Mail Sport’s FPL predictions: Which midfielder will continue his ‘scintillating form’ this weekend? Who is going ‘under the radar’? And which value midfielder is the ‘single best pick in the game’ ahead of Gameweek 6?
Gameweek 6 of the Premier League is set to deliver another blockbuster weekend with Manchester United‘s clash with Tottenham on Sunday the pick of the games.
After a disappointing draw at Crystal Palace last weekend, Erik ten Hag‘s team will be desperate to return to winning ways at Old Trafford against a Spurs side who have endured an up-and-down start to the campaign.
In addition, both Arsenal and Manchester City will be keen to get three points on the board after their pulsating 2-2 draw at the Etihad last weekend.
With plenty to ponder, FPL managers around the country have an opportunity to bring back many of the title rivals’ top stars into their teams following a low-point week.
Mail Sport’s panel – including experts from FPL gurus Fantasy Football Hub – have predicted the full-time result of each match this weekend, detailing the players they expect to score the most points in each fixture.
FPL managers have until the 11am deadline on Saturday to submit their teams for Gameweek 6
Newcastle vs Man City
Lewis Browning, Sports Reporter
Newcastle go into this game off the back of their first defeat of the season and it had been coming. They haven’t been great so far, and, with upcoming fixtures looking tough, I wouldn’t be looking at any of the Magpies’ assets right now.
There’s more to pick from when it comes to Manchester City. Erling Haaland (£15.3m) is the most obvious go-to, and, now he’s scored against the best defence in the league in Arsenal, I won’t be going against him for captaincy for the foreseeable. Spreading the money and going without him is an option, but it’s risky and not advised.
Elsewhere, it’s hard to predict who is going to play. Rico Lewis (£4.7m) may get more minutes with Rodri now out injured for the season due to his ability to step into midfield, but he unfortunately has to be considered a rotation risk. Josko Gvardiol (£5.9m) is likely the most locked defensive pick, though has been playing more reserved than last season.
In forward areas, it’s a toss of a coin which wingers will play, and Phil Foden (£9.3m), Bernardo Silva (£6.5m) and Ilkay Gundogan (£6.5m) will all rotate. Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m) remains a fitness doubt.
Unfortunately for this match, it’s Haaland or nothing for me.
Prediction: Man City to win 3-1
Erling Haaland has netted 10 times already this season, scoring in every single match so far
Chelsea vs Brighton
Jian Batra, Fantasy Football Hub expert
This is a very, very interesting affair to predict, as these are two sides who enjoy controlling the ball. However, given Chelsea’s superior quality in most facets, I’ve gone with them to win.
I think they will certainly have more of the ball, and given Brighton will be somewhat proactive in their defensive approach, their will certainly be space between the lines and in scattered pockets to exploit.
For those reasons I can see Cole Palmer (£10.6m), Nicolas Jackson (£7.7m) and Noni Madueke (£6.6m) being the most likely players to receive some of the attacking returns.
I don’t, however, think Chelsea’s defence will do the best job in terms of mitigating all of Brighton’s attacks. For that reason, combined with their individual quality, I can see them getting one goal.
It should be a good watch.
Prediction: Chelsea to win 2-1
Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke have nine goals and assists between them this campaign
Brentford vs West Ham
Matthew Lambert, Tennis Reporter
Brentford are top of the Fantasy Football Hub fixture ticker for the next six gameweeks and that run begins against a West Ham side who looked awful against Chelsea last week.
There are plenty of wildcards flying this week and picking two or three Brentford players would be advisable.
So which players should we be looking at for this period?
Top of the list is Bryan Mbeumo (£7.2m). Pound for pound, at his price, he is the single best pick in the game and should be the highest priority player to bring in this week, with the possible exception of Bukayo Saka.
Mbeumo takes penalties, is on some set-pieces and is a major open play threat. He will play almost every minute and is his side’s undisputed talisman. Just get him in the squad and leave him there.
Goalkeeper Mark Flekken (£4.5m) is another pick I like – I would select him on wildcard ahead of the popular David Raya. He is top for saves this season and Brentford are second for shots conceded outside the box – if and when he does keep a clean sheet across this run he should hoover up save and bonus points.
The recent injury to Yoane Wissa opens up some potential budget options in the forward line, too. Fabio Carvalho (£4.8m) should start in the front three and if you can find the extra 0.3m he should offer far more threat than the default budget midfielder Harry Winks.
Kevin Schade (£5.5m) looks to be the one who will most directly replace Wissa as the centre forward and if he solidifies that spot he looks an extremely exciting pick. At the moment I would have him behind Villa’s Morgan Rogers and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in that bracket but a few 90-minute games at centre forward could change things.
Mbeumo can’t score all the Brentford goals himself, after all.
Prediction: Brentford to win 3-1
Bryan Mbuemo is a steal at just £7.2m with four goals to his name already in just five games
Everton vs Crystal Palace
Sami Mokbel, Chief Football Reporter
For the first time this season, Everton are set to have key central defender Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.8m) available for the visit of Crystal Palace.
The England international has suffered with a flare-up of a hernia issue but played for the Under-21’s last weekend and is expected to be in the squad.
Vitalii Mykolenko (£4.3m) (illness) and Idrissa Gana Gueye (£4.9m) (compassionate leave) are also set to be available having missed the Leicester draw.
As for Palace, they’ll have to check on fitness of Adam Wharton (£4.9m), who is currently carrying a niggling groin problem.
Wharton has played all five of Palace’s Premier League games so far but the issue is being managed. Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes and Ismaila Sarr will push for starts if Wharton can’t play.
Prediction: 2-2 draw
Jarrad Branthwaite is available for Everton against Crystal Palace the first time this season
Nottingham Forest vs Fulham
Ben Willcocks, Senior Sports Reporter
Both Nottingham Forest and Fulham will be pleased with the starts they’ve made in the Premier League this campaign, each sitting inside the top half ahead of Saturday’s clash at the City Ground.
With several managers, including myself, on wildcard this week, it’s impossible to fit in all of Haaland, Salah, Alexander-Arnold, Palmer and Saka – and therefore budget picks are as crucial as ever given you’ll want as many of the premium guys as possible.
From Forest, I would be tempted by their defensive options mainly, with Ola Aina (£4.5m) the standout pick from their back line. The full-back already has 20 points to his name and has proven an ability to pick up bonus points when his side keeps clean sheets. I also like Matz Sels (£4.5m) between the sticks, but perhaps not as much as Brentford’s Flekken for the same price.
As for Fulham, look no further than Emile Smith-Rowe (£5.8m). The ex-Arsenal star is one of the few early season bandwagons to pay off and will continue to rise in price as he consistently returns for the Cottagers.
I’m expecting a closely fought, low-scoring affair at the City Ground this weekend – and have just given the edge to the home side.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest to win 1-0
Emile Smith-Rowe has consistently delivered for Fulham since arriving from Arsenal
Wolves vs Liverpool
Wes Prickett (FPL Heisenberg), Fantasy Football Hub expert
With Liverpool only conceding one goal in their first five league games, I have to start with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1m). He’s worth every penny of his price tag as he has such immense attacking threat (as we all know) and now under Arne Slot, the clean sheet potential is there too.
This could be the week where he really explodes with a big haul with a clean sheet and a couple of attacking returns.
I believe Luis Diaz (£8.0m), Diogo Jota (£7.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.8m) will start for Liverpool this week. It can be tricky calling who will start in Liverpool’s front three, but, with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo playing 90 minutes midweek, I think those two will be on the bench.
Jota, Salah and Diaz got a partial or full rest in the cup and they are currently the first-choice front three so I think they’ll start this one.
Any of Liverpool’s front three have the potential to do well this week, but I can’t look past the man in scintillating form – Luis Diaz. Fresh off a full rest in the cup he looks primed to punish Wolves this week.
Prediction: Liverpool to win 3-0
Mo Salah and Luis Diaz are primed and ready to add to their impressive tallies this year
Ipswich vs Aston Villa
Lewis Steele, Merseyside reporter
Aston Villa have enjoyed another fast start under Unai Emery and it’s largely thanks to the superb efforts of Jhon Duran (£6.2m) off the substitutes’ bench.
The forward hasn’t played more than 30 minutes in a single Premier League match this season but still has four goals to his name already. Usually, it would be madness to select a player who doesn’t start matches, but the Colombian is making himself very hard to ignore.
Personally, I’m more tempted by Villa’s first choice striker Ollie Watkins (£9.0m), who has three goals across his last two matches. The England star was given a full rest in the Carabao Cup in midweek and should be ready to fire at Portman Road.
A word too for Ipswich’s budget defender Jacob Greaves (£4.0m), who is a handy pick-up for your bench given his regularity of minutes in Kieran McKenna’s back line.
Prediction: Aston Villa to win 3-1
Ollie Watkins has come into his own in the past two gameweeks after a frustrating start
Arsenal vs Leicester
Aadam Patel, Sports Reporter and Content Creator
Arsenal have kept three clean sheets in five PL games and with upcoming matches against Leicester and Southampton at home, followed by Bournemouth away, a Gunners defensive option is well worth it.
The obvious choices are William Saliba (£6.0m) and Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.1m) – with two goals in his last two, Gabriel is certainly on a hot streak.
But Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) may be worth the risk with less than two per cent of FPL managers having the Italian in their side. He scored 9 points against Man City and looks set to become a regular starter.
Offensively, Mikel Arteta’s side have a wealth of options but Leicester’s Jamie Vardy (£5.7m) will be relishing the trip to north London.
The 37-year-old has 11 goals in 16 appearances against Arsenal and will certainly back himself, even against the best defence in the division.
Prediction: Arsenal to win 2-0
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have only conceded three goals as a pair this season
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Manchester United vs Tottenham
James Sharpe, Mail Sport football writer and co-host of the Fantasy Island FPL podcast
I’m on wildcard this week and one of the biggest questions is what to do with Bruno Fernandes (£8.3m). A huge part of me doesn’t think I can put up with the pain anymore. I’ve owned him since Gameweek 1 and have a single assist – and two price drops – to show for it.
If I’d gone with Liverpool winger Luis Diaz instead, I’d have five goals, an assist and 51 points by now. Fernandes has coughed up a measly 18. And yet there’s still another part of me that’s considering keeping him.
His underlying numbers have been excellent. His Expected Goal Involvement (xGI) – how many goals he’d be expected to have scored or assisted based on the quality of his shots or chances he’s created – is 3.18, the eighth highest in the league. That’s more than Buyako Saka (35 points), more than Cole Palmer (36 points), more than Bryan Mbeumo (34 points), and the same as Nicolas Jackson (35 points).
Fernandes owners have been incredibly unlucky, regardless of how bad Manchester United are, and the points will come if he keeps playing to that level.
James Maddison (£7.5m) is also very much going under the radar. Only Haaland boasts a higher xGI than Maddison (4.28) this season despite a narrative that the Spurs playmaker is nowhere near his best though his goal and an assist against Brentford will shift that somewhat.
I’m also considering Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) as my second attacker on wildcard. Fit again and off the mark with a goal against Brentford. He’ll get loads of chances in this Spurs side.
Prediction: 2-2 draw
Bruno Fernandes’ heat map proves he can be avaluable asset to many FPL captains this week
Bournemouth vs Southampton
Abdul Rehman (FPL Salah), Fantasy Football Hub Expert
Bournemouth had a decent start to the season with two draws and a win but have lost their last two without scoring.
However, those losses came against Chelsea and Liverpool and they were really unfortunate not to score in both games as they registered an xG (expected goals) of 2.16 and 1.04 respectively.
Their fixture in Gameweek 6 does get a lot easier though as they welcome newly promoted Southampton to the Vitality Stadium.
The Saints have been poor, only managing one point while conceding nine goals (second-most) with an xGC (expected goals conceded) of 9.7 (fourth-worst).
Tyler Dibling (£4.5m) has been their only bright spark this season. The 18-year-old has started the last two games and really impressed and even scored against fellow promotion rivals Ipswich last gameweek. He looks great value especially as he is classed as a midfielder in FPL.
However I do think Bournemouth will be too strong for Southampton and Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) could really punish them.
He has two goals and one assist and is playing plenty of minutes – he has clocked 90 minutes in four of the five league games and his underlying numbers look really encouraging. The Ghanian has registered an xG of 1.7 and an xA of 1.3 and managed an impressive 14 shots in the box.
Semenyo looks to be Bournemouth’s new talisman in the absence of Dominic Solanke.
Prediction: Bournemouth to win 2-1
Antoine Semenyo has filled the gaping hole left by the sale of Domic Solanke to Tottenham
FPL Salah, FPL Heisenberg and FPL Jian Batra are all Fantasy Football Hub contributors and have joined Mail Sport’s expert panel to kickstart the FPL season.
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