Gameweek 5 of the Premier League season will mark the final set of fixtures before a three-week international break.
Brentford and Chelsea will kick-start what promises to be an entertaining weekend of top-flight football, with the availability of popular FPL asset Joao Pedro up in the air.
Tottenham will be seeking their first goal of the Premier League season when welcoming Aston Villa to North London, while Arsenal and Manchester City will be out to maintain their perfect starts when facing Brighton and Sunderland respectively.
We've provided you with the best team, captaincy options and differentials before the FPL gameweek 5 deadline at 18:30 on Friday 18th September.
Captaincy options
Erling Haaland - £15.5m (MCI)
Fixture: Sunderland (H)
Ownership: 73.1%
In true Erling Haaland fashion, the Norwegian brute has made an emphatic start to the 2026/27 campaign, scoring four goals in as many games for Manchester City.
Those who triple captained Haaland in gameweek 3 were left somewhat disappointed with a nine-point return against a Coventry City team who have been shipping goals, but he repaid owners when netting in Man City's 1-0 win over rivals Manchester United at the weekend.
The Citizens host Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, and if Haaland finds the net, he will have scored against every Premier League team that he has faced. This may give the formidable number nine that extra motivation to add to his growing list of individual accolades.
Cole Palmer - £9.7m (CHE)
Fixture: Brentford (A)
Ownership: 26.8%
Fresh off the back of being called up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the September/October international break, Cole Palmer will be fired up to deliver for Chelsea as they look to return to winning ways against Brentford on Friday night.
After an inconsistent 18 months or so, the Wythenshawe-born attacking midfielder has enjoyed a fruitful start to the 2026/27 term, finding the net on two occasions and registering two assists in his first four Premier League games.
Palmer scored in both fixtures against the Bees last season, and he's a solid captaincy pick in gameweek 5 ahead of Chelsea's trip to the Gtech Community Stadium.
Rayan Cherki- £7.7m (MCI)
Fixture: Sunderland (H)
Ownership: 28.1%
There were doubts as to whether Rayan Cherki would be capable of adapting to the more physical demands of the Premier League following his switch from Lyon, but he silenced any doubters with an impressive debut season at Man City.
Cherki was among the best performers in the Premier League when netting four goals and recording 12 assists in the 2025/26 season, and he's displayed no signs of slowing down under the stewardship of Enzo Maresca.
Regis Le Bris is expected to deploy a low block when Sunderland travel to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon. If anyone is capable of unlocking the Black Cats' defence, it's Cherki, and the Frenchman stands out as an enticing captaincy option if you are brave enough to go against Haaland.
Differentials
Jarrad Branthwaite - £5.5m (EVE)
Fixture: Ipswich Town (H)
Ownership: 2.3%
Jarrad Branthwaite has had a torrid time with injuries in an Everton shirt, but he's enjoyed an injury-free start to the 2026/27 season and -- like Palmer -- has been recalled to the England squad.
While the Toffees have failed to break into the top half of the Premier League since 2020/21, there are no doubts about their defensive stability under David Moyes, trailing only Arsenal, Manchester City and Crsytal Palace in the clean sheet standings last term.
They've kept four clean sheets in six games in all competitions so far this campaign -- two of which have come in the top-flight against Crystal Palace and Tottenham -- and Branthwaite is a safe bet to return when his side welcome Ipswich Town to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend.
Harvey Barnes - £6.0m (NEW)
Fixtures: Hull City (H)
Ownership: 3.9%
Barring their 4-1 defeat to Leeds United on Monday night, Newcastle have enjoyed a steady start to the season under Matthias Jaissle.
A new look front line of Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa has impressed, and it's Barnes who we're backing to deliver the goods when the Magpies welcome Hull City on Saturday afternoon.
The versatile forward scored in Newcastle's most recent St James' park encounter against Bournemouth -- adding to the previous two that he netted against West Brom in the EFL Cup -- and his upside for points in gameweek 5 makes him an appealing differential pick, owned by just 3.9% of players.
Liam Delap - £5.5m (NFO)
Fixtures: Coventry City (H)
Ownership: 2.3%
Liam Delap appears to have pipped Igor Jesus to the starting centre forward spot at Nottingham Forest after making the £50m switch from Chelsea in the summer, scoring his first goal for the club against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Delap's 2024/25 campaign with Ipswich Town -- where he scored 12 Premier League goals for the newly promoted side -- is proof that the 23-year-old can be Oliver Glasner's marksman this season.
Only Crystal Palace have conceded more goals -- 11 -- than Coventry City -- 10 -- this season, and Delap looks a solid pick to add to his tally against Frank Lampard's side.
Best FPL gameweek 5 team
GK: Matz Sels (NFO)
DEF: Riccardo Calafiori (ARS)
DEF: James Tarkowski (EVE)
DEF: Lewis Hall (NEW)
MID: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (EVE)
MID: Cole Palmer (CHE)
MID: Rayan Cherki (MCI)
MID: Harvey Barnes (NEW)
FOR: Erling Haaland (MCI)
FOR: Liam Delap (NFO)
FOR: Joao Pedro (CHE)
SUBS: Kinsky (TOT), Jacquet (LIV), Muharemovic (COV), Shade (BRE).
