Newcastle pair among three double-ups

We’ve put together an initial draft of our Scout Picks for Gameweek 9 of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

As usual, we will finalize our selection closer to Friday’s deadline.

Of course, a lot could change between now and then.

Upcoming Scout Troop Nominations will help shape our final Scout Selections. Midweek European games and pre-match press conferences will also influence our thinking.

But these ‘bus teams’ at least give an idea of the players and teams that will be considered.

ABOUT THE PICKS SCOUT ‘BUS TEAM’

As usual, there are certain limitations to our squad:

Budget £83.0m for our starting XI
The overall squad cap is £100.0 million
No more than three players per team

WEEK 9 GAME SCHEDULE

Above: Gameweek 9 matches are ranked by difficulty in our rankings Season Markers.

YOUTH’S POSSIBILITIES

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Erling Haaland (£14.6m) is currently top of the FPL points table after the opening nine match weeks. Having already scored 11 goals, he has almost doubled the number of goals scored by any other player in the 2025/26 season so far.

Manchester City’s opponents Aston Villa are on an upward trend, having won five in a row in all competitions, but there would be no hesitation in including Haaland in the Scout Picks.

An Arsenal defender also seems likely to do so.

Crystal Palace will pose a threat (they scored twice in this game last season), but Mikel Arteta’s side have conceded just three goals and five big chances in eight league games this season. Therefore, Arsenal’s defensive assets will once again be central to this week’s selection.

For now, we have an agreement Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.3m), but midweek breaks only Jurrien Wood (£5.9 million) and/or Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) will no doubt enhance their credibility.

Above: Teams ranked by big goals scored (BC) in 2025/26

Bruno Fernandes (£8.9m) produced his first assist of the season against Liverpool on Sunday, and the penalty-taking playmaker will surely be in the Scout Picks alongside Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) this week. Manchester United will face Brighton and Hove Albion, who are one of three teams that have not kept a clean sheet.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest are bottom in terms of big goals conceded so far Antoine Semenyo (£8.0m) will fancy his chances. Additionally, a defensive contribution magnet (DefCon). Mark Senesi (£5.0m) is also included in the ‘bus team’. However, will new Forest manager Sean Dyche make things work?

IN CONTENTION

Chelsea’s assets should be the topic of conversation this week, but they face an opponent who could cause them a problem or two. Sunderland share the same record as Enzo Maresca’s side after the first eight games, winning four, drawing two and losing two. They also kept four clean sheets.

That said, with Malo wants to (£4.9 million) suspended, Reece James (£5.4m) is a possible candidate. He is the defender with the most goals and assists in the FPL this season, and with Sunderland 18th in terms of key passes from the left wing, he will be pushing hard to be included in the squad.

Above: FPL’s best attacking defenders return in the 2025/26 season

Enzo Fernandez (£6.7m), provided he is fit, and Joao Pedro (£7.5m) is also in the running; However, the Brazilian’s lack of goal threat, with just three shots in his last five games, is a cause for concern. He should at least start, as he will miss Wednesday’s European clash against Ajax through suspension.

Elsewhere, there will likely be representatives from Newcastle United. With doubts all around Joachim Andersenfitness (£4.5m), this could be a good time for it Nick Woltemade (£7.4m) to face Fulham. The German has scored in four of his five Premier League starts since his move from VfB Stuttgart, and crucially, no Newcastle player has had more shots inside the box in that time.

Besides that, Nick Pope (£5.2 million), Dan Burns (£5.1 million) and Kieran Trippier (£5.0m) exciting at the back.

In midfield, Bukayo Saka (£10.0 million) and Cody Agat (£7.4m) both made strong cases this week. Saka was Arsenal’s most dangerous striker at Craven Cottage on Saturday and has now picked up 15 points in his last two games, while Gakpo has recorded five counters in eight appearances this season. He is also Liverpool’s leader in terms of shots and chances created in the 2025/26 season.

At this early stage, it feels like both are superior to other teams in Arsenal and Liverpool, for example God bless (£7.6 million), Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0 million), Mohamed Salah (£14.4 million), Alexander Isaac (£10.6 million) and Hugo Ekitike (£8.7 million).

Above: No FPL midfielder has recorded more shots than Cody Gakpo in the 2025/26 season

El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.4 million) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) is on the radar against a Leeds United side who have scored just four goals at home so far. However, West Ham United’s poor performance against Brentford on Monday could potentially increase the appeal of Leeds’ budget-friendly assets.

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley is difficult to predict. Vitor Pereira’s men have been in very poor form, and given away Jorgen Strand Larsenfitness issues (£6.4m), which you can read more about here, may be more likely for the Clarets defender or Jaidon Anthony (£5.7m) saw Scout Picks cut.

LONGER SHOT

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Maybe there won’t be too many fans Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m), given Liverpool’s poor form of late, but the Dutchman has at least earned DefCon points in three of his last four appearances.

Striker who is in his best form Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) could feature, and it will be interesting to see how the Scout Squad panel views him, but this game at Arsenal will be very tough.

Danny Welbeck (£6.3 million), Indian education (£6.5 million), Jack Grealish (£6.9 million) and Muhammad Jerusalem (£6.8m) all have their merits, without being standout Scout Picks candidates.

The Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United defender has some potential, but they probably won’t knock out the options currently selected in our ‘bus team’.