In this article…
Form is temporary, class is permanent; a phrase being uttered yet again about FPL’s big hitters, Mo Salah and Erling Haaland. With another 17 points each and currently equal on exactly the same points, we now have two weeks in the international break to decide on how to proceed.
Both players are/were never in doubt, but it’s the players around them that’s the key. Each week I summarise all the critical information you need to know, in order to continue your march toward the top spot in that work league!
You can also follow our Fantasy Premier League Football Tips throughout the season for gameweekly insights and opinions.
The new season is now just over a week away, and our experts are already rolling out the first of their Premier League predictions, so now is the perfect time to get involved.
We will remain across all the action on the continent, the EFL, and in Scotland in our various football betting tips & predictions, with fresh tips available here on Andy’s Bet Club every day.
⚔️ Gameweek 3 Review – 73 Points (64 Average)
Not again, I thought as I watched the goalscoring robot that is Erling Haaland (17pts) smash in his second consecutive hattrick.
Luckily, the other current star player on form, Mo Salah (17pts) recovered the gameweek for me. Elsewhere Trent Alexander-Arnold (6pts) looked in red hot form and was unlucky not to score more, same can be said for Antonee Robinson (4pts), with no clean sheet but securing another assist.
Alexander Isak (9pts) is finally firing, but the same can’t be said for Ollie Watkins (5pts) with only an assist and Rodrigo Muniz with yet another frustrating blank. Despite a couple of blanks, that’s another above-average score and I’m very happy with the team for the upcoming gameweeks.
✅ The Best 3 Transfers IN for Gameweek 4
🇨🇲 Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford (£7.1m, 7.5%)
You have the perfect midfield of Son, Bruno, Salah, Saka and Eze right? But wait, we forgot about an FPL game breaker… Bryan Mbeumo. With all the focus in midfield being on everybody else, he showed us why you have two weeks to think all about him.
He put in another brilliant performance, scoring two goals and taking all three bonus points, coming away with 14 points total, and all for only £7.1M! Value aside, he also scored nine points in GW1 and is currently the fifth-highest scoring player in the game, ahead of Son, Jota and even Saka.
The fact Ivan Toney has now transferred clubs abroad vacating his spot for Wissa, makes for very good reading. These two are thick as thieves, have a brilliant partnership in knowing each other’s movements and interchange frequently, resulting in only one outcome, points!
Yes, they play Man City and Tottenham in the next two, but after this, they have a glorious eight-game run. I currently see zero downside.
🇪🇬 Mo Salah – Liverpool (£12.6m, 40.3%)
I know, I know, it is a given he is an obvious transfer in, but is it? With many managers having only Haaland in their team opting for the likes of Son, Bruno, and Saka in midfield, Salah is not as ubiquitous a pick as you may expect. With a blistering performance against a tough opposition, Salah participated in every single goal by scoring once and assisting twice, bagging another 17 points.
An asset that is £2.5m less than Haaland but still scoring at the same level, should be heavily considered regardless if it results in your team having a weak bench. The other key consideration is the fact Salah inflicted this damage away at Old Trafford, in a Liverpool side that are currently purring and have a great set of five fixtures, with three of them being at the fortress of Anfield.
Managers with both Haaland and Salah have been the real winners so far, and with values rising fast, I think now is the time to follow suit.
🇧🇷 Joao Pedro – Brighton (£5.7m, 26.4%)
Brighton seem a vibrant, exciting, and entertaining side already, just three games into Hurzeler’s reign. At the tip of that attacking arrow is Brazil’s Joao Pedro, heavily involved in almost all of their attacking play, whether that is by passing it forward to begin the move, up to and including the finish for the goal.
With five shots, two goals and 18 points in his last three, Pedro is almost an automatic pick at the low cost of £5.7m. Brighton often rotate players early in the second half, but he has not been one of them to date, so there is little worry that he will ever be hooked before the 60-minute mark.
With two home games next against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest, he should be high on your priority list.
❌ The Best 3 Transfers OUT for Gameweek 4
🏴 Anthony Gordon – Newcastle (£7.5m, 19.0%)
At first glance, this seems a strange inclusion but hear me out. Newcastle have not been half as good as we originally thought in most areas on the pitch. Conceding goals, scoring goals, and controlling play, all heavily influence Gordon’s overall potential.
Newcastle were pinned in their own half at times against Tottenham, blunting Gordon’s goalscoring chances, attacking prowess and ultimately his ability to gain points. He heavily favours playing at home but the next three out of four are away ties, with the next home fixture against current champions Man City.
For a close to premium price of £7.5m, there are plenty of better alternatives for the same or even less money. Additionally, I think a single Newcastle attacker is enough unless they start to perform significantly better.
🇵🇹 Jose Sa – Wolves (£4.5m, 2.1%)
With the majority of talk often revolving around attacking players, I always like to include goalkeepers where possible. This GW is a perfect opportunity to discuss a once favourite that is now no longer an option. Wolves have had a very tough start I agree, but Jose Sa is not the player he once was.
Assessing his performances this season has identified a significant reduction in most attributes, especially commanding his area, dealing with crosses and in what is usually a strength; shot stopping. Conceding 9 goals in three games is far from ideal and has resulted in a measly 1 point, thanks to a -1 point haul in the game against Chelsea.
Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City are coming up in Wolves’ next five but there is a far more important reason not to select, he has been dropped. Sam Johnstone, fresh off his £20M move from Crystal Palace, was selected instead. Though Johnstone conceded against Nottingham Forest, he did score 3 points; already surpassing Jose Sa’s season total. He will be the backup GK and his value will plummet, so stay well clear.
🇭🇷 Josko Gvardiol – Man City (£6.0m, 30.0%)
Once a perceived lock in mine and many other managers’ initial team drafts, Gvardiol seemed to be an under-priced, defensively strong asset with promising attacking threat. It is not materialised that way though, not even slightly.
With fairly easy opening fixtures(Chelsea, Ipswich, West Ham) Man City have only kept one clean sheet, and that attacking threat has not seen much validation. Pep can play most if not all players in his squad wherever he likes and often there is that chance he slightly tweaks roles.
So is the case with Gvardiol, he still gets forward, but not nearly to the extent he did last season where he contributed regularly with goal involvements. An average of 1.0 shots per match, and an expected assist (xA) return of 0.16 might not make you squint your eyes, but it is dramatically less than what we expect for a £6m asset in the current champions squad. His time for your team will come, but it’s not right now.
Top Tip – It’s now the international break, but does that matter? The answer is yes. Players will fluctuate up and down in value and these periods are notorious for seeing players come back injured from representing their national teams. My advice is to wait until GW4 is closer and make a more informed decision then, the player you think is a fantastic addition to your team could very well not even play.
🦸 Gameweek 4 Captaincy Selections
🇳🇴 🇪🇬 Erling Haaland – Manchester City (£15.0m, 65.0%) or Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (£12.5m, 40.0%)
Normally I have two captaincy options for you to deliberate between but to be frank, currently, there is not much point. The sheer standard to which both phenoms are playing too, makes it extremely difficult to deviate away from either, most GW’s.
Of course, throughout the season we will turn to alternatives such as Son, Palmer and Isak but for now, it’s down to the golden duo to choose from. For me, the fact midfielders get an extra point for a goal and clean sheet does factor in but it is completely fixture-dependent.
This is arguably this is the key decision in each gameweek, so think carefully.
👁️ FPL Veteran’s Vision and Verdict
So far, so good! The gameplan is working well and we have a solid base in which to progress forward rank-wise.
With three games of data, I will assess this over the 14-day international break and aggressively attack those windows of opportunities in which to gain an edge on other managers. Talking of playing direct, I have activated my wildcard!
Possibly an unpopular time to play, but I see targeting value increases a pivotal play and for many teams, the fixtures have changed for better or worse.
I will look to gain a minimum of £0.5m rise and set my team up for GW’s 4-10. The bigger question is will I finally place Haaland in my team, follow me on X to see the answer but currently… it doesn’t look likely!
Conclusion
For my final gameweek three team and football insights/analysis throughout the 2024-2025 season, follow me on X @FplVeteran_ for daily fantasy football content.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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