+ Why Guiu at 9 is good news for FPL managers with Joao Pedro

Kenya 1

24 Oct 2025 — 4 min read

⏰ Deadline: Friday, 24th October, 20:30 EAT

📑 Table of Contents

🩺 News & Injury Updates
🔁 Keep – Buy – Sell – Avoid
🎯 Low-Owned Differentials
👑 Best GW9 Captain Picks?
🃏Saka for Gyokeres? & Other Dilemmas
🎲 Player Form (Last 6)
📝 My GW9 Team

News & Injury Updates

Alexander Isak went off with a groin injury in Liverpool’s UCL game. “Let’s wait and see”, says Slot. Jeremie Frimpong also injured.

Mohamed Salah only played 15 minutes in a full-strength UCL side for Liverpool midweek.

On Thursday, he removed references to Liverpool from his Twitter profile, including changing his profile and header banners. It could be nothing, but it’s ominous.

A defender has been the top-scoring player in five of the eight gameweeks so far this season.

The team of the season so far:

🔁 Keep – Buy – Sell – Avoid

✅ KEEP
- Gyokeres (£9.1m) — He plays Burnley (A), Sunderland (A) in 2 of his next 3 fixtures. Palace, his next opponents, are 13th for XG-conceded in the league.
- Joao Pedro (£7.5m) — This week is not the best exit-point as he plays Sunderland, Spurs,Wolves. Guiu might also start playing at 9, Delap is almost back; pushing Pedro back to his favorite No.10 position.
🛒 BUY/MONITOR
- Enzo F — He plays Sunderland, Spurs, then Wolves. Will likely start as he got good mins in UEFA; is crucial in Maresca's side, and is on pens.
- Saka — Good entry-point vs Crystal Palace who are 13th for XG-conceded in the league, & can't stop conceding. He then plays Burnley and Sunderland.
❌ SELL
- Reijnders (£5.6m) — Tough fixtures ahead, starting with (Villa, Bou, Liv). He is starting to be subbed off early and is playing way deeper in the pivot.

Watkins (£8.7m) - Very tough fixtures ahead (MCI, LIV, BOU). Aston Villa is very inconsistent and come off a defeat in the Europa League.

⛔ AVOID
- Marc Guiu — Though fixtures are good; the uncertainty around his position in Maresca's squad and Delap's return make Guiu a wait-and-see right now. Look at his mins for the next 2 games and assess from there.
- Isak — Injured again midweek and is in very poor form and lacking confidence.

🎯 Low-Owned Differentials

💎 Bowen 7.8% * Next 3 = (LEE, NEW, BUR); is talismanic.
⚡ Thiago (BRE) 4.5% * He & team both in good form. Liv = leaky defence.
🛡️ Kroupi Jnr 2.6% * Likely to start upfront for BOU again, against NFO.
🔥 Estevao 2.5% * On hot form. Plays SUN. Scored midweek.
🎩 Guiu 7.1% * Risky pick but Exciting as well as he might play 9 for Chelsea.
⚙️ Rodon 5.7% * Cheap defender. Saves you money. Leeds plays (WHU).
⚽ Pope 11.8% * NEW = 2nd best defence. Plays Fulham who are lacking goals.

👑 Best GW9 Captaincy Picks

Often in FPL, the most obvious decisions are the best. It’s Erling Haaland away at Aston Villa. His form and popularity are just too potent to look elsewhere. Aston Villa come from a Europa League defeat by a Dutch "Farmers" team known as "Go Ahead Eagles". Go_ahead_with_Haaland & captain him.

⚖️ Verdict: Captain = Haaland

🃏 Saka for Gyokeres as a sideways move?

I'd advise you to hold on to Gyoks. He has been frustrating to keep in your fpl teams. When you look purely at goal threat and mins, Gyokeres has a much better non-pen XG per 90 this season than Saka.

Gyokeres also bagged a brace in the UCL match midweek vs Atletico while Saka did not even get a single goal involvement in the match. This surely is a turning point for the striker and the sideways switch to Saka could backfire. So, stick!

Mateta a BUY Right Now?

Wait for another week to buy. Only Haaland has more XGi and more bi chances so far this season than Mateta. However, Arsenal away is the worst entry point for Mateta as Arsenal is the best defence by a huge margin.

Gakpo a Buy?

He is still a wait and watch and should be considered from GW12 onwards. He has been one of the few Liv players to deliver sofar this campaign with 3 goals and 2 assists in 8 games. He is a good differential to get but we would not compromise the likes of Sarr, Semenyo and Saka just to get Gakpo.

How long to hold Joao Pedro?

Give him SUN at home then assess. This fixture has a likelihood of him playing as a number 10, his favorite position. When Guiu came on at halftime against NFO; Chelsea's attack clicked instantly. Guiu played well at 9 against Ajax also.