The 2026/27 Premier League season continues this weekend, with FPL managers facing another set of important decisions ahead of Gameweek 8.
Manchester City travel to Aston Villa after their European victory over AEK Athens, while Arsenal welcome Everton following their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Chelsea host a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, while Liverpool host Brighton in another interesting fixture.
Nottingham Forest face Ipswich Town in Friday’s opening match, giving managers an earlier deadline to consider. Brentford, meanwhile, travel to Hull City, offering another opportunity to target a promoted side.
The FPL Gameweek 8 deadline is Friday, October 23 at 18:30 BST. Here are the key fixtures, players and team news to consider before finalising your squad.
FPL Gameweek 8 Fixtures
All times BST
Friday, October 23
- Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest (20:00)
Saturday, October 24
- Aston Villa vs Manchester City (12:30)
- Arsenal vs Everton (15:00)
- Coventry City vs Fulham (15:00)
- Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur (17:30)
Sunday, October 25
- Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United (14:00)
- Hull City vs Brentford (14:00)
- Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion (14:00)
- Manchester United vs Bournemouth (14:00)
- Sunderland vs Leeds United (16:30)
Injury Updates, Suspensions and Key Team News
The return of European football has created further fitness concerns for several Premier League sides, with FPL managers needing to pay particular attention to players who picked up injuries during the midweek fixtures.
Arsenal have a significant concern after Bukayo Saka suffered a thigh injury during their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich. The England international lasted just 10 minutes before being forced off, making him a major doubt for the Everton fixture. Managers should consider alternatives if they need an immediate replacement.
Manchester City have received better news regarding Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker was forced off late in the Gameweek 7 victory over Ipswich Town but has been declared available for the trip to Aston Villa. However, Antoine Semenyo is expected to miss around eight weeks with a knee injury.
Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly were also being assessed after picking up issues in the Ipswich match. Their availability should be checked before the deadline, particularly for managers considering Man City’s midfield and defensive options.
Liverpool have further concerns, with Dominik Szoboszlai suffering a recurrence of his hamstring problem and Jeremie Frimpong picking up a muscle injury. Both players face a difficult route back into the side, although their respective recovery timelines differ. Managers should be cautious about holding either player without a clear update on their return.
Brentford will be without Vitaly Janelt and Yehor Yarmolyuk through suspension for their trip to Hull City. There are no major fresh injury concerns for the Bees, although their midfield options will be affected by the two absences.
Nottingham Forest have received a boost with Morgan Gibbs-White available after missing the defeat to Arsenal. His return makes Forest’s attacking options more interesting ahead of Friday’s meeting with Ipswich, who have struggled to keep clean sheets this season.
Check the final press conference updates before the FPL Gameweek 8 deadline for news on doubtful players and any late changes to expected starting line-ups.
Must-Have FPL Picks
Chelsea’s home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur stands out as one of the more attractive attacking opportunities of the round, although the London derby could be more competitive than the fixture list initially suggests.
Cole Palmer (£9.8m) is one of Chelsea‘s leading options for managers looking to strengthen their midfield as the Blues face Tottenham. Joao Pedro (£7.9m) is another Chelsea player worth considering, as is Morgan Rogers (£8.0m).
Manchester City’s trip to Aston Villa is a more difficult fixture than last week’s home meeting with Ipswich, but Haaland (£15.7m) remains one of the strongest FPL options. The striker has scored eight goals in the opening seven gameweeks, and his availability is a major boost for managers who own him.
Jeremy Doku (£7.5m) is another City player to consider following Semenyo’s injury, while Phil Foden (£6.8m) is also an option for managers looking for a cheaper route into City’s attack.
Arsenal have a favourable home fixture against Everton, making their defensive options worth considering. Riccardo Calafiori (£6.0m) has offered attacking potential from defence and remains one of the more attractive options in his position.
David Raya (£6.1m) is another option for managers seeking clean-sheet potential. Martin Odegaard (£6.8m) could also be worth considering, particularly with concerns over Saka.
Nottingham Forest’s visit to Ipswich is another fixture worth targeting. Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.9m) has been productive away from home, recording 23 points across his three away appearances. Ipswich have yet to keep a clean sheet this season, giving Forest’s attacking players an opportunity to deliver.
Brentford’s trip to Hull City also deserves attention. Igor Thiago (£7.8m) has shown promising goal threat despite limited returns, while goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher (£5.0m) offers a cheaper route to potential defensive points.
For FPL Gameweek 8, prioritise players with secure minutes, favourable fixtures and consistent attacking involvement. Avoid making transfers purely because a player has performed well in one match, particularly when the next fixture presents a different challenge.
FPL Gameweek 8 Captaincy Picks
The captaincy decision is less straightforward this week, with Haaland travelling to Aston Villa and Arsenal facing Everton at home. Haaland remains a strong option given his scoring record, but managers looking for an alternative could consider Chelsea’s Palmer or Arsenal and Nottingham Forest’s attacking options.
- Erling Haaland – (Aston Villa vs Man City)
- Cole Palmer – (Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur)
- Joao Pedro – (Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur)
- Martin Odegaard – (Arsenal vs Everton)
- Morgan Gibbs-White – (Ipswich Town vs Nott’m Forest)
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Extra Time Notes
FPL Gameweek 8 offers several opportunities to target favourable fixtures, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Brentford all worth considering.
Check the latest injury updates before the 18:30 BST deadline, avoid chasing points from midweek performances and think carefully before making transfers that could weaken your squad over the next few gameweeks.
Apply these FPL Gameweek 8 tips carefully, and you will give yourself a strong foundation for the next round of Premier League fixtures.
Good luck!
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