Gameweek 5 Review: All the key takeaways from every GW5 game
Couldn’t watch the games? No problem, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll go through all the key points from Gameweek 5 and analyse every game from an FPL perspective
Brentford vs Chelsea
Chelsea were genuinely awful. Without Pedro, it felt like they lost their rhythm and structure completely. Brentford, on the other hand, played with much more organisation and created some good chances, although overall it wasn’t a particularly entertaining game.
Palmer: Apart from creating two chances, I didn’t really see much from Palmer. His positioning was average and so was his overall performance. He was far below what I expected from him.
Rogers: He was much better than Palmer and was probably Chelsea’s best player. He had the most shots in the game for Chelsea with 4 and regularly found himself in dangerous positions. Compared to Palmer, his performance was clearly better.
Thiago: Don’t be fooled by the numbers. Thiago’s goal came from an open net, and apart from that he had just 0.12 xG, which is poor for a striker. With the way Brentford are currently playing, it’s still a big no for me.
Schade: I really liked Schade’s performance. I’m not considering bringing him in, but he consistently found himself in good positions and could have decent potential for points.
Final Thoughts
I’ll keep my Chelsea players as long as their fixtures remain good. After that, I’ll probably start thinking about who could replace them.
For Brentford, considering the price, Schade is the only option I like.
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Honestly, I liked Tottenham’s performance a lot more. They looked like they had a much clearer game plan compared to Villa. However, Villa looked better on the counter-attack and were far more clinical with taking their chances.
Savio: He had a very good game, recording the most chances created with 4. He took some solid shots, played great passes, and was genuinely unlucky not to get an attacking return.
Manzambi: He looked very active and played in a highly advanced role, consistently getting himself into the box. He finished the game with 4 shots and 2 chances created. If he manages to find his form, he could definitely become an option we can count on.
Buendía: He had a decent game, though he wasn’t quite at the same level as his previous performances. He scored with an excellent shot, but apart from that moment, he didn’t look particularly dangerous.
Van Hecke: He has been a constant threat on set-pieces in recent matches and finally got his goal. Interestingly enough, he also created 2 chances during the game.
Final Thoughts
I’m going to wait and keep an eye on Manzambi to see just how good of an option he truly is. I’m still not sure if bringing in a Spurs defender on a Wildcard is the right move, but if I were to go there, Van Hecke would be the one I’d bring in.
Everton vs ipswich
Both teams played very well, with Everton the better side. However, Ipswich could easily have ruined Everton’s clean sheet, and with better finishing, this game could have been very different. Everton’s finishing was also terrible.
Dewsbury-Hall: In one word, unlucky. He had the most shots in the game (6) and created 2 chances, but couldn’t find a goal despite having good opportunities. I think he has simply been unlucky over the last few weeks.
Barry: His goal was lucky. Tarkowski’s shot hit him and ended up in the net. Aside from that, he had some good positions but couldn’t find another goal.
Davis: He missed a very good chance worth 0.42 xG, but he made some excellent attacking runs. He remains my preferred option as a 5th defender.
Tarkowski: He had a good game and looked dangerous from corners. The DEFCON points helped him get a decent score, but at £6.2m, I still wouldn’t bring him in.
Final Thoughts
Ipswich could have scored, but Everton’s defence prevented it. From Ipswich, Davis might be the only option I need. With Everton’s fixtures, Dewsbury-Hall or an Everton defender could be considered if you’re willing to take the risk, but personally, I’m not bringing them in.
Brighton vs Arsenal
Brighton actually looked better to me on the day. They put a heavy press on Arsenal’s goal, created good chances, and played with calculated attacks. Arsenal didn’t play badly, in fact, they played quite well at times but they really should have been much more clinical with their chances.
Groß & Ayari: Both had a heavy presence inside the box. Groß was more heavily involved in attacks and passing, finishing with 2 chances created and 1 big chance created.
De Cuyper: Similar to the previous game, I saw more chance creation from him than actual goal threat. It feels like De Cuyper has lost a bit of his goal threat, but I won’t say it with absolute certainty yet.
Kostoulas: He had a good game. He’s the kind of player who can play with his back to the goal and still remain dangerous, and he took the most shots in the match with 4.
Ødegaard & Havertz: For Ødegaard, the only thing to say is that he was playing high up and got into good positions, nothing else to add. As for Havertz, he could’ve easily scored but didn’t, missing a massive chance valued at 0.6 xG.
Saka: He missed a good chance, but I really liked his overall play and positioning. He also recorded the most chances created in the game with 3.
Final Thoughts
You should keep pretty much any Arsenal player you own; one bad game is never a reason to sell. As for Brighton, I’m trusting them on my Wildcard and will likely bring in all three options. They are a dangerous team, and I’m genuinely scared to go without them.
Newcastle vs Hull city
Both teams played attractive and entertaining football. Newcastle were better on the counter-attacks after scoring their two goals, while Hull City applied more pressure overall.
Wissa: Apart from missing a penalty, he did very little. He was invisible for most of the game and had a terrible performance.
Barnes: He had a very good game and was active from start to finish. He provided two assists and created the most chances in the game (3). He didn’t get any particularly big chances himself, but it was still a very good performance.
Hall: As I mentioned before, he makes excellent attacking runs, and that helped him score his goal. His runs became less frequent after the goal, but he still created 2 chances, including 1 big chance.
Belloumi: My favourite Hull City player. He had the most shots in the game (5), was extremely active and played with a lot of confidence and aggression. If I need a 5th midfielder, Belloumi would be the one I’d go for.
Final Thoughts
I’ve lost hope in Wissa and don’t think keeping him is going to help. On the other hand, I really like Barnes and Hall, and I think Newcastle’s fixtures will remain appealing for several weeks.
From Hull City, I might consider Belloumi on a Wildcard, but outside of that, I wouldn’t go for him.
Nottingham forest vs Coventry
Forest were much better than Coventry and were unlucky not to score, but their finishing was also poor. They had 24 shots but only 3 on target, which isn’t a great sign. Coventry mainly relied on counter-attacks.
Gibbs-White: He created the most chances in the game (6) but didn’t have a single shot. He was very active throughout the game and was unlucky not to get an assist, but a game without a shot does concern me.
Munoz & Williams: Both had relatively quiet games. Williams created 4 chances and made some good attacking runs, but there was no end product. As for Munoz, there was barely any involvement from him.
Delap: He wasn’t as good as in the previous game, but he didn’t disappoint me. He had the most shots on target in the game (4) and was arguably a little unlucky, although he still wasn’t as good as last time.
Final Thoughts
I’m happy to give Gibbs-White another chance, especially considering Forest’s good fixtures. If I own a Forest defender, I still want it to be Murillo.
As for Coventry, I’m not considering any of their players.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool
I saw an average game from both sides. There were no extraordinary moments or crazy performances, but Liverpool were ultimately the better team.
Isak: He didn’t do much apart from his goal. He mostly dropped deep and tried to help with the build-up play, which is exactly what his heatmap shows.
Wirtz: His assist was a bit lucky, but his presence both inside and just outside the box is dangerous. It looks like he wants to make things happen but just can’t quite pull it off at the moment. He tied with Gakpo for the most chances created in the match (3).
Gakpo: He had a balanced game. You couldn’t expect too much in this specific match, but he still put in a good performance compared to the rest of the Liverpool squad.
Szoboszlai: Aside from putting two free-kicks wide, he didn’t do anything else. A genuinely poor performance from him.
Final Thoughts
For Liverpool, I only really like Isak, at least you can count on his individual form. Bournemouth were unlucky not to score today. It’s hard to judge the Bournemouth players too much based on this single game, but if you want an attacker, Tavernier is the guy. If you need a solid defender, look at Silva, and if you’re after an attacking defender, Truffert is the one
Leeds vs Crystal Palace
We saw a high-quality game from both sides, but Palace were the better team. They had significantly more attacking sequences and sustained pressure compared to Leeds.
Calvert-Lewin: He had only one chance in the entire game and he completely missed it (a massive 0.52 xG chance). Aside from that single moment, he did absolutely nothing.
Muharemović: He took the most shots in the match with 4 (technically 3 headers and 1 shot), which is an excellent underlying stat. He looks like a very reliable option from the Leeds defense.
Kamada: He is my favorite Palace player right now. He constantly gets himself into great positions, and if he continues playing like this, he could be a fantastic differential.
Mitchell: If you want a Palace defender, Mitchell is a great option. He makes excellent, dangerous forward runs and even had a goal ruled out in this game.
Final Thoughts
I’m staying away from Palace assets right now, but if I had to bring one in, Mitchell would be my priority. As for Leeds, if you want a defender, Muharemović is the top pick. When it comes to Calvert-Lewin, you have to make your own decision, he is the kind of player that requires a lot of patience and might just end up frustrating you.
Manchester City vs Sunderland
We saw an incredible game from both attacks, matched by absolute disasters defensively from both sides. Sunderland often conceded goals due to sheer chaos and crowding in their box, while City’s entire defense was repeatedly taken out of the game with just a single pass.
Haaland: He wasn’t the main focal point for City today. He missed a great opportunity, and apart from that, his goal was a simple tap-in. Overall, an average performance by his standards.
Semenyo: In this system, he played much more inside the box and took on the finishing duties himself, whereas in previous setups he was mainly creating. Scoring two goals from just 0.16 xG shows that clever positioning and a bit of luck earned him his points.
Cherki: Active and sharp, but he was mostly circulating the ball rather than creating truly dangerous chances. His goal came down to smart positioning amid the chaos in Sunderland’s box.
Enzo & Gvardiol: Aside from their goal and assist, we didn’t see much else from either of them. Enzo’s goal was likely down to Roefs, who clearly didn’t anticipate the shot coming.
Brobbey: I won’t deny that he had a strong performance, but two of his three goals were simple tap-ins after some masterclass deliveries. Regardless, he is currently injured and isn’t an FPL option right now anyway.
Meunier: He plays quite high up the pitch and managed to grab an assist. However, with him pushing so far forward, you shouldn’t rely on DEFCON. Still, I might consider bringing him in on my Wildcard.
Final Thoughts
I’ve pretty much written off the City defense unless you are purely banking on attacking returns. For Sunderland, grabbing a cheap defensive enabler might not be the worst idea. If you’re ranking City’s attacking options right now: 1. Haaland, 2. Semenyo, 3. Cherki, 4. Enzo.
Fulham vs Manchester United
Both goals in the game were quite lucky, but I thought Fulham were far better than Man United. They created much more dangerous attacks, had significantly more volume going forward, and played genuinely attractive football.
Garcia & King: Both could have easily scored, but their efforts were either saved or let down by poor finishing. I really like King—he is extremely dangerous.
Bruno: Outside of hitting the woodwork, I didn’t see much else from him. He is still getting into the box, but Man United’s overall form might hold back his point-scoring potential.
Rashford: He had an active game, but most of it ended up being unproductive. His highlights were plenty of chance creation, taking the most shots in the match (6), and missing good opportunities.
Mbeumo & Cunha: Cunha was a level above Mbeumo and found himself in dangerous positions much more frequently. For Mbeumo, outside of one good strike, I didn’t see much.
Martínez: Even though he scored an own goal, he played very aggressively as a defender and pushed high up the pitch. 4 shots and that kind of heatmap is definitely notable for a center-back.
Final Thoughts
I’m not taking the risk of bringing any Man United players in on my Wildcard. Their form is just average and they genuinely didn’t look good in this game. For Fulham, King is my top priority, followed by Garcia, mainly because there are already plenty of great options available in Garcia’s position
Thank you so much for staying with us until the end of this article. I hope it helps you make your transfers and build your team with a clearer perspective. See you again next week.
Good luck!
Follow @FPL_Armo for daily FPL content