Triple Man Utd and Fernandes captain - FPL tips & team of the week

What a midweek we have coming up. Fantasy Premier League is back, every game is on TV and there are a couple of plum match-ups which could turn into points bonanzas.

The key talking point this week is how big to go on Manchester United assets.

Before last week's draw at Liverpool they had five losses and just four goals in six games - that is not what you want in FPL!

But now, Southampton at home. The league's second-worst defence, conceding more than two goals per game... it's an opportunity you can't miss.

This week's team is dominated by the Red Devils.

The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

A couple of clean sheets and a star performance from 19-point Bryan Mbeumo.

Six of the 11 players returned, leading to a steady 69 points.

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Robert Sanchez, Chelsea, goalkeeper, £4.8m - home to Bournemouth

Losing Evanilson and his back-up Enes Unal to long-term injury in the same week is such a blow for Bournemouth.

Bournemouth have taken the second most shots in the league yet only score once per 11 efforts on goal.

So a dream scenario is a clean sheet and some save points for Sanchez (although last time I backed a keeper against the Cherries he conceded three!).

Diogo Dalot, Manchester United, £5m - home to Southampton

Saints have failed to score in five of their past six games. Dalot has struggled to turn good underlying stats into FPL points recently but he has the most shots of any defender over the past six gameweeks.

His expected goal involvement (xGI) in that time is 1.1 but he has picked up just six FPL points. Time for that to change.

Lewis Hall, Newcastle United, £4.9m - home to Wolves

Four returns in his past five games, including two double-digit hauls.

Hall is one of the best budget options in defence at the moment and Newcastle's run of games - Bournemouth home next and then Southampton away - make him an excellent long-term pick.

With Arsenal's defence taking on Spurs and Liverpool facing a tricky trip to Nottingham Forest, it makes sense to look elsewhere this week.

Daniel Munoz, Crystal Palace, £4.7m - away at Leicester

Over the past five games, the Colombian's xGI is 1.4, behind only Hall and Trent Alexander-Arnold, yet he has no attacking returns.

Over the season it is 4.7 - behind only Alexander-Arnold's 5.5 - with just two goals and two assists.

Munoz - I've said it before - is a haul waiting to happen and why not against a Leicester side who have struggled for goals recently.

Bruno Fernandes (captain), Manchester United, £8.3m - home to Southampton

Fernandes has four goals and seven assists this season (along with two red cards) and he is chugging along as the 10th best midfielder this season.

Seasoned FPL players know the Portuguese has many avenues to points - his xGI is always high and he's on penalties.

Look at what he did against strugglers Leicester and Everton at home - 17 points and nine points.

Southampton are worse, he should haul.

Amad Diallo, Manchester United, £5.4m - home to Southampton

The budget Ivorian is being paired with Fernandes for double United attack this week.

Of midfielders under £5.5m, only Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers (88) has more points than Diallo's 80.

He is first-choice, was rested in the cup and his price facilitates big-money players elsewhere.

Anthony Gordon, Newcastle United, £7.5m - home to Wolves

Newcastle are on fire, with five straight wins, and Gordon has returned in all of those games.

The one defence that has conceded more goals than Southampton? Wolves.

Any more explanation needed?

Mohamed Salah (vice captain), Liverpool, £13.7m - away at Nottingham Forest

Considering he hasn't blanked since gameweek seven, it is impossible to leave Salah out but he's not captain this week.

I'm backing Forest's stingy defence to keep him relatively quiet.

Cole Palmer, Chelsea, £11.4m - home to Bournemouth

Mr Dependable's longest run of games without a return is three this season. At the halfway point he is on course to better his 22 goals and 13 assists from 2023-24.

If you put him in your side and stick with him, you'll get rewards.

Alexander Isak, Newcastle United, £9.3m - home to Wolves

The hottest striker in the game. See Gordon's entry above if you need any further convincing!

Kai Havertz, Arsenal, £7.8m - home to Spurs

The German has been dropped recently, but with Gabriel Jesus injured he is likely to come back in against a Spurs side with a porous defence.

Havertz's early-season form has tailed off but he still has seven goals so far and North London derbies at Emirates Stadium often have goals.

Only one of the past six meetings there had less than four goals - there were three!

Joe Lumley, Southampton, goalkeeper, £4m - away at Manchester United

James Justin, Leicester City, defender, £4.2m - home to Crystal Palace

Showed in the FA Cup that he has a goal threat.

Patson Daka, Leicester City, striker, £4.8m - home to Crystal Palace

Sepp van den Berg, Brentford, defender, £4.1m - home to Manchester City

Total team cost: £99.8m

Savinho, Manchester City, midfielder, £6.5m

It would have been good to have flagged the Brazilian last week, before his three-assist game against West Ham, but he is still a decent differential choice.

He's started City's past three games, scored his first goal and how has seven assists for the season.

At £6.5m, that's a good entry point into City's midfield if they continue to improve.

Crystal Palace - Leicester (a), West Ham (a), Brentford (h)

The Eagles have plenty of attacking options - Ismaila Sarr, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta - and a nice run of games, with Everton at home coming up too.

Munoz, mentioned above, offers points potential at both ends of the pitch while keeper Dean Henderson is the cheapest stopper in the top six points scorers.