The Scout Squad best picks for FPL Gameweek 10

Amid all the frustration and disappointment of recent weeks, the Scout Squad is back to try and help us identify the best players to own for Gameweek 10.

In this weekly feature, our four regular panellists – editorial staff Paul, David and Neale plus community manager Geoff – each submit an 18-man squad of Fantasy assets (with the focus on the coming Gameweek) and explain their notable inclusions/omissions.

The 72 nominations listed below will then be narrowed down to a squad of 14 (with the starting XI not exceeding a total cost of £83m) for the weekly Scout Picks selection ahead of the Gameweek 10 deadline at 19:00 BST on Saturday.

There are requirements for at least one sub-£5.0m goalkeeper, at least one defender under £5.0m, at least one midfielder priced £6.0m or below and at least one forward priced at £7.0m or lower.

Each panelist is restricted to no more than three players from the same team, as is the case in FPL.

We will again be adding a captaincy to the Scout Picks, with details of that revealed on Friday.

Most popular picks: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Fredericks, Callum Wilson, Tammy Abraham (four); Rui Patrício, Diego Rico, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Pascal Groß, Jamie Vardy (three).

DAVID SAID…

Just like most weeks this season, selecting the best defensive options has proved to be difficult for Gameweek 10.

Trent Alexander-Arnold remains an auto-include for the Scout Squad as Liverpool have what I believe to be a favourable meeting with Spurs at Anfield.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men may have won 5-0 on Tuesday but a trip to Merseyside should prove tougher than a poor Red Star Belgrade outfit.

Furthermore, no defender has created more big chances than the right-back in the last four Gameweeks.

Sheffield United have proved somewhat goal-shy this season which should lead to a clean sheet for Ryan Fredericks and his West Ham colleagues.

In fact, I actually fancy this to be a 0-0 considering the Blades’ own defensive strengths, best shown at Bramall Lane on Monday night. That’s why I’ve included Dean Henderson and everybody’s favourite FPL asset right now, the Gameweek 9 life-saver: John Lundstram.

Newcastle are currently bottom of the league for expected goals in open play over the last four matches, which bodes well for Rui Patrício and Willy Boly, the latter possessing some threat some set pieces – often the Magpies’ weakness.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth set–piece taker Diego Rico has created the same number of big chances as Alexander-Arnold from Gameweek 6 onwards.

I fancy there to be plenty of attacking returns in midfield at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunch-time. Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne should have plenty of joy against a Villa defence in the bottom three for expected goals conceded over the last four matches.

I fancy the Belgian to start slightly more than I do Sterling, hence why I’ve put him top of the pile.

Jack Grealish also gets a mention as he continues to flourish in his new advanced role at Aston Villa – in the front-three. In the last four Gameweeks, the Englishman tops the league for chances created, helped by set piece responsibilities. Let’s not forget that only two teams have conceded more league goals from dead–ball situations than Manchester City so far this season.

Top of the pile for that particular statistic is Everton, who have shipped five goals from set-pieces in 2019/20 – good news for Pascal Groß who is second only to Grealish for chances created over the last four matches and about to face the Toffees’ defence.

Sergio Aguero is my number one forward for Gameweek 10 as he (hopefully) goes up against that leaky Villa defence. The Manchester City man remains top of the league for minutes per xGI over the last four matches and showed much better accuracy midweek to suggest he can finally deliver on his promise. A Gameweek 9 no-show puts me at ease somewhat rotation.

Depiste blanks last time out, I’m expecting both Callum Wilson and Tammy Abraham to capitalise on their promising underlying numbers, neither player fazed by playing away from home.

Meanwhile, Chris Wood has been afforded more big chances than any other player since Gameweek 6 and could be the ruiner of clean sheets once again as Chelsea come to Turf Moor.

NEALE SAID…

Everton recorded a much-needed win last weekend but they remain a soft touch on the road, so I’m backing Brighton – who have been better than their 16th-place position suggests – to follow up their thumping of Spurs with another win at the Amex.

Pascal Groß is ranked second among midfielders for chances created over the last four Gameweeks so he gets my vote alongside token budget striker Neal Maupay, who is top among forwards for shots over the same period.

No midfielder has supplied more key passes than Jack Grealish in the last four Gameweeks and his more advanced role in this reworked Aston Villa set-up has been eye-catching.

A City defence likely to be without Rodrigo is there for the taking and the Villans have already scored in both games in north London this season, as well as registering the most shots on target of any club over the last four Gameweeks.

Wolves have definitely improved between Gameweeks 6 and 9 but they remain bottom for shots on goal during that time, while St James’ Park has only seen four goals scored in as many games this season – hence my selection of Martin Dúbravka and Willy Boly.

It’s hardly a fresh insight that Arsenal are much better side at the Emirates than on the road and, along with my rather obvious selection of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, I’ve doubled up on the Gunners with Calum Chambers.

The right-back has caught my eye of late and is top among FPL defenders for penalty box touches since his return to the Arsenal side, with no player in his Fantasy position having more efforts on goal, either.

PAUL SAID…

A triple-up on Man City looks irresistible for their home clash with Aston Villa.

I’m backing Joao Cancelo to return to the first XI, having been rested to the bench against Atalanta in midweek.

Owned by just 1.0% of FPL managers, the right-back has impressed since taking over from Kyle Walker in the last two Gameweeks.

Cancelo’s four shots on goal were more than any other defender in that period, while he also supplied five key passes and two big chances – only Trent Alexander-Arnold could match that latter total.

Pascal Groß is another overlooked pick as Brighton welcome Everton to the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls’ playmaker sits second for chances created (13) over the last four Gameweeks, also firing 10 shots on goal.

Indeed, Groß and Jack Grealish are the only players to record double-figures for both those statistics over Gameweek 6-9.

Owned by 0.6%, the German earned an assist and returned six points in last weekend’s clash with Villa.

Chris Wood and Danny Ings have the form to barge their way into our thinking as cut-price options up top.

The Burnley striker has scored four goals in the last four Gameweeks, more than any other player.

Wood recorded a league-leading eight big chances in that period – by comparison, only three players managed more than four.

Ings has scored in each of the last three Gameweeks, totalling 25 points in that run.

Again, the underlying numbers back up his output – the Southampton striker’s 13 shots in the box over Gameweek 6 to 9 were joint-top with Tammy Abraham.

Similar to Wood, he sits around the 2% mark for ownership and is at home to a defence that have yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels.

GEOFF SAID…

I’ve gone for three relatively inexpensive goalkeeper choices who each have a chance at clean sheet points. Rui Patrício has two clean sheets in three chances and has only conceded twice in four Gameweeks, while both Mat Ryan and Roberto have favourable home fixtures against attacks that sometimes lack firepower right now.

Clean sheets look difficult to predict this week so I’ve looked to the attacking prowess of three expensive options: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ricardo Pereira, and Marcos Alonso.

I’ve doubled up on the West Ham defence with Ryan Fredericks, who recorded an assist in his last home game. My fifth defensive pick is Diego Rico who, with two assists in the last five Gameweeks, has more assists than any Bournemouth player other than Callum Wilson or Josh King.

While it was difficult to omit Kevin De Bruyne, I’ve gone for Raheem Sterling as my first midfield pick. David Silva, who has four double-digit scores in his last six starts, gets the second spot above Sadio Mané, who sees off the Mohamed Salah challenge as my Liverpool midfielder.

Although Nicolas Pépé is often seen as a frustrating FPL option he does have attacking returns in each of his last three home games and hosts Crystal Palace in Gameweek 10.

With my final midfielder slot, I am backing Callum Hudson-Odoi to notch his first Premier League goal at Burnley, after three straight Gameweeks with an assist.

Up-front I expect Sergio Aguero to start and score well, and Jamie Vardy to continue the form that has returned him three goals in three Ggameweeks. 

Tammy Abraham brings his strong away form to Burnley: he has a goal in each of his last three away games, returning six goals over those matches. After attacking returns in seven straight Gameweeks Callum Wilson has now blanked twice in a row, but should get back on track against Watford. Finally, Danny Ings has scored in the last three Gameweeks and hosts a Leicester side without an away clean sheet this season.