FPL Gameweek 5 Preview 2026/27: Best Picks, Fixtures and Clean Sheets

Who are the best FPL picks for Gameweek 5?

Quick answer:

Erling Haaland is our captain against Sunderland. João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers remain strong Chelsea picks, while Morgan Gibbs-White has an inviting home match against Coventry. Manchester City lead our clean-sheet shortlist, followed by Nottingham Forest and Spurs. Keep your Arsenal defenders.

The biggest change after GW4 is Leeds. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jayden Bogle have a strong case against Crystal Palace, especially with Axel Disasi suspended. Newcastle’s home fixture against Hull looks less comfortable after Monday’s defeat and three fresh fitness concerns.

When is the FPL Gameweek 5 deadline?

Friday 18 September at 18:30 BST — 23:00 IST. Brentford–Chelsea starts the gameweek that evening.

All ten GW5 fixtures

Kick-off times are in BST.

What did GW4 change about our picks?

Our GW4 preview put Palmer ahead of João Pedro for captaincy. João Pedro won that comparison: Pedro returned 12 points, Palmer five. Both contributed to Chelsea’s equaliser, and Rogers scored their opener. Chelsea’s attack still looks worth keeping; there is no need to chase whichever teammate scored highest last week.

Isak’s two-point return was more frustrating. Liverpool struggled to press and create against Fulham, and Iraola’s subsequent comments give us a footballing reason to temper expectations. Isak remains a hold, but he drops behind Haaland and the Chelsea options for the armband.

Haaland scored the derby winner. Brighton put five past Coventry. Leeds scored four against Newcastle. Each result matters for GW5, although the two Sunday games were heavily shaped by red cards.

Which Gameweek 5 fixtures look best for goals?

Brentford v Chelsea: keep the Chelsea attack

Chelsea have scored ten and conceded nine in four league games. They have let in at least twice every time. Friday is our first choice for attacking returns from both teams.

There is another reason to like Chelsea’s attackers: Nathan Collins is out with a calf injury, while Keith Andrews has sounded doubtful about Mathias Jensen making this match. Brentford also play Reading on Tuesday; Chelsea’s third-round cup tie is already out of the way. Chelsea have more time to prepare.

Pedro is our first choice for a vacant forward slot. Rogers is the cheaper midfield route. Palmer offers penalties and a credible alternative captain. You do not need all three to benefit.

Schade’s brace against Bournemouth puts him on the other side of that conversation, but his finishing did a lot of the work. Brentford produced 0.50 expected goals to Bournemouth’s 2.18 in the match statistics. Those numbers measure the quality of the chances and suggest the draw flattered Brentford.

Alonso called Chelsea too soft after Hull’s two goals. Caicedo’s possible return could help, but we need to see better defending before buying into it.

Our move: keep Chelsea’s attackers. Buy Pedro or Rogers when they improve a weak slot; leave the Chelsea defensive transfers alone.

Manchester City v Sunderland: Haaland gets the armband

Haaland has four goals in four league games, and City have scored eight while conceding twice. A home match against Sunderland is the strongest combination of player and fixture this week.

The derby offered a useful reminder of his threat. City played with ten men from the 23rd minute and still found him for the winner. Maresca’s side adapted rather than settling for a draw, though United hitting the woodwork twice shows how close the match remained.

Both teams have a suspension to manage. Foden misses GW5, and Sunderland are without Reinildo after his second yellow against Arsenal. Foden’s absence creates room for other City attackers, but it does not hand one player a guaranteed 90 minutes.

Our move: captain Haaland. Gvardiol is the defensive option to consider; wait for a clearer starting role before adding another City attacker.

Leeds v Crystal Palace: Calvert-Lewin and Bogle move up

Monday’s 4–1 win was Leeds’ most convincing attacking performance yet. They outshot Newcastle 15–7, with a 1.91–0.85 expected-goals advantage in the match statistics. Calvert-Lewin scored and contributed to Bogle’s goal; Bogle again arrived in the box like an extra attacker.

Farke’s praise afterwards went beyond the goal. He highlighted Calvert-Lewin’s condition and leadership, which is encouraging for a striker whose appeal depends on regular starts. At £6.0m, he leaves you money to spend elsewhere.

Palace have conceded 11 in four. Disasi is suspended, and Dean Henderson’s foot injury leaves Walter Benítez in goal. That makes Bogle at £4.5m particularly interesting: his attacking role gives him a route to points even when Leeds concede.

There is a catch for buyers. Leeds visit Arsenal in GW6 and host Manchester United in GW7. The immediate appeal comes with a tougher couple of weeks to follow.

Our move: start both if you own them. Buy only with a plan for Arsenal away; do not take a points hit simply to chase Monday’s goals.

Bournemouth v Liverpool: play the attackers, lower the captaincy expectations

Bournemouth have scored and conceded in all four league matches. Their 20 shots against Brentford suggest the attack deserved more than a draw. Tavernier remains playable against Liverpool, even if this is not the week to rush him into your squad.

Liverpool’s problem against Fulham was more than tired legs. In his Monday assessment, Iraola said the press had gone backwards and left the midfield exposed. Bournemouth have a chance if they can escape that first line and attack the space behind it.

Gakpo is back in contention after coming on against Fulham. That improves Liverpool’s options while making another Victor Muñoz start less certain. Iraola is also still working out which players can handle repeated games three days apart.

Our move: hold Isak and start your established Bournemouth attackers. Liverpool remain capable of a big attacking return, but Haaland has the cleaner captaincy case.

Who has the best clean-sheet chances in GW5?

City are our first choice. Forest have the most appealing opponent, while Spurs’ fixture brings together two struggling attacks. Arsenal’s defence remains worth backing, even with a tougher trip to Brighton.

Forest: choose the player as carefully as the fixture

Coventry have no goals and ten conceded after four matches. Awoniyi’s suspension weakens their attack further. Gibbs-White and a Forest defender are sensible ways to target the game without gambling on which striker starts.

But Milenković is set to miss Coventry with a hamstring injury. Glasner is more hopeful about Jair Cunha. He also revealed that Murillo played through knee pain at Villa, so the fixture alone is not a reason to buy any Forest centre-back you see.

Neco Williams at £5.0m is our preferred outfield defensive route. Daniel Muñoz is another attacking option, but he has only just made his first league start for Forest. Delap started and scored at Villa; Igor Jesus then came off the bench to score the winner. That competition makes Gibbs-White the simpler attacking purchase.

Spurs v Villa: the goalkeepers look more appealing than the forwards

Spurs have yet to score in the league; Villa have managed one. Kinsky’s £4.5m price and consecutive clean sheets make him a useful starter this week. Van de Ven is also worth starting ahead of a defender with a clearly worse fixture.

Villa now have problems down their left side. Maatsen suffered a serious ankle injury against Forest, while Pau Torres went off with a hamstring problem. Their absences could help Spurs, but four goalless games are enough to stop us buying a Tottenham attacker purely for the opponent.

Brighton v Arsenal: hold the defence, respect the attack

Brighton lead the league with 13 goals, but three of their five at Coventry came after Awoniyi’s dismissal. Hürzeler also credited Verbruggen’s first-half saves. Brighton played well, but the scoreline needs that context.

Raya’s penalty save at Sunderland helped Arsenal keep another clean sheet. Start your Arsenal defenders rather than selling them for a one-week fixture. Saka remains a hold, too: Brighton’s attacking form does not make their defence untouchable.

For goalkeeper transfers, be stingy. Kinsky and Matz Sels are reasonable options when replacing a non-starter. A playable goalkeeper elsewhere rarely needs a four-point hit.

Which players should you buy, hold or captain?

Pedro and Rogers are now £7.8m and £7.7m after their latest rises. Tavernier has climbed to £6.1m, Gvardiol to £5.7m and Tarkowski to £6.1m. Those price changes matter when you are working with exactly enough money.

Our captain order

Haaland first, Palmer second, João Pedro third. Gibbs-White is the alternative for managers deliberately looking beyond the popular choices. Bruno’s fixture is playable, but we would keep him below those four for the armband.

Owning a perfectly good captain already is a reason to save a transfer. You do not have to rebuild your squad to reach the first name on the list.

What about Everton, Newcastle and Manchester United?

Everton v Ipswich: a better attacking fixture than the Spurs draw suggests

Ipswich have scored seven and conceded ten in four. Everton’s goalless game at Spurs should not put you off an attacker here: Dewsbury-Hall got into promising positions and helped create chances.

Dewsbury-Hall at £6.5m is a midfield alternative to the Chelsea names. Tarkowski is worth starting, although his new £6.1m price makes him a considered purchase rather than an obvious bargain. Ipswich’s three goals at Palace are a reminder that a clean sheet will have to be earned.

Newcastle v Hull: the injury news makes this less straightforward

Hull followed three clean sheets with a 2–2 draw at Chelsea. Newcastle followed a decent start with a 4–1 defeat at Leeds. The promoted-team label is doing too much work if this still looks like an automatic home win.

The latest news adds to the concern. Nico González went off with concussion, Jacob Ramsey felt his thigh in the warm-up and Anthony Elanga was already missing. Jaissle sounded pessimistic about getting his injured players back for Hull.

Hull have a defensive concern of their own: Nobel Mendy is still a doubt after his concussion at Chelsea, with the FPL game listing him at a 50% chance of playing. A fit Newcastle attacker you already own is still worth starting. We would spend a new defensive transfer on City or Forest, and wait before buying a Newcastle player whose place depends on a teammate’s injury.

Fulham v Manchester United: hold Bruno and Mbeumo

United failed to score against ten City players, but they hit the woodwork twice. There was enough threat to keep faith with their established attackers.

Fulham’s first point and clean sheet came at Anfield. Arbeloa praised how closely the players followed the plan, which suggests a tougher opponent than their opening defeats might imply. Sessegnon’s groin problem is a fresh concern, while Carrick has described Shaw as close to a return.

Hold Bruno and Mbeumo. Neither is a compulsory buy this week, and there are better captaincy fixtures.

Which team-news updates could change your selection?

The useful information from the latest manager comments is about minutes as much as availability.

Chelsea: Alonso hopes Caicedo, Henderson and Emegha can return against Brentford. Palestra is also nearing fitness. These are possible returns, not four confirmed starters. Caicedo’s availability could change James’s midfield role, while Emegha would give Alonso another centre-forward option. Pedro still has our backing, but do not assume the squad will remain as thin as it was against Hull. Alonso’s update

Liverpool: Iraola says Gomez is available again, although the FPL game still lists him at a 75% chance of playing. Gakpo has already returned from the bench. Iraola has confirmed Mamardashvili will start the cup tie against Spurs; Alisson remains his league goalkeeper. That is planned rotation; keep Alisson. Monday’s press conference

Spurs: Tonali, Porro and Kulusevski are out of the Liverpool cup tie; Udogie is available. Their cup absences do not settle Saturday’s team. De Zerbi says Kudus is ready to start but not yet ready for 90 minutes. Richarlison is outside the Premier League squad, so he is not a recovery gamble to make. Kudus update

Forest and Villa: avoid Milenković and Maatsen; do not plan around a Torres start. Murillo’s knee discomfort and Jair Cunha’s hamstring issue make Neco Williams the easier Forest defender to consider. Glasner’s assessment

Palace: Henderson is out. Sage says Canvot’s omission against Ipswich was a selection decision, so Disasi’s ban is not enough reason to assume Canvot walks straight back into the side.

Suspensions: Foden, Disasi, Reinildo and Awoniyi are unavailable for GW5. Domestic bans and European eligibility are separate: seeing someone play in Europe does not make him available for the weekend.

What have we learned about penalties and set pieces?

Saka took and scored Arsenal’s penalty at Sunderland. Palmer remains Chelsea’s penalty option. Pedro’s appeal comes from his central attacking role and involvement, rather than assuming he will take Palmer’s spot-kicks.

Pascal Groß converted Brighton’s penalty at Coventry. Add that to his creative role, but resist buying solely for the five-goal match with Arsenal next. Le Fée took Sunderland’s penalty, which Raya saved; there has been no confirmed change of taker to act on.

James took dangerous free-kicks while playing in Chelsea’s midfield against Hull. That is useful for owners, although the potential midfield returns make it unwise to buy him on the assumption that the role is permanent. Our September penalty and set-piece update covers the wider picture.

What is the simplest GW5 transfer plan?

Keep the Chelsea attackers. Captain Haaland. Retain Arsenal’s defensive core. Use a free transfer on Gibbs-White or Neco Williams when they replace a genuine weak spot, and give Calvert-Lewin and Bogle a starting place if you already own them.

Repair a suspended or injured starter before making a luxury move. With eleven good options available, banking the transfer is a perfectly good choice.

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