A Tottenham reject playing in a Tony Pulis team storms the Gameweek to turn heads on a remarkable day of goals and drama generated from just five matches.
Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola’s irresistible force steamrollered Bournemouth, as the points flowed at the Etihad. While Romelu Lukaku kept his stock soaring via a feather touch strike from a shoelace. Here’s the Stock Check on Saturday’s events…
One The Rise
Nacer Chadli
The Belgian’s arrival at Hawthorns was overlooked by most Fantasy managers, due in the main to the Baggies’ perceived lack of attacking threat.
We wondered if Chadli could change that – today he proved he could – almost single-handedly.
A staggering 21-point return announced his arrival as a midfield mid-price option. The fact he claimed spot-kicks from Salomon Rondon is also a huge plus.
We expect to transfer traffic heading his way, though a knock in the second-half will likely temper early investment.
Salomon Rondon
The Venezuelan woke from his slumber to finally deliver on the promise suggested by his early season attacking statistics. He’s now scored four goals in his last seven league starts.
Today’s 10-point returns provided a boost that has Rondon challenging at the very top in terms of value up front.
The loss of penalty duties to Chadli is a blow, however.
Christian Fuchs
Four assists and 25 bonus points last season, the Austrian is underway in this campaign with a 12-point haul in the win over Burnley.
Fuchs’ creative numbers were outstanding, illustrating his potential to return big rewards once we can be convinced that Claudio Ranieri’s rearguard can offer some resilience.
Islam Slimani
The Algerian announced himself with a brace against the Clarets to underline his potential in the 8.5 price bracket.
Right now, with our forward slots reserved for big hitters, Slimani will struggle to earn investment, but it’s clear that he can be a prospect and that he’ll potentially dent Jamie Vardy’s goal output.
Kevin De Bruyne
Again, he was the architect of City’s victory.
Five matches in and already it’s clear that De Bruyne has adjusted to his new role and has found a way of ensuring he justifies his 10.5 price tag; he’s now the FPL’s leading points scorer.
However, as we clamour to bring Sergio Aguero back into our squads, and with Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard to consider, it’s difficult to see how we find the budget to acquire his services.
Raheem Sterling
To be fair, the De Bruyne option suffers because of Sterling’s current form and output.
Like the Belgian, he’s now returned in four of his five Gameweeks, and there is just one point between them.
At 8.3 and with his starting role seemingly assured after another electric display, it’s difficult to question Sterling as the go-to City midfield option given the 2.3 saved.
İlkay Gündoğan
As we look for any means of covering Manchester City’s attacking prowess, Gündoğan has presented himself as a potential “budget” route at 5.4.
The German is currently playing more advanced than expected but will likely drop deeper once David Silva returns to fitness.
But, for now, Gündoğan demands to be monitored.
Kelechi Iheanacho
The Nigerian’s stock is treated to one last nudge before it inevitably plummets on the return of Sergio Aguero in Gameweek 6.
The 19-year-old has exceeded expectations again – when he plays, he provides goals and assists. However, for all Pep Guardiola’s praise, it seems certain that he’ll return to a cameo role once Aguero is back in contention.
Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez had scored four and assisted twice against Hull City in the last four and the Chilean returned to Humberside to fill his boots again.
It could and should have been a bigger haul following a missed first-half penalty.
While the mystery as to why he snatched duties from Santi Cazorla will rumble on, when the dust settles, Sanchez will be found amongst the top scoring midfielders and is still being deployed up front by Arsene Wenger.
He’s jumped above Cazorla, the Liverpool midfield, and Eden Hazard to suggest that he warrants the 11.0 outlay.
With a run of superb fixtures to follow the Chelsea clash, affording Sanchez, while finding room for Aguero, looks to be a major dilemma.
Alex Iwobi
The 20-year-old chained together 13 starts last season once he broke into Arsene Wenger’s plans and his performance at Hull hinted that he could be prominent again.
Iwobi is worth monitoring ahead of the Gunners’ kind fixtures.
Theo Walcott
As is Walcott.
We’ve been here before, of course. Stung by inconsistency and his inability to cement a starting role, we’re hesitant to consider Walcott, even with a kind 7.5 price tag. But he has started all five matches and his 13-points today can’t be totally ignored.
Michail Antonio
The fifth goal in his last four Premier League starts, Antonio took another step towards essential status.
The 7.2 option has enjoyed a net ownership boost of almost 350,000 over the last three Gameweeks, and that looks destined to continue.
While he’s producing goals, Dimitri Payet remains a peripheral figure in our thinking, despite his undoubted qualities. The Frenchman provided both assists today.
Robert Snodgrass
A third goal of the season proved little more than a consolation but, potential confirmation of his penalty duties for Hull City is nevertheless significant.
Abel Hernandez was not on the pitch when Snodgrass fired home but, given his form, there’s every chance that Snodgrass could maintain those duties.
Only Etienne Capoue has offered stronger FPL value within the midfield ranks so far this season.
Romelu Lukaku
There’s no question that Lukaku was fortunate to claim his goal in the win over Middlesbrough – providing the merest of touches to a Yannick Bolasie curling cross.
But the points remained in place to ensure that Lukaku has returned 29 points during Sergio Aguero’s absence.
A second-half knock is a mild concern; that may just stem the flow of future transfers and convince those who swapped him for Aguero to make the trade back.
However, Lukaku has shown enough over the last two Gameweeks to suggest that it’s a decision that should not be taken lightly. Everton’s fixtures remain very healthy.
Seamus Coleman
Back on the scoresheet to counter the fact that Everton shipped a first-half goal, Coleman demonstrated that he can again challenge Leighton Baines as the full-back of choice in the Toffees ranks.
For now, however, we’ll stick with Baines, at least until Everton penalty duties are confirmed.
Ross Barkley
Retained in the Everton line-up by Ronald Koeman following a miserable showing at Sunderland, he repaid that faith with an improved performance.
While Fantasy returns were missing, Barkley’s underlying numbers were encouraging, although with Yannick Bolasie returning a second Everton assist, it’s clear that there is now another option in the Toffees midfield ranks.
Yannick Bolaise
That assist is enough to maintain our interest in the DR Congo winger – priced at 6.0, Bolasie has clear potential as an Everton option for those unable to consider Lukaku up front.
Eldin Jakupovic
The 4.1 keeper option continues to cling to his start and continues to go on delivering for his owners.
We’re uncertain on how long he can retain his place with David Marshall pressing but today’s penalty save will have done his cause little harm.
In Decline
Santi Cazorla
Booked and hooked on 66 minutes, it was the fact that Cazorla surrendered penalty duties to Alexis Sanchez that hurt his blossoming ownership.
The logic appeared to be missing – Cazorla had fired home his last two spot-kicks, so when Sanchez strode up to miss – there seemed to be no rhyme nor reason as to why the Spaniard had stepped down.
Any doubt on spot-kick duties would be a major blow to Cazorla’s potential as a means of covering Arsenal’s attack ahead of their obliging run of opponents.
Nolito
The Spaniard had started the season strongly and was tipped to provide returns against Bournemouth. He provided an assist, but the foolish second-half dismissal soured that.
A ridiculous act given the scoreline, Nolito will now sit out City’s next two league encounters.
John Stones
Rested to the bench by Pep Guardiola, the decision arrived in the week that Vincent Kompany returned to contention, and with the Manchester City boss discussing his central defensive options.
It also coincided with City’s first clean sheet of the season – a major frustration for his 30% ownership.
Guardiola’s back four is currently looking like a no-go, with rotation now biting in central areas and also at full-back.
The West Ham Defence
But no defence can match the condition of West Ham’s right now.
With 11 goals shipped in their last three league outings, Slaven Bilic has some major issues to address which may see him revise his formation.
Much as the Hammers’ boss will hate to reduce Antonio’s goal threat, a shift back to a three-man backline with wing-backs could yet be on the cards.
