWD: Erling Haaland (MCI) vs MUN (H) and Alexander Isak (NEW) vs FUL (A).
Formation: 4-4-2
Bench: GK - Karl Darlow (GK) vs FUL (A), 1st Sub: Andreas Pereira (MID) vs NEW (H), 2nd Sub: Neco Williams (DEF) vs LEI (A), 3rd Sub: Cameron Archer (FWD) vs LEE (A).
Chips activated: None
Transfers made: 2.
Points Hits taken (if any): -4
Captain: Raheem Sterling | VC: Erling Haaland.
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