24 Oct, 2024

Game Week 9: FPL Sam’s Key Questions

Keep or Sell?

Haaland

Haaland not registering a single shot against Wolves last weekend was shocking! Without De Bruyne, he’s struggled to get his usual high-quality chances, and Rodri’s absence has also had a big impact on City’s midfield. He’s blanked in three successive league games for the first time, but thankfully he’s back in form in the UCL, scoring a brace, which is encouraging ahead of the Southampton clash. Game week 9 could be his last chance as my captain.

City have what might be their best fixture of the season, facing Southampton at home, who have conceded the second most goals (18) and recorded the second worst xGC. Many are even considering activating their Triple Captain chip.

Saka

No one can ignore that Arsenal have a tough schedule for at least the next three game weeks. The English winger is an injury concern after missing the Bournemouth game, and he’s currently the most-sold attacker ahead of game week 9. He wasn’t fit to play in the UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday, and while he’s rumoured to start training today, I’m unsure how many minutes he’ll get against Liverpool. It might be time to look for replacements.

Palmer and Salah

Both Palmer and Salah are very tempting this season, and owning both seems like the most productive approach right now. Salah has five goals, five assists, and 74 points, averaging 9.2 points per match under Arne Slot. Palmer leads in goal involvements with 11. At £10.8m, Palmer’s 69 points equate to 6.4 points per million, while Salah is returning 5.9 points per million.

I think Palmer offers better value and has been promising recently. While owning both is ideal, if you had to pick one, I’d prioritize Palmer for his £2.0m lower price tag.

Saliba Replacements

I understand that Saliba’s red card was disappointing, and you’re looking to sell him. He’s suspended for the Liverpool game, and Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures (CHE and NEW away) don’t look great defensively. Here are three cheap defenders you could get, allowing you to save the extra £1.5m to invest in premium midfielders like Salah and Palmer:

Aït-Nouri (£4.4m)

Wolves haven’t been great defensively this season, but Aït-Nouri takes up very attacking positions. With 2 goals and 2 assists, despite a tough early schedule, he’s promising. He also has a favourable schedule ahead that could provide excellent value.

Mykolenko (£4.3m)

Back-to-back clean sheets for Everton were a relief for FPL managers. With Braithwaite back in the squad, Everton’s defensive system should improve further. Sean Dyche has expressed confidence in his defenders, and Mykolenko’s low price makes him a solid pick.

Aina (£4.5m)

Nottingham Forest don’t allow many big chances, and much of their xGC comes from low-quality shots that are saveable. They have a mix of tough and easy fixtures, making Aina a good rotational option for your defence.

Wolves Forwards

At Wolves, Cunha seems like the better asset. He’s the talisman, on penalties, and takes some corners. While he plays wider, he has more routes to points than Larsen, who plays centrally as the no. 9. Cunha’s underlying stats are also better, with 3.2 xGi compared to Larsen’s 2.0. Larsen does get the lions share of big chances though, as he recorded 5 big chances while Cunha registered only 2 this season. Cunha does however have 14 shots in the box to Larsen’s 10 and has created 11 chances to Larsen’s 4.

However, both players have scored 3 goals, and Cunha’s extra £1.0m might not be justified. I think picking Larsen and investing the extra £1.0m in midfield will pay off.

If you’re searching for more alternatives, here are two proven forwards:

Raúl Jiménez

Raúl is rolling back the years for Fulham, acting as their main aerial threat. He missed three big chances last game week, all of them headers, but was in great positions. His owners were unlucky as he won a penalty, but Andreas Pereira missed it. It could’ve been a big haul for him.

Wissa

Wissa has returned from injury with a favourable run of fixtures for Brentford. His strong spell begins with a home game against Ipswich this weekend and includes a visit from Leicester in game week 13. Wissa was the second-highest scoring forward during the first four game weeks, with 28 points.

For more Game Week 9 Tips click here!

For more SamFPL click here!

By: SamFPL

Last Updated: 24/10