EPL GW-5 FPL Player Picks

What a GW-4 that was! Goals galore in the Premier League and points galore for some FPL managers. Now it’s already time to turn our attention to GW-5, our deadline less than 24 hours away. Here are some player picks:

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Goalkeepers

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José Sá (£5.0, BOU v WOL): Despite sitting 19^th in the table after a winless start to their premier league campaign, Wolves’ underlying defensive numbers still show in the top half of the league. Wolves’ GW-5 opponent is Bournemouth, the worst attacking side in the Prem, posting an xG of 1.10 in four games. All stats point toward an untroubled six-pointer for Sá

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Hugo Lloris (£5.5, WHU v TOT): Tottenham is in the top 5 for xGA (Expected goal against), while Spurs’ GW-5 opponent West Ham is bottom-5 for xG. Lloris should keep a comfortable clean sheet this GW.

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Defenders

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João Cancelo (£7.1, MCI v NFO): Cancelo hasn’t been at his best this season, having provided just one assist in the opening four games. With Manchester City expected to be relatively untroubled at the back against Nottingham Forest, this could be an ideal game for the Portuguese left-back to regain his creative touch.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5, LIV v NEW): Fresh off a 17-point haul, Trent is back to his sizzling best. Although Newcastle has tightened up at the back, Trent has a good assist and clean sheet potential for this GW.

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Reece James (£6.1, SOU v CHE): After Trent, Reece James is arguably the best defender to own in the game. With Kalidou Koulibaly back from suspension, Chelsea’s defense will be back to its best, improving James’s clean sheet potential in addition to his great attacking threat.

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Marc Cucurella (£5.1, SOU v CHE): Like James, Cucurella will also benefit from the return of Koulibaly. The Spanish left-back already has two assists from three starts and should get a few more, especially if he continues to take corners.

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Midfielders

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Mo Salah (£13.0, LIV v NEW): Salah astonishingly blanked in Liverpool’s 9-0 curb-stomping of Bournemouth. If we’d all known beforehand that Liverpool was going to put nine past Bournemouth, we would have bet real money on Salah scoring at least a brace, if not a hattrick plus an assist. The Egyptian posted a ridiculously high xG of 1.35 against Bournemouth, missing two easy chances from a short range.

A hungry Salah will be eager to get back on the scoresheet, with Liverpool’s GW-5 opponents Newcastle potentially paying the price.

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Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2, MCI v NFO): With Erling Haaland taking the Man City FPL spotlight, De Bruyne is chipping in with consistent point returns (27 in 4 games). Man City’s GW-5 opponent Nottingham Forest is the second worst defense in the league after Bournemouth, posting an xGA of 7.82 in four games, making KDB the best differential captain for GW-5.

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Gabriel Martinelli (£6.4, ARS v AVL): Martinelli is the best value midfielder in FPL. The Brazilian winger has amassed 24 points in four games by scoring twice and providing an assist. Facing a struggling Aston Villa in GW-5 could see Martinelli and Co find a lot of joy in front of goal.

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Luis Díaz (£8.1, LIV v NEW): Díaz is the best midfielder in the £8m-£10m price bracket. In the absence of Darwin Núñez who’s finishing his suspension, Díaz occupies a more central role, while false-9 Firmino drops to create space for the wide attackers. Díaz’s current role is similar to the one Sadio Mane played toward the end of the 2021-22 season. As a result, the Colombian is getting a lot more goal-scoring chances than when Núñez is in the team. With Liverpool playing Newcastle at home, Díaz could yet again go big this week, but won’t be indispensable once Darwin is back.

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Forward

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Erling Haaland (£11.8, MCI v NFO): Erling Haaland is the best GW-5 captain if he starts. Fresh off a hattrick in GW-4 and now welcoming a shaky Nottingham Forest defense to the Etihad, FPL’s top point earner could yet again tally a double-digit haul. Pep Guardiola’s press conference quotes will be key to deciding the captain for GW-5. Tune into NMA’s Pre-Deadline and Live Chat for press conference round-ups and injury updates.

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Gabriel Jesus (£8.2, ARS v AVL): Owned by over 80% of FPL managers, buying Jesus doesn’t need much convincing. With Arsenal facing Aston Villa, Everton, and Brentford among their next four league games, Jesus is a good long-term buy/hold.

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Underlying data sourced from: understat.com

Other Data and info for this article were sourced from: Fantasy.Premierleague.com, Transfermarkt

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Do you have your eye on someone I’ve overlooked? Who is your GW-5 captain? What are your transfer plans for the week? Are you using/contemplating a chip? Are you confident that Haaland starts? How many minutes do you think he gets? Please log in to take our poll and then share your thoughts in the comments below!

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