Round 9 of this season’s Premier League campaign starts on Friday night under the lights at Elland Road as Yorkshire hosts Leeds United play host to Premier League strugglers West Ham with just four points separating the two clubs ahead of this weekend’s opening encounter.
Leeds United will be looking to avoid a third league defeat on the trot, while West Ham will be desperate to halt a five-match winless run in the English top flight.
Read on to find our recommended players for your Round 9 Sofascore Premier League Fantasy team, including some real bargain-priced players who have outperformed their value so far this season along with some stand-out gems as well, and all at a total cost of just €78.4m!
Formation: 3-5-2
Martin Dúbravka (Wolves vs Burnley) – €4.3M
Having lost five of their previous six games in all competitions, it would have been a huge relief for all concerned with Burnley that The Clarets finally halted their worrying run of results with last weekend’s solid 2-0 home win against Leeds United.
That clean sheet earned Burnley goalkeeper a Sofascore rating of 7.8 into the bargain and indeed the Slovakian shot-stopper has picked up ratings of 7.8, 7.2 and 8.0 in three of his last four matches for club and country.
At just €4.3M and facing a struggling Wolves outfit on Sunday afternoon, Martin Dúbravka is the first name on our team sheet for Round 9.
Joe Rodon (Leeds Utd vs West Ham) – €5.2M
The first player featured in our selected team for Fantasy Premier League Round 9 will be in action on Friday night as Leeds United defender Joe Rodon faces West Ham with the Yorkshire club holding home advantage at Elland Road.
Welsh international Rodon has produced some very consistent displays throughout the months of September and October to date as the defender has achieved Sofascore ratings of 7.2 and 7.0 at the heart of Leeds United’s defence.
Rodon has also scored against Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw along with netting against Belgium in a recent World Cup qualifier.
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest) – €6.5M
Argentinian defender Marcos Senesi has been an integral part of a highly successful Bournemouth outfit who continue to punch well above their weight in the English top flight as the 4th placed south coast side prepare for the visit of early relegation candidates Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Senesi has an average Sofascore rating of 7.18 to his name and despite his ratings taking a bit of a knock last time out following a 3-3 draw away at Crystal Palace, the Argentinian stopper had previously posted ratings over 7.0 throughout each of his previous five Premier League games.
Currently possesses a Sofascore rating of 7.18.
Gabriel (Arsenal vs Crystal Palace) – €8.9M
Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has emerged as the closest rival to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in the Fantasy Premier League points race so far this season and the Arsenal stopper is also the stand-out defender so far this season as well which is not surprising as he holds a Sofascore rating of 7.60 heading into this weekend.
Gabriel has chipped in with a goal and an assist so far this term and he has been part of club and country teams that have kept five clean sheets in his last six games in all competitions, while averaging a whopping average Sofascore rating in these last six appearances!
Further points look likely for Gabriel as The Gunners play host to Crystal Palace this weekend.
Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest) – €9.1M
Bournemouth have undoubtedly been the stand-out success story so far in this season’s Premier League campaign as The Cherries currently occupy one of the automatic places for Champions League football heading into this weekend’s action.
There’s obviously a long way to go yet, but Andoni Iraola’s side possess some key personnel within their tight-knit squad with midfielder Antoine Semenyo being the stand-out performer in the south coast squad with an average Sofascore rating of 7.51 to date.
6 goals and 3 assists has placed Semenyo top of the points tally for Midfielders so far this season and further points look set to head Semenyo’s way against beleaguered Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Declan Rice (Arsenal vs Crystal Palace) – €8.1M
With Arsenal sitting top of the Premier League table where they hold a three-point cushion above 2nd placed Manchester City and four points above 3rd placed Liverpool, it’s no surprise that the Arsenal squad is littered with numerous players all averaging over 7.0 in the Sofascore ratings.
One of these players is England midfielder Declan Rice who perhaps flies under the radar on occasions in the Fantasy Premier League but nevertheless, he possesses an average rating of 7.20 along with being part of an Arsenal side who have racked up six wins on the trot in all competitions.
In previous encounters against Crystal Palace, Rice has contributed 1 goal and 4 assists.
Granit Xhaka (Chelsea vs Sunderland) – €6.8M
7th placed Sunderland have produced an excellent start to this season’s Premier League campaign upon their return to the domestic top flight having collected four wins, two draws and two defeats within their opening eight league matches.
The Black Cats will make their way to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, a ground that Sunderland’s midfielder Granit Xhaka knows well having visited there with his former club Arsenal.
Xhaka is Sunderland’s highest scoring midfielder in terms of Sofascore ratings of 7.30 and he has been a consistent performer for Switzerland as well in recent World Cup qualifiers.
Iliman Ndiaye (Everton vs Tottenham) – €7.1M
Everton will play host to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon with The Toffees looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 2-0 loss away from home at Manchester City but the merseyside club had previously picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at home with West Ham along with a 2-1 victory on home soil against top half outfit Crystal Palace.
Everton midfielder Iliman Ndiaye is The Toffee’s leading goalscorer so far this season with 3 goals to his name along with producing an assist, and he has forged a great partnership with fellow midfielder Jack Grealish this season.
Ndiaye possesses an average Sofascore rating of 6.96.
Yankuba Minteh (Manchester Utd vs Brighton) – €6.4M
Brighton’s pacy right-winger Yankuba Minteh is the next name on our team sheet as The Seagulls prepare for a visit to Old Trafford where Fabian Hurzeler’s side will be seeking to extend their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions, a run that includes recent Premier League wins against Chelsea and Newcastle United respectively.
The Gambian winger has contributed a goal and an assist so far this season and being amongst a solid and well-organised Brighton outfit, Minteh looks like racking up further points against the Red Devils on Saturday evening.
Cody Gakpo (Brentford vs Liverpool) – €8.2M
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo was desperately unlucky not to score against old rivals Manchester United last time out in the Premier League as the Dutch star hit the United woodwork on three occasions where he could have easily notched at least once on another occasion.
Nevertheless, Gakpo possesses an average Sofascore rating of 7.15which has been helped by scoring 3 goals and producing 2 assists to date this term and it looks very much like his luck will change when The Reds line up against Brentford on Saturday night at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Joao Pedro (Chelsea vs Sunderland) – €7.8M
It’s true that Brazilian forward Joao Pedro has not enjoyed the best of campaigns so far this season with Chelsea as he has failed to ripple the back of the net and produce an assist but as The Blues were in action in the Champions League in midweek where they registered a 5-1 win against Ajax, Pedro may get his chance against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
Pedro featured in Chelsea’s 3-0 win away from home at Nottingham Forest last weekend in the Premier League and Enzo Maresca looks set to field an unchanged side this Saturday.