Harry's FPL Tips: Gameweek 5
Each week I will suggest three FPL do’s and don’ts…
These tips are designed to give you, our audience, the best chance of success in your respective leagues.
(although if you do badly, don’t blame me).
My first piece of advice is don’t take anything I say in brackets seriously.
Having finished in the top 25,000 players in the world last season, I am not a complete novice of the game and hopefully I can give some useful advice regarding transfers and when to use your chips.
THE THREE DO’S FOR GAMEWEEK 5
1. Expect Grealish’s strong start to the season to continue after impressive international break
Grealish had an imposing start to last season too as Villa returned to the Premier League but he struggled to rediscover that form post-lockdown as the season came to a close.
However, he scored the vital goal to keep his hometown club in the Premier League and he has started this campaign in the same way he finished off the last one.
With three goals and three assists to his name already, he is in the form of his life and that was brought to the centre stage when he scored twice and set up another three as Villa ran riot against the Premier League champions Liverpool.
That was just before the international break and since then he has set up a goal with a delightful cross for Calvert-Lewin and was man of the match in just his second senior England cap.
That performance left many wondering why he didn’t start against both Belgium and Denmark in the Nations League games, highlighting how highly he is perceived for both club and country.
He will of course be a certain starter for Aston Villa in a run which could be a lot tougher.
Aston Villa’s next three games are Leicester, Leeds and Southampton, with Leeds looking like the standout game for Grealish to score points.
At 7.1 million he is a cheaper alternative to players like Mahrez, Havertz and Willian who have all had inconsistent starts to the season.
The final thing to bear in mind is with the loan signing of Barkley, Villa now have another player with creativity to take the pressure off Grealish but also to interchange with Villa’s talisman and it could prove to be a deadly relationship.
Via birminghammail.co.uk/Getty Images
2. Spurs have too good a run in to ignore
Don’t hesitate to back both Kane and Son to get you big points in the upcoming gameweeks.
With Bale now in full training too, Spurs have a front three in Bale, Kane and Son that have the potential to become one of the most frightening attacking forces in Europe.
Yes, that is dependent on Bale rediscovering his confidence and form but if it all clicks together, then Spurs’ attackers are going to be the players you’re going to want in your side.
Lots of people including myself took Son out when it was seeming certain he would miss Spurs’ clash with Manchester United through injury.
However, he showed exactly why he should be in people’s teams, he has a winning mentality and desire to score goals and help his team win even in the face of adversity.
That was exactly what he did against a pathetic and vulnerable Manchester United side, he seized his prey with ruthless efficiency, scoring twice and setting one up.
Those goals took him up to 6 already for the season, as well as an assist and at a moderate price of 9.1m, he is a no brainer.
As for Kane, he matched Son against Manchester United with two goals and an assist, bringing his total to 3 goals and 6 assists in just four games.
Kane rarely starts the season hitting the ground running but this campaign didn’t start in his cursed month of August and it seems to have psychologically worked wonders for him.
Via Getty Images
3. Brewster is a gamble worth taking at just 4.5m
Brewster’s big money move to Sheffield United near the end of the transfer window was a big move in a positive direction for both Sheffield United and Brewster.
He has shown what he is capable of in the Championship with Swansea after he impressed in his loan spell there last campaign.
He was so good in fact, that he was an influential reason to why Swansea made the play-offs and were in touching distance of the Premier League.
Whilst Sheffield United may have Fulham in their upcoming fixture, a dream debut in the waiting for Brewster, they have a horrid three games after that.
Their following three games are Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea but my advice would be to bring him in for the Fulham game and then keep him as a cheap back up option on the bench just for a few weeks.
Sheffield United may have had a disastrous start to the new campaign with 0 points on the board but their performances have been encouraging and Brewster gives them the goals they have been crying out for.
Via sportimage
THE THREE DON’TS FOR GAMEWEEK 5
1. Most deadline day signings have had limited time with their new teammates due to the international break - so don’t rush them in your team
It will be tempting to go straight in and get Manchester United’s new signing Alex Telles (5.5m) because he has an impressive assist and goal ratio in Liga NOS.
The same goes for Arsenal’s new man Thomas Partey (£5.0m) who looks to be a likely starter and might score the odd goal.
However, I would advise looking at one of the three above options instead as it can take time for new players to jell and given the fact that they and their teammates have been on international duty ever since signing, they have had no time for that at all.
Therefore, there is a chance that they won’t get picked straight away and even if they do, they may well not have an instant impact.
This is often even more so the case when players move from abroad to play in the Premier League for the first time, as it is a different culture and style of football.
Via Getty Images
2. Don’t be so quick to sell De Bruyne
I have seen that De Bruyne is currently the most sold player this gameweek in FPL, something which I understand given his slow start to the season and costly price.
However, I would urge you to keep faith even with him not included in the Arsenal game this Saturday.
He has been one of the most consistent players for FPL in the last few years and before getting taken off against England in the Nations League last weekend, he looked like Belgium’s brightest and most dangerous spark.
He rarely goes more than two league games without contributing a goal or an assist and don’t forget he scored twice and set one up when the clubs faced at the Emirates last campaign.
Pep does not “seem to think De Bruyne’s injury is too serious” so you would expect to see him return in the next couple of weeks.
Via Getty Images
3. Don’t take a risk with Delap - Pep won’t start him despite being the only fit striker
Pep has never took a risk to play someone who isn’t a recognised striker up front and that won’t change now.
Aguero is still out and Jesus isn’t expected back for another week but as we saw in the last two games without him, Pep will start Sterling up front in a false 9 role, in a similar vain to how he used Messi at Barcelona.
If you were to bring in someone from City other than De Bruyne make it Sterling rather than making a mistake by taking a gamble on the talented young striker Delap.
Delap (yes, the son of Rory) scored on his debut for Manchester City in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth.
Pep then brought him on in a desperate attempt to salvage something in City’s 5-2 defeat to Leicester, but it didn’t work out at all.
It’s too much pressure to someone who is so new to senior football to expect him to lead the line in vital Premier League games that City simply cannot afford to lose.
Via Phil Oldham/BPI
