Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6: captain picks

Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials

Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6 opens with Liverpool - Manchester City at Anfield, but for many managers the first decision this week is a sell. Cole Palmer, Declan Rice and Reece James all project zero in Gameweek 6, and their returns are slow, so the transfer is about getting them out before they cost more points. Arsenal are still the team to own right now: [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE is the best clean-sheet run in the league. City have the best attacking run, but Anfield comes first, so most City buys belong in Gameweek 7. Every pick below is ranked on the next three Gameweeks, not just this one. All numbers come from our model, and the full table is on the Sofascore Premier League player picks page.

Gameweek 6 programs: whose next three Gameweeks are worth owning

Arsenal have the best all-round run. [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE gives them 5.83 expected goals and 1.44 expected clean sheets across Gameweeks 6-8. No other team gets past 0.96 expected clean sheets. Leeds at home is the safest fixture of the round, with a 69% win probability and a 50% clean-sheet chance. No other team has better than 33%.

Manchester City top the attacking table at 6.28 expected goals with [A]LIV → [H]IPS → [A]AVL. Plan around the Anfield game rather than avoid City because of it: they still carry 1.61 expected goals there, and Ipswich at home comes next. Manchester United ([H]TOT → [A]LEE → [H]BOU, 5.56) and Chelsea ([H]BOU → [A]EVE → [H]TOT, 5.39) both start at home and stay strong for all three Gameweeks. Chelsea's 2.07 expected goals against Bournemouth is the highest of the round, just ahead of Arsenal and United at 2.06.

Fulham have the quiet defensive run. [A]IPS → [H]HUL → [A]COV gives them 0.92 expected clean sheets, third behind Arsenal and City, and their defenders cost far less. At the bottom, Hull ([H]EVE → [A]FUL → [H]BRE, 3.06), Ipswich ([H]FUL → [A]MCI → [H]NFO, 3.35) and Leeds ([A]ARS → [H]MUN → [A]SUN, 3.43) are the attacks to avoid. Everton are the team to sell after this round. [A]HUL → [H]CHE → [A]ARS starts with a 33% clean-sheet chance at Hull, the second-best of the round, and then gets much harder.

All 20 clubs play once in Gameweek 6 (re-checked against the current fixture list), so there are no blanks and no doubles. Kick-off times are on the Sofascore Premier League schedule.

The table shows the top 12 runs by expected goals over the three Gameweeks. 3-GW CS is expected clean sheets out of three games, not a percentage. The bookmaker lines behind these numbers are on the Sofascore Premier League market probabilities page.

Best Gameweek 6 goalkeepers

David Raya (6.7m, ARS) is the top keeper this Gameweek and over the next three, with [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE. He projects 5.4 → 5.0 → 5.3, for 15.7 points. Leeds at home is the best clean-sheet chance on the slate, and the Everton game in Gameweek 8 is nearly as good. He is 29.4% owned, so he protects your rank more than he gains it.

Emiliano Martinez (5.9m, CHE) is the cheaper way to get almost the same points. Chelsea's [H]BOU → [A]EVE → [H]TOT gives him 5.1 → 4.9 → 5.1 (15.1 over three) for 0.8m less than Raya.

The value pick is Lukas Hornicek (5.1m, NEW). Newcastle's [A]COV → [H]AVL → [A]CRY has no standout game but no bad one either, and his 4.8 → 4.7 → 4.6 (14.1) hardly moves. At 1.8% ownership he is a differential you can buy and stop worrying about. Bart Verbruggen (5.7m, BHA) on [A]SUN → [H]CRY → [A]LIV scores slightly more over three (4.9 → 5.1 → 4.4, 14.4), but Anfield in Gameweek 8 is the weak spot.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is where this Gameweek and the next three disagree. He projects only 4.3 at Anfield, then 5.2 against Ipswich. If you want a City keeper, buy him for Gameweek 7, not now.

Best Gameweek 6 defenders

James Tarkowski (7.0m, EVE) is the top defender this Gameweek at 7.1, and nobody beats his 18.2 over three (7.1 → 6.1 → 5.0). Everton's run gets harder after Hull ([A]HUL → [H]CHE → [A]ARS), but his defensive-action floor keeps him level with the best defender over the three Gameweeks, and he returns to 7.2 against Coventry in Gameweek 10. At 9.4% owned, few squads have him.

Gabriel (7.9m, ARS) on [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE is the clean-sheet premium: 6.8 → 5.6 → 5.6, 18.0 over three. If you already own Raya, Gabriel doubles up on the same Arsenal clean sheets. Both are built on the best clean-sheet run in the game for Gameweeks 6-8.

The hidden gem is Joshua King (5.1m, FUL). Fulham's [A]IPS → [H]HUL → [A]COV gives him 6.1 → 6.6 → 5.5, the same 18.2 as Tarkowski for 1.9m less. The model gives him 0.25 expected goals this Gameweek, the highest of any defender in the game. His best game is Hull at home in Gameweek 7, so buy him now, before that game. He is 2.1% owned.

Luka Vuskovic (5.8m, BHA) on [A]SUN → [H]CRY → [A]LIV projects 6.3 → 6.6 → 5.0 (17.9). That makes him the best Brighton defender to own for two Gameweeks. Liverpool away in Gameweek 8 is where you can move him on. Lewis Hall (5.9m, NEW) on [A]COV → [H]AVL → [A]CRY is the steady mid-price option at 6.2 → 5.7 → 5.2 (17.1).

Like Donnarumma, Josko Gvardiol ranks very differently this Gameweek and over three. He projects only 4.9 at Anfield, but 6.8 against Ipswich, the third-highest projection of any player in Gameweek 7, lifts him to 17.2 over three. He is a Gameweek 7 buy. Marc Guehi follows the same pattern (5.4 → 6.6 → 5.1).

On a budget, Jannik Schuster (4.8m, BRE) has the best points per million of any defender at 1.33. Brentford's [A]AVL → [H]LIV → [A]HUL gives him 6.4 → 5.3 → 5.9 (17.6), and only 0.5% of managers own him. Bobby Thomas (5.1m, COV) is the set-and-forget alternative. Coventry's [H]NEW → [A]TOT → [H]FUL gives him 5.7 → 4.6 → 5.2, and he holds 5.2 for the two Gameweeks after that. For the cheapest bench slot, John Egan (4.2m, HUL) on [H]EVE → [A]FUL → [H]BRE projects 5.0 → 4.3 → 3.9. The Everton game is the reason to own him. After that his projection fades.

Best Gameweek 6 midfielders

Bruno Fernandes (10.9m, MUN) is the best midfielder this Gameweek and over the next three. [H]TOT → [A]LEE → [H]BOU gives him 7.5 → 6.3 → 6.6, 20.4 in total. He is on penalties, and the model has him at 0.39 expected goals and 0.32 expected assists against Tottenham. He is 43.6% owned, so he is a keep rather than a differential, but he is also the strongest premium buy if you do not have him.

The midfielder to buy this Gameweek is Morgan Rogers (7.6m, CHE). Chelsea's [H]BOU → [A]EVE → [H]TOT gives him 7.2 → 6.3 → 6.3 (19.8), only 0.6 behind Bruno Fernandes for 3.3m less, and he is 6.3 again in Gameweek 9. Why now: Cole Palmer projects zero this Gameweek. Rogers is the Chelsea midfielder to own, and the swap is cheaper this week than after another blank.

Bukayo Saka (9.6m, ARS) on [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE projects 7.2 → 6.1 → 5.7 (19.0). He is a strong hold and the third-best midfielder over three Gameweeks. His Leeds game is the reason Arsenal attackers are worth owning this week.

Rayan Cherki is still the fourth-best midfielder over three Gameweeks (5.1 → 6.9 → 5.8, 17.8), but the model expects only 53 minutes from him at Anfield (see the Sofascore Premier League predicted lineups). City's [A]LIV → [H]IPS → [A]AVL makes Ipswich the game that matters. You can buy him in Gameweek 7 and still get that game, so there is no reason to take the minutes risk now.

At 5.9m, Brighton and Bournemouth each have a midfielder worth owning. Pascal Gross (5.9m, BHA) on [A]SUN → [H]CRY → [A]LIV projects 5.5 → 6.2 → 5.1. Marcus Tavernier (5.9m, BOU) on [A]CHE → [H]SUN → [A]MUN projects 5.6 → 6.1 → 5.1. Both total 16.8, level for fifth among midfielders, and both peak in Gameweek 7. For a differential, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (6.5m, EVE) on [A]HUL → [H]CHE → [A]ARS is 3.4% owned and projects 6.0 → 5.6 → 4.0. Like every Everton attacker, he is a two-Gameweek buy, for Hull and Chelsea.

On a budget, Jack Clarke (4.5m, IPS) has the best points per million of any midfielder at 1.20. Ipswich's [H]FUL → [A]MCI → [H]NFO gives him 5.4 → 4.0 → 4.7. The City trip is his one weak week. Jack Grealish (5.0m, EVE) on [A]HUL → [H]CHE → [A]ARS is close behind at 1.18, with 5.9 → 5.4 → 3.8. Shea Charles (4.6m, FUL) is the flattest cheap option. Fulham's [A]IPS → [H]HUL → [A]COV gives him 4.9 → 4.8 → 4.4, and only 0.3% of managers own him.

Best Gameweek 6 forwards

Erling Haaland (12.0m, MCI) is 77.0% owned and, with [A]LIV → [H]IPS → [A]AVL, still leads all forwards over three Gameweeks with 17.2 (4.7 → 7.0 → 5.5). He is a hold. Anfield is his weakest game of the run, and his 7.0 against Ipswich is the top projection of any player in Gameweek 7.

The forward to buy is Matheus Cunha (7.4m, MUN). Manchester United's [H]TOT → [A]LEE → [H]BOU gives him 5.6 → 4.7 → 4.7, 15.0 in total. That is second among forwards over three Gameweeks, and he costs 4.6m less than Haaland.

This is where this Gameweek's ranking and the three-Gameweek ranking disagree. Kai Havertz is the top forward this Gameweek at 5.8 against Leeds, but [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE then gives him only 3.9 and 4.0, so his 13.7 over three is 1.3 behind Cunha. If you are buying one forward to keep, buy Cunha. Havertz is a one-Gameweek pick.

Charalampos Kostoulas (4.6m, BHA) on [A]SUN → [H]CRY → [A]LIV is the budget forward. He projects 4.7 → 4.9 → 3.9, 13.5 over three, the same as Omar Marmoush for 2.4m less. Omar Marmoush (7.0m, TOT) is a 4.6%-owned differential on [A]MUN → [H]COV → [A]CHE. His best game is Coventry at home in Gameweek 7 (4.5 → 5.4 → 3.6), and Chelsea away comes next.

Gameweek 6 captain picks

1. Bruno Fernandes is the Gameweek 6 captain ([H]TOT → [A]LEE → [H]BOU). His 7.5 is the top projection of the round, he takes United's penalties, and he leads the midfield again in Gameweek 8 (6.6). 2. Bukayo Saka (7.2, [H]LEE) is the alternative, with Arsenal's 69% win probability behind him. 3. Morgan Rogers (7.2, [H]BOU) is the differential armband at 19.9% ownership, against Bruno Fernandes's 43.6%.

Haaland (4.7 at Anfield) is not a Gameweek 6 captain. Plan ahead instead: Gameweek 7's best options are Haaland (7.0) and Cherki (6.9) against Ipswich, and Bruno Fernandes (6.6) and Rogers (6.3) lead Gameweek 8. Owning Bruno Fernandes and Haaland already covers the armband for all three Gameweeks. Full projections for every player are on the player picks page.

Who to sell before Gameweek 6

Cole Palmer (8.4m, CHE) is the clearest sell. 18.8% of managers own him, he projects zero this Gameweek, and he only builds back slowly: 0 → 1.7 → 2.5 on [H]BOU → [A]EVE → [H]TOT, 4.2 over three. Why now: Rogers projects 19.8 over the same three Gameweeks for 0.8m less, so every week you keep Palmer costs you about five points.

Declan Rice (7.4m, ARS) and Reece James (6.3m, CHE) are the next sells. Rice (14.7% owned) projects 0 → 1.9 → 3.0 on [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE, and James (10.7%) 0 → 0.6 → 0.7. Arsenal's run is the best in the game, so Rice's replacement is easy to find: Saka, Gabriel or Raya. Why now: neither projects more than 3.0 in any of the next three Gameweeks.

Alexander Isak (8.3m, LIV) carries a fitness flag and is 12.3% owned. Liverpool's [H]MCI → [A]BRE → [H]BHA gives him 3.5 → 4.0 → 4.2, 11.7 over three. That is not a bad line, but Cunha beats him in all three Gameweeks (15.0) for 0.9m less. Why now: the City game is his lowest projection of the run, so this is the cheapest week to lose him.

Virgil van Dijk (7.0m, LIV) is 24.7% owned and projects a flat 5.1 → 5.1 → 5.3 on [H]MCI → [A]BRE → [H]BHA. That program is fine. But Joshua King projects 18.2 against his 15.5 for 1.9m less, and Liverpool host Arsenal in Gameweek 9. You can wait a Gameweek on this one if your transfer goes on Palmer first.

Jordan Pickford (5.8m, EVE) and Riccardo Calafiori (6.5m, ARS) are sells, but not yet. Pickford's [A]HUL → [H]CHE → [A]ARS starts with a good fixture, then falls to 4.2 → 3.9. Calafiori's [H]LEE → [A]NFO → [H]EVE gives him 5.9 against Leeds and then 4.3 → 4.1. Keep both for this Gameweek and make the switch in Gameweek 7.

Joao Pedro is the exception. He is 29.2% owned and injured until 17 October, so he projects 3.1 → 3.3 → 5.0 on [H]BOU → [A]EVE → [H]TOT. His 6.3 against Manchester United in Gameweek 9 is joint-top of that round. If your bench can cover two weak Gameweeks, hold him. Yoane Wissa (12.3% owned) falls 4.0 → 3.8 → 3.3, and Kostoulas beats him over three for 1.1m less. Swap them when you have a spare transfer.

Best Quick Fix (Free Hit) team for Gameweek 6

Sofascore's Quick Fix token works like a Free Hit. This is the squad that scores the most in Gameweek 6 alone, in a 5-4-1 formation with no more than three players from any club:

• GK: David Raya (6.7m, ARS), 5.4
• DEF: James Tarkowski (7.0m, EVE), 7.1
• DEF: Gabriel (7.9m, ARS), 6.8
• DEF: Jannik Schuster (4.8m, BRE), 6.4
• DEF: Luka Vuskovic (5.8m, BHA), 6.3
• DEF: Lewis Hall (5.9m, NEW), 6.2
• MID: Bruno Fernandes (10.9m, MUN), 7.5 (captain)
• MID: Bukayo Saka (9.6m, ARS), 7.2
• MID: Morgan Rogers (7.6m, CHE), 7.2
• MID: Bryan Mbeumo (8.0m, MUN), 6.1
• FWD: Matheus Cunha (7.4m, MUN), 5.6

Bench: Walter Benitez (4.5m), Jack Clarke (4.5m), Charalampos Kostoulas (4.6m), Brandon Thomas-Asante (4.5m). The starting XI projects 71.8 points before the captain bonus. The exact live optimum, re-solved on every model update, is on the Sofascore Premier League optimal teams page. Check the predicted lineups before the deadline, especially for Cherki and anyone returning from injury.

Gameweek 6 transfer summary

Sell: Palmer first, then Rice and Reece James. Isak and van Dijk can follow. Buy: Rogers as the Chelsea midfielder, Cunha as the forward upgrade, and King or Schuster for value at the back. Wait for Gameweek 7: Cherki, Gvardiol and Donnarumma for the Ipswich game, and the switch away from Pickford and Calafiori. Hold: Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Saka, and Joao Pedro if your bench can carry him. There is no Gameweek 5 preview for this game; earlier and later rounds are collected in the Sofascore Premier League preview hub, and general strategy articles are in our fantasy guides.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6?

Bruno Fernandes is the Gameweek 6 captain, with the top projection of the round (7.5) at home to Tottenham and United's penalties. Bukayo Saka (7.2, at home to Leeds) is the alternative, and Morgan Rogers (7.2, at home to Bournemouth) is the differential. Keep Erling Haaland for the Ipswich game in Gameweek 7.

Should I sell Cole Palmer before Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6?

Yes. Palmer projects zero in Gameweek 6 and only 4.2 over Gameweeks 6-8 as he returns from injury. Morgan Rogers, also at Chelsea, projects 19.8 over the same three Gameweeks for 0.8m less.

Which budget defenders are best for Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6?

Jannik Schuster (4.8m, Brentford) has the best points per million of any defender at 1.33 and projects 17.6 over three Gameweeks. Joshua King (5.1m, Fulham) is the best value over three Gameweeks with 18.2. John Egan (4.2m, Hull) is the cheapest playable bench option for the Everton game.

Is Rayan Cherki worth buying for Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6?

Not this week. The model expects Cherki to play only 53 minutes at Anfield and projects 5.1. He jumps to 6.9 against Ipswich in Gameweek 7, so buy him for that game instead.

What are the best differentials for Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 6?

Joshua King (2.1% owned, 18.2 over three Gameweeks), Jannik Schuster (0.5%, 17.6), Lukas Hornicek (1.8%, 14.1) and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (3.4%, 15.6) all project well across Gameweeks 6-8 and are owned by very few managers.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.