Which midfielders should you be considering for your FPL squads ahead of Gameweek 9? We look at the options.
When Raheem Sterling (£7.0m) scored 19 points against Luton in Gameweek 3, vast swathes of FPL managers clamoured to bring him into their teams, but it wasn’t until Gameweek 8 that he returned again. The Chelsea star did so in a big way though, with a goal and two assists helping him towards 16 points against Burnley – the highest individual score of the gameweek. What may detract investors this time though, is a difficult fixture run for Chelsea, beginning with the Gameweek 9 clash with London rivals Arsenal.
If it’s consistent points you’re after, none come better than Mo Salah (£12.6m), who recorded his highest score of the season when he took home 15 points against Brighton in Gameweek 8. That is now nine attacking returns in eight Premier League games in the current campaign for Salah, whose Liverpool side take on Merseyside rivals Everton in this weekend’s Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
Bukayo Saka (£8.5m) owners who have held on to him despite the fact he missed out in Gameweek 8 will be sweating over his fitness ahead of Gameweek 9. The Arsenal star was not involved in England’s international fixtures despite originally being called up, but may recover in time for the weekend. No player who has made at least three Premier League appearances this season has recorded more points per minute than Saka, but teammate Martin Odegaard (£8.5m) could be the safer play. The Norwegian scored twice in Arsenal’s last meeting with Chelsea, and has been directly involved in five Premier League goals this season.
Gameweek 9 could well be last-chance saloon for Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) and Marcus Rashford (£8.8m) in many FPL squads, with the Man Utd pair having been a source of frustration for FPL managers in recent weeks. Fernandes has blanked in four of his last five gameweeks, while Rashford hasn’t registered a Premier League goal involvement since Gameweek 4. However, with Erik ten Hag’s men taking on strugglers Sheffield Utd in Gameweek 9, those who have kept the faith will be optimistic of returns.
