Premier League Matchweek 5: Predicted Line-ups and Selection Gambles
With the deadline looming for Fantasy Premier League managers, predicted line-ups for Matchweek 5 come loaded with injury intrigue, tactical tweaks and one or two selection gambles that could define the weekend.
Brentford v Chelsea: Full-back battles and Alonso’s poker face
At Brentford, Aaron Hickey has muscled his way into Michael Kayode’s right-back slot and will fancy keeping it. On the left, El Hadji Malick Diouf has thrown his name into the ring after starting in the EFL Cup, putting pressure on Keane Lewis-Potter’s hold on that role.
Keith Andrews tightened things up last weekend by using Yehor Yarmoliuk in an advanced central midfield role. His big call now: stick with the Ukrainian’s defensive discipline or restore Mikkel Damsgaard’s creativity.
Across west London, Xabi Alonso is giving nothing away. Joao Pedro’s availability remains a mystery – “It is a possibility,” he said, even after the forward withdrew from Brazil duty through injury. If Pedro misses out, Danny Welbeck is the obvious stand-in.
Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson are all in limbo too, with Alonso promising decisions on Friday. Pep Chavarria waits impatiently for a first league start, hoping rotation or fitness issues finally open the door.
Spurs v Aston Villa: Full-backs shuffled, strikers under scrutiny
At Spurs, Roberto De Zerbi looks ready to tweak both flanks. Pedro Porro, left out as a precaution against Everton, is fit and primed to reclaim his right-back spot from Archie Gray. On the opposite side, Destiny Udogie played the EFL Cup tie at Liverpool and should keep Andy Robertson out of the XI.
Sandro Tonali, absent at Anfield, has been cleared for the Villa clash. James Maddison is edging towards a first start of the season after being eased back from the bench. Dejan Kulusevski is finally back in full training but, with the international break on the horizon, his competitive return is likely to wait.
Unai Emery, meanwhile, is forced into changes at Villa. Matteo Ruggeri, impressive in the EFL Cup win at Coventry, is set to cover the injured Ian Maatsen at left-back. Tyrone Mings should line up alongside Victor Lindelof, with Pau Torres ruled out.
Matty Cash is pushing to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back after overcoming muscle soreness. Joao Gomes returns from suspension in midfield. Up front, Emery has a straight shootout: stick with Nicolas Jackson or reward Tammy Abraham, who struck twice in midweek.
Brighton v Arsenal: Seagulls settled, Gunners juggling options
Brighton have every reason to keep things as they are. A 5-0 demolition of Coventry City in the league and an EFL Cup win at Manchester United point towards an unchanged XI. Georginio Rutter, back from injury and involved at Old Trafford, is the main threat to that stability as he pushes for a start.
Fabian Hurzeler confirmed Jaouen Hadjam is available at left-back despite being forced off on his debut. Femi Azeez remains sidelined with the hamstring problem he brought from Millwall, while Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Stefanos Tzimas, Yankuba Minteh, Zadok Yohanna, Evan Ferguson and Mats Wieffer all stay on the longer-term injury list.
For Arsenal, the picture is more fluid. Ben White’s groin issue kept him out of the EFL Cup win at Ipswich Town, but Mikel Arteta expects him to be fit. Jurrien Timber is also ready and could come in at right-back if Arteta opts for freshness.
The Arsenal manager is “really positive about everybody”, including Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera, both expected to be fine. The real intrigue lies in midfield: Bruno Guimaraes, who scored off the bench at Sunderland, is pushing for a first Premier League start. Arteta lauded his “dynamic, versatile” qualities and hinted that his role will depend on what Arsenal “need on the day”.
Everton v Ipswich: Midfield hinges on fitness, attacking spots up for grabs
Everton’s plans revolve around Harrison Armstrong’s fitness. He missed the EFL Cup win over Wolves, but David Moyes “expects him to be OK” to partner James Garner in central midfield.
Jack Grealish is knocking loudly for a first Premier League start since returning on loan from Manchester City. On the right, Tyrique George could edge ahead of Brennan Johnson, though Tyler Dibling’s lively display against Wolves keeps him firmly in the conversation. Merlin Rohl and Christian Norgaard remain out.
Ipswich arrive with a clean bill of health bar Jack Taylor. Gary O’Neil confirmed Emersonn is fit again after a tight quad kept him out of the EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal. The twist? Zian Flemming, who came on for the injured Emersonn at Crystal Palace and scored the winner, is also pressing for a start.
Azor Matusiwa is available but unlikely to feature, leaving O’Neil with a settled core and a big call in attack.
Newcastle v Hull: Jaissle’s injury headache vs Hull’s unbeaten rhythm
At Newcastle, Matthias Jaissle’s injury list just keeps growing. Anthony Elanga missed the defeat to Leeds, allowing Jacob Murphy to start. If Jaissle reshuffles again, Harvey Barnes could switch to the right with Bazoumana Toure coming in on the left.
Nico Gonzalez’s concussion against Leeds opens a midfield slot that should fall to Sean Steur, with Jacob Ramsay also unavailable. In defence, Amar Dedic has joined the absentees, which may hand Tino Livramento a start. Joe Willock and Matias Fernandez-Pardo appear to be contesting a single midfield place.
Hull City, unbeaten four games into their Premier League return, have the luxury of continuity. Sergej Jakirovic loses Nobel Mendy to concussion, but can turn to Lucas Herrington or Paddy McNair to plug the gap.
Matt Crooks will try to keep Lucas Gourna-Douath and Tim Iroegbunam out of central midfield, while Sorba Thomas is pushing hard to dislodge Elliot Stroud.
Nott’m Forest v Coventry: Formation questions and fresh threats
Nottingham Forest are still managing key absences. Nikola Milenkovic remains out with a hamstring problem, while Jair Cunha has returned to training but must prove his reaction to the workload. Ola Aina stands by to cover again if needed.
In midfield, Ibrahim Sangare looks set to miss out once more to the pairing of Xaver Schlager and James McAtee. Up front, Igor Jesus, who came off the bench to score the winner against Aston Villa, is cranking up the pressure on Dan Ndoye for a starting berth.
Frank Lampard’s Coventry must decide whether to stick or twist with their shape. He moved from a back three to a four in the EFL Cup and now has to choose whether to revert. Aurele Amenda is sidelined with a calf injury, so Manchester City loanee Stephen Mfuni is the obvious replacement if Lampard keeps his previous system, though a formation shuffle remains on the table.
Victor Torp and Caleb Yirenkyi impressed in midweek and are pushing for central midfield roles. Competition for the two No 10 positions is fierce, with new signing Yann Gboho among the contenders. Up front, teenager Sidiki Cherif, who filled in for the suspended Taiwo Awoniyi on Wednesday, battles Ellis Simms for the starting shirt.
AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool: European high vs Anfield rotation
Bournemouth ride into the weekend on a high after a landmark European win at Real Sociedad. Marco Rose used the same XI that drew with Brentford and then triumphed in Spain, and a third straight unchanged line-up looks the most likely scenario.
There are no fresh injury concerns, while Amine Adli, Julian Araujo, Junior Kroupi and Veljko Milosavljevic remain out. If Rose does decide to tweak anything, it will probably be in central midfield, where he has occasionally rotated Tyler Adams with Lewis Cook.
Liverpool’s midweek EFL Cup win over Spurs has reshaped their options. Cody Gakpo, who missed the goalless draw with Fulham through injury, returned with a goal and an assist and should start. He may, however, shift to the right to keep Bradley Barcola on the left after the summer signing’s bright start.
Alexis Mac Allister, another midweek scorer, is in line to replace Ryan Gravenberch in midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai. At left-back, Milos Kerkez is expected to come back in against his former club, taking over from Konstantinos Tsimikas.
Joe Gomez made his injury return against Spurs, but Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Federico Chiesa are still sidelined.
Leeds v Crystal Palace: Farke’s settled side vs Sage’s selection puzzle
Leeds have momentum and, crucially, stability. Daniel Farke’s team dismantled Newcastle 4-1 and there is little incentive to tinker. Harry Wilson is out with a quad injury, though he has been used only from the bench of late.
Noah Okafor should keep his place after scoring against Newcastle, but Brenden Aaronson offers an alternative if Farke wants a different profile. Ilia Gruev is back in contention after coming through an Under-21 match unscathed. Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph remain unavailable.
Crystal Palace must reshuffle at the back. Axel Disasi is suspended after his red card against Ipswich, so Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to come in at centre-back.
Ismaila Sarr is the wild card. He made his first appearance of the season as a substitute in the Europa League win over Lech Poznan and is pushing to start, though Pierre Sage admitted the winger would not be ready for a full 90 minutes. Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta will not return until after the international break.
Man City v Sunderland: Foden’s ban opens a door
Phil Foden’s suspension after his red card in the Manchester derby hands Iliman Ndiaye a big chance. The summer signing is in line for just his second Premier League start for Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca expects Jeremy Doku to be available after the calf problem he suffered in the Community Shield, but a place on the bench looks more realistic as he builds fitness. Nico O’Reilly started the EFL Cup win over Norwich at left-back on his return from injury, though Josko Gvardiol should keep his league spot.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has one major decision. With Reinildo Mandava suspended after his late red card against Arsenal, the left-back slot is open. Trai Hume, a right-footer who has previously covered on the left, is one option; Dayann Methalie, a summer signing, could be thrown in for a Premier League debut.
Beyond that, the team should closely resemble the side that faced Arsenal, with the Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar prompting only temporary rotation. Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle are the club’s only injuries.
Fulham v Man Utd: Arbeloa chases first win, Carrick weighs his No 9
Fulham may go unchanged after their draw at Liverpool as Alvaro Arbeloa continues his search for a first Premier League win. Sander Berge and Shea Charles formed a new-look central midfield pairing at Anfield and are expected to stay together, freeing Alex Iwobi to operate higher up.
Ryan Sessegnon, used only from the bench so far, faces a late fitness test. Kenny Tete is ruled out as he follows concussion protocols after being hit in the face by the ball at Anfield. Tom Cairney remains absent with a knee problem.
For Manchester United, Luke Shaw’s status dominates the pre-match debate. Michael Carrick says “there is a chance” the left-back could feature, but with his issue described as “really short term”, Patrick Dorgu is again the likely starter.
The bigger call comes up front. Matheus Cunha has yet to score in the league, and Benjamin Sesko failed to grasp his opportunity in the EFL Cup defeat to Brighton. If Carrick hands Sesko another start through the middle, Cunha could shift to the left and displace Marcus Rashford. Carlos Baleba waits in the wings for a possible debut off the bench.
With so many tight selection calls across the division, Matchweek 5 feels less like a routine round and more like a tipping point. Which managers get their gambles right?
