Aston Villa’s defensive form and Erling Haaland’s scoring run shape the early Scout Picks for FPL Gameweek 9. With several popular teams facing difficult fixtures, this draft leans on reliable returns and selective bets on less obvious matchups. The final XI may change after Scout Squad nominations and pre-match press conferences.
The draft is built for Gameweek 9 alone, with an £83.0m budget for the starting XI, a £100.0m total squad limit and a maximum of three players from any one club. A Free Hit looks less compelling this week: Coventry City, Sunderland, Hull City and Ipswich Town are paired off, while many of the bigger sides meet one another.
Haaland sets the baseline
At £15.7m, Haaland is the only premium player in convincing form. He has scored in seven consecutive matches, making him the straightforward early captain choice. Nicolas Jackson’s two goals at Villa Park offered a reminder that cheaper forwards can still make a strong case: at £6.7m, the Chelsea striker has carried his form across the Premier League and Champions League.
Jackson could become a replacement option if Joao Pedro (£7.9m) is ruled out. Fulham’s back-to-back clean sheets make that call less obvious, but his recent scoring gives managers a reason to consider him. Chelsea’s defence is harder to trust, though Matty Cash (£4.3m) and Zion Suzuki (£5.0m) could appeal as low-cost, fixture-led selections.
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.9m) has a stronger recent record. The Dutch defender has produced three clean sheets, three defensive contribution rewards and a goal across his last six appearances. Tottenham’s surprise win at Chelsea strengthens the case for their defence against Crystal Palace, who have just suffered defeats by 5-0 and 2-0.
At the other end, Mathys Tel (£5.6m) scored late in that Spurs victory, while Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) is another attacking option. Palace have conceded at least twice in three quarters of their matches, a pattern that makes either Spurs pick worth a look.
Villa and Tottenham offer routes through the tough fixtures
Cole Palmer (£9.8m) is available after Chelsea’s loss to Spurs, but Morgan Rogers (£8.0m) offers similar underlying numbers at a lower price. Both have a chance to respond at home against Manchester United, whose defence has yet to record a clean sheet. Aston Villa also supply two defensive candidates: Gabriel Magalhaes (£7.9m) and Ezri Konsa (£4.7m) both scored recently, and Villa have now kept five clean sheets.
Arsenal travel to Liverpool, a difficult fixture on the Fixture Ticker, so backing their defence requires accepting that risk. Still, the team’s defensive quality merits consideration. Bournemouth, meanwhile, rank only 10th for open-play expected goals in 2026/27, which offers some support for the case.
Cheap forwards and midfielders need a closer look
Coventry versus Sunderland is difficult to read. Both sides have scored only six goals, joint fewest in the league, and neither defence inspires confidence. Brian Brobbey (£5.7m) is back from the injury he picked up soon after scoring a hat-trick against Manchester City. Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs (£4.9m) faces a Coventry side that has taken the second-fewest shots, 85, but Sunderland have allowed the second-most big chances, with 26.
If Bobby Thomas is unavailable for Coventry, attacking full-back Milan van Ewijk (£3.9m) is a budget alternative. He recorded nine assists in last season’s Championship. Up front, Thierno Barry (£5.6m) leads the league for big chances with 15, but he has missed 12 of them. Will Osula (£5.8m), who started Newcastle’s win at Palace while Yoane Wissa (£6.1m) was unavailable, scored the opener and could compete for the same slot.
Antonio Silva (£5.0m) has helped Bournemouth to consecutive clean sheets and earned a defensive contribution reward in six of eight appearances. Marcus Tavernier (£6.3m) is a more attacking option: Leeds have been involved in two recent goalless draws, but Tavernier’s five goals make his price difficult to ignore. He is already the second-highest-scoring midfielder in FPL, and his value is rising.
Johan Manzambi (£6.0m) went quiet against Manchester City, yet his three matches before that brought four attacking returns, 14 shots and seven chances created. Caoimhin Kelleher (£5.0m) also merits attention against Nottingham Forest, who have scored just six goals. Oliver Glasner’s side are out of form, with Liam Delap (£5.5m) struggling to find the net.
Budget punts could complete the XI
Maxim De Cuyper (£5.3m) and Pascal Gross (£6.2m) remain alternatives for managers willing to back players facing heavily owned opponents. Manchester City have recently conceded three goals at home to Sunderland and two to Ipswich, leaving room for a differential pick.
Among lower-cost midfielders, Enzo Le Fee (£5.7m) and Jack Rudoni (£4.9m) both take penalties; Rudoni also scored from open play in Gameweek 7. Hull’s Mohamed Belloumi (£5.2m) has delivered more attacking returns than either and benefits from an unbeaten home record. Hull may need a win over Ipswich to improve their position, giving the fixture added edge.
This early draft points toward Haaland as captain, with Villa and Tottenham supplying much of the defensive and attacking interest. The remaining choices hinge on team news and whether managers prefer the relative security of form or the upside of a budget differential.
