After two gameweeks of the 2026/27 Premier League season, the picture is already sharpening. Manchester City and Arsenal sit level on six points at the top, Hull City’s perfect start has turned heads, Chelsea are free-scoring but leaky, and several big names have delivered early returns.
With the FPL Gameweek 3 deadline on Friday, September 4, 18:30 BST, here are the key tips to refine your squad.
FPL Gameweek 3 Fixtures
All times BST
Friday, September 4
- Ipswich Town vs Liverpool (20:00)
Saturday, September 5
- Newcastle vs Bournemouth (12:30)
- Brentford vs Sunderland (15:00)
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Leeds United (15:00)
- Fulham vs Crystal Palace (15:00)
- Manchester City vs Coventry City (15:00)
- Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur (15:00)
- Hull City vs Aston Villa (19:30)
Sunday, September 6
- Everton vs Manchester United (14:00)
- Arsenal vs Chelsea (16:30)
Injury Updates, Suspensions and Key Team News
Brighton remain heavily depleted. Mats Wieffer (knee), Jack Hinshelwood, Yankuba Minteh (leg), Evan Ferguson (ankle), Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are on the sidelines. Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari may be options.
Arsenal still miss William Saliba (back) and Jurrien Timber (groin), though Declan Rice is likely to be available. Aston Villa continue without suspended Joao Gomes (until Gameweek 5) and have longer-term absences including Amadou Onana.
Liverpool have Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa sidelined, but new signing Bradley Barcola is available and could feature (likely from the bench initially).
Leeds will be without Joe Rodon (hamstring, 8-10 weeks). Crystal Palace are still missing Ismaila Sarr (groin) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring), while Fulham’s only notable absentee is Tom Cairney (knee).
On the transfer front, Manchester City completed the deadline-day signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea in a joint-British-record £125m deal, making the midfielder available for selection, while Gabriel Martinelli’s £60m move from Arsenal to Al-Hilal has taken the Brazilian out of the Premier League (and FPL) entirely.
Manchester City look largely fit for the visit of Coventry, with Erling Haaland in strong form after his brace in the 4-1 win at Crystal Palace. Keep a close eye on the final press conferences for any late fitness updates before the FPL Gameweek 3 deadline.
Must-Have FPL Picks
Gameweek 2 delivered clarity. City’s attackers tore Palace apart (Haaland two goals, Rayan Cherki two), Manchester United hit five past Ipswich with Bruno Fernandes heavily involved, Chelsea edged a 4-3 thriller against Brighton, and Arsenal ground out another clean-sheet win.
The standout fixture is Manchester City vs Coventry City at the Etihad. Haaland (£15.5m) is the premium must-have after his early returns, while Phil Foden (£7.0m), Antoine Semenyo (£8.5m), Cherki (£7.7m) and defensive options such as Josko Gvardiol (£5.6m) or Marc Guehi (£6.0m) offer strong supporting upside against a newly promoted side.
Liverpool travel to Ipswich. Alexander Isak (£9.0m) and Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) look well placed after solid underlying numbers, with set-piece involvement boosting Szoboszlai’s appeal.
Brighton host Leeds and, despite their injury list, Pascal Groß (£5.5m) and Maxim De Cuyper (£4.7m) remain attractive for attacking returns and clean-sheet potential.
Brentford vs Sunderland and Newcastle vs Bournemouth also offer upside for the likes of Kevin Schade (£6.0m) or Yoane Wissa (£6.1m).
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) and defensive assets retain appeal at home to Chelsea who have Cole Palmer (£9.6m) and Joao Pedro (£7.7m) as strong options, while Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) remains a core midfielder even in a tougher away trip to Everton.
For FPL Gameweek 3, prioritise high expected minutes and favourable fixtures over pure differentials.
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FPL Captaincy Picks
The FPL Gameweek 3 captaincy decision centres on a few clear candidates:
- Erling Haaland – (Man City vs Coventry)
- Alexander Isak – (Ipswich Town vs Liverpool)
- Bukayo Saka – (Arsenal vs Chelsea)
- Bruno Fernandes – (Everton vs Man Utd)
- Dominik Szoboszlai – (Ipswich vs Liverpool)
- Pascal Groß – (Brighton vs Leeds)
Haaland is the overwhelming favourite given the home fixture against promoted opposition and his Gameweek 2 haul.
Strategic Considerations
Monitor the final press conferences closely – last-minute fitness updates can still shift decisions before the FPL Gameweek 3 deadline.
Much like the opening rounds, FPL Gameweek 3 rewards solid foundations. Target the best fixtures (City, Liverpool, Brighton, Brentford) while leaving flexibility for price rises and any remaining transfer-window fallout.
By staying updated on the latest Premier League news and being strategic with your squad and captaincy choice, you can build on the early-season momentum and set yourself up for a competitive rank.
Apply these FPL tips carefully, and you’ll be well placed for FPL Gameweek 3.
Good luck!
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