Fantasy Premier League

The Scout’s Gameweek 4 selection

By The Scout 9 Sep 2016
GW4-scout-selection.jpg

Aguero's absence means big-name midfielders take pride of place in The Scout's line-up

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Each Fantasy Premier League Gameweek we round off our analysis by selecting a best XI, compiled with a budget of £83million.

Before the international break, our previous squad notched a modest 47 points, still five more than the average tally.

An electric Eden Hazard (£10.2m) and Scott Dann's (£5.5m) timely header were behind that total, the pair contributing 11 and nine points respectively.

For Gameweek 4, Sergio Aguero's (£13.0m) absence sparks a shift to 4-4-2, exploiting form players in midfield and the value available in defence in search of improvement.

Burnley's Tom Heaton (£4.5m) makes a belated first appearance in the line-up. Having made the most saves and with a clean sheet at Turf Moor against Liverpool, he has to be backed for the visit of Hull City.

James Collins (£4.6m) also makes his Scout Selection debut, after delivering outstanding value to this point.

West Ham United face a Watford side at the London Stadium who have recorded only 25 attempts on goal - only Burnley have fewer.

AFC Bournemouth's have conceded five goals in three matches but we expect an improvement at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Charlie Daniels (£5.0m) is the standout option in Eddie Howe's defence - only midfielder Josh King (£5.5m) has received more passes in the final third than the Cherries left-back.

We have spent big elsewhere in defence.

Hector Bellerin, Arsenal
Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin offers clean-sheet, as well as attacking, potential

Arsenal's Hector Bellerin (£6.5m) and Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta (£6.0m) boast strong clean-sheet potential at home to Southampton and away at Swansea City respectively. Both will also raid forward to lend their weight in attack.

They are joined by team-mates Alexis Sanchez (£11.0m) and Eden Hazard (£10.2m) in midfield. 

The Chelsea midfielder cannot be ignored in current form and is captain this weekend for the trip to South Wales.

Swansea's defence has allowed nine big chances this season, the most in the Premier League, and could struggle to contain Hazard.

Sanchez's international exertions are a mild concern. He has endured a long-haul flight and played 180 minutes for Chile, but Arsene Wenger seems unlikely to rest him after a 16-point haul at Watford.

Southampton will be no pushovers at Emirates Stadium and, despite having one eye on Tuesday's UEFA Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain, Sanchez would seem a likely starter.

West Ham United's Michail Antonio (£7.0m) and Adam Lallana (£7.1m) of Liverpool complete the midfield.

Both have shown outstanding form, with Antonio's England call-up likely to boost him further after a brace of Premier League goals.

Lallana struck on the opening day at Arsenal and followed this up with England's winner in Slovakia. For just £7.1m, he has produced the most penalty box attempts among midfielders.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£11.8m) has to get the nod for one forward slot in the absence of Aguero. The Old Trafford derby is the perfect stage for the Swede to deliver again.

We have taken more of a risk with our final pick. Everton’s Romelu Lukaku (£9.0m) has played from start to finish just once this season. But he warmed up for Monday night's trip to Sunderland with twin strikes for Belgium in midweek.

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