Three weeks away. International break. Injuries, disruption, fatigue, and South American players still on a plane. Gameweek six starts Saturday with Arsenal versus Leeds. Here is everything you need to know.
The international break is finally done. I thought this day would never come. But here we are and gameweek six is upon us.
The problem, as we have learned in the past, is that the international break does not come empty-handed. The first gift it brings is injury. The second is disruption. The third is fatigue. There are many more, but those are the main ones.
The first question you need to answer is: which of your players got injured while away? And then you have to start thinking about whether your team will pick up where it left off. There is the pre-international break version of a team and the post-international break version. They are not always the same. New dimensions entirely.
And then, of course, if you have South American players, like anyone with Enzo, his team were playing yesterday for Messi's farewell. Will they make it back in time? Will they start if they do? Jet lag, fatigue, a different style of football for three weeks. A break of this length pretty much undoes everything the manager has built. Not everything, of course. But you know what I mean. They have been with their national teammates, played a different style, and now they come back. Maybe they have a different role. Maybe they got injured.
The great thing, if there is anything great about it, is that it begins on Saturday at 2:30 with Arsenal versus Leeds.
GW6 Match Previews
Arsenal vs Leeds
Traditionally, Arsenal have really hammered Leeds. The last time they met was in January. Leeds were beaten 4-0. Before that, 5-0. Before that, 4-1. Basically, Arsenal have won all of their games against them. But I think that is before the switch. Daniel Farke's Leeds are a different proposition and I think they will be more competitive this time around.
When it comes to Arsenal players, the injury picture has changed. Konsa picked up a knock. Tomiyasu is still out. Mosquera is out. Ben White is out. Kai Havertz is out. For Leeds: Mateo Joseph is out, Joe Rodon is out, and Harry Wilson is out.
Given what has happened, the Arsenal defense will change. Konsa steps out and Hincapie will likely be back in. But remember, he is coming from South America, and South American players tend to find their first game back tricky. Gabriel will play. Arteta cannot risk not having him in there.
From Arsenal: Timber or Calafiori, then Saka, and if you are a gambler, Gyökeres. From Leeds: Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Bogle.
Brentford vs Aston Villa
After a poor start, Aston Villa have won four out of their last five games. Brentford have three draws and two wins in their last five. Both teams are in reasonably good form. Looking at their last five head-to-head encounters, Aston Villa have won two and lost three. So Brentford are slightly favored. They have started better this season and will have the slight edge.
Last time out, they demolished Chelsea 3-0. Schade was the man, and Schade tends to have a better scoring record away from home.
For Brentford, unavailable: Collins, Matias Jensen, Sepp Van den Berg, Milambo, and Josh Da Silva. For Aston Villa: Bizot, Maatsen, Madjo, and Onana are out. I really cannot wait for Goretzka to be back. I want to see how he influences that Villa midfield.
From Brentford: Schade, Thiago, and maybe a defender like Lewis Potter or Kelleher. From Aston Villa: Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, and Buendia are the three standouts for me.
Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Last time out, Chelsea were hammered 3-0 by Brentford. And if you watched that game, it never looked like it was going to be 3-0, and then suddenly it was. A bit harsh for Chelsea, but also consistent with the fact that they do not defend well. For Chelsea to win, they need to outscore you. And they play a Bournemouth side who do not struggle to score but also struggle to defend.
Last time out, Bournemouth were beaten by Liverpool. It was a tight game and they probably deserved an equalizer, but it just did not go that way. Chelsea are not defending as well as Liverpool, so there will be goals in this one.
For Bournemouth, injured: Alex Scott, Araujo, Junior Kroupi, Adli, and Milosavljevic. For Chelsea: Cole Palmer picked up a knock. Joao Pedro, we do not know if he will be back. Reece James and Caicedo are out. Their most recent games have ended in three draws: 2-2, 2-2, and 1-1.
If Joao Pedro is back after three weeks, I believe he will be fit. From Chelsea: Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and maybe Neto. From Bournemouth: Tavernier, Evanilson, and Ryan.
Ipswich vs Fulham
Fulham start a series of favorable fixtures. Last time out, Fulham drew with Manchester United while Ipswich were beaten by Everton.
For Ipswich, only Jack Taylor is unavailable. For Fulham: Kenny Tete and Tom Cairney are out.
From Ipswich: Leif Davis, Enciso, and Emersonn should he play are my favorites. From Fulham: Garcia, King, and Bobb. And if you want to push it a bit, Castagne.
Sunderland vs Brighton
Sunderland were really good against Manchester City, even if they were beaten. Brobbey had a hat-trick, as we all remember, painfully, especially if you had removed him like me. In terms of head-to-head, Brighton have won two and drawn two against Sunderland, so they have not lost this fixture. And Brighton are in great form right now. If they do to Sunderland what they did to Arsenal, it will be a very good game.
If you believe in Brighton, you have three options: Gross, De Cuyper, and Kostoulas. Then close your eyes.
For Brighton, unavailable: Wieffer, Femi Azeez, Hinshelwood, Mitoma, Tzimas, and Evan Ferguson. For Sunderland: Habib Diarra and Brobbey are unavailable. I am sure many people brought Brobbey in after the hat-trick, and this is exactly why I was asking people to wait. The international break is unpredictable and he got injured. They still have good options though.
If you are choosing Sunderland players: Hume, because he tends to play up top and is classified as a defender. Then Enzo Le Fee and Isidor. Or you could go with Meunier or Mukiele, because Mukiele was good last season.
Man United vs Tottenham
Two teams that do not have great form right now. The last time they met, Man United defeated Tottenham. Same manager and Bruno Fernandes scored.
Something great happened for Bruno during the break: he became captain of Portugal and his form really shot up. People will be hoping that carries over to the gameweek.
For Man United, unavailable: Rashford, Dorgu, Sesko, Mazroui, Amad, De Ligt, and Tom Heaton. For Tottenham: Pedro Porro, Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons, Odobert, and Kulusevski are out.
From Man United: Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, and Cunha. For Tottenham, I would not encourage you to get them, but if you must: Conor Gallagher, Van Hecke, and maybe Van de Ven or Andy Robertson.
Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest
This should be a good game because it is the Glasner Derby. The thing that stands out most is that Crystal Palace have not beaten Nottingham Forest at Crystal Park in their last seven meetings. That means this result will possibly favor Forest, with either a draw or a win.
The most recent three fixtures have resulted in a 1-1 draw. It seems like they are evenly matched, then Forest win one 1-0 and it is 1-1 again. In the last five encounters: four 1-1 draws and one Forest win. If you are asking me, this game is most likely to end in a draw. And as you have heard, the draws tend to be 1-1.
If you want to choose someone to score from Forest: Gibbs-White, Delap, and possibly Munoz. Munoz or Murillo would have a chance. From Crystal Palace, as I have said before, they are going to score through their wing backs. I would encourage you to have Khalaili or Mitchell, and then you can choose Strand Larsen or Yeremi Pino.
For Crystal Palace, unavailable: Tomiyasu, Dean Henderson, Mateta, and Riad. For Nottingham Forest: Savona and Milenkovic are unavailable.
Hull vs Everton
Right off the bat, I have Tarkowski and I will be hoping for a clean sheet here. Everton only have one player injured: Merlin Rohl. Hull have a few unavailable: Mendy, Matt Targett, Hughes, Matazo, Butland, Zambrano, Gyabi, and Jacob. A large number of names, but I have not seen most of them play this season, so I am not sure how much it will affect things.
From Hull: Belloumi, Grimes, and McBurnie. Last time against Newcastle, Hull conceded very early and it was quite hard for them to get back into the game. They will be hoping to do better here. From Everton: Barry, Tarkowski, and maybe Grealish.
Liverpool vs Manchester City
The game that is going to cause me a lot of nightmares this gameweek.
For Liverpool, the injury list is long: Cody Gakpo, Isak, Jacquet, Bradley, Chiesa, Ekitike, Jaros, and Leoni are all out. It does not look like Man City will face a strong Liverpool side. But Liverpool have been defending well and it will be interesting to see what they look like without Jacquet. Frimpong will likely be pushed to the right to fill that gap, but if Frimpong goes right, they tend to go back to conceding. So it will be an interesting adjustment to watch.
Without those players mentioned, you are really left with Wirtz, Barcola, and possibly Munoz on the Liverpool end. Not quite exciting. On the Man City end, you know it is Haaland and Cherki.
Haaland has a terrible scoring record against Liverpool. This is the only fixture in which I would discourage people from choosing him as captain.
Newcastle vs Coventry
Newcastle were impressive last time out. They defeated Hull and handed them their first defeat of the season. That was no easy task and they deserve credit for it.
For Newcastle, unavailable: Livramento, Dedic, Gonzalez, Elanga, Joelinton, Jaouen, Osula, and Dan Burn. For Coventry: Van Ewijk, Wright, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Luke Woolfenden, and Amenda. Both teams have a large number of unavailable players.
From Newcastle: Willock, Barnes, and Wissa are your best bets. From Coventry: Dasilva mainly, because he is the only consistent goal scorer so far. Then Rudoni and maybe Thomas.
Captain Picks: GW6
- 1Arsenal vs Leeds — Saka is the best captain shout from Arsenal. If you are a gambler, Gyökeres (seven goals in a row in the Nations League). From Leeds: Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Bogle.
- 2Brentford vs Aston Villa — Manzambi or Nicolas Jackson from Villa. Schade or Thiago from Brentford. Buendia is worth a look too.
- 3Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Joao Pedro if he is back. If not, Rodgers. On the Bournemouth end: Tavernier or Evanilson.
- 4Ipswich vs Fulham — Leif Davis or Enciso for Ipswich. Bobb, King, Gonzalo, or Castagne for Fulham.
- 5Sunderland vs Brighton — Gross, De Cuyper, or Kostoulas. Straight Brighton.
- 6Man United vs Tottenham — Bruno Fernandes or Mbeumo. I would not captain a Spurs player.
- 7Crystal Palace vs Forest — A wing back from Palace: Khalaili or Mitchell. Or Gibbs-White from Forest if you are feeling bold. Delap too.
- 8Hull vs Everton — Tarkowski or Barry. On the Hull end, Belloumi is the strongest candidate right now.
- 9Liverpool vs Man City — Haaland if you must, but his record against Liverpool is poor. Semenyo is an option. I would not captain a Liverpool player.
- 10Newcastle vs Coventry — Barnes or Wissa for Newcastle. Dasilva for Coventry if you are feeling spicy.
Fixture Difficulty: Next 5 Games
My Assessment
The easy teams right now: Man City, Fulham, Newcastle, and Brighton, because they have been in good form. You just have to go with them. And then the champions, Arsenal. You just have to go with them too. Those are the teams with the most winnable fixtures over the next five.
Arsenal face Leeds first. How they navigate that will really inform how they take on Forest, because I feel like Leeds, Forest, and Everton are similar teams. Before the break they had Liverpool and Hull, so given the disruption from the international window it is not quite as easy as I would have said before the break. But I am cautiously optimistic.
Aston Villa have picked up in form. It is just a matter of: is it for real? I think these fixtures are a bit challenging for them and I would look into Villa seriously after the Man City game.
Bournemouth have Chelsea, Sunderland, Man United, Leeds, and Ipswich. Honestly, they can score against all of these teams. Can they win all of them? I do not know. But they can definitely score against all of them. There is no great defensive team in that run.
Brentford could win two of their next five. It is not so easy, but they are good and they can surprise you. I am just waiting to see how teams react this weekend before committing to anything.
Brighton have Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Man City, and Brentford. After the Crystal Palace game it gets much tougher. But I would not get out of Brighton players just yet.
Chelsea can outscore Bournemouth. Can they outscore Everton? I am not sure. Spurs, yes. Man United, yes. Sunderland, maybe not. The problem with Chelsea is they can score but cannot defend. It is a week-by-week calculation.
Coventry look like they have the potential to be tough to beat after the last game. But the international break can change things. We will see.
Crystal Palace have Forest, Brighton, Newcastle, Tottenham, and Liverpool. A mixed bag. I have largely lost my read on these teams after three weeks off and I am just waiting to see what happens. I still believe their wing backs are their greatest threat. I would still back getting into Mitchell or Khalaili.
Everton have Hull first, then Chelsea and Arsenal. Those become very challenging games. I might bench Tarkowski for the Arsenal fixture, not the Chelsea one, because I believe they can keep a clean sheet against Chelsea.
Fulham have Ipswich, Hull, and Coventry on paper as their easiest games. A King, a Gonzalo, a Bobb, or a Castagne makes sense from this run.
Hull have Everton, Fulham, Brentford, Ipswich, and Arsenal. In theory this is their level. I think they will have good games and there is potential for surprises. If you still have Hull players, do not get rid of them yet.
Ipswich have Fulham, then Manchester City, then Forest, then Hull, then Bournemouth. No matter what, Leif Davis, Enciso, and Emerson are their best players. If anything is going to happen, that is where it will come from.
Leeds have Arsenal and then Man United. No wonder I did not want to get Leeds players. These are tough games. Then Sunderland, which is not easy either. Then Bournemouth and Tottenham.
Liverpool have Man City, then Brentford, Brighton, Arsenal, and Crystal Palace. After Man City, I think they can win two or three of those games. But it also depends on how long Gakpo and Isak are out for. If they are out for months, I would not invest in them.
Man City have Liverpool first, then Ipswich, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Forest. Stay the course with City. The only thing that can derail them now is those 115 charges and whatever the outcome may possibly be.
Man United have Tottenham, Leeds, Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. If this was the team that finished last season strongly I would have more faith in them. But they have been underwhelming of late. I am hoping the break helps them rediscover something, especially with Bruno returning in great form.
Newcastle have Coventry, Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Fulham. All winnable games. I would encourage you to get Barnes or Wissa right now.
Nottingham Forest have Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Ipswich, Brentford, and Man City. A sandwich of difficult games and winnable ones.
Sunderland have Brighton, Bournemouth, Leeds, Coventry, and Chelsea. Honestly, if you told me Sunderland were going to win all these games, I would believe you. But without Brobbey, I am waiting to see what Isidor looks like now. Although he was actually the better striker before Brobbey scored the hat-trick. So I am giving him a chance.
Tottenham have Man United, Coventry, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Leeds. At this point, every Spurs game is difficult.
See you on the pitch. Have a great week.