11 Things We Learned From the Premier League in Gameweek 4 FPL
Gameweek 4 FPL had the usual mix of hope, panic and a few players trying to ruin your weekend before the roast was even out of the oven. Short story, it was fun, sort of. Here are eleven quick takeaways, with proper names, a dash of humour, and the key numbers where they help.
1) Salah, still brilliant, but right now a shadow of peak Salah
In Gameweek 4 FPL, Mohamed Salah looked more like touchline glue than penalty box terror. The signings that Slot has made have meant that the wingbacks, like Kerkez and Frimpong, push forward more, meaning Gakpo and Salah sit wider, which just isn’t working. In 4 games, he has had 2 shots inside the box. One of them being a penalty.
The hard facts this season tell the story.
- Salah: 2 goals, 1 assist, 1.25 shots per 90
- Haaland: 5 goals, 0 assists, 5.03 shots per 90
That is a gulf. It does not mean Salah is cooked, but it does mean many are eyeing up that Gameweek 6 switch with a bit less guilt. If he keeps hugging the chalk while others attack the six yard line, you know where the points are drifting.
2) Haaland, the cheat code is still a cheat code
In Gameweek 4 FPL, if you captained Haaland, you probably had a restful Sunday. The volume alone is ridiculous. Five goals already, over five shots per 90, and he looks like he is training on defenders. Even when he scuffs one, it turns into an assist chance for someone else. When the stats say shoot, captain, repeat, you do not overthink it. And you know what? It could have been more for him against Man United.
3) Ollie Watkins, you gotta start doing something man
In Gameweek 4 FPL, Watkins was once more the nearly man. The numbers are tidy without being terrifying, which sums up the feeling. Against Everton he was terrible, with no shots and 16 touches, but he still made one key pass. It has been a season to forget for Watkins.
- Watkins: 0 goals, 0 assists, 2.00 shots per 90 across four starts, 1.10 xG.
- Sunderland away next makes him a hold for most of us. It is not romance; it is necessary. The moment you sell him, he will score a back-post header after three deflections and a VAR that lasts longer than the match.
4) Florian Wirtz, four to forget
Wirtz has blanked in all four of his opening league fixtures, which in Gameweek 4 FPL terms makes him a luxury pick you probably cannot justify. You can see the talent, the glide, and the tidy touches, but FPL points do not land for aesthetics. If you need funds for a forward upgrade, this is the cash point. Liverpool fans have taken it upon themselves to attack Sofascore just so they make themselves feel better about the fact he is quickly moving towards that 007 title.
5) Semenyo on pens, with a Kluivert asterisk
In Gameweek 4 FPL, it looked like Antoine Semenyo was on penalties when Justin Kluivert was not in the Bournemouth XI. That could be huge value at his price. The catch is it is still likely Kluivert will take them back when he starts. So the play here is simple: watch the team sheet, and accept that at some point you will bench the penalty taker for the guy who wins the penalty.
6) Xavi Simons on corners, Porro managers look away
One more Gameweek 4 FPL nugget for the set-piece sickos. Xavi Simons went straight into the Spurs XI and took corners. That makes him more interesting, and it chips away at Pedro Porro’s appeal a little, because dead balls are a big part of his value. If Simons keeps that duty, it adds a tidy route to points that does not rely on him bullying full backs every week. Porro has been good this season but definitely is more restricted in his attacking duties under Thomas Frank and in a back four. With 3 clean sheets from their opening 4 fixtures, he definitely isn’t a sell right now, but there could be better value in their defence with Romero or Van de Ven offering better goalscoring and DEFCON than him.
7) Gyökeres, not Portugal-level fireworks, but he could bully the rest
In Gameweek 4 FPL, Viktor Gyökeres did not look quite the same monster he was in Portugal, but he still has bully-boy traits that shred weaker sides. After this weekend’s match against Man City, he looks the type you move into your team for a good run, then claim you had it planned all along when he scores a brace against a bottom-half defence that cannot handle his near-post runs. Against Forest he scored and hit the woodwork; he will continue scoring this season and as the focal point of the attack, you can’t ignore him once their fixtures turn in gameweek 6.
8) Woltemade looks the part, and Wissa is out for a while
Gameweek 4 FPL gave us a proper look at Nick Woltemade. He started, he led the line, and looked like a centre forward who enjoys the rough stuff. With Yoane Wissa reportedly out for four to six weeks, there is a window here. Even if you do not move now, he is one of those names that quietly climbs watchlists until suddenly he is 15 percent owned and you wonder when that happened.
9) Foden, a bit more central, dare we dream
In Gameweek 4 FPL, Phil Foden tucked himself back into the interior spaces, linking patterns alongside Tijjani Reijnders. If he keeps playing as one of the pivot eights, we could see him at his best again, ghosting into the box, sliding those third man runs, the lot. Will it last, probably not forever, but the ceiling is there the second those starts stack up.
10) Brentford v Chelsea, Palmer’s five minute mic drop
Gameweek 4 FPL also reminded us that Cole Palmer loves a dramatic entrance. He equalised just five minutes after coming on, and it was his first open play league goal since January, against AFC Bournemouth. Could he be back, possibly. He is streaky by nature, but when the confidence returns, he starts demanding the ball and you feel the points coming even before he touches it.
11) Donnarumma lands, City look calmer already
The big Gameweek 4 FPL goalkeeper takeaway, Gianluigi Donnarumma has arrived and City look instantly more assured. People doubted him, for some reason, but he played like a keeper who has done a few big nights. Composed, clean handling, good starting positions, and the back four looked less twitchy. You have got to feel for James Trafford. He signed for City in the summer after a bumpy season last year, only to watch one of the top three keepers in the world stroll in after an iffy start and shut the door with a polite nod. From an FPL angle, City clean sheets look a touch more bankable now, which nudges their defenders back onto the menu.
Quick hits and closing thoughts
- Gameweek 4 FPL made the Salah to Haaland move in Gameweek 6 look sensible rather than dramatic.
- Watkins is a hold for Sunderland away, but keep your expectations realistic.
- Wirtz has had four straight blanks, which makes him bench fodder unless the role changes.
- Semenyo penalties are a thing when Kluivert sits, just be ready for the handover.
- Arsenal rotation is a weekly soap opera, wait for midweek.
- Gyökeres feels like a flat track bully in waiting, line up the fixtures after City.
- Woltemade could sneak into relevance while Wissa heals up.
- Foden in central pockets is why we all keep going back.
- Palmer’s cameo had proper main character energy.
- Donnarumma’s presence raises the floor on City clean sheets.
- Simons on corners quietly dents Porro’s upside.
Gameweek 4 FPL did not answer everything, it never does, but it gave us enough clues to stop us wild carding out of boredom. Hold the nerve, bank the numbers, and try not to chase every shiny thing that moved for ninety minutes. If you want this as a quick social graphic, with the Salah, Haaland and Watkins stat lines at the top, shout and I will package it up.
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