The upcoming international break gives Fantasy Premier League managers a pause, but Gameweek 7 demands decisions before the deadline. Friday night’s Bournemouth v Fulham fixture shortens planning time ahead of five notable Sunday matchups.

Goalkeeper choices centre on David Raya (£5.6m) and Nick Pope (£5.0m). Raya looks most likely to keep a clean sheet after Arsenal secured their sixth shutout of the season at Olympiacos midweek and the Spaniard made several superb stops. Arsenal host struggling West Ham United on Saturday, increasing Raya’s appeal. Pope endured a mixed afternoon against Arsenal last weekend but should have an easier ride at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The Tricky Trees have also been in European action midweek and have made an underwhelming start to life under Ange Postecoglou, scoring just once in three league outings since the Australian took over.

Defenders to consider include Arsenal’s Gabriel (£6.2m) and Jurriën Timber (£5.8m), plus Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi (£4.9m) and Aston Villa’s Matty Cash (£4.6m). Gabriel is the obvious pick after last weekend’s late winner at Newcastle but was substituted with an injury against Olympiacos and is a slight doubt. Timber has amassed 37 points this season, one fewer than Gabriel, is a strong attacking threat and is guaranteed to start despite no defensive contribution points so far. Senesi has been a revelation, scoring seven points or more in four of his six outings for Bournemouth, with a home game against Fulham on Friday offering further upside. Cash offers attacking promise and defensive solidity for Villa and has already scored this season.

Midfield recommendations include Bukayo Saka (£9.8m), Eberechi Eze (£7.5m), Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m), Antoine Semenyo (£7.8m) and Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m). Saka scored midweek and could be an excellent differential given low ownership. Eze and Martinelli are cheaper options in form but lack guaranteed minutes. Semenyo is the highest scoring midfielder with 48 points and only one blank in six weeks and should benefit against Fulham. Despite a missed penalty and yellow card at Brentford, Fernandes remains an excellent choice for Manchester United’s home clash with Sunderland and “should still be on penalties despite two misses this term.”

Attacking picks include Ismaïla Sarr (£6.4m), Anthony Gordon (£7.4m), Jérémy Doku (£6.6m), Erling Haaland (£14.4m), Viktor Gyökeres (£9.0m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m). Sarr returned from injury, scored against Liverpool and faces Everton. Gordon could punish Forest following his midweek brace. Doku has managed 23 points across his last three games and is City’s best value for the trip to Brentford. Haaland remains a must-have after a Champions League brace at Monaco and eight Premier League goals, making him an easy captain choice. Gyökeres has both his goals at the Emirates this term and looked lively against Olympiacos. Mateta was unfortunate not to score against Liverpool and could trouble an Everton defence that has kept only one clean sheet in their last four league games.

Real Madrid’s acquisition of Dean Huijsen was the conclusion of a transfer race that, according to his agent Barat, included several major European clubs. Barat told AS: “When Real Madrid came along, it was an easy decision: there were many clubs, but with Madrid there was no doubt.”

Barat says the move gathered pace after Huijsen completed two appearances with the Spanish national team and Juni Calafat, Real Madrid’s chief scout, opened talks that soon developed into a formal offer. The transfer was finalised when the club activated a £50 million ($66.4 million) release clause, a five-year contract that set a new club record by making Huijsen the most expensive defender in Real Madrid history and the first signing of the Xabi Alonso era.

The agent has also acknowledged interest from Paris Saint-Germain, who were described as a “real option” by Barat in comments to RMC Sport in 2024. Barat added that Huijsen believed he would have seen more playing time in the Premier League under Andoni Iraola than under Luis Enrique in France. Conversations reportedly took place with Borussia Dortmund as well, and Huijsen’s breakout season with Bournemouth left him a sought-after prospect before Los Blancos completed the deal.

Huijsen was thrown straight into action under Xabi Alonso at the FIFA Club World Cup. He featured in every group stage match and in the round of 16 and quarterfinal ties against Juventus and Dortmund respectively. A late red card in the quarterfinal versus Dortmund resulted in a suspension for the semifinal, and PSG went on to defeat Real Madrid to eliminate them from the tournament.

Since then Huijsen has started every Real Madrid match to begin the 2025–26 season. That run will be interrupted on Sept. 20 as he serves a La Liga suspension for the red card received against Real Sociedad.

The Premier League returned from the first international break of 2025/26 on September 13 with a condensed schedule to follow. FotMob’s ratings for Gameweek 4 highlighted several standout displays across a busy weekend.

FotMob placed Martín Zubimendi and Antoine Semenyo joint-top with 8.9 ratings. Zubimendi opened Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest with what the weekend described as the standout finish, a thumping volley from the edge of the area, and then completed the first brace of his senior career with a second-half header. Semenyo continued his strong start to the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, converting from the penalty spot and again showcasing the power that makes him a difficult opponent one-on-one.

Jérémy Doku produced a subtle but decisive performance in Manchester City’s derby victory. Guardiola deployed him to drift infield and overload Manchester United’s midfield pairing. Doku’s assist for Phil Foden came from the right half-space and his second assist was a perfectly weighted pass in behind for Erling Haaland to latch onto and double City’s lead. Gianluigi Donnarumma also produced an outstanding save at 2–0.

Phil Foden returned to an influential display in the same fixture. The local player opened the scoring with a guided header and delivered the verve that had been less apparent over the past 12 months. “Ricky Hatton’s passing the morning of supplied Foden with extra spirit and motivation,” the draft noted, and Foden’s performance suggested a marked return to form.

Three players shared fifth spot on 8.4, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergavll, who scored the first Premier League goal of his career in Spurs’ 3–0 win at West Ham United. Bergavll’s looping header over Mads Hermansen was the highlight of a complete display.

Defensively, Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté quietly anchored the Reds’ 1–0 win, finishing with the most duels won at 14 and eight defensive contributions to blunt Burnley’s counter-attacking threat. At Sunderland, goalkeeper Robin Roefs has started well after his summer move, displacing Anthony Patterson and keeping two clean sheets in his first four Premier League outings. He faced an xG of 1.36 and made six saves against Crystal Palace, with notable stops to deny Daichi Kamada from distance.