1. xFPL review

The xFPL table for this gameweek is one of the strangest so far this season – none of the top 10 cost more than 7.5, with B. Silva the most expensive, and the rest all below 6.5.  Cardiff have two players in the top five for the first time, indicating that the Bluebirds are capable of having a go at opponents on their own patch. The red card to Stephens probably inflated their stats a bit, but Paterson remains an intriguing option, classified as a midfielder in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and playing up front for Cardiff. No player had more shots in the box (SiB) than Rondon’s seven, and the Venezuelan also topped the table for shots on target (SoT) as Newcastle won their second game in a row. Eight of the top 14 xFPL performers were defenders in a low scoring weekend, where only Man. City scored more than two goals.

2. Maddison replacements reviewed

Going into the weekend, Maddison was one of the most sold players with Martial, Anderson, Richarlison, Gudmonsson and Fraser acquiring some new owners. Using the Fix Comparison matrix, the five are compared over a four gameweek period and Martial is a clear winner. The Frenchman leads the way for shots, SoT, and goals while only losing out to Fraser in the assists department. He also benefited from penalty duties in Pogba’s absence this weekend as both him and Anderson got on the scoresheet. The Frenchman now embarks on a kind run of fixtures that sees Man. United play Palace, Southampton and Fulham in three of the next four games. All three sides currently reside at the bottom of the table. Our Fix Algorithm predicts Martial will score 24.8 points over the next five gameweeks and having cemented his place in the Red Devils lineup he looks to be the ideal replacement for Maddison.

3. Attacking fullbacks keep going

In a low scoring week, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and Alonso once again delivered points for their massive ownership, in fact Aonso is now the top points scorer in FPL this season across all positions. The Liverpool duo both attempted two assists apiece compared to Alonso’s one, but the Spaniard came the closest to getting on the scoresheet, narrowly missing the target from a freekick, having his SoT saved brilliantly by Pickford, and hitting the post from open play. In a low scoring week, not owning either Robertson or Alonso, would have caused a massive dent in overall rank. Both left-backs have once again showcased their FPL pedigree and are close as it gets to ‘essential’ picks for your FPL squad.