Premier League 2021/22 Season: FPL Gameweek 4 Fantasy Forecast
Ahead of each Gameweek in the Premier League, The Hype Train's team - Robert Austin, Sam Austin and Phil Jones - compete for FPL and league standings supremacy in predicting Premier League scores, as well as going head-to-head in picking a Scout Picks squad for each round of games. We also comb over other relevant statistics, impressions and insight from around the game and the league to best navigate you through the weekly helping of fixtures. Welcome to the Forecast. All aboard.
Premier League 2021/22: Gameweek 4 Fixtures
Premier League 2021/22 Season: FPL Gameweek 4 Forecast
Enjoy our FPL Forecast article, with each of our team forecasting how we think the Premier League will shape up this upcoming Gameweek. If you agree or want to challenge us on our point of view, get in touch with us on our main Twitter account, @RealHypeTrain, or on Instagram!
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 4
Crystal Palace 0-1 Spurs
Arsenal 1-1 Norwich
Brentford 1-1 Brighton
Leicester 1-2 Man City
Man United 4-0 Newcastle
Southampton 1-3 West Ham
Watford 0-0 Wolves
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
Leeds 0-2 Liverpool
Everton 2-1 Burnley
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 4
What are the potential stumbling blocks to a good Gameweek 4?:
- Forgetting that there was an international break. This is a two-part answer: players that are late back home may be benched, or, players may be rested if they had busy schedules.
- Not realising that the Brazilian FA is stopping all the Premier League players from Man City and Liverpool from playing due to the clubs denying them going home due to COVID restrictions. Yeah, it is stupid they are even asking even though clubs had every legal right to stop their players going on international duty. Brazil’s game versus Argentina didn’t even last five minutes.
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid?:
Watch: Spurs, Man City, Man United, West Ham United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and god help me…Everton.
Avoid: Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Burnley.
???: Arsenal, Norwich, Brighton, Brentford, Leicester, Watford, and Wolves.
Top FPL player targets this weekend:
GK: Hugo Lloris (TOT, GK, £5.6mil, 11.2% ownership)
DEF: Raphael Varane (MUN, DEF, £5.5mil, 3.8% ownership)
MID: Demarai Gray (EVE, MID, £5.6mil, 7.6% ownership)
FWD: Ronaldo (MUN, FWD, £12.5mil, 19.7% ownership)
This is the week that Ronaldo will probably make his first appearance in his second spell at Manchester United, and what a fixture to make that comeback. The Red Devils face the bamboozled show clown Steve Bruce and the team he completely butchered since taking charge. The foxes are in the chicken coop and right now I’d be having nightmares if I was Steve Bruce.
Gameweek 4 – FPL Differential Picks:
CRY/TOT: Japhet Tanganga (TOT, DEF, £4.6mil, 3.8% ownership)
ARS/NOR: Teemu Pukki (NOR, FWD, £5.9mil, 5.3% ownership)
BRE/BHA: Neal Maupay (BHA, FWD, £6.5mil, 2.3% ownership)
LEI/MCI: Riyad Mahrez (MCI, MID, £8.9mil, 5.1% ownership)
MUN/NEW: Raphaël Varane (MUN, DEF, £5.5mil, 3.8% ownership)
SOU/WHU: Pablo Fornals (WHU, MID, £6.0mil, 2.7% ownership)
WAT/WOL: Raúl Jiménez (WOL, FWD, £7.4mil, 3.1% ownership)
CHE/AVL: Andreas Christensen (CHE, DEF, £5.0mil, 3.0% ownership)
LEE/LIV: Sadio Mané (LIV, MID, £11.9mil, 2.9% ownership)
EVE/BUR: Demarai Gray (EVE, MID, £5.6mil, 7.6% ownership)
Gameweek 4 - FPL Captaincy Picks:
Essential: Harry Kane (TOT, FWD, £12.3mil, 8.3% ownership)
Alternative: Mason Greenwood (MUN, MID, £7.7mil, 16.8% ownership)
Differential Captain: Demarai Gray (EVE, MID, £5.6mil, 7.6% ownership)
I am letting the dice role on Gray, the winger has been scoring goals to start the season, and he has been instructed by Rafa to make the darting diagonal runs into the box which is where he is finding space. Everton have a good fixture at home against Burnley which could complete his hat-trick of returns to start his season.
England vs. FPL:
For two straight weeks the 3 Lions have beat the average score! With only three players not returning, it was a productive week, especially with surprise bonus points for a non-performing defender for the second straight week. After the international break England will be disappointed having not held out against Poland, but where have we seen that before. Gameweek 4 is going to be interesting because everyone is looking at Ronaldo, lets hope it leaves the door open for many English players having a good week.
Ins: Harry Kane (TOT), Demarai Gray (EVE)
Outs: Jamie Vardy (LEI), Harvey Barnes (LEI)
My transfers this week were simple: Leicester have Man City. Taking out Vardy and Barnes were easy, particularly because Barnes had done nothing in three Gameweeks. He might be the most overhyped player going into this season that then did absolutely nothing. Kane is back, and in form for club and country, so he is a no brainer, Everton’s Gray has started the season strong so hoping having two Everton players doesn’t destroy my team.
GW3 Returns: 8/11
GW3 Points: 60pts (was 64pts but I had a -4pt deduction for 2 transfers)
GW3 Average Points: 54pts
England XI Squad
Formation: 3-4-3
GK: Nick Pope
DEF: Luke Shaw (MUN)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV)
DEF: Aaron Creswell (WHU)
MID: Jack Grealish (MCI) MID: Mason Greenwood (MUN) (VC)
MID: Demarai Gray (EVE)
MID: Dele Alli (TOT)
FWD: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (EVE)
FWD: Danny Ings (AVL)
FWD: Harry Kane (TOT) (C)
Substitutes:
GK: Ben Foster (WAT)
MID: Emile Smith-Rowe (ARS)
DEF: Trevor Chalobah (CHE)
DEF: Ben White (ARS)
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 4
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Hugo Lloris (TOT)
DEF: Antonio Rüdiger (CHE)
DEF: Luke Shaw (MUN)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV)
MID: Mohamad Salah (LIV)
MID: Mason Greenwood (MUN) - (VC)
MID: Ferran Torres (MCI)
MID: Diogo Jota (LIV)
FOR: Harry Kane (TOT) - (C)
FOR: Michail Antonio (WHU)
FOR: Romelu Lukaku (CHE)
Substitutes
GK: Edouard Mendy (CHE)
MID: Demarai Gray (EVE)
DEF: Aaron Cresswell (WHU)
DEF: Joao Cancelo (MCI)
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 4
Crystal Palace 0-2 Spurs
Arsenal 1-1 Norwich
Brentford 0-1 Brighton
Leicester 1-3 Man City
Man United 3-0 Newcastle
Southampton 2-2 West Ham
Watford 1-2 Wolves
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
Leeds 2-4 Liverpool
Everton 1-0 Burnley
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 4
What are the potential stumbling blocks to a good Gameweek 4?:
· International Break: The first of three international breaks has
· Ronaldo Benched: Without playing a single minute, the time away has seen CR7 owned by 24.3% of FPL players, a number rising all the time. Ole has suggested that Ronaldo might get on at some point, so is teasing a cameo off the bench, similar to what Lionel Messi got for his PSG debut against Reims in Ligue 1.
· FIFA: Argentine and Brazilian players have really done a number of FPL players, potentially, with respective countries trying to block certain Premier League players from playing. Alisson (LIV), Emi Martinez (AVL), Ederson (MCI), and Gabriel Jesus (MCI) to name a few are those affected by quarantine regulations and bans for choosing not to represent their countries. Needless to say, the South American authorities and FIFA have really done handled this mess very well and here’s hoping that the PL defy FIFA’s five day suspensions.
· Form Swinging: The break can turn the tide for a few sides that are settling their squads, or in the case of Newcastle we lose our star forward.
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid?:
Newcastle (Avoid): Let’s just get it out of the way. My beloved Magpies have started the season poorly and should have lost all three of our opening games, the only saving grace is that Southampton aren’t a clinical outfit. Callum Wilson is out injured, and we’re up against a Man United side heavily reinforced and motivated. This is going to be a long day at the office for Steve Bruce, who will probably take positives if the team get pumped.
Liverpool (Watch): Liverpool’s squad has been given the all-clear after injury scares to Virgil van Dijk and Harvey Elliott, but both have a clean bill of health. Naby Keita is fighting a different battle of his own, fleeing his native Guinea after a military coup in the country. All looks good for the Reds though to exploit an open Leeds side, with Mohamed Salah my personal pick for the armband this weekend.
Everton (Watch): Everton have been solid under Rafa and should produce at both ends of the pitch against a stubborn Burnley outfit. Not a lot of real analysis needed for this one, Everton are just good bets on this week given some of their FPL prospects in Digne, Richarlison, Pickford and DCL.
Watford & Wolves (Playing with Fire): Two ends of the same magnet are competing from the FPL point of view this weekend. Both teams have a run of good fixtures so FPL players are gambling on one team having a good day at the office. The only downside, neither side have shown that they’ll be that side, even though Watford had a good first outing at home against an Aston Villa side trying to find a new balance without Jack Grealish. This is one game to roll the dice and just see if you can trust either side of the coin.
Arsenal (Avoid): A home game against Norwich doesn’t avoid the serious cracks and flaws at the club. The Gunners are to be avoided at all costs and I’m thinking that a loss to Norwich might just have AFTV become the most watched thing on YouTube on Saturday evening. The reality of clubs in a relegation fight though is that you rarely find a winner, so I’ve gone straight down the middle.
Top FPL player targets this weekend:
Goalkeepers: With Martinez (AVL) ruled out, and Ederson (MCI) unlikely to play, both out, there is a chance for some fresh blood. Jose Sa (WOL) has very promising fixtures, but is grossly overpriced at £5.0m in a Wolves squad that has been on the wrong end of a trio of 1-0 defeats. Daniel Bachmann (WAT) is more reasonably priced, has a good run of set-and-forget fixtures, though is part of a promoted trio that will leak goals this campaign. Edouard Mendy (CHE) is the other end of the scale, and besides games against Spurs (GW6) and Man City (GW7), has an undeniable run of fixtures, so am tempted to beat that curve now.
Is Ronaldo the answer this week?: Every FPL casual and FPL tabloid has been plastering the record international goal getter all over the place this week. A certain guarantee of goals will of course have everyone and their aunt talking about the second coming of an all time great, though the golden ticket question is if he starts against Newcastle, or will purely get a standing ovation as a second-half substitute. My gut instinct suggests that Ronaldo will start from the get-go, but there’s no chance he is getting the full game, so FPL players aren’t going to get everything that they want from this fixture.
Attacking replacements for Danny Ings: With Aston Villa’s fixtures turning sour, the Englishman is on the way out of our thoughts ahead of a visit to Chelsea. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (EVE) is a slight knock but will surely win his fitness battle with a toe issue against Burnley, whilst the Michail Antonio (WHU) train is not slowing at all and I’m expecting goals against a Southampton side still transitioning into the season. There are more certain premium attackers this week – Kane (TOT), Lukaku and Ronaldo (MUN) – though you have to break the bank and move around a lot of funds to upgrade the ‘template’ of having a trio of mid-range Forward’s to start the midfield, which is why Bruno Fernandes has been on the chopping block to make way for the pricy Forward’s.
Gameweek 4 - FPL Captaincy Picks:
Essential: Mohamed Salah (LIV)
Alternative: Bruno Fernandes (MUN)
Differential: Jamie Vardy (LEI)
The more things change, the more they can stay the same. Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes both have good fixtures and are a staple of the FPL game, and that will unlikely change until Ronaldo gets off the mark for United. Salah though is locked at the top and a go-to in case of any difficult captaincy dilemmas.
Other Gameweek Comments:
Is it time to wildcard? I’ve been debating the topic as my personal squad is littered with the five top transfers out right now, I’ve got no goalkeeper (Martinez), and four yellow or orange flags, as well as Gabriel Jesus (MCI) in attack. My squad could end up with 7-8 players max if I’m not careful, so in the dead of night am currently weighing up taking a few hits, or activating an early wildcard… The idea of playing the wildcard though right now makes me very uneasy, especially considering we’re just at the start of the international football period and the league hasn’t really settled into a clear rhythm just yet.
The likelihood will be a last-minute call in the morning where I’ll probably stand strong and just have to remove Emi Martinez for a hit, which is completely fine by me.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 4
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Jose Sa (WOL)
DEF: Lucas Digne (EVE)
DEF: Eric Dier (TOT)
DEF: Luke Shaw (MUN)
MID: Mohamed Salah (LIV) – (C)
MID: Jack Grealish (MCI)
MID: Bruno Fernandes (MUN) – (VC)
MID: Diogo Jota (LIV)
FOR: Romelu Lukaku (CHE)
FOR: Michail Antonio (WHU)
FOR: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (EVE)
Substitutes
GK: Scott Carson (MCI)
MID: Demarai Gray (EVE)
DEF: Conor Coady (WOL)
DEF: Shane Duffy (BHA)
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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in general football and Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.
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The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.
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