Haaland: Problem or Solution?

Erling Haaland (£15.5m) is the problem and the solution.

If he is not already in your squad, forcing him in with normal transfers can rip a team apart. This is where the chips come alive. One button, one big reset, and the game’s most expensive asset drops straight into your XI.

Wildcard: the fast track to Haaland

A Wildcard gives you the cleanest route. You can reshape the squad around Haaland rather than hacking away at it, chase early price rises, and load up on the teams that matter right now.

Manchester City and Chelsea both have plum home fixtures in the next fortnight: Coventry and Hull come to town. Many managers are light on assets from those two clubs. A Wildcard lets you fix that in one sweep — Haaland up front, key City support around him, and Chelsea options layered in behind.

You are not just buying points. You are buying team value and flexibility for the weeks to come.

Free Hit: dodge the big clash, chase the upside

The Free Hit chip offers a different kind of play. One week, full freedom, then back to normal.

With Arsenal facing Chelsea, that fixture alone can tie your hands. A Free Hit allows you to step away from that clash entirely and lean into other attractive fixtures. Brighton, Newcastle, and Brentford all come into the conversation, with their assets suddenly far easier to accommodate when you are not locked into Arsenal or Chelsea coverage.

You can still get Haaland for that week without committing long term, then reset to your original structure.

Triple Captain: Haaland’s week?

If you are not planning to use a Wildcard or a Free Hit, the armband decision becomes huge. Haaland as Triple Captain stands out as a powerful play.

Coventry have been one of the softest defences in the league, and City looked sharp in their last outing. Haaland has enjoyed a clear midweek with no interruption before Saturday’s match at Etihad Stadium. Rested, at home, against vulnerable opposition — the ingredients are all there.

City’s schedule throws up other appealing fixtures too. Ipswich visit in gameweek seven and Hull in gameweek 16. Both, though, sit in the middle of heavy Champions League traffic, when rotation and reduced minutes become a real concern. This week offers the cleaner window.

Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) also has Coventry at Old Trafford in gameweek 14, but that match is part of a brutal run of three games in seven days. Again, minutes and fatigue creep into the equation.

Midfield market: Cherki leads the charge

Rayan Cherki (£7.7m) is the name on everyone’s lips. He is the most-bought player this week, his price already climbing twice after a standout performance last time out. Right now, he is the headline midfield pick at that price point.

Phil Foden (£7.0m) should not be ignored. Across the first two gameweeks, his underlying expected numbers have actually outpaced Cherki’s, hinting at more to come if he keeps his place and rhythm. For managers thinking longer term, Elliot Anderson (£6.4m) offers a quieter, steadier option who can sit in your squad and deliver without needing constant attention.

There is a warning sign, though. Cherki and Foden could both become minutes risks later in the season, especially after the deadline-day arrival of Enzo Fernández (£6.9m), who adds another body into the rotation picture.

At the back: one clear defensive pick

In defence, the standout is clear: Josko Gvardiol (£5.6m).

With City’s fixtures and his price point, he offers a strong route into a back line that can deliver both clean sheets and the odd attacking return. While managers agonise over chips and captaincy, Gvardiol looks like the kind of set-and-forget pick who quietly does the job while the headlines stay fixed on Haaland.