Sofascore PL Gameweek 9: captain picks and best buys
Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 9 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials
Sofascore PL Gameweek 9 opens with Chelsea against Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime, and its big game is Liverpool - Arsenal on Sunday. All 20 clubs play once, so there are no blanks to plan around. The real decision this week is about the next three gameweeks: Manchester City's run is the best attacking program in the game, Arsenal own the best clean-sheet run despite starting at Anfield, and several popular players are carrying two blank weeks or a collapsing run behind a decent Gameweek 9.
Every number below comes from our model as of Saturday 24 October. The full projections sit on the Sofascore PL player picks page, and the Sofascore PL optimal teams page solves the best squad live.
Gameweeks 9 to 11: which programs are worth owning
Manchester City's [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL is the strongest three-gameweek run in the game, at 6.29 expected goals across the three. That is the reason to own their attackers now: the transfer happens this week and the payoff lasts three gameweeks. Brighton at home is the hardest of the three, and City are still 57% favourites in it.
Arsenal are the interesting case. [A]LIV looks like a fixture to avoid, but [H]HUL → [A]NEW follows, and the three together give Arsenal 1.31 expected clean sheets, the most of any defence. The Liverpool week is the one to plan around, not a reason to sell Arsenal defenders. Chelsea's [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE (5.47 expected goals) and Tottenham's [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS round out the attacking targets, and Tottenham have the best single clean-sheet chance of the gameweek at 34% against Crystal Palace.
| Team | Gameweek 9 | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet | Program (GW9-11) | 3-round xG | 3-round CS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCI | [H]BHA | 57% | 2.12 | 29% | [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL | 6.29 | 0.98 |
| ARS | [A]LIV | 42% | 1.55 | 27% | [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW | 5.98 | 1.31 |
| CHE | [H]MUN | 52% | 1.97 | 27% | [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE | 5.47 | 0.88 |
| BHA | [A]MCI | 21% | 1.24 | 12% | [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL | 5.07 | 0.79 |
| TOT | [H]CRY | 58% | 2.01 | 34% | [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS | 5.02 | 0.97 |
| LIV | [H]ARS | 31% | 1.29 | 21% | [H]ARS → [A]CRY → [H]MUN | 4.95 | 0.77 |
| BOU | [H]LEE | 44% | 1.53 | 30% | [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO | 4.89 | 0.89 |
| BRE | [H]NFO | 47% | 1.67 | 30% | [H]NFO → [A]BHA → [H]EVE | 4.58 | 0.80 |
| AVL | [H]FUL | 46% | 1.63 | 30% | [H]FUL → [A]MUN → [H]SUN | 4.51 | 0.80 |
| MUN | [A]CHE | 24% | 1.29 | 14% | [A]CHE → [H]AVL → [A]LIV | 4.47 | 0.58 |
Brighton are the sleeper here. [A]MCI is a write-off week (21% win probability, 12% clean sheet), but [H]BRE → [A]HUL behind it lifts them to fourth on 3-round expected goals. That makes Brighton players a buy for Gameweek 10 rather than this week, unless the player is good enough to absorb the City game, and two of them are. At the bottom, Hull City's [H]IPS → [A]ARS → [H]BHA totals just 2.80 expected goals and 0.44 expected clean sheets, the weakest program in the game at both ends, and Fulham's [A]AVL → [H]NEW → [A]MCI is not far behind at 0.54 expected clean sheets. Kick-off times and the rest of the run are on the Sofascore PL schedule.
Best goalkeepers for Gameweek 9
David Raya (6.9m, ARS) is the goalkeeper to own over the next three gameweeks, with [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW and a projection of 4.4 → 5.7 → 4.9, for 15.0 over three gameweeks. That is the top total among goalkeepers. Arsenal's 62% clean-sheet chance at home to Hull in Gameweek 10 is the best single number in the window. He is the template pick at 29.6% ownership, so owning him protects rank more than it gains any.
Bart Verbruggen (5.8m, BHA) is the trajectory pick. He goes 4.0 → 4.6 → 5.1 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL, so his worst week is the one you buy him in and his projection climbs every week after. At 13.7 over three gameweeks he is within 0.2 of Gianluigi Donnarumma for 0.7m less. Donnarumma (6.5m, MCI) is the better choice if you only care about this week (4.5 against 4.0), and Verbruggen is the better hold.
For value, Caoimhin Kelleher (5.2m, BRE) projects 4.3 at home to Nottingham Forest with a 30% clean-sheet chance, and [H]NFO → [A]BHA → [H]EVE gives him 12.5 over three gameweeks. At 0.83 points per million this week he is one of the cheapest reliable starters available. Lukas Hornicek (5.0m, NEW) is the differential at 1.7% owned: 4.2 against Everton this week, and [H]EVE → [A]FUL → [H]ARS gives him 12.0 over three gameweeks. The Arsenal week drags his clean-sheet odds, so treat him as a cheap two-gameweek pick, not a long hold.
Best defenders for Gameweek 9
This is the position where the Gameweek 9 ranking and the 3-round ranking disagree, and the 3-round ranking should win. Jan Paul van Hecke (6.5m, TOT) tops the gameweek at 6.2, backed by Tottenham's 34% clean-sheet chance against Crystal Palace. Over [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS he goes 6.2 → 5.1 → 5.6, for 16.9 in total. James Tarkowski (7.4m, EVE) scores less this week (6.0) and far more over three gameweeks: [A]NEW → [H]COV → [A]BRE gives 6.0 → 7.6 → 5.8, for 19.4, the best defender total in the game. His floor is defensive work, not clean sheets: the model expects more than nine clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles a game from him. If you are buying one defender and keeping him, buy Tarkowski. His 7.6 at home to Coventry City is also the highest projection of any player in Gameweek 10.
Luka Vuskovic (6.3m, BHA) is the other rising line, with 5.3 → 6.1 → 6.6 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL. Like Tarkowski, his value comes from volume, with around nine defensive actions projected per game, so the City fixture hurts him less than a clean-sheet defender. He is 12.4% owned and second on 3-round total at 18.0. Marc Guehi (7.3m, MCI) is the City defensive option over [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL, scoring 5.7 → 5.2 → 6.3 for 17.2. Pair him with Donnarumma only if you want the City clean sheet twice, because Guehi is the better pick of the two on his own.
For the budget slots, Bobby Thomas (5.2m, COV) is the standout: 5.9 at home to Sunderland, and [H]SUN → [A]EVE → [H]CRY gives him 16.5 over three gameweeks. That is level with Gabriel (16.6) and ahead of Josko Gvardiol (15.5), at 1.8% ownership and 1.13 points per million, the best of any defender. The model projects him for more than 11 defensive actions this week, the most of the players we looked at. Bournemouth's Antonio Silva (5.0m, BOU) and James Hill (6.0m, BOU) share [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO, with a 30% clean-sheet chance this week. Silva is the cheaper route in at 14.9 over three gameweeks, and Hill edges him at 16.0. For Arsenal's clean-sheet run, Gabriel (7.8m, ARS) goes 5.0 → 6.6 → 5.0 and is the safe way in.
Look for budget picks lower down the Sofascore PL projections sorted by points per million, and check the Sofascore PL predicted lineups before you commit to a defender who rotates.
Best midfielders for Gameweek 9
Jérémy Doku (8.1m, MCI) is the buy of the gameweek, and the 3-round table is the reason. He projects 6.8 → 5.9 → 7.0 over [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL, for 19.7, the best total of any player in the game at any position. Only 3.1% of managers own him. His projected minutes (around 70 this week) are the risk, and the projection already accounts for them. He out-scores Rayan Cherki (9.3m, MCI) over the three gameweeks for 1.2m less, and Cherki is owned by 22.4%. That makes Doku both the value route into City's run and a genuine differential.
Cole Palmer (8.5m, CHE) leads the gameweek at 7.0 against Manchester United and stays high, with 7.0 → 6.0 → 5.8 over [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE, for 18.8. He is Chelsea's penalty taker and the model gives him 0.41 expected goals this week, the most of any midfielder. This is a buy now: the Chelsea run starts with its best fixture, so bringing him in for Gameweek 10 misses the top week. Morgan Rogers (8.0m, CHE) is the cheaper Chelsea option at 6.4 → 5.2 → 5.0, and is already 21.7% owned.
The disagreement worth naming in midfield is Bruno Fernandes (10.6m, MUN). He is the most-owned midfielder at 40.7% and is a perfectly good hold over [A]CHE → [H]AVL → [A]LIV, with his best week (5.8) against Villa in Gameweek 10. But his 15.7 over three gameweeks is 4.0 behind Doku and 3.1 behind Palmer, and both cost less. You do not need to sell him this week. If you are choosing where to put a premium midfield slot for the next month, he is no longer the answer.
Value picks: Marcus Tavernier (5.7m, BOU) goes 5.3 → 5.4 → 4.8 over [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO, for 15.5. That is within 0.2 of Bruno Fernandes for 4.9m less, and his flat line means you can hold him and stop thinking about it. Jordan Henderson (4.8m, CHE) is the cheapest useful starter in the position, with 5.1 against Manchester United and 1.06 points per million, the best of any midfielder. Over [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE he drops to 4.2 and 4.0 afterwards, so he is a strong one-week fill who also holds a bench spot well. Pascal Gross (6.2m, BHA) rises 4.8 → 5.2 → 5.4 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL, and as Brighton's penalty taker he is the midfielder to own for their run. Diego Gomez (5.2m, BHA) is the cheaper Brighton line at 4.3 → 4.6 → 4.8 and 0.9% owned.
Best forwards for Gameweek 9
Erling Haaland (12.0m, MCI) is owned by 77.2% of managers, and nothing in his program argues for selling: [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL gives 6.4 → 5.5 → 6.2. The model has him at 0.78 expected goals this week, the most in the game, and he takes City's penalties. Keep him. The real decisions are the forward slots after him.
Joao Pedro (8.3m, CHE) is the clear second forward at 6.3 this week and 16.0 over [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE. He is front-loaded (6.3 → 4.9 → 4.8), so his case is strongest right now. If you are bringing him in, do it before the Manchester United game, not after. Evanilson (6.1m, BOU) is the steady value line, with 4.7 → 4.7 → 4.2 over [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO, for 13.6. That is more than Alexander Isak (8.2m, LIV) at 11.7, for 2.1m less.
Charalampos Kostoulas (5.1m, BHA) is the forward version of the Brighton argument: 3.9 → 4.1 → 4.1 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL, with his expected goals climbing from 0.19 to 0.29 across the window. At 5.0% owned he is a cheap way into Brighton's better gameweeks. For the bench or a budget slot, Brandon Thomas-Asante (4.6m, COV) projects 3.6 → 3.4 → 3.1 over [H]SUN → [A]EVE → [H]CRY, at 0.78 points per million. He is the best value of any forward under 5.0m.
Captain picks for Gameweek 9
The captain scores double in Sofascore Fantasy, and the top of the Gameweek 9 projections is tightly bunched:
| Player | Fixture | GW9 | GW10 | GW11 | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Palmer (CHE) | [H]MUN | 7.0 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 19.8% |
| Rayan Cherki (MCI) | [H]BHA | 6.9 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 22.4% |
| Jérémy Doku (MCI) | [H]BHA | 6.8 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 3.1% |
| Erling Haaland (MCI) | [H]BHA | 6.4 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 77.2% |
Cole Palmer (8.5m, CHE) is the captain. He has the highest projection of the gameweek, takes the penalties, and Chelsea have a 52% win probability at home. Rayan Cherki (9.3m, MCI) and Jérémy Doku (8.1m, MCI) are within 0.2 of him. Doku is the bold option: if he outscores the field, almost nobody in your league has him. Haaland is level with Morgan Rogers (6.4) in fourth place this week. Captaining him is the safe, template-protecting choice, not the one the numbers favour.
Plan ahead as well. In Gameweek 10, James Tarkowski at home to Coventry City (7.6) is the top projection in the game, ahead of Gabriel (6.6) and Martin Ødegaard (6.2), with Cole Palmer (6.0) close behind. In Gameweek 11, City host Fulham, and Jérémy Doku (7.0) and Rayan Cherki (6.9) top the chart again. Owning Palmer, one City attacker and Tarkowski gives you a captain in the top five for each of the next three gameweeks. The bookmaker lines behind these numbers are on the Sofascore PL market probabilities page.
Who to sell before Gameweek 9
Bukayo Saka (9.5m, ARS) is the clearest sale. He is injured and projects zero for both [A]LIV and [H]HUL in Gameweeks 9 and 10, and 20.4% of managers still own him. Why now: two dead weeks in a row on the most expensive Arsenal asset, while City's three-gameweek run starts this weekend. His 9.5m funds Doku with change, and Doku has the best 3-round total in the game.
Riccardo Calafiori (6.6m, ARS) is the less obvious one. Arsenal's defence is the one to own, with 1.31 expected clean sheets over [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW, but the model gives Calafiori only around 30 minutes this week and about 50 in each of the next two. That leaves him at 1.7 → 3.6 → 2.7. Why now: his minutes drop in this round, so he misses Arsenal's best stretch of the season. Gabriel is the same clean-sheet exposure with a starter's minutes. 18.4% own Calafiori.
Matheus Cunha (7.4m, MUN): [A]CHE is not a terrible fixture, and 4.1 is a respectable return. But he goes 4.1 → 3.6 → 3.0, his projected minutes fall from 70 to 55 across [A]CHE → [H]AVL → [A]LIV, and the Liverpool week is the low point. Why now: this is his best week of the three, so selling now is selling at the top of his run. 11.5% of managers own him.
Yoane Wissa (5.4m, NEW) is a sell, but not yet. At home to Everton he projects 3.6, a decent return for his price, and Newcastle have a 43% win probability. After that he goes [A]FUL → [H]ARS and drops to 3.1 and then 2.4. Why not now: you can wait a round on this one. Play him against Everton and sell before Gameweek 10, so he is gone well before Arsenal visit in Gameweek 11.
More gameweek-by-gameweek analysis is in our Sofascore PL preview hub. Last week's picks are in the Sofascore PL Gameweek 8 preview, and the strategy basics are in our fantasy football guides.
FAQ
Who should I captain in Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 9?
Cole Palmer is the top captain pick for Gameweek 9, projecting 7.0 at home to Manchester United as Chelsea's penalty taker. Rayan Cherki (6.9) and Jérémy Doku (6.8) are close behind for Manchester City at home to Brighton, and Erling Haaland projects 6.4.
Which budget defenders are best for Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 9?
Bobby Thomas (5.2m, Coventry City) is the best budget defender, at 5.9 against Sunderland and 16.5 over Gameweeks 9 to 11, and only 1.8% own him. Antonio Silva (5.0m, AFC Bournemouth) is the next best at 14.9 over the same three gameweeks.
Should I sell Bukayo Saka before Gameweek 9?
Yes. Bukayo Saka is injured and projects zero in both Gameweek 9 and Gameweek 10. His 9.5m is better spent on Jérémy Doku, who has the highest three-gameweek total in the game at 19.7.
Best differentials for Sofascore Premier League Gameweek 9?
Jérémy Doku (3.1% owned) is the best differential, projecting 19.7 over Manchester City's [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL. Bobby Thomas (1.8%), Lukas Hornicek (1.7%) and Diego Gomez (0.9%) are the cheaper low-ownership picks.
Is Erling Haaland worth keeping for Gameweek 9?
Yes. Erling Haaland projects 6.4 → 5.5 → 6.2 over [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL and has the highest expected goals in the game this week. Manchester City's run is the best attacking program over the next three gameweeks.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.