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This article provides a preview of what Gameweek 5 has in store for fantasy managers, including top captain selections and strong picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.
Erling Haaland continues his incredible goal-scoring form, while Arsenal's defense remains rock solid, securing another clean sheet in the North London Derby against Tottenham. Gameweek 4 was less eventful in terms of high-scoring performances, with many FPL managers depending on Haaland's brace to rescue their points tally.
However, as Gameweek 5 approaches, what surprises and opportunities lie ahead? Stay tuned for more insights and strategic tips for the upcoming round of fixtures. The FPL Challenge continues this week with a new event series tagged International Series. We'll provide weekly breakdowns on top assets to watch out for each task.
The Gameweek 5 deadline of the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 a.m. EDT, when West Ham and Chelsea meet in a London derby. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate and UEFA Champions League game with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Our early frontrunners 👀 pic.twitter.com/oDiBALAFut
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 16, 2024
Gameweek 5 Tips
Target Liverpool, Tottenham, and Aston Villa Attacking Assets
According to goal projections, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Aston Villa are anticipated to generate 2.70, 2.30, and 2.10 xG (expected goals), respectively, against their opponents in Gameweek 5.
Additionally, these clubs have been projected to earn clean sheets in their upcoming encounters, with a likelihood of 40% for Liverpool, 31% for Tottenham, and 34% for Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Brighton, Chelsea, and Manchester City are expected to produce at least 1.75 xG against their opponents in Gameweek 5, which are also strong teams to target this upcoming weekend.
Recommended players for FPL returns this week include Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Spurs' Son Heung-min, James Maddison, and Pedro Porro, and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, Andre Onana, and Emiliano Martinez.
💹 PL GW5 matchups
First look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for the upcoming round of Premier League games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/17eYo8dnk4
— Rob T (@robtFPL) September 18, 2024
Manchester United Rejuvenated While Everton Defensive Woes Persist
Manchester United’s 3-0 victory over Southampton in Gameweek 4 gave Erik ten Hag’s squad a confidence boost as it pushes for a top-4 finish, with Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho all contributing to the scoreline.
They followed this up with another strong performance in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley, where Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, and Christian Eriksen netted a brace, signaling a resurgence in their form. One key area of improvement for United has been its effectiveness from set-pieces.
In contrast, Everton has struggled defensively, consistently squandering leads as seen in Gameweeks 3 and 4 when it allowed three goals after taking an early advantage. Everton now sits at the bottom of the table, having conceded 13 goals in its first four games, which puts it in early relegation contention.
With tough fixtures against Leicester City, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle looming, its chances of securing better results remain uncertain and it seems like a team to avoid.
For FPL managers, United’s assets, both in attack and defense, are worth targeting as its upcoming fixtures provide opportunities for strong returns while Dominic Calvert-Lewin (if fit) might be the only Evertonian option worth considering due to his three-goal contributions in recent matches.
Man Utd bounce back at Southampton 👊#SOUMUN pic.twitter.com/Q7VjRsBrYu
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 14, 2024
Gameweek 5 Top Captain Picks
The weekend fixtures present a list of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Jamie Vardy facing Everton, Ollie Watkins at home to Wolves, and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes against Crystal Palace all present strong cases. However, my top two picks would be:
Mohamed Salah (£12.7M) - Liverpool
Against the next opponent, Bournemouth, Mohamed Salah has registered 10 goal contributions (nine goals and one assist) in his last 10 appearances against the Cherries.
Following a disappointing home defeat at Anfield last weekend, this fixture presents an ideal opportunity to hand Salah the captain’s armband, with the Egyptian already amassing three goals and three assists in his first four league games.
Erling Haaland (£15.2m) - Manchester City
Despite a tough matchup this weekend where the Cityzens take on Arsenal, a side that has only conceded a single goal in its first four games, you can never rule Erling Haaland out of the captaincy discussion in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old Norwegian has scored nine goals in the opening four games of the league and has already broken a few records for goals scored. Haaland will likely be eager to get on the scoresheet this upcoming weekend against Arsenal and increase his goal tally.
📍 Next matches…
Salah - Bournemouth (H)
Haaland - Arsenal (H)Who will score more #FPL points this weekend? pic.twitter.com/9yObtQuCV5
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) September 19, 2024
Differential Gameweek 5 Captain (<10% ownership)
Nicolas Jackson (£7.6m) - Chelsea
The 23-year-old Senegalese forward has scored two goals and provided an assist in his first four games for the Blues. Chelsea's main striker, Nico Jackson, has flown under the radar and is being massively overlooked by many fantasy managers.
Jackson currently boasts a 0.75 npxG (non-penalty expected goals) per 90 minutes in the Premier League, which strengthens his chances of delivering in the London derby against West Ham in the early kickoff this weekend. Jackson could be an excellent differential captain for Gameweek 5.
Nicolas Jackson had the best dribble success rate (59.3%) of any striker in the Premier League last season (75+ attempted). ⚡️
The 23-year-old has signed a two-year contract extension at #CFC, keeping him at the club until 2033. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/BMIA1FWND9
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 13, 2024
FPL Challenge: International Series
The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge. The fourth challenge, "Too Big at the Back," focused on selecting two goalkeepers and three defenders with a limited budget of £30m.
Now, it's time to focus on the next series tagged -- International Series. Here is what to expect from the upcoming FPL Challenge event.
Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨
Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024
The International Series is a three-gameweek run that celebrates the diversity of the Premier League. The purpose is to let managers compete in three different challenges using the best players from three different regions:
- Gameweek 5: Americas - Select players only from the Americas.
- Gameweek 6: Africa - Select players only from Africa.
- Gameweek 7: Asia-Pacific - Double points are allotted to only players from Asia-Pacific.
International Series FPL Challenge: Americas - Players to Target
Week 5 of the FPL Challenge focuses on adding a bit of diversity to your fantasy team with an emphasis on indigenes from North America and South America. As part of the event, managers are only allowed to select a team of five and are provided with the luxury of an unlimited budget.
Let’s carefully examine the underlying statistics of five top assets to target for this week’s task:
Alisson Becker (£5.5m) - Liverpool (Goalkeeper)
Returning for another FPL challenge selection is Brazilian international Alisson Becker. The experienced goalkeeper ranks second in FPL points among goalkeepers and has only conceded a single goal in the league so far.
Liverpool is a strong favorite to keep a clean sheet this week, with a 40% chance of shutting out Bournemouth. Becker is my top pick for this week's challenge.
Cristian Romero (£5.1m) - Tottenham (Defender)
Coming off a narrow defeat to bitter London rival Arsenal, Ange Postecoglou's boys will not want to repeat the same mistakes against Brentford this weekend. One player you can rely on in defense is Argentine international Cristian Romero.
The 26-year-old excels in tackles, duels, and ball recoveries, and is especially a significant aerial threat from set-pieces for Tottenham. He’s a top selection for this week's challenge.
Leon Bailey (£6.4m) - Aston Villa (Midfielder)
Having returned to full training after a short-term injury and resting during the midweek game against Young Boys, it’s safe to presume Jamaican international Leon Bailey is in contention for selection this weekend.
Aston Villa’s upcoming match against Wolves, who is second for most goals conceded, presents a perfect opportunity to take a punt on a quality player like Bailey.
Luis Diaz (£7.8m) - Liverpool (Midfielder)
Another player who logged minimal minutes in the UEFA Champions League midweek was Liverpool forward Luis Diaz. The Colombian international has started all four league matches for Liverpool, contributing four goal involvements (three goals and one assist) for the Reds.
Diaz is a strong candidate for selection this week and is tipped as a captaincy option in this week’s challenge.
Joao Pedro (£5.7m) - Brighton (Forward)
Missing the previous home tie against Ipswich due to a knock, Brazilian international Joao Pedro's absence was evident as Brighton settled for a goalless draw in Gameweek 4. With limited promising forwards to choose from this week, his return could be crucial for the Americas challenge.
Recent updates suggest Pedro may not be risked for the next game against Nottingham Forest. However, if declared fit, the 22-year-old, who has two goals in his first three games and is on penalty duty, would be a key pick for fantasy managers.
🔵⚪ @OfficialBHAFC head coach Fabian Hurzeler on Joao Pedro's fitness 💬
"He made a training session today, we don’t want to take any risks. Let’s see how the next days will be"
248,319 #FPL managers have already transferred out the Brazilian forward ahead of Gameweek 5... pic.twitter.com/5GK28OBkvY
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) September 19, 2024
The FPL Challenge offers a fun twist on the main FPL game and provides the perfect platform to test out your favorite punts. Feel free to pick any other fantasy options not mentioned above, and best of luck to everyone participating in this week's challenge!
Join the RotoBaller FPL League
Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the Leagues and Cups tab, and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.
Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆
Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
