FPL Gameweek 11 Preview

In this FPL Gameweek 11 Preview we will do our usual top talking points, fixture tickers, should I buy/sell, captaincy corner and my moves.

Top Talking Points

EFL Cup Quick Review

It’s everyone’s favourite competition! Well, before the FPL Gameweek 11 deadline was even close, 10 premier league teams lined up (sometimes against each other) to play a wonderful cup game. Quick review below:

West Ham 3-1 Arsenal

We learned that Jesus is likely out for a while. Premier Injuries has him as potentially returning on 25^th November so that makes Nketiah a good short-term punt. West Ham pretty much put out the first 11 but Arsenal but out a second choice front three which is good for Saka and Odegaard owners.

Goals came from White (og), Kudus, Bowen and Odegaard with assists from Aguerd and Fabio Viera.

Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool

Gakpo and Darwin scored with Alexander-Arnold getting an assist as Liverpool narrowly beat Bournemouth. Jurgen Klopp opted to rotate his starting 11 – just three players survived from Sunday’s 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Unfortunately Salah was one of the three and he wasn’t subbed so he Is potentially at risk of coming off against Luton at the weekend. I would still start him with confidence though, Klopp is very hesitant to rotate Salah.

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

Badiashile and Sterling found the back of the net with a Palmer assist to secure a victory against the Championship side at Stamford Bridge. This win marked their first home victory since the third-round match against Brighton in late September.

Chelsea were reliant on their first team to win but, as Pochettino said, its not like they have European football to contend with.

Everton 3-0 Burnley

The Sean Dyche Derby. In a poignant evening at Goodison Park, Everton convincingly defeated Burnley to secure a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals

In the 13th minute, Tarkowski, playing against his former club, scored the opening goal with a header. The home team extended their lead in the second half, with Tarkowski assisting Amadou Onana, who poked in a close-range goal from McNeil’s corner just eight minutes into the half. Ashley Young sealed the victory with a third goal late in the match.

Ipswich Town 1-3 Fulham

Fulham took the lead in the ninth minute when Harry Wilson received a pass from Bobby de Cordova-Reid and skillfully maneuvered around the advancing goalkeeper. The visitors came close to scoring twice, hitting the woodwork, before extending their lead to 2-0. Harry Wilson delivered a low cross that was expertly finished by Rodrigo Muniz. Tom Cairney added a third goal.

Manchester Utd 0-3 Newcastle Utd

Eddie Howe told us before the game that is unclear when Botman is back so Lascelles owners can reasonably expect him to start again. Isak is also expected to be out until after the international break on 25^th November. Then again, Howe lies as often as he breathes so take all this with a pinch of salt.

First-half goals from Almiron and Hall, his first for the club, were followed up by a solo effort from Joe Willock on the hour to give Newcastle the win. Targett went down with what seemed to be a pretty severe hamstring injury on the basis he could barely walk off the pitch such was the pain he was in.

Gordon lined up as the starting striker before being replaced by Wilson. Trippier got some rest before coming on from the 75^th minute to close out the game. Even Lascelles got a rest…

It’s worth noting that Bruno Fernandes, Rashford and Hojlund only played the last 30 minutes, which makes you wonder why Ten Haag even bothered to bring them on.

Douglas Luiz Joining the 5.5s?

He’s a central midfielder but he does seem to be getting the ball just outside the box. He doesn’t seem to be playing too deep which I like. With Neto injured he seems okay as a pick up to me. I’d still rather have Gordon though. If you already have Gordon and are desperate then Hwang for less than 5.5 isn’t half bad.

Fixture Tickers

This is a regular stalwart of our pieces throughout the year. We will look at which teams have the best fixtures over the next five gameweeks to help you plan your transfers.

Teams in capitals are home fixtures and teams in lowercase are away fixtures.

Ahead of FPL Gameweek 11 the fixture tickers are looking quite similar to last week.

Defensive Fixture Ticker

Brighton currently occupies the top spot in the rankings, but I must admit that I’m not particularly enthusiastic about their defensive choices. I have reservations about this team’s ability to maintain clean sheets and consistency, especially given their congested schedule due to European commitments. They haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet all year and even conceded six goals against Villa. While Villa is a strong team, allowing six goals is a bit excessive. Moreover, with Estupinian sidelined due to injury, none of their defenders seem to possess his attacking threat. There is a chance he might return soon, as he has been spotted training, so it might be worth considering him.

On the other hand, Crystal Palace has been impressive in their defensive performances. Andersen is the standout option, but if you’re looking to save some budget, Mitchell and Guehi are solid alternatives. I do have concerns about potential rotation for Johnstone, given that Palace signed Henderson, who is also a reliable goalkeeper. But, Henderson is still injured.

West Ham has dropped to third place in the fixture schedule ahead of FPL Gameweek 11. This shift makes Areola an even more attractive choice for those using their wildcard and for Pickford owners. Coufal is an interesting option as well, although it’s worth noting that his expected goal involvement (xGI) for the season is only 1.0, despite his four assists.

When it comes to Arsenal, White is a viable option. However, his point returns heavily depend on bonus points, which may not come as easily if Arsenal’s attack starts performing better. Saliba, while offering less attacking threat, could be a good choice if you need to save some budget.

Man United have a worse defence that Brighton so far this season. I don’t think they’re worth investing in.

Attacking Fixture Ticker

Nottingham Forest top the attacking fixture ticker this week. The trouble is, not any one of their fixtures is truly excellent just a lot of them are okay. Still, Awoniyi (if he is fit again) is an intriguing option. He was putting up similar underlying numbers to Alvarez when he was fit so he is nothing to be sniffed at. Gibbs-White also has a good FPL pedigree and is only 5.7. He’s not delivered much this year but he’s underperforming his xGI which suggests that he has been a bit unlucky. That means he enters the conversation for the sub 6.0 midfielders. Either way, probably one or both of these guys are sitting on waivers in your FPL draft league so grab one or both.

As for Palace, I still wouldn’t bother with their attack. No Eze and no Olise means they’re just pretty poor.

With Wolves, its only really Hwang. I don’t love it but its fine.

Regarding Brighton’s attacking options, they tend to rotate their strikers, making it challenging to pick a standout choice. It appears that Welbeck is currently dealing with an injury, further complicating the situation. Therefore, it’s advisable to focus on their midfield, where Karou Mitoma stands out as the primary option and an exceptionally talented one at that. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly asset, Adingra at 5.0 could be a viable alternative. While he may not match Mitoma’s quality, his expected goal involvement (xGI) of 0.28 per 90 minutes is a promising statistic. However, it’s worth noting that the absence of March due to injury limits the available options in the midfield.

Finally, there is Liverpool. Mo Salah is solid and reliable. Everyone else is always at risk of rotation but if you’re crazy and like a risk then Darwin would be the guy.

Should I Buy

In this section, we will look to answer the most basic question. Should I buy this player ahead of FPL gameweek 11?

Palace defence – Yes.

Arsenal defence – Yes.

Brighton defence – No, except for Estupinian and only then if he is pronounced fit.

Mbeumo – Currently the second most transferred in player but I’d rather have Mitoma or Diaby for the money.

Douglas Luiz – Meh. Don’t love it, don’t hate it, don’t expect much.

Son/Maddison – Not ahead of Chelsea. That’s a good defence.

Hwang – Yeah. Good fixture.

Tsimikas – Yes. Great value.

Watkins – Still yes.

Should I Sell

In this section, we will look to answer the other basic question. Should I sell this player ahead of FPL gameweek 11?

Trippier – He’s not going to be great this week but after this week he has good fixtures. So, I’d probably just hold him.

Isak – Yes, he is injured.

Udogie – Wait for news. He might be fit by now.

Odegaard – Bad fixture this week but next week is about as good as they come. I would hold.

Estupinian – Wait for news!

Mitoma – Looking at his fixtures, I wouldn’t.

Botman – Yeah looks like he has a complication.

Ward-Prowse – Probably wouldn’t.

Sterling – Could wait one week but yes, definitely.

Alvarez – If you held him this long then no! One of the best fixtures this week.

Captaincy Corner

I wish I could say this was a simple decision but both Haaland and Salah have excellent fixtures.

Man City play at home to Bournemouth and didn’t play in the week after getting knocked out of the EFL cup in the previous round. Therefore, for me, Haaland edges it this week.

Though, I would not begrudge anyone who captains Salah in FPL Gameweek 11 away to Luton.

James’ Move

My moves last week were so disastrous that I’m tempted to just give up. I can’t see anything obvious that I want to do so I will probably hold.

That’s it!

Good luck in FPL Gameweek 11! Fingers crossed the FPL gods have a good week for you.