Premier Manager Efterår 2026 Round 2 Preview
Premier Manager Round 2 preview: best buys, captain picks and hidden gems
Round 2 of Premier Manager Efterår 2026 opens on Friday 28 August with Manchester City away at Crystal Palace and runs all the way to Monday night, when Arsenal visit Aston Villa. Everyone already knows Erling Haaland is the best player in the game. The round is not won there. It is won in the six or seven squad slots after the obvious names, where the model likes several players almost nobody owns.
Three of those stand out immediately: Cody Gakpo (6.67m, LIV) at 1.5% ownership, Antoine Semenyo (7.55m, MCI) at 6.3%, and Marcus Tavernier (4.64m, BOU) at 0.4%. All three project above 85k for the round. Meanwhile two of the four most-owned defenders in the game are projected under 51k. That gap is the whole preview.
Round 2 fixtures: who the model actually likes
Four teams separate from the pack. Manchester United host Ipswich in the single best fixture of the round, and Arsenal's trip to Villa Park carries the joint-best clean sheet probability despite being away.
| Team | Fixture | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | [H]Ipswich | 67% | 2.18 | 42% |
| Liverpool | [H]Nottingham Forest | 64% | 2.14 | 39% |
| Arsenal | [A]Aston Villa | 62% | 1.97 | 42% |
| Manchester City | [A]Crystal Palace | 58% | 1.97 | 36% |
| Coventry City | [H]Hull City | 51% | 1.73 | 33% |
The programme matters as much as the round. Manchester City improve sharply: [A]Crystal Palace → [H]Coventry → [A]Man Utd, with the Coventry home game the softest fixture on the entire six-round horizon at a 79% win probability. Arsenal are the steadiest premium block, with [A]Villa → [H]Chelsea → [A]Sunderland → [A]Brighton → [H]Leeds and 51% clean sheet chances in both Round 4 and Round 6.
Manchester United go the other way. Round 2 is excellent, then it flattens: [H]Ipswich → [A]Everton → [H]Man City → [A]Fulham. Coventry collapse hardest of all — they follow the Hull home game with a trip to Manchester City where the model gives them a 7% win probability. Check the full run on the Premier Manager schedule page and the underlying numbers on the market probabilities page before you commit a transfer.
Best buys: goalkeeper
David Raya (5.64m, ARS) is the pick. Arsenal conceded just 0.75 expected goals per game last season and kept 19 clean sheets in 38 — the best defensive record in the division by a wide margin — and the model gives them a 42% shutout chance at Villa Park. Raya projects 85k for the round with a weighted six-round score of 294k, the highest of any keeper.
Senne Lammens (4.99m, MUN) is the same 42% clean sheet chance for 0.65m less, at 80k. He is the better call if you need the money elsewhere, but his programme thins out after this round (80k → 64k → 43k), so treat him as a two-round hold rather than a season keeper.
Budget: Cameron Rushworth (3.99m, COV) at 63k against Hull. His fee is 40k and he drops to 16k the moment Coventry travel to Manchester City, so this is a one-round buy or nothing.
Best buys: defenders
Gabriel (5.09m, ARS) is the premium. 88k for the round, 300k weighted, 89 projected minutes, a 40% clean sheet chance and 6.9 projected defensive contributions. Arsenal's two 51% clean sheet fixtures in Rounds 4 and 6 are what make him a hold rather than a rotation.
Virgil van Dijk (5.01m, LIV) is effectively the same price for 83k and the highest defensive-contribution projection of any recommended defender at 7.9. Nottingham Forest generated only 1.21 expected goals per game last season, the weakest attack among the established clubs.
Value: Jeremie Frimpong (4.00m, LIV) at 76k is 19.0k per million and his next three rounds read 76k → 90k → 88k, the best trajectory of any defender under 4.5m. Marc Guehi (4.72m, MCI) at 77k and Josko Gvardiol (4.76m, MCI) at 69k both jump in Round 3 against Coventry (88k and 96k), so either is a buy now that pays twice.
Budget pick: Rico Lewis (3.03m, MCI). 74k at 3.03m is 24.4k per million, the best return of any defender in the game this round, on a 36% clean sheet chance and 86 projected minutes. Ownership is 1.3%. His fee is 30k — nothing against two City fixtures — but the model has him at 19k by Round 4, so plan to sell him after the Coventry game.
Best buys: midfielders
Bruno Fernandes (6.99m, MUN) is the premium midfielder at 137k, with 89 projected minutes, penalties, and 0.47 projected assists — the highest assist projection in the game. He recorded 22 assists and 0.72 expected goal involvements per 90 last season, so the creative floor is real rather than fixture-driven, and his weighted score of 408k survives United's softer middle stretch.
Antoine Semenyo (7.55m, MCI) is the differential premium. 124k this round, 136k next against Coventry, 403k weighted — and only 6.3% ownership. He scored 20 goals from 13.69 expected goals last season, which is overperformance, but the underlying 0.43 expected goal involvements per 90 plus a Manchester City attack is a combination almost nobody in the game owns.
Cody Gakpo (6.67m, LIV) is the single biggest ownership mismatch on the board. 117k for the round, 356k weighted, 84 projected minutes, and 1.5% ownership. He posted 0.56 expected goal involvements per 90 last season with 13 goals and 10 assists. His first three rounds read 117k → 115k → 107k, which is the flattest high-value curve of any midfielder — there is no bad week to own him.
Phil Foden (6.00m, MCI) at 106k and 3.3% ownership is the cheaper version of the same idea, with 309k weighted. Dominik Szoboszlai (5.69m, LIV) at 91k has 89 projected minutes and 6.3 defensive contributions, a useful floor if you want Liverpool exposure without paying for Gakpo.
Christos Tzolis (4.58m, ARS) is the template pick at 46.0% ownership, and for once the template is right: 109k, 23.8k per million, 339k weighted, and 0.84 expected goal involvements per 90 last season with 23 goals and 28 assists. Owning him does not differentiate you, but selling him is a mistake.
Budget picks: Marcus Tavernier (4.64m, BOU) at 86k on 0.4% ownership and 266k weighted — the best value-to-obscurity ratio in the round. Mikey Moore (3.01m, TOT) at 65k is 21.6k per million with a 30k fee, cheap enough to rotate freely.
Best buys: forwards
Erling Haaland (14.06m, MCI) at 184k is 45k clear of the next-best player in the game, and his six-round curve reads 184k → 276k → 158k → 225k → 153k → 270k for a weighted score of 754k. That is not close. He takes penalties, projects 0.76 goals for the round, and produced 0.92 expected goal involvements per 90 last season. He also costs 141k to sell, so this is a buy-and-keep, not a rotation.
Alexander Isak (7.04m, LIV) is the best non-Haaland forward: 139k, 19.8k per million, penalties, and 437k weighted. His minutes were injury-limited last season, which is the risk, but the rate was fine at 0.48 expected goal involvements per 90.
Matheus Cunha (5.49m, MUN) at 112k is 20.4k per million with 5.9 projected defensive contributions on top of the attacking return — a rare combination at that price. Richarlison (4.98m, TOT) at 104k and 2.1% ownership is the hidden gem here: 0.44 projected goals, penalty duties, and 12 goals from 11.65 expected goals last season.
Budget pick: Ellis Simms (2.98m, COV). 92k at 2.98m is 31.0k per million, the best return of any player in the game this round, at 0.4% ownership. He scored 14 goals from 13.65 expected goals in 1805 minutes last season, a 0.68 expected goals per 90 rate. Buy him for the Hull home game specifically — the 30k fee is trivial — and sell before Coventry visit Manchester City, where he drops to 21k. His team-mate Brandon Thomas-Asante (2.98m, COV) is the same trade at 87k with penalties.
Captaincy: Haaland, and it is not a discussion
1. Erling Haaland (14.06m, MCI) — 184k, 0.99 penalty share, 0.76 projected goals, away at a Crystal Palace side that scored just 1.08 goals per game last season. He is the top captain option in five of the next six rounds, which is the reason to own him even at 14.06m.
2. Alexander Isak (7.04m, LIV) — 139k at home to the weakest attack in the set, on penalties. The sensible captain if you do not own Haaland.
3. Bruno Fernandes (6.99m, MUN) — 137k in the best team fixture of the round, on penalties, with 89 projected minutes. The highest-floor armband of the three.
Below those, Semenyo (124k) and Bryan Mbeumo (121k) are the only other players with a realistic ceiling. Anything outside this five is a punt rather than a plan. The live captaincy comparison sits on the Premier Manager player picks page, and the optimal teams solver will build the round's maximum-xP squad for you under the 4-per-club cap.
Who to sell
Four heavily-owned players have programmes that do not support the ownership.
| Player | Price | Owned by | Round 2 xP | Next rounds | Weighted score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben White (ARS) | 3.17m | 34.8% | 49k | 27k → 22k → 17k | 105k |
| Cristhian Mosquera (ARS) | 3.11m | 37.8% | 50k | 32k → 38k → 30k | 140k |
| Maxim De Cuyper (BHA) | 2.80m | 22.3% | 20k | 32k → 37k → 11k | 95k |
| Robin Roefs (SUN) | 3.50m | 28.0% | 52k | 41k → 27k → 26k | 143k |
Ben White is the clearest sell in the game. A third of managers own him, and the model gives him 65 projected minutes, an 18% clean sheet share and a 105k weighted score — the lowest of any defender owned by more than 20% of the field. Gabriel is the same club for 1.92m more and nearly three times the weighted return. Mosquera is the same story one step less severe; if you want Arsenal defensive cover, own one of them, not both, and make it Gabriel.
De Cuyper is the worst value on the board this round at 7.2k per million, with Brighton away at Chelsea. Roefs faces Arsenal at home in Round 4 and Manchester City away in Round 5 — a keeper you do not want through that stretch.
One timing call rather than an outright sell: Patrick Dorgu (4.46m, MUN) is genuinely good this round at 82k against Ipswich, but then reads 40k → 24k → 38k. Keep him for Round 2, move him on before Round 3. The same applies to Chelsea's attackers — Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro both crater in Round 3 away at Arsenal (33k and 32k) before spiking in Round 4 at home to Hull (127k and 147k). If you own them, this is a sell-then-buy-back, not a hold.
The short version
- Captain: Haaland. Isak second, Bruno Fernandes third.
- Best buys: Gakpo, Semenyo, Gabriel, Isak, Cunha.
- Hidden gems: Gakpo (1.5%), Tavernier (0.4%), Richarlison (2.1%), Rico Lewis (1.3%), Foden (3.3%).
- One-round budget punts: Simms and Thomas-Asante at 2.98m for the Hull home game.
- Sell: Ben White, Mosquera, De Cuyper, Roefs.
Expected lineups for the round update on the predicted lineups page, and every earlier round is archived in the Premier Manager preview hub — including the Round 1 preview. New to holdet.dk managerspil? Start with our guide to football managerspil on holdet.dk or browse all of our fantasy football guides.
FAQ
Who should I captain in Premier Manager Round 2?
Erling Haaland. The model has him at 184k for the round, 45k clear of the next-best player in the game, with a 0.99 penalty share and 0.76 projected goals away at a Crystal Palace side that scored just 1.08 goals per game last season. Alexander Isak (139k) and Bruno Fernandes (137k) are the alternatives if you do not own Haaland, and both take penalties.
Which hidden gems should I buy in Premier Manager Round 2?
Cody Gakpo (6.67m, LIV) is the standout: 117k for the round, 356k on the weighted six-round score, and just 1.5% ownership. Antoine Semenyo (7.55m, MCI) at 124k and 6.3% ownership, Marcus Tavernier (4.64m, BOU) at 86k and 0.4%, and Rico Lewis (3.03m, MCI) at 74k and 1.3% are the other low-ownership picks the model rates highly.
Which budget players are best for Round 2?
Ellis Simms (2.98m, COV) at 92k returns 31.0k per million, the best in the game this round, with Coventry at home to Hull. Rico Lewis (3.03m, MCI) at 24.4k per million is the best budget defender, and Mikey Moore (3.01m, TOT) at 65k the best cheap midfielder. All three cost about 30k to buy, so they work as one- or two-round rotations rather than long-term holds.
Should I sell Ben White before Round 2?
Yes. He is owned by 34.8% of the field but the model gives him 49k for the round on 65 projected minutes and an 18% clean sheet share, with a 105k weighted six-round score — the lowest of any defender owned by more than 20%. Gabriel is the same club for 5.09m and returns 88k now and 300k weighted.
Are Manchester United players worth buying for Round 2?
For this round, yes. United host Ipswich in the best fixture of the round at a 67% win probability and a 42% clean sheet chance, which lifts Bruno Fernandes (137k), Bryan Mbeumo (121k), Matheus Cunha (112k) and Senne Lammens (80k). Their programme flattens afterwards, so the cheaper United assets like Patrick Dorgu are a Round 2 hold and a Round 3 sell. Remember the 4-per-club cap when you build a block.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI - verified by Nicolai @ TheFantasyTool