In this blog the Top Five Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Key Players for Gameweek 9 are discussed. Every FPL Gameweek, picks will be in the below format:

1x Defender or Goalkeeper

2x Attackers less than £8.5m

2x Attackers £8.5m or over

Headliner - Erling Haaland (BHA)

Haaland has failed to find the back of the net in the last two league fixtures but he is still top of all the attacking metrics over the last six Gameweeks which includes goals (six), shots (24), shots on target (SoT) (14), 'big chances' (BC) (13) and 'Expected Goals' (xG) (6.87). As the below image from our Fix Heatmaps feature shows, he has averaged 9.3 FPL points per game in home matches this season. Man. City have scored 13 goals (fifth) over the aforementioned period and trail only Everton (105) and Spurs (117) for shots (100). Their visitors Brighton have conceded 14 goals over the last six Gameweeks and are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. The Seagulls are ranked 14th for 'Expected Goals conceded' (xGC) (10.76) over that period. Our Fix Algorithm currently projects a point score of 7.7 for Haaland.

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Mohamed Salah (EVE)

Salah's total of four goals over the last six Gameweeks can only be bettered by Haaland and Son (six each) while only Rashford, Morris (17 each), Watkins (21) and Haaland (24) have taken more shots in the box (SiB) than his 14. His creativity numbers are impressive as well, no player has fashioned more BC (eight) or notched a higher 'Expected Assists' (xA) (3.86) tally than the Egyptian international. As the below image from our Price Predictor feature shows, a price rise is imminent and managers looking to bring him in should do so soon. Liverpool have scored 14 goals over the last six Gameweeks with only Newcastle more prolific. Meanwhile, only their opponents Everton (14.68) have registered a higher xG than their 13.44. The Toffees have conceded seven goals over the same period and have kept just one clean sheet. They are ranked eighth for shots conceded (70) and seventh for xGC (7.69). Our Fix Algorithm currently projects a point score of 7.2 for Salah.

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Bryan Mbeumo (BUR)

Mbeumo has failed to register any attacking returns over the last three Gameweeks but his underlying numbers are still decent. As shown in the below image from our Match Stats feature, over Brentford's last five league matches the Cameroon international is second amongst their players for goals (one) and xG (1.5), while he is joint-top for chances created (nine). The Bees have scored six goals over as many Gameweeks and are ranked 11th for both shots (85) and xG (9.06). Their visitors Burnley have conceded 17 goals over the last six Gameweeks with only Sheff. Utd. (19) leaking in more goals. The Clarets are ranked 16th for both SiB conceded (73) and xGC (12.61). Our Fix Algorithm currently projects a point score of 5.5 for Mbeumo.

Ollie Watkins (WHU)

Watkins' total of four goals trails only Haaland and Son (six each) over the last six Gameweeks and he is also top for FPL points (49) over that period. The English international only trails Haaland (24) for SiB (21) while no forward beats him for BC created (three) and xA (1.73). As the below image from our Transfer Analytics feature shows, he is the most transferred-in player this week with over 200,000 FPL managers bringing him in. Villa have scored 14 goals over the aforementioned period with only Newcastle (15) finding the back of the net more often. The Midlands side are ranked fifth for SoT (34) and eighth for xG (11.03). Their opponents West Ham have conceded 10 goals over the last six Gameweeks and have kept just one clean sheet. Only Sheff. Utd. (137) have allowed opponents more shots (118) and the London side are ranked a lowly 18th for xGC (13.99). Our Fix Algorithm currently projects a point score of 5.4 for Watkins.

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Kieran Trippier (CRY)

Trippier's 22 chances created over the last six Gameweeks is top amongst all players with only Neto (six) managing more FPL assists than his five. Only Maddison (five) and Salah (eight) have created more BC than his four while only Son, Salah and Watkins (49 each) have racked up more FPL points than his 45. Newcastle have conceded seven goals over the same period and have kept three clean sheets. The Magpies are ranked third for SiB conceded (39) and first for xGC (5.15). Their visitors Palace have conceded six goals over as many matches with only Sheff. Utd (56) and Wolves (48) taking fewer shots than their 60. Our Fix Algorithm currently projects a 50% probability of a Newcastle clean sheet and a point score of 4.7 for Trippier.

Use predictive FPL statistics to increase your Gameweek points.