Last updated on September 9th, 2021
By Matthew Petersen @Matt_Petersen13
The 3rd gameweek of the season saw two of the top sides, Liverpool and Chelsea, play out to a 1-1 draw at Anfield while Man City and Man United got impressive wins to join them on 7 points. Meanwhile, Spurs remain the only side with a winning record as they defeated Watford 1-0 due to a Heung-Min Son goal. On the FPL front, a gameweek average of 56 points saw another good gameweek for a lot of managers, who were hoping to see plenty of green arrows before the International Break. In terms of my 6 picks from last week, 5 of the 6 returned points and I’ll certainly be hoping that this week’s picks can do the same.
Gameweek 3 top 3 performers
1. Ferran Torres (£7.1m) – 18 points (2 goals, 1 assist, 3BPS)
2. Conor Gallagher (£5.5m) – 15 points (2 goals, 3 BPS)
3. Raphael Varane (£5.5m)
Gabriel Jesus (£8.6m)
Jamie Vardy (£10.5m) – All 12 points
Let’s have a look at the players who make our ones to watch list, reviewing their GW3 performance and their potential for GW4.
1. Steven Bergwijn – £6.0m (MID); 1.3% ownership
GW3 review – 6 points (67 minutes, 1 assist)
GW4 preview – Crystal Palace (A)
Bergwijn has been a key player to Spurs maintaining their unbeaten start to the season. He has played in every game so far this season and has notched 2 assists. Added to the fact that Heung-Min Son (£10.0m) might miss this fixture due to a calf injury, that makes Bergwijn’s pull just a little bit stronger. A fast runner, a good dribbler and a midfielder with an eye for a goal, Bergwijn could very well get his first goal this season against a Palace defence still settling under the new management of Patrick Vieira.
2. Sadio Mané – £11.9m (MID); 2.9% ownership
GW3 review – 5 points (90 minutes, 1 assist)
GW4 preview – Leeds (H)
Sadio Mané has gone under the radar across the last few seasons and that is partly due to Liverpool’s injury problems. Mané, himself, admitted that he has been playing below his usual level. However, he is still one of Liverpool’s talisman and is capable of producing a big haul on his day. This game against Leeds this week could see Mané get on the scoresheet again after his strike against Burnley in GW2. Add to the fact that some injuries to Minamino (£5.3m) and Firmino (£8.8m) as the other forward options will see him keep his spot on the left and exploit a Leeds defence that has not been at their best this season.
3. Richarlison – £7.5m (FOR); 12.5% ownership
GW3 review – 2 points (90 minutes)
GW4 preview – Burnley (H)
Richarlison and Everton have benefitted from the Brazilian FA’s kindness that he has escaped the FIFA sanctions and he is eligible to start against Burnley. Having had a mixed start to the season, he will be looking to add more goals to his tally having already notched in GW1. His row with Calvert-Lewin (£8.2m) about who should have taken the penalty against Brighton was not in good taste but it shows his hunger to want to get on the scoresheet and with Calvert-Lewin also still nursing a possible toe injury, Richarlison could benefit from that too.
4. Ferran Torres – £7.1m (MID); 11.3% ownership
GW3 review – performance noted above under top 3 performers
GW4 preview – Leicester (A)
Ferran Torres has benefitted from playing as an OOP forward this season and it was highlighted by his two goals and an assist against Arsenal last week. Added to the fact that Gabriel Jesus will miss this week’s game due to the issue with the Brazilian FA. Torres has been outstanding this season linking well with other attacking players such as Sterling (£10.9m) and Grealish (£8.0m). A game against a shaky Leicester defence also bodes well for City who are still chasing down Spurs and the rest of the top 4. Torres could be a great option and a safe bet against Pep Roulette.
5. Lucas Digne – £5.4m (DEF); 13.6% ownership
GW3 review – 6 points (90 minutes, 1 clean sheet)
GW4 preview – Burnley (H)
Our 2nd pick from Everton comes from Lucas Digne. Everton have been solid defensively this season and a home game against Burnley presents a good opportunity for Digne to keep a clean sheet and possibly return attacking points too. With Burnley being the defensive side they are, Everton will have a lot of possession and Digne can take advantage of that by attacking down the left side in partnership with Demarai Gray (£5.6m). He does also sometimes find himself on corner duty and indirect free-kicks too so that also increases his chances of attacking points.
6. Pontus Jansson – £4.6m (DEF); 5.5% ownership
GW3 review – 7 points (90 minutes, 1 assist, 2 BPS)
GW4 preview – Brighton (H)
Brentford have been the surprise package this season and Jansson’s performances thus far have earned him a spot in the FPL Dream Team. He has been the leader at the heart of the Brentford defence and has proven to be a threat on the other end of the pitch too, as shown with his assist last week. Brentford face a possibly tricky game against Brighton which really could end up being a surprising goal fest or a tight match where both defences save their sides. Jansson is definitely one to keep an eye on.
To have a look at the picks from the GW2 review and GW3 preview, follow the link below:
