FPL GW9 fixtures: who to pick from each match

Deadline Sat 31 Oct, 11:00 UK · projections will update as GW9 gets closer

For every match: should you pick a defender or an attacker from each side? Defence is rated by clean-sheet chance, attack by expected goals — both ranked against all 20 teams playing this gameweek. ✅ top third · ⚠️ middle · ⛔ bottom third. Best defence this week: Brentford (30% clean sheet). Best attack: Man City (2.3 xG).

Chelsea (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid16% clean sheet · #19 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.5 xG vs MUN · #7 of 20

  • GKMartinez 3.2
  • DEFLacroix 2.8 · Fofana 2.6
  • MIDRogers 4.4 · Palmer 3.1
  • FWDJoão Pedro 3.3 · Welbeck 0.6

Man Utd (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK21% clean sheet · #14 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick1.9 xG vs CHE · #2 of 20

  • GKLammens 3.5
  • DEFMaguire 2.8 · Martinez 2.5
  • MIDB.Fernandes 5.2 · Mbeumo 5.2
  • FWDŠeško 0.7

Bournemouth (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick26% clean sheet · #6 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.4 xG vs LEE · #12 of 20

  • GKPetrović 3.4
  • DEFSilva 4.2 · Hill 3.7
  • MIDTavernier 5.1 · Scott 4.4
  • FWDEvanilson 3.3

Leeds (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK24% clean sheet · #9 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.3 xG vs BOU · #15 of 20

  • GKTrafford 4.4
  • DEFBogle 4.0 · Justin 4.0
  • MIDStach 4.3 · Ampadu 3.4
  • FWDCalvert-Lewin 4.1 · Nmecha 0.8

Brentford (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick30% clean sheet · #1 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick1.6 xG vs NFO · #6 of 20

  • GKKelleher 3.7
  • DEFAjer 3.8 · Kayode 3.0
  • MIDSchade 4.4 · Lewis-Potter 4.1
  • FWDThiago 3.8

Nott'm Forest (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid21% clean sheet · #15 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.2 xG vs BRE · #20 of 20

  • GKSels 3.2
  • DEFMurillo 3.5 · N.Williams 3.2
  • MIDGibbs-White 4.6 · Ndoye 3.5
  • FWDIgor Jesus 2.5 · Delap 2.2

Coventry City (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid17% clean sheet · #17 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.4 xG vs SUN · #11 of 20

  • GKRushworth 3.3
  • DEFThomas 4.1 · Dasilva 3.4
  • MIDRudoni 3.5 · Grimes 3.0
  • FWDThomas-Asante 2.3 · Simms 1.1

Sunderland (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK24% clean sheet · #10 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick1.8 xG vs COV · #4 of 20

  • GKRoefs 3.1
  • DEFMukiele 3.7 · Ballard 3.4
  • MIDE.Le Fée 4.5 · Xhaka 4.1
  • FWDBrobbey 3.3 · Isidor 2.0

Hull City (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK25% clean sheet · #7 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.5 xG vs IPS · #9 of 20

  • GKTzolakis 4.3
  • DEFEgan 3.9 · Ajayi 3.7
  • MIDBelloumi 4.0 · Slater 3.2
  • FWDMcBurnie 3.4

Ipswich Town (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK22% clean sheet · #12 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.4 xG vs HUL · #14 of 20

  • GKScherpen 3.1 · Walton 0.7
  • DEFDavis 3.9 · O'Shea 3.3
  • MIDEnciso 3.6 · Lukić 2.7
  • FWDEmersonn 3.9 · Akpom 1.0

Man City (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid17% clean sheet · #18 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick2.3 xG vs BHA · #1 of 20

  • GKDonnarumma 3.3
  • DEFGuéhi 4.0 · Gvardiol 3.7
  • MIDCherki 3.7 · Anderson 3.6
  • FWDHaaland 7.0

Brighton (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid10% clean sheet · #20 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick1.8 xG vs MCI · #3 of 20

  • GKVerbruggen 3.1
  • DEFDe Cuyper 3.3 · Vuskovic 2.9
  • MIDGroß 4.7 · Gomez 3.3
  • FWDKostoulas 3.2 · Georginio 1.0

Spurs (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick30% clean sheet · #2 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.5 xG vs CRY · #8 of 20

  • GKKinsky 3.5
  • DEFVan Hecke 4.5 · Van de Ven 3.7
  • MIDTonali 3.6 · Bentancur 3.4
  • FWDMarmoush 2.8 · Solanke 1.7

Crystal Palace (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK22% clean sheet · #13 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.2 xG vs TOT · #19 of 20

  • GKBenitez 1.5
  • DEFMitchell 3.6 · Khalaili 3.5
  • MIDKamada 3.1 · Wharton 3.0
  • FWDStrand Larsen 2.7 · Nketiah 2.1

Aston Villa (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⛔ Avoid21% clean sheet · #16 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.4 xG vs FUL · #13 of 20

  • GKSuzuki 3.4
  • DEFLindelöf 3.1 · Cash 2.0
  • MIDBuendía 4.1 · McGinn 3.4
  • FWDN.Jackson 2.9 · Abraham 0.9

Fulham (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK24% clean sheet · #8 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)✅ Good pick1.6 xG vs AVL · #5 of 20

  • GKLeno 3.8
  • DEFCastagne 3.3 · Robinson 3.2
  • MIDKing 4.1 · Iwobi 3.7
  • FWDGonzalo 4.2

Liverpool (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick27% clean sheet · #5 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.3 xG vs ARS · #18 of 20

  • GKA.Becker 4.1
  • DEFVirgil 3.5 · Jacquet 3.5
  • MIDGakpo 3.8 · Szoboszlai 3.8
  • FWDIsak 4.8

Arsenal (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick28% clean sheet · #3 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.3 xG vs LIV · #16 of 20

  • GKRaya 3.8
  • DEFCalafiori 3.7 · Gabriel 3.7
  • MIDSaka 5.0 · Ødegaard 4.2
  • FWDHavertz 2.7

Newcastle (home)

Defence (GK/DEF)⚠️ OK23% clean sheet · #11 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⛔ Avoid1.3 xG vs EVE · #17 of 20

  • GKHorníček 3.5
  • DEFHall 4.5 · Botman 3.6
  • MIDBarnes 3.8 · L.Miley 3.2
  • FWDWissa 4.1 · Fernandez-Pardo 1.3

Everton (away)

Defence (GK/DEF)✅ Good pick28% clean sheet · #4 of 20

Attack (MID/FWD)⚠️ OK1.5 xG vs NEW · #10 of 20

  • GKPickford 3.7
  • DEFTarkowski 4.6 · Branthwaite 3.8
  • MIDDewsbury-Hall 4.2 · Armstrong 3.0
  • FWDBarry 4.8

How these picks are made

Expected points (xP) come from each player's expected goals and assists, minutes, defensive contributions, bonus and the opponent's strength, using FPL's official scoring. Before every deadline we lock our picks and publish them with a tamper-proof timestamp, then score them after the gameweek — check our record.