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Time to invest in Bournemouth? - FPL gameweek nine dilemmas

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Time to invest in Bournemouth? - FPL gameweek nine dilemmas

Published30 October 2026, 07:51 GMT

BBC Sport's Fantasy Premier League expert FPL Heisenberg gives his answers to some of the biggest dilemmas facing managers heading into gameweek nine.

Is now the time to invest in Bournemouth assets?

Yes, I think so. They face Leeds at home in gameweek nine, followed by a very appealing run of fixtures over the next few gameweeks.

Marcus Tavernier (£6.4m) is my favourite pick. He's been attracting plenty of attention after recent performances and offers a good combination of goal threat and creativity from midfield.

Evanilson (£6.2m) is another one I'd consider. He's a decent budget forward who should get opportunities to score in this run of fixtures. If you're after a cheaper route into Bournemouth's attack, he's worth a look.

Antonio Silva (£5.0m) is my defender of choice as he's great for defensive contributions, but I won't be rushing to triple up on the Cherries.

Should we be buying Jackson after his double against Man City?

Nicolas Jackson (£6.7m) is certainly an interesting option after a strong run of recent form - scoring four in his past four Premier League matches.

He looks to be finding his feet at Aston Villa and he's an appealing alternative to some of the other budget forwards in the game.

Aston Villa face Fulham at home in gameweek nine, which is the start of a very nice run of fixtures to back him in.

My only concern is his minutes. There's a slight risk of him being hooked early, especially with Villa juggling Champions League football and promising young striker Brian Madjo (£5.4m) back from injury.

However, with his recent form and price in mind, he's definitely worth considering.

Is Haaland still the obvious captain choice?

Yes, absolutely. Erling Haaland (£15.7m) remains the standout captaincy option for me, even after Manchester City's first Premier League defeat of the season.

He scored again against Aston Villa in gameweek eight and continues to be the player I'd back to deliver the biggest points haul in any given match.

This doesn't mean you have to captain him every single gameweek of course - there will be opportunities to look elsewhere at times. However, he's the only reliable premium asset in the game right now.

What should we do with Joao Pedro?

Joao Pedro (£7.8m) is an easy sell following Xabi Alonso's comments ruling him out for weeks.

Some may be thinking of holding the Chelsea forward through his injury and simply benching him. I can see why this is tempting, because when he's fit, he's one of the best assets in the game.

However, we don't know how long this could go on for, so I won't be holding him hoping for a speedy recovery.

Another reason he's an easy sell is the mid-priced forwards are actually enticing right now.

Alternatives such as Jackson and Evanilson have excellent form and favourable forthcoming fixtures.

The likes of Dominic Calvert Lewin (£6.1m), Thierno Barry (£5.6m) or if you have the money Alexander Isak (£9.1m) are all worth considering, too.

What to do with Cherki?

It's likely I'll be selling Rayan Cherki (£8.0m) this week. He's clearly a talented player, but his minutes are becoming a real concern and there are better options available at a cheaper price.

He was substituted at half-time against Aston Villa in gameweek eight, having also struggled for consistent minutes in previous games. When you're spending that much on a midfielder, you want someone who's likely to play 80-90 minutes regularly.

I'll be looking at the likes of Tavernier as a cheaper alternative, freeing up funds to strengthen elsewhere in my team.

Cherki could easily punish sellers if he starts and hauls, but I'd rather back a player with more reliable minutes. For me, it's time to sell.

Is it worth holding Arsenal assets?

I'm not looking to sell my Arsenal players just because they face Liverpool away in gameweek nine.

David Raya (£6.2m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£6m) remain quality defensive options, but the Liverpool fixture does make a clean sheet less likely than usual.

After that, Arsenal face Hull, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford. There are opportunities in that mixed fixture run, and Arsenal being one of the best teams in the league makes them favourites going into the majority of games.

If you've got Arsenal defensive assets, I'd be happy to hold rather than spend transfers trying to chase fixtures. If Calafiori is injured, I'll probably just bench him against Liverpool and hope he's ready for Hull at home the following gameweek.

However, I wouldn't necessarily be buying Arsenal assets this week as several other teams offering more attractive short-term fixtures.

I'd prioritise those options before bringing in another Arsenal defender.