Welcome back to game week 8 of the season San Diego.
I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you to stop what you're doing and listen!
In an event that has stunned the football world, confounded the statisticians and caused thousands of Spurs supporters to check their television sets for signs of a technical malfunction, Tottenham Hotspur have finally won a Premier League match!
Yes, you heard that correctly. After 148 days of waiting, 6 games without a victory and a seemingly unbreakable commitment to the bottom of the table that saw them as the only team in the top 7 divisions of English football without a win this season, Spurs have actually managed to collect all 3 points.
I’m told celebrations are underway in North London, although emergency services remain on standby for supporters who may get too giddy over the trouncing of Premier League heavy weights Coventry City!
Cannonball!
GW7 Results
Division 1
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter Kane |  @suttercane | 73 | 89 | Seskobob |  @deniskj |
| YAGMAN FC | @Yagman01 | 36 | 59 | FC McKane |  @mckane |
| Damola's Team |  @george-dee | 45 | 54 | Ping Pong Frimpong |  @pingpongfrimpong |
| Legion fc |  @b0s | 72 | 82 | Suffragette City |  @talesfrmthecrypt |
| Likodra FC |  @teofilex11 | 65 | 78 | Ameerians |  @amirtheawesome |
| HaaBrunoLand |  @earplugs | 76 | 72 | BlockchainFPL H2H |  @blockchainfpl |
| Hiveheadz |  @borran | 67 | 63 | Red Cards of Rohan |  @thoth442 |
| The Cella's |  @blanchy | 58 | 67 | Blue Mooners |  @leebennett |
| Top Boy |  @sperosamuel15 | 56 | 81 | fpl.racibo.pl |  @racibo |
| Hungry Lions |  @gvkanten | 58 | 82 | Tengo Rangers |  @tengolotodo |
Division 2
| Team | Hive Account | Score | Score | Team | Hive Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild XI |  @wildlifelover | 58 | 33 | Working 9 to 5 |  @aunt-granny |
| Dirty Leeds |  @dirtyleeds | 64 | 36 | twicejoy |  @twicejoy |
| Steven's Team |  @stevenson7 | 74 | 70 | El equipo de Roberto | @Kraken99 |
| Emeka4 | @Emeka4 | 75 | 58 | Division 1 |  @omrys5 |
| Blugrana |  @ronnie10 | 67 | 32 | HB-EVWU75 |  @kilvnrex |
| Blank | Blank | 59 | 63 | Corner |  @artniche |
| Glasner Half Full? | @Doombot75 | 73 | 63 | HappyBoys | @Happyboy1 |
| shamzy FC |  @shamzy | 72 | 64 | Top of the Pops |  @elvisking |
| Kingsleyy |  @kingsleyy | 80 | 75 | It's Nice! |  @workingdad |
| Tangram |  @desro | 68 | 43 | Bennett's Boys |  @olibennett |
| The Fantasy Devils |  @stranger27 | 54 | 50 | Cohlson |  @cohlson |
| Los Magos del Balón |  @el-maestro | 42 | 83 | Six and the City |  @princekwame |
| FC Uwelang |  @uwelang | 45 | 81 | Simcard FC |  @akomoajong |
| Deals on Wheels |  @derek-trotter | 56 | 83 | Fire Power |  @emekaj |
| Gen2shaid |  @gentleshaid | 45 | 45 | Jambo Villains |  @stuartcturnbull |
| Solat |  @reservedsingle | 64 | 90 | Stilgar_the_Fremen |  @dune69 |
| Los Porro Hermanos |  @jmehta | 43 | 71 | Chocopram |  @aaalviarez |
| Garuda XI |  @aditya-p | 67 | 74 | Herbae (Stevelight) | @Herbae |
| Micheal87 | @Micheal87 | 64 | 57 | Hadji |  @hadji |
| Form Factor |  @publioscelta | 95 | 48 | Mikmai1 |  @mikmai |
| The Mighty Fc | @Twicejoy-sports | 65 | 49 | Large in the Rear |  @chineduokafor |
| Dani Deuder FDA |  @danideuder | 66 | 73 | PChip FC |  @livinguktaiwan |
| Acid's Team |  @acidyo | 43 | 67 | Uwabbs battalion | @Uwabbs001 |
| dewabrata |  @dewabrata | 43 | 61 | Skander's Team |  @skanderh |
Division 1
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seskobob | @deniskj | v | Hungry Lions | @gvkanten |
| Tengo Rangers | @tengolotodo | v | Top Boy | @sperosamuel15 |
| fpl.racibo.pl | @racibo | v | The Cella's | @blanchy |
| Blue Mooners | @leebennett | v | Hiveheadz | @borran |
| Red Cards of Rohan | @thoth442 | v | HaaBrunoLand | @earplugs |
| BlockchainFPL H2H | @blockchainfpl | v | Likodra FC | @teofilex11 |
| Ameerians | @amirtheawesome | v | Legion fc | @b0s |
| Suffragette City | @talesfrmthecrypt | v | Damola's Team | @george-dee |
| Ping Pong Frimpong | @pingpongfrimpong | v | YAGMAN FC | @Yagman01 |
| FC McKane | @mckane | v | Sutter Kane | @suttercane |
Division 2
| Team | Hive Account | Team | Hive Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working 9 to 5 | @aunt-granny | v | Large in the Rear | @chineduokafor |
| Mikmai1 | @mikmai | v | PChip FC | @livinguktaiwan |
| Hadji | @hadji | v | Uwabbs battalion | @Uwabbs001 |
| Herbae (Stevelight) | @Herbae | v | Skander's Team | @skanderh |
| Chocopram | @aaalviarez | v | dewabrata | @dewabrata |
| Stilgar_the_Fremen | @dune69 | v | Acid's Team | @acidyo |
| Jambo Villains | @stuartcturnbull | v | Dani Deuder FDA | @danideuder |
| Fire Power | @emekaj | v | The Mighty Fc | @Twicejoy-sports |
| Simcard FC | @akomoajong | v | Form Factor | @publioscelta |
| Six and the City | @princekwame | v | Micheal87 | @Micheal87 |
| Cohlson | @cohlson | v | Garuda XI | @aditya-p |
| Bennett's Boys | @olibennett | v | Los Porro Hermanos | @jmehta |
| It's Nice! | @workingdad | v | Solat | @reservedsingle |
| Top of the Pops | @elvisking | v | Gen2shaid | @gentleshaid |
| HappyBoys | @Happyboy1 | v | Deals on Wheels | @derek-trotter |
| Corner | @artniche | v | FC Uwelang | @uwelang |
| HB-EVWU75 | @kilvnrex | v | Los Magos del Balón | @el-maestro |
| Division 1 | @omrys5 | v | The Fantasy Devils | @stranger27 |
| El equipo de Roberto | @Kraken99 | v | Tangram | @desro |
| twicejoy | @twicejoy | v | Kingsleyy | @kingsleyy |
| Wild XI | @wildlifelover | v | shamzy FC | @shamzy |
| Dirty Leeds | @dirtyleeds | v | Glasner Half Full? | @Doombot75 |
| Steven's Team | @stevenson7 | v | Blank | Blank |
| Emeka4 | @Emeka4 | v | Blugrana | @ronnie10 |
Injury concerns start to build
As October hits and the games start to come thick and fast, it was always likely that a few Premier League big names would start picking up injuries.
Semenyo and Haaland both suffered knocks in City's win over Ipswich last weekend.
Semenyo, one of the standout players in last season's FPL, was just beginning to find a bit of form after a quiet start to the campaign. It now appears unlikely that we will see him again until Christmas.
On a more positive note, when speaking about injury concerns in his latest press conference, Maresca stated that Haaland is the only City player carrying a knock who is '100% available' for this weekend. That will come as some relief to the 77% of managers who have him in their squad!
Elsewhere, Bukayo Saka picked up a thigh injury during Arsenal's midweek game in Munich. The FPL site rates him a 50% chance of playing despite Arteta's quote on the injury that he claims it 'does not look good at all'.
The Gunners face Everton at home before a trip back up to Merseyside next weekend to play Liverpool. My guess is they'll be keen to get him fit for next Sunday.
All in all, this is why it's always worth banking a couple of transfers or better yet keeping a free hit or wildcard chip to use. Cheap to mid-level players can be relatively easy to shift out or carry for a week or 2 during an injury but premium buys often require multiple transfers to effectively cover budget and will cost you points if they don't play!
Fernandes spits the dummy
Where now for Manchester United?
Another week, another poor performance.
Another press conference, another player making comments that suggest big problems behind the scenes.
Another new manager?
Carrick himself actually came out swinging after the Como game when Fernandes' criticism of the tactics United employed were put to him.
In the short to medium term, I think we all know how this is going to end but it'll be interesting to see who Carrick picks for the match on Sunday against Bournemouth a side that definitely knows how to run!
Fernandes is still the 4th most popular midfielder in the game at time of writing, not to mention the most expensive, with teammate Mbeumo the 6th most picked in about a quarter of teams.
Much like the premium picks carrying injuries into this weekend, can you really afford to have a £10mil player who's not guaranteed to start? That's before you consider the that fact that Bruno has blanked 5 GWs in a row, his worst run of form since the back end of the 24/25 season.
United's fixtures hardly look appealing either with home matches against improving Bournemouth and Villa in between massive away games at Stamford Bridge and Anfield.
They'll need their big players to step up at a time where it feels like quite a few of them have already downed tools!
Best differentials GW8
Phil Foden (MID) - With Semenyo out injured could this be the time for Foden to shine? It's been a very weird couple of years for him following a 23/24 season in which he won Premier League, Football Writers and PFA player of the season not to mention delivering 230 FPL points. Returning after his suspension following the red in the Manchester derby, he scored against Ipswish and he followed that up with a hatrrick in the Champions League. £6.8mil and in just 2% of teams, I think he's well worth the risk even if competition for places remains high!
Nicolas Jackson (FWD) - I've been meaning to write something about Jackson for a few weeks now but perhaps couldn't quite bring myself to suggest that you should pick him in your FPL side. He's been excellent for Villa this season in a team that much like last year seems to be getting better and better as the season progresses. He'll never be an elite finisher but it's clear that working with Emery is helping to improve multiple facets of his game. He also seems to enjoy playing with another new Villa signing in Manzambi who is well worth a look. Manzambi did limp off last weekend with a minor knock and missed the midweek game too.
Calvin Bassey (DEF) - No glamour for the defender pick. Bassey is a def con monster and has provided 22 FPL points in his last 4 games. Fulham travel to Coventry this weekend in what is a crucial match for both teams as they look to pull away from the bottom 3. I think we're probably in for a scrappy affair with the chance of clean sheet bonuses on both sides. Bobby Thomas could therefore be another player to look at. He is in 10% of teams but I'd imagine is generally warming the bench as a 4mil defender. With a string of decent fixtures coming up, it might be time to put him the starting XI!