FPL GW5 Preview: Hot Takes, Teams and Players to watch for in GW5

Although all of us FPL managers wanted a break from FPL during the ongoing pointless international break after a tough start to the 2020/21 FPL season, we’ll be lying if we say we didn’t miss FPL during the break. But that’s in the past, FPL GW5 is around the corner and it’s business as usual for us from here as we head into a crucial set of GW’s. This time around we have made the GW preview even more comprehensive and detail with each of the games being analyzed. So fasten your seatbelt and jump right into our FPL GW5 Preview.

FPL GW5 Preview:

Everton vs Liverpool:

Who would have imagined at the start of the season that the Everton would be on top of the table, unbeaten going into the Merseyside Derby in GW5? In fact the last time when Everton defeated Liverpool, Mikel Arteta scored the winner and David Moyes was their manager back in 2010. But, this would be the best chance for the red hot Everton to break that duck.

It’s simply Everton’s attack vs Liverpool defense going into the game. Dominic Calvert Lewin(7.6) is already close to 50% TSB and would look to prove his big game mantle. He has 37 points from 4 games, Best NPxG(3.39), second highest Shots in the box(13), Most big chances(6) in the league. Rodriguez(7.8) is not far behind with 35 points with the most big chance created(4), 2nd best xA(2.14) among midfielders. Richarlison(7.9) is back from injury and should be penalties as well.

It has been a frustrating few weeks so far to own the costly Liverpool defenders. Liverpool have conceded 109 shots on target from 38 games last season averaging 2.86 SOT conceded per game. This season, they have conceded 20 SOT from 4 games averaging 5.0 SOT conceded per game. Shows how much poor they have been this season, but hold on to them at the moment as they should get better. Salah(12.2) has been the lone FPL light from Liverpool with 60% goal involvement,42 touches in the box(best in the league), 41 points and it looks like no stopping him at the moment.

Verdict: Do not expect too many goals from your Everton attackers and also the game in general. Probably this game should serve as a reality check to double up on Everton attack in the longer run. Do not bench Liverpool defenders who are always capable of an attacking return.

Injury update: Richarlison started against Peru on Tuesday, played 90 minutes and scored a goal.

Further Read: FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips

Chelsea vs Southampton:

Werner(21.1% TSB) has not yet justified his selection with just 11 points, 1 big chance from 4 games which is really poor for a premium forward. He should be sold at any cost with other premium mids and mid priced strikers getting into the groove. From the outside, it looks like Southampton’s high line defense have not been that good. But they have most cleansheets(2), least shots conceded(29), least shots conceded in the box(20) in the league.

On the other hand, Adams has all the stats to back him up again- But not the goals. He has 4 big chances, xG(1.89), xPts(20.3)- But has only 10 points to show off. Elsewhere other similar low priced forwards Bamford(5.8), Wilson(6.5), Maupay(6.6) has more than tripled on Adams tally and it is time to move on to one of those.

Verdict: Lampard finally has a full-strength exciting attack to choose from- Havertz, Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech, Hudson Odoi, Tammy. Too early to pounce on Chelsea’s midfield- Players returning from injury and new signings not settled yet. Have a close watch on them. There maybe goals in this game, but at the moment it looks better to sell Werner and Adams for the longer run.

Further Read: FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fanatix

Manchester City vs Arsenal:

In another surprise start to the season, City have found it difficult to get going with just 1 win, 6 goals scored from 5 big chances(4th worst in the league). They have not seen able to get the goals without a proper center forward. But with Aguero(10.4) close to full fitness, it should simply make the team better with Sterling(11.5) going back to his favored wide position. Sterling(6.5%), Mahrez(4.1%), Foden(7.5%), Aguero(1.3%) are massively under-owned and are good differentials on wildcard.

Injury update: Raheem Sterling didn’t travel with the England due to a minor hamstring problem and it looks like a another Son-esque injury! De Bruyne returned early from Belgium and is also a doubt. Wait for the press conference updates or follow us on Twitter to get the latest injury updates.

Just in: Kevin De Bruyne is a 'major doubt' for #ManCity's match against Arsenal. He is still feeling pain/inflammation, and a final assessment will be made closer to the weekend. He could play with an injection, but is ‘reluctant’ to do that.

[@9320pod / Exclusive]

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 13, 2020

Verdict: Arsenal’s fixtures do not look good at the moment- City, United, Leicester, Villa in the next 4 games and it would safe to avoid them at the moment. Manchester City are slowly getting back to form and return of a proper striker should help them massively. So firmly hold on to your City midfield assets for FPL GW5. It’s matter of time before they start giving points again.

Fun Stat: KDB scored a whopping 33 points against arsenal last season with 4 goals and 2 assists in the two games last season. Safe to say he loves playing against Arsenal and let’s see if he’s fit enough to play against them come FPL GW5.

Further Read: FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips

Newcastle vs Manchester United:

Manchester United have had a terrible start to the season with just one win from the 3 games. Their FPL assets have also disappointed with the exception of Fernandes(10.5) because of his penalty duties. As a team they have been really poor going forward with just 9 shots on target, 2 big chances created- Both 2nd worst in the league. Martial(8.8) is suspended for three games due to a straight red. Rashford(9.5) looks lost this season with an xG of just 0.51, 1 big chance has not justified his price tag.

There are more problems at the back for United who have conceded 14 big chances from 4 games this season, averaging 3.5 BC conceded/game- Worst in the league. Last season, post restart they conceded just 7 big chances over 9 games averaging 0.77 BC conceded per game. Shows how much vulnerable they are at the back right now.

Manchester United post restart (GW30+ to GW38+) vs Manchester United this season:

• Matches– 9 vs 4
• Clean sheets– 5 vs 0
• Goals conceded– 6 vs 11
• xGC– 7.94 vs 8.54
• Big chances conceded– 7 vs 14
• Big chances conceded/game– 0.77 vs 3.5

Wilson(6.5) continues to impress his 12.9% owned managers with an 83% Goal Involvement so far- Highest in the league. To be precise he is involved in 5/6 Newcastle goals this season and is also on penalties. He has 6 big chances(Joint highest), 34 points already(3rd highest among forwards). Even though Newcastle don’t attack much directly, he is still a good budget option along with Maupay(6.6) due to his goal involvement for Newcastle. Saint-Maximin(5.3) punished his 698170 sellers in FPL GW4 with a goal, assist, and 12 points against Burnley. If fit, he improves Newcastle’s creativity and is definitely one of the best 5th midfielder options.

Verdict: Don’t go for United players at the moment. Wilson, ASM(if fit) are good options from Newcastle for their price range.

Further Read: FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fantatix

Sheffield United vs Fulham

Sheffield look a shadow of themselves from the last season having lost all four of their opening fixtures so far this season. Fulham, however, remain the same team that conceded the most goals from their disastrous 2018/19 season, just like the blades, Fulham have also lost all of their four games so far this season.

Both teams are struggling to create chances having created just four big chances in four games. Fulham have an xG of 4.12 scoring three goals and Sheffield have an even worse number, with an xG of just 3.46 and just a single goal in four games.

Popular FPL budget striker Mitrovic (5.9) has however been the only shining light for Fulham. The Serbian striker has scored 2/3 goals that Fulham scored both against Leeds and has taken 16 shots, only Kane(19) and Salah(19) have taken more shots than Mitrovic. Out of the 16 shots, 13 were from inside the box and 6 on target which are decent numbers considering the fact that he loves to shoot. But the lack of big chances is the worry, he has had just 2 big chances in four games and needs service to score goals. That being said if Fulham score, Mitrovic will most likely be on the score sheet.

As far as Sheffield are concerned they’ll be putting their hopes on new signing Rhian Brewster to help them score goals and potentially register their first points of the season.

Verdict: This could be a very low scoring game considering how poor both sides have been so far in creating chances. if you’re a Mitrovic hold him as he’s their talisman and has high chances to score against Sheffield. If you’re on Wildcard I’m sure you’ll be on Brewster by now and he’s worth selecting as he comes in at just 4.5 Mil and will most likely start all games for Sheffield going forward.

Further Read: FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips

Crystal Palace vs Brighton

A Derby game is definitely an interesting fixture. It’s not just that these two teams have in common, both Palace and Brighton put on a spirited performance against Man Utd with palace winning comfortably, however Brighton were undone by an injury time penalty.

Neal Maupay(6.6), Lamptey(4.7) stand out for the seagulls with Maupay scoring four goals in four games. He’s the p scoring forward with 32 points in four games. He’s had 5 big chances so far which is promising as well. Another Brighton asset who’s been very impressive is Lamptey (4.7) who has picked up three assists and has won two penalties so far this season and a Maupay, Lamptey double up isn’t certainly bad against Palace who conceded 2 penalties in a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea in GW4. Brighton have also posted good attacking numbers having created 10 big chances(3rd highest in the league so far)

Crystal Palace started the season with a bang having won their opening two fixtures but they faced defeats in the hands of Everton and Chelsea in subsequent game weeks. Zaha(7.2) has been decent for the Eagles so far having scored three goals. However, Palace simply does not score a lot of goals and he’s highly inconsistent and doesn’t warrant an FPL place. In fact Palace have created just six big chances(14th in BC created table) so far this season. Also, Budget Defender Mitchell (4.1) place might be in danger with PVA close to a return.

Verdict: This could be a good game to watch and we fancy Brighton to pick up three points against hated rivals Palace. Avoid Palace attack and get in Maupay/Lamptey if you’re looking for budget options.

Further Read: FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fanatix

Tottenham vs West Ham:

Even though Kane and Son are premium assets, no one expected both of them to be the highest-scoring forward and midfielder respectively. Probably not under a Mourinho team who have most goals(12), most big chances(17), Best xG(11.12) this season. Kane and Son are among the top in the attacking charts like big chances, xA, big chances created, etc. But the truth to be told is the bigger returns have come in two matches- A Highline Southampton and 10-man Manchester United. I would still suggest that it is not absolutely necessary to own both of them. Even on a wildcard, it would be better to own just one. My preference would be Kane because of his better consistency, more assured minutes, and penalties.

Spurs are up against a West Ham side who are one of the best defensive sides in the league this season. They have most Clean sheets(2), 2nd least goals conceded(4), best xCS(1.82), best xGC(3.07), least big chances conceded(4), least shots on target conceded(7) in the league. Just staggering defensive stats despite playing Arsenal, Wolves, and Leicester in this run. Antonio and Soucek have good attacking numbers to show off but it would be a crime if I tell you to use a FT for them with their fixtures- Tottenham, City, and Liverpool.

Verdict: Don’t expect double digit hauls from Spurs magical duo in FPL GW5. Have a very close yet on all West Ham. Even a double-up on West Ham from GW8 sounds like a good ploy.

Further Read: FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips

Leicester City vs Aston Villa

Leicester pulled off a stunning 5-2 win over Man City in GW3 but suffered a comprehensive 3-0 loss against Hammers in FPL GW4. Whereas Aston Villa are off to a flyer having won all three of their games so far including a memorable 7-2 win over Liverpool in the last game of GW4.

Villa defense is also looking good having conceded just five big chances in three games, only West Ham and Everton have conceded fewer big chances this season. They have 2 clean sheets from 3 games which means Martinez(4.7), Konsa(4.6) are good options with the fixtures. Grealish(7.1), Watkins(5.9) combined together for 5 goals from 5 big chances and 43 points against Liverpool in a memorable display. Grealish will surely continue to give you the points on a consistent basis like last season. Watkins had the best xG(1.82), most big chances(4), most SOT(4) in GW4, but wait for a few weeks before settling on him.

Verdict: Expect a low scoring game. Vardy continues to impress season after season, but Kane(10.6) is a better premium forward on a wildcard. Villa defense is under-owned but should give you points on a consistent basis.

Further Read: FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fanatix

West Brom vs Burnley

West Brom are the official punching bags this season- Most goals conceded(13), most shots on target conceded(31), worst xGC(9.94), most goals conceded(13) in the league, and are yet to get a win. Burnley are also not far behind with 0 points from 3 games conceding 8 goals, but they are defensive numbers are more respectable. This is possibly the one fixture you would want to skip this weekend! No good FPL options from either side at the moment. Keep an eye on Barnes(Just returning from injury), Pereira(1G, 2A so far, on set pieces), and Diangana(5.5).

Verdict: Wood(6.4) should fancy his chances against this West Brom side and hold on if you have him. But don’t make a transfer for him. Maupay, Wilson, and Bamford are much better options in that price range.

Further Read: FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips

Leeds United vs Wolves

Leeds are enjoying life in the Premier League at the moment with their attacking style of football- 7 points from 4 games despite playing City and Liverpool. They have 26 SoT(3rd best), xG of 7.24(6th best in the league). They are not willing to back down against any team and are expected to score a goal each time they play. Defensively they have not been that great, but with these attacking numbers for a 4.5 defender, Dallas is really good.

Dallas has the most shots on target(4), Highest xG (1.21), most big chances(2) among defenders

He has also recorded an xA of 0.59, made two key passes, and created one big chance accumulating an xPts of 24.2, more than double the points he has scored so far!#FPL #FPLCommunity

— ALLABOUTFPL (@allaboutfpl) October 13, 2020

Jimenez(8.6) is already transferred out by 207182 managers(8th most). But in my opinion, he is a set and forget choice who should give you a minimum of more than 175 points at the end of the season(181 and 194 points in the last 2 season). Wolves defenders have 2 CS from 4 games, but managers are bothered by the 4-0 loss against West Ham in GW3. Wolves are a side who take their time to get set up defensively and the defensive numbers should improve.

Verdict: Don’t transfer out Wolves defenders and Jimenez for FPL GW5 – at least for the next few fixtures. Dallas(4.5) is a great 4th or 5th defender option in a wildcard.

Further Read: FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fanatix

Thanks for reading the ‘FPL GW5 Preview- Fixtures Analysis, Team and Players to watch out for’ blog.

Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW5:

FPL GW5 Wildcard- Best Combinations and Tips
FPL GW1 To FPL GW4 Review: Early trends & analysis | FPL Fanatix
All you need to know about FPL cup
History Of Fantasy Football And Origin Of FPL

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