Written for Gameweek 8. Its deadline has passed. Read the newest: Gabriel scores 17 as João Pedro misses out and Fernandes stays on the bench
FPL Tilt · Team talk · Captaincy · Gameweek 8
Haaland at Villa Park, or a captain few others have? Four options for Gameweek 8
1 comment ↓Maresca says Haaland is okay to start, but City have not won at Villa Park in four visits. Saka is hurt; Fernandes, Mbeumo and Palmer are the alternatives.
Erling Haaland limped off before the final whistle against Ipswich on Saturday, sat on the bench for all of City's 5-1 win over AEK Athens on Tuesday, and was then declared fit by Enzo Maresca: "He's okay to start on Saturday."
Haaland (Manchester City, £15.7m) is the most-owned player in FPL and has scored in six Gameweeks running. His next game is at Villa Park, where City have not won in four league visits. On Wednesday night Bukayo Saka limped off in Munich after ten minutes, and Bruno Fernandes was taken off in Manchester United's 4-1 defeat at Como and then criticised his own coaches. Both had been projected level with Haaland or ahead of him.
Here are four captaincy options, with each player's record against this weekend's opponent.
Haaland at Villa Park
The knock came in stoppage time against Ipswich, after a heavy challenge from Jack Clarke. On Monday Maresca said there were "some doubts", and added: "He was quite good yesterday. Better." Haaland was named on the bench against AEK Athens and not used, and afterwards Maresca said of the players he held back that "they had a rest, which is good".
Since the opening weekend he has not scored fewer than six points in a Gameweek, and he takes City's penalties. Villa have not won a league game at home this season and have let in five goals in three games at Villa Park. They beat Viking 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, less than three days before City arrive.
City have not won a league game at Villa Park since 2022-23, with one draw, three defeats and two goals in four visits. Haaland scored in the draw, in September 2022, and has not scored in his three games there since.
Fernandes or Mbeumo against Bournemouth
Bournemouth have let in nine goals in three away games this season, two at City, two at Newcastle and five at Chelsea. United play them at Old Trafford on Sunday, four days after the defeat at Como left them without a win in seven games in all competitions.
Fernandes (Manchester United, £11.8m) was taken off in the second half in Como and told TNT Sports that the decision not to press man-to-man was the staff's: "That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me." Michael Carrick answered that "if you don't run back, you ain't going to win." Fernandes takes United's penalties and has scored five goals and set up four in nine league games against Bournemouth, more than anyone here against this weekend's opponent. In this league season he has one hat-trick, against Ipswich in Gameweek 2, and no more than two points in any other Gameweek.
Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) has scored in four Gameweeks, the last two among them, and is leading United's line while Benjamin Šeško is out. Against Bournemouth he has two goals and three assists in eight league games, all of them for Brentford.
United have not beaten Bournemouth in the last three meetings at Old Trafford, losing 3-0 twice and drawing 4-4, and they have won one league game this season.
João Pedro or Palmer against Tottenham
Chelsea have won all six league meetings with Tottenham since November 2023. Spurs come to Stamford Bridge having let in four goals in three away games.
João Pedro (Chelsea, £7.9m) has scored three times in three league games against Spurs, the latest the only goal of Chelsea's 1-0 win at Tottenham last season. He is owned by 72.8% of managers, more than anyone except Haaland.
Cole Palmer (£9.7m) takes Chelsea's penalties and has scored three of them against Tottenham, all at Tottenham's ground, as well as setting up two goals in five league games against them. He has not scored since the second weekend of the season.
Saka, if he is fit
Saka (Arsenal, £9.6m) went down after playing a pass in Munich, held his left thigh and went straight to the dressing room, ESPN reported. FPL now lists him as a doubt for Everton, and Arsenal had given no update by the end of Wednesday night.
Before the injury he was the top projected player of the week. He takes Arsenal's penalties, and 16.7% of managers own him. Everton have not lost away from home this season, though, with draws at Bournemouth, Tottenham and Hull, and Saka has scored once in 13 league games against them, in a 4-0 win in March 2023. He has neither scored nor set up a goal against Everton since September 2023.
| Player | Gameweek 8 | Record against them (league) | Points this season | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saka (ARS) £9.6m | Everton (H) | 1 goal in 13 | 37 | 5.6 |
| Fernandes (MUN) £11.8m | Bournemouth (H) | 5 goals, 4 assists in 9 | 33 | 5.4 |
| Haaland (MCI) £15.7m | Aston Villa (A) | 1 goal, 1 assist in 5 | 58 | 5.4 |
| Mbeumo (MUN) £7.8m | Bournemouth (H) | 2 goals, 3 assists in 8 | 41 | 5.1 |
| Palmer (CHE) £9.7m | Tottenham (H) | 3 goals, 2 assists in 5 | 38 | 4.7 |
| João Pedro (CHE) £7.9m | Tottenham (H) | 3 goals, 1 assist in 3 | 47 | 4.1 |
Ordered by FPL Tilt's projected points for Gameweek 8, from the run of 21 October 2026, made before Wednesday night's games. Records are Premier League games only, all seasons, for any club. Points: Fantasy Premier League, Gameweeks 1 to 7.
Figures read on 21 October 2026. The projections are updated daily: Captain picks shows today's figures.
A captain few others have
Maresca's earlier doubts and City's record at Villa Park are reasons to look beyond Haaland. Wednesday night made the alternatives harder to back, with Saka injured and United's captain at odds with his coach.
Mbeumo is in form and owned by 20.4% of managers. Palmer, at 26.4%, brings Chelsea's run against Spurs and the penalties.
Maresca speaks again before the trip to Villa Park, and anything less than his "okay to start" would push more managers towards those two.
So who gets the armband?
Haaland has scored in six Gameweeks running, Maresca says he is okay to start, and Villa have not won at home this season. After Wednesday, he is the steadier choice by a wider margin than on Tuesday.
Mbeumo and Palmer are the main alternatives for a manager who wants a different captain, with Bournemouth having let in nine goals in three away games and Chelsea having won all six league meetings with Spurs since 2023. Fernandes has the best record against Bournemouth, but he goes into Sunday after a public disagreement with his coach.
The Gameweek 8 deadline has passed.
FPL Tilt's projected points are from the run of 21 October 2026. Points, goals, prices and ownership are Fantasy Premier League's, read the same day; this season's results are Fantasy Premier League's for Gameweeks 1 to 7. Records against this weekend's opponents are from the match reports of Sky Sports, ESPN, the Premier League, Arsenal and Brentford, counted across every Premier League meeting. Maresca's comments on Monday are from Manchester City's report of his press conference; his words after City against AEK Athens were reported by Hayters on 20 October; Haaland's knock against Ipswich was reported by ESPN. Šeško's absence and Saka's listing as a doubt are from Fantasy Premier League's injury news. Saka's injury in Munich was reported by ESPN; Fernandes's and Carrick's words after Como against Manchester United were reported by Sky Sports, and United's run without a win is Sky Sports'. Villa's result against Viking is Sky Sports'. Saka's injury and Wednesday's Champions League results are from BBC Sport's live coverage.
The photographs are cropped and lightly edited from the originals.
Figures read on 21 October 2026. The projections are updated daily: Captain picks shows today's figures.
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