151. GW1: New Season, Many Doubts

38 weeks. Again. The blank slate is here, the drafts keep changing, and half the league has a new manager. Here's how to approach Gameweek 1 without losing your mind.

The Blank Slate Problem

Nearly 100 drafts. That's where I am. I watch a preseason game, I make a change. I watch another one, I make another change. I watched Brentford the other day — Ouattara goes in. I watched the Man United game — Mbeumo goes in. My midfield is looking good. Arsenal's defence is looking solid. Should I move from Gabriel to Calafiori? Oh goodness.

You know, it is a kind of torment that makes you wish the season could just start already.

And aren't you glad Salah isn't here? Can you imagine the headache? Looking at the prices, seeing Haaland at 15.0 makes you wonder what Salah would have been — probably around 10.0 — and he would still have brought a world of confusion on top of an already confused market.

Nine New Managers. Half the League.

This is the elephant in the room and it changes everything.

Almost half the teams in the Premier League have a new manager this season. That means even preseason form is difficult to read — you're watching systems that haven't been tested against real opposition, with squads still finding their shape.

The teams in transition include Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and Sunderland. Add the promoted sides — Coventry, Hull, and the newly arrived Sunderland — and you have a league full of unknowns.

Slot won the league and got fired. That tells you everything you need to know about how quickly things can turn. What worked last season might punish you this season if a manager walks away from it — and we simply don't know yet who is going to.

GW1–3 Fixtures: The Ones That Matter

With so many uncertainties, the fixture schedule for the first three gameweeks becomes even more important than usual. Here's a quick read:

Arsenal start with Coventry, then face Aston Villa and Chelsea. Frank Lampard is no pushover. Two or three potentially tricky fixtures depending on how you see it.

Aston Villa play Brighton, Arsenal, and Hull. Difficult opening run. I would not be rushing in.

Brentford face Tottenham, Leeds, and Sunderland. They are a stable team and worth considering. Ouattara, Thiago, or Ajer could all be smart picks here.

Chelsea have Fulham, Brighton, and Arsenal. Their preseason has been unconvincing at best. The key question is: are we getting a manager closer to Maresca or closer to Potter?

Everton play Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Man United. I trust Moyes. Everton are worth picking from. Ndiaye looks like the penalty taker, Tarkowski is back on my radar.

Leeds take on Forest, Brentford, and Brighton. If they start the way they finished last season, they could end up top ten. Look at Nmecha, Okafor, and Calvert-Lewin.

Liverpool have Newcastle, Forest, and Ipswich. The big question is how quickly they adapt to their new manager. He likes wing-backs and wide players — so Kerkez, Frimpong, and Gakpo could be the ones to own from Liverpool. Whether Mac Allister and Szoboszlai remain central figures is a genuine unknown right now.

Man City start with Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Coventry. Haaland. I know they didn't look great in preseason, but you just have to have Haaland. Maybe don't bank on their defence right now, but Haaland is non-negotiable.

Man United open against Hull, Ipswich, and Everton. Three favourable fixtures on paper. Bruno Fernandes remains the name to have, and Cunha, Mbeumo, or Dorgu are the additional options worth considering.

Sunderland take on Ipswich, Fulham, and Brentford. They had a great season to earn promotion. Mukiele and Enzo Le Fée could be excellent picks for those opening fixtures.

Spurs play Brentford, Newcastle, and Forest. Reasonable enough. Kinsky is the clear number one now that Vicario is out. At 4.5, he is exceptional value.

The Approach: Start Expensive

With so many new managers and so many unknowns, here is my recommendation: start with the most expensive players you can afford, then work down.

The logic is simple. If I start with Calafiori — who scored against Man City in preseason — and then Gabriel scores two goals in GW1, I'm immediately trying to figure out how to get him. That swap would cost two or three transfers and probably sacrifice a midfielder because there's no defender worth 8.0 to move down to.

But if I start with Gabriel, I can move to Calafiori. If I start with Bruno, I can move down. If I start with Haaland, I can move down. The flexibility flows in one direction.

This is also the kind of season where a breakout player will emerge — someone like Cole Palmer was before his breakthrough. We just don't know who that is yet. The nine new managers create opportunity: some will find a system that unlocks a player nobody expected. Be ready to move when that happens.

Last Season's Top Performers

If you believe history repeats itself, here's who delivered in 2025/26.

Top forwards:

Top midfielders:

Top defenders:

Top goalkeepers:

If you don't have at least two of those defenders, three of those midfielders, and a forward from that list — ask yourself why not.

Who Everyone Is Picking

Here's where managers stand right now by ownership percentage:

Goalkeepers: Raya leads at 34%, followed by Dubravka at 21.6%, Kinsky at 21.2%, Verbruggen at 19.3%, and Lammens at 18.3%. Interesting that both Dubravka and Kinsky — both 4.5 options — are so popular. That tells you people are splitting between value keepers.

Defenders: Gabriel at 28.9% leads, followed by Calafiori at 28.4% — that preseason performance against Man City has done its work. Pedro Porro at 22.9%, Luke Shaw at 22.2%, and O'Reilly at 21.5% round out the top five.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes at 49.2%. Half of all FPL managers. Is that wisdom of the crowd or prisoner of last season? We'll find out. Saka at 41.3%. Bumo at 31.7% — preseason has clearly moved people. Semenyo at 26.5% and Morgan Rogers at 26.4%.

Forwards: Haaland is the most selected player in FPL this season at 70.1%. João Pedro at 60.6%. Calvert-Lewin at 27.8%. Thiago at 17.8% and Isak at 15.6%.

If you have Haaland, Bruno, and Gabriel, you're already in line with the majority. From there, the differentials are where you build your edge.

Things That Caught My Eye in Preseason

1. 01
   Sessegnon is playing on the wing at Fulham and is classified as a defender. If this holds in the Premier League, he becomes exceptional value.
2. 02
   Tzolis (Arsenal) has had six assists in preseason. That is a number worth remembering for a player at that price point.
3. 03
   Mosquera will play alongside Gabriel at Arsenal with Saliba ruled out injured. An Arsenal centre-back starting the season as a near-certainty is worth noting.
4. 04
   Thiago, Schade, and Dango were outstanding in Brentford's 7-0 preseason win. If that form carries over, Brentford's attacking options look deep and dangerous.
5. 05
   Chelsea look set to use Pedro up front with Morgan Rogers and Palmer. Palestra also in the mix. Their precision has been unconvincing but the personnel is there.
6. 06
   Kinsky at 4.5 is the Spurs number one. With Vicario gone, there is no competition. Spurs have shored up their defence. The clean sheet potential is real.

My Team for GW1

Here is where I've landed. Haaland, Bruno, Gabriel as the core — £35m combined. João Pedro and Brobbey alongside Haaland up front. Szoboszlai, Bruno, Ndiaye, and Groß in midfield. Tarkowski, Sessegnon, and Gabriel at the back. Kinsky in goal, with Verbruggen as my second keeper.

The bench is Verbruggen, Mitchell, Yates, and van Ewijk — thin, but that is the trade-off for starting expensive. I considered Calvert-Lewin as the third forward but held with Brobbey.

Haaland is the captain. Brobbey is vice-captain.

One Week at a Time

We've done this before. 38 weeks. And at the beginning it always feels overwhelming — too many unknowns, too many new managers, too many players you're not sure about.

Here is what I know for certain: by Gameweek 3, the picture will be clearer. Managers will have shown their hand. Systems will have emerged. The breakout player will have scored twice in the first two weeks and everyone will be chasing them.

Until then, start with what you know. Go expensive. Plan two or three gameweeks ahead. And don't panic.

Take it one week at a time. See you after Gameweek 1.