Matchweek 5: Predicted XIs and Fantasy Gambles in the Premier League
The fifth round of the Premier League season arrives with managers juggling injuries, suspensions and early-season form. For Fantasy Premier League bosses, these predicted line-ups could define their weekend – and maybe their season.
Brentford v Chelsea: Tight Calls Out Wide
Keith Andrews has turned Brentford into a side that values control as much as chaos, and his selection at full-back will say plenty about his intentions.
Aaron Hickey stepped in at right-back last weekend and did enough to keep Michael Kayode watching from the bench. On the left, EFL Cup starter El Hadji Malick Diouf is pressing Keane Lewis-Potter hard after an eye-catching outing in midweek. The question is simple: does Andrews trust Diouf in the league yet, or does he stick with the more familiar option?
Further forward, Yehor Yarmoliuk was used as an advanced central midfielder for added security last time out. Mikkel Damsgaard waits in the wings if Andrews wants more creativity and risk in the final third.
Across west London, Xabi Alonso is playing his cards very close. Joao Pedro’s status remains deliberately vague – “It is a possibility,” Alonso said, when asked if the Brazilian could feature after withdrawing from national-team duty through injury. If he misses out, Danny Welbeck is the obvious replacement through the middle.
Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson all fall into the same grey area. Alonso has pushed the decision to Friday, leaving Chelsea’s line-up shrouded in doubt. Pep Chavarria, still waiting for his first league start, will be desperate for that call to go his way.
Spurs v Aston Villa: Full-backs, Fit-again Stars and a Striker Dilemma
At Spurs, Roberto De Zerbi looks ready to lean back into his preferred full-back pairing.
Pedro Porro, rested as a precaution against Everton, is fit to reclaim the right-back spot from Archie Gray. On the left, Destiny Udogie started the EFL Cup defeat at Liverpool after missing the Everton match and should edge out Andy Robertson to keep his place.
The spine looks stronger too. Sandro Tonali, absent at Anfield, has been cleared to face Villa. James Maddison, eased in with substitute appearances so far, is edging closer to a first start of the season and gives De Zerbi a genuine selection headache between caution and ambition. Dejan Kulusevski is back in training after his long lay-off, but his competitive return is likely to wait until after the international break.
Unai Emery, by contrast, has been forced into changes. Matteo Ruggeri, impressive in the midweek EFL Cup win at Coventry, is set to step in for injured Ian Maatsen at left-back. Tyrone Mings should partner Victor Lindelof in central defence with Pau Torres ruled out, while Matty Cash is pushing to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back after overcoming muscle soreness.
Joao Gomes returns from suspension to bolster midfield options, but the real intrigue is up front. Nicolas Jackson has been Emery’s man so far, yet Tammy Abraham’s two goals in midweek have reopened the debate. Drop the incumbent or ride the hot hand? Emery’s answer will tell us plenty about how ruthless he plans to be this season.
Brighton v Arsenal: Stability v Fresh Blood
Brighton arrive in Matchweek 5 buoyed by a 5-0 demolition of Coventry City. Fabian Hurzeler has little reason to tinker. The same XI could easily be named again.
The one major challenger is Georginio Rutter, back from injury and involved in the EFL Cup win at Old Trafford. Hurzeler confirmed Jaouen Hadjam is available despite being forced off on his debut at Manchester United, which stabilises the left-back slot. Femi Azeez remains out with a hamstring problem, and a lengthy list of long-term absentees – Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Stefanos Tzimas, Yankuba Minteh, Zadok Yohanna, Evan Ferguson and Mats Wieffer – keeps the squad stretched but settled.
Arsenal’s picture is more nuanced. Ben White’s groin issue kept him out of the EFL Cup victory at Ipswich Town, yet Mikel Arteta expects him to be fit for the trip to the south coast. If there is any doubt, Jurrien Timber is ready to slide in at right-back.
Arteta is upbeat on Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera, insisting he is “really positive about everybody”. The real intrigue surrounds Bruno Guimaraes. After scoring off the bench at Sunderland, the Brazilian is pushing for his first Premier League start for Arsenal. Arteta’s verdict on him was glowing – a “dynamic, versatile” midfielder capable of producing “great moments from any position”. Whether he starts will come down to the tactical plan on the day, not sentiment.
Everton v Ipswich: Old Faces, New Threats
Everton’s midfield balance hangs on Harrison Armstrong’s fitness. He missed the EFL Cup win over Wolves, and David Moyes admits he is “still waiting” for clarity, though he “expects him to be OK” to partner James Garner in the middle.
Jack Grealish is banging on the door for his first Premier League start since rejoining Everton on loan from Manchester City. Out wide, Tyrique George could get the nod on the right ahead of Brennan Johnson, but Tyler Dibling’s lively display against Wolves gives Moyes another option. Merlin Rohl and Christian Norgaard remain sidelined.
Ipswich arrive with a clean bill of health almost everywhere and a genuine selection tug-of-war up front. Emersonn is fit again after a tight quad ruled him out of the EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal. Yet Zian Flemming, who scored the winner at Crystal Palace after replacing the injured Emersonn, has made a powerful case to start.
Azor Matusiwa is back in the squad but not expected to feature, leaving Jack Taylor as the only confirmed absentee. For Gary O’Neil, that means rare luxury: almost a full squad and real choices in attack.
Newcastle v Hull: Injury Chaos Meets Unbeaten Momentum
At Newcastle, Matthias Jaissle’s injury list keeps growing.
Anthony Elanga’s absence against Leeds opened the door for Jacob Murphy, but if Jaissle reshuffles again, Harvey Barnes could switch to the right with Bazoumana Toure coming in on the left. In midfield, Nico Gonzalez’s concussion against Leeds should clear a path for Sean Steur to start, with Jacob Ramsay also unavailable.
The defence has been hit too. Amar Dedic joins the queue in the treatment room, which could hand Tino Livramento a starting berth. Joe Willock and Matias Fernandez-Pardo appear locked in a straight fight for one midfield spot.
Hull City arrive with a very different mood. Four games into their Premier League return and still unbeaten, Sergej Jakirovic has little incentive to rip things up. Nobel Mendy’s concussion forces at least one change, though, with Lucas Herrington and Paddy McNair the leading candidates to step into midfield.
Matt Crooks will be determined to keep Lucas Gourna-Douath and Tim Iroegbunam out of the side, while Sorba Thomas is pushing hard to unseat Elliot Stroud. With confidence high, Jakirovic’s tweaks are likely to be minimal, not radical.
Nott’m Forest v Coventry: System Questions and Selection Battles
Nottingham Forest’s back line remains in flux. Jair Cunha and Nikola Milenkovic both missed last weekend with hamstring problems. Oliver Glasner has ruled Milenkovic out again, while Cunha has returned to training and will be monitored to see “how he reacts”. If he does not make it, Ola Aina is ready to fill in once more.
In midfield, Ibrahim Sangare lost out to Xaver Schlager and James McAtee against Aston Villa and looks set to be benched again. Up front, Igor Jesus came off the bench to score the winner in that match, ramping up the pressure on Dan Ndoye for a starting role.
On the opposite bench, Frank Lampard has a formation decision looming. He switched from a back three to a back four in the EFL Cup and must now decide whether to revert or stick with the new shape. Aurele Amenda’s calf injury removes one defensive option, with Manchester City loanee Stephen Mfuni a likely replacement if Lampard maintains a back three, though a structural reshuffle remains on the table.
Victor Torp and Caleb Yirenkyi impressed in midweek and could be rewarded with central midfield starts. Competition for the two No 10 roles is fierce, especially after the arrival of Yann Gboho. Up front, teenager Sidiki Cherif stood in for the suspended Taiwo Awoniyi on Wednesday; he now goes head-to-head with Ellis Simms for the starting striker slot.
AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool: Same XI or Fresh Legs?
Bournemouth are riding a wave. A famous European win at Real Sociedad followed last weekend’s draw with Brentford, both with the same starting XI. Marco Rose now faces the classic manager’s dilemma: trust the team that is flying, or protect them from fatigue with a third game in eight days.
There are no fresh injuries from Spain, and long-term absentees Amine Adli, Julian Araujo, Junior Kroupi and Veljko Milosavljevic remain out. If Rose does rotate, the likeliest move is in central midfield, where he has alternated between Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook in the league. Every other position looks stable.
Liverpool, though, are poised to change. Cody Gakpo missed the goalless draw with Fulham but returned with a goal and an assist in the EFL Cup win over Spurs. That kind of impact usually demands a start. He may, however, be asked to operate from the right to allow Bradley Barcola to continue on the left after his promising start.
Alexis Mac Allister also strengthened his case in midweek and could replace Ryan Gravenberch alongside Dominik Szoboszlai. At left-back, Milos Kerkez is expected to come back in for Konstantinos Tsimikas against his former club. Joe Gomez has returned from injury, but Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Federico Chiesa remain out.
Leeds v Crystal Palace: Farke’s Trust v Sage’s Tweaks
Leeds dismantled Newcastle 4-1 on Monday and Daniel Farke has little incentive to touch a winning formula.
Harry Wilson’s quad injury removes one bench option, but he had not been starting anyway. Noah Okafor, on the scoresheet against Newcastle, should keep his place, though Brenden Aaronson lurks as an alternative if Farke decides to adjust his attacking mix. Ilia Gruev is back and came through an Under-21s outing unscathed, yet Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph are still unavailable.
Crystal Palace, under Pierre Sage, are forced into at least one change. Axel Disasi’s red card against Ipswich rules him out, clearing a path for Takehiro Tomiyasu to come into central defence.
Ismaila Sarr is the wild card. He made his first appearance of the season as a second-half substitute in the Europa League win over Lech Poznan, and Sage admitted he could “maybe” start at Leeds, though not for the full 90 minutes. Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta remain sidelined until after the international break, keeping the spine of the team largely fixed.
Man City v Sunderland: Foden Out, Doors Open
Phil Foden’s suspension after his red card in the Manchester derby forces Enzo Maresca into a change at Manchester City.
That opens the door for Iliman Ndiaye to make just his second Premier League start for the club. Jeremy Doku is also back from the calf injury sustained in the Community Shield, but Maresca is likely to ease him in from the bench rather than throw him straight into the XI.
Nico O’Reilly started the midweek EFL Cup win over Norwich on his return from injury, yet Josko Gvardiol should reclaim the left-back slot here. The rest of the side is expected to remain stable, with Maresca balancing rhythm and rotation.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has one major call to make. Reinildo Mandava’s late red card against Arsenal means the first-choice left-back is suspended. Le Bris can either shift Trai Hume, a right-footer who has filled in on the left before, or hand a Premier League debut to summer signing Dayann Methalie.
Beyond that, the team should look much like the one that pushed Arsenal, with the four changes made for the Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar likely reversed. Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle are the only injury concerns.
Fulham v Man Utd: Waiting for a Breakthrough
Alvaro Arbeloa is still hunting his first Premier League win as Fulham head coach, but last weekend’s draw at Liverpool gave him a solid platform.
He could name an unchanged side. Sander Berge and Shea Charles formed a new-look central midfield partnership at Anfield and are expected to stay together, freeing Alex Iwobi to operate higher up the pitch. Ryan Sessegnon faces a late fitness test after being used only from the bench so far, while Kenny Tete remains out under concussion protocols after taking a ball to the face at Anfield. Tom Cairney is still missing with a knee injury.
For Manchester United, the left-back situation dominates the build-up. Luke Shaw remains a doubt after the injury he picked up in Matchweek 3. Michael Carrick described his chances as “really short term” and will wait as long as possible before making a call. If Shaw does not make it, Patrick Dorgu is set to continue on the left.
Up front, patience with Matheus Cunha is being tested. He has yet to score in the league this season. Benjamin Sesko started in the EFL Cup defeat to Brighton but did not seize the opportunity, leaving Carrick with a genuine dilemma. Persist with Cunha or roll the dice again on Sesko, potentially shifting Cunha to replace Marcus Rashford on the left?
Carlos Baleba is edging closer to his debut and could feature off the bench. For United, the line-up decisions at Craven Cottage feel bigger than a single match. They may shape how this attack looks for months.
