EPL GW-10 FPL Player Picks

After an explosive game-week 9 that saw 40 goals scored, we now turn our attention to round 10. While we have no international break to fret over, we do have mid-week Carabao Cup fixtures involving the following clubs:

• Chelsea
• Southampton
• Arsenal FC
• Leeds
• Brentford
• West Ham
• Manchester City
• Leicester
• Brighton
• Liverpool
• Burnley
• Tottenham

Be sure to follow team news and injury reports for mid-week Cup developments that may impact league play this weekend.

And as if that wasn’t enough to worry about, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City already have one eye on next week’s fourth round of the Champions League group stage. Beware of domestic league rest and rotation ahead of that.

Ok then, on to this week’s FPL picks.

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Goalkeepers

Alisson (LIV vs BHA, £6.0) and Ederson (MCI vs CRY, 6.0) are obvious picks this week. Each minds the net for one of the best defensive units in the league, and each has a home fixture against a club that isn’t known for its swashbuckling attack. If you fancy one of them and can fit him into your budget this week, then by all means go for it. But for me, at that price the risk of a “no saves/one conceded” scenario is prohibitive.

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Illan Meslier (NOR vs LEE, £4.5): Leeds’ defense is one of the league’s poorest, but this week Meslier faces a Canary offense that has scored only two goals all season. Choose him if you subscribe to the “anyone playing Norwich” school of FPL management.

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Álvaro Fernández (BUR vs BRE, £4.5): On Sunday David Raya suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for months, so his Spanish deputy will line up between the sticks this weekend. The 23 year-old hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League football, but the match should hardly be a trial by fire: Burnley has managed only seven goals so far. With Raya set for an extended absence and Brentford entering a long run of favorable fixtures, now could be the time to bring Fernández into your squad.

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Alex McCarthy (WAT vs SOU, £4.5): Southampton are in 16th place, but they’ve actually conceded fewer goals than Tottenham, Manchester United, Everton, and Leicester. The Hornets put five past Everton last weekend, but that nearly doubled their season total. McCarthy looks a decent shout for a fourth cleanie this week.

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Defenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV vs BHA, £7.6): He has five clean sheets, three assists, and nine bonus points from the seven league matches he’s played. And unlike Alisson, he offers attacking returns that could soften the blow if Brighton manages to ruin the Reds’ clean sheet.

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Cancelo (MCI vs CRY, £6.3): Cancelo is joint-top with TAA among FPL defenders, yet costs £1.3 less. And like TAA he offers potential going forward and has a plum fixture this week.

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Tino Livramento (WAT vs SOU, £4.4): His price rose another tenth this week, so if he’s still not in your side then you’re kind of late to the party. But not too late. He’s still cheap and the match against Watford will offer Livramento the potential for returns on both sides of the ball. Now’s the time to jump on the Tino Train if you still haven’t punched your ticket.

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Pontus Jansson (BUR vs BRE, £4.7): Jansson and Ethan Pinnock are both nailed on when fit, and they’re equal on points in FPL. But this week Pinnock is an injury doubt, so Jansson is my choice of Brentford defenders for the favorable matchup with the Clarets.

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Benjamin Chilwell (NEW vs CHE, £5.8): Although we can add “Tuchel Trickery” to an FPL lexicon that already includes “Pep Roulette”, Chilwell now seems to be the favored left wing-back at Stamford Bridge. He has started the last three league matches, amassing a staggering 35 FPL points over that short stretch. And since Marcos Alonso put in a full shift in last night’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton, we can be even more confident that the start will rotate back to Chilwell this weekend.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that Nathan Chalobah has quietly become Chelsea’s #2 FPL defender? That’s right — with two goals and four clean sheets, he has piled up 44 points, just one point behind Antonio Rüdiger (and only seven points behind overall leading defender TAA). You could do worse for £4.9.

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Midfielders

Bryan Mbuemo (BUR vs BRE, £5.6): He’s a doubt with a hamstring niggle and has been ruled out of today’s Carabao Cup match. But Thomas Frank hopes to have him available for Saturday, and if he passes fit then he’s a bargain. Follow team news; if he looks unlikely to feature then Sergi Canós is a fine alternative. With a goal and an assist he’s equal on points with Mbuemo, and he’s £0.1 cheaper to boot.

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Mateo Kovacic (NEW vs CHE, £5.3): Mason Mount’s three-goal, one-assist, 24-point extravaganza stole the show last time out. But prior to that explosion Mount had managed no goals, two assists, and just 17 points all season. Kovacic is nailed-on and produces consistently; in fact, despite Mount’s massive haul last time out, Kovacic is still Chelsea’s leading FPL midfielder. Plus, he’s a whopping £2.2 cheaper than M². I won’t blame you for chasing Mount’s points — that might even pay off — but Kovacic could be the wiser play for Chelsea’s nice upcoming run.

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Raphinha (NOR vs LEE, £6.7): He has put in a full shift only once in his last five league games, and he’s already an early doubt for GW-10 too. But both the player and his manager think he’ll be fine for the Canaries match, and if he passes fit then he’s almost a must-have against the league’s worst defense.

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Son Heung-Min (TOT vs MUN, £10.2): He’s relatively expensive, but he’s nailed-on and with six goal contributions he is Tottenham’s top FPL producer so far. And although United fans (and the exec board) will expect a reaction from the Red Devils after their drubbing by Liverpool at Old Trafford, that could play right into Son’s hands as Ole will feel pressured to play an open game in search of a crucial win.

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Mohamed Salah (LIV vs BHA, £12.9): I don’t really need to explain this do I? Ten goals, six assists, and 16 bonus points in just nine games. He has already surpassed the 100-point mark and we still have 29 more rounds to go. Almost 70% of FPL managers have drafted him in — time to join them if you haven’t. Then just make him your set-and-forget captain and rest easy until he cools off or gets injured.

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Phil Foden (MCI vs CRY, £8.1): He has started four straight games, notching five goal contributions over that span. He is flourishing in the center-forward role, and he could haul again on Saturday when the Eagles come to call.

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Forwards

Ivan Toney (BUR vs BRE, £6.5): Two goals and two assists this season, but none in his last three games. But only four clubs have conceded more goals than the Clarets, so Toney will have a good opportunity to get back on track this weekend. Plus, owning Brentford’s penalty-taker ahead of their appealing run of upcoming fixtures isn’t such a bad idea.

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Raúl Jiménez (WOL vs EVE, £7.6): Jiménez is finally heating up after his return from last season’s skull fracture, posting a goal and three assists over his last four outings. His strike partner, Hwang Hee-chan (£5.7), has also impressed this season, but I prefer the Mexican’s proven track record to the South Korean’s johnny-come-lately success.

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Armando Broja (SOU vs WAT, £5.0): Two starts, two goals. He picked up an ankle injury against Burnley, but Ralph Hassenhüttl expects him to recover in time for the weekend. An excellent third-forward choice, who, given Southampton’s upcoming run, you could comfortably place in your starting lineup most weeks. Ralph Hassenhüttl has ruled Broja out for GW-10 due to his ankle injury. But at £5.0, he’s worth reconsidering once he recovers.

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Jamie Vardy (LEI vs ARS, £10.8): Five goals in his last four games prior to subbing off at the intermission against Brentford, and seven so far on the season. The substitution was precautionary, so there’s a good chance he’s ready to go for the visit of Arsenal.

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Michail Antonio (AVL vs WHU, £8.2): With ten goal contributions from the eight games he’s played this season, only the mighty Mo Salah has gathered more points than Michail Antonio, who is tied with Vardy for joint-second. He’s been in my squad since GW-1, and I plan to ride him until he twangs a hammy (sadly, it’s only a matter of time). You should think about doing the same.

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How are you feeling about your GW-10 squad? Which players are you dropping, and which are you bringing in? Have I overlooked someone you fancy (any KDB, PEA, Mount, Ronaldo, or Kane fans out there)? Be sure to vote in our captains poll, and then let us know your transfer plans in the Comments!

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