Three gameweeks into the 2026/27 Premier League season and the early picture is already clear: Manchester City and Arsenal sit level on nine points at the top, Hull City’s defensive steel has them third on seven, Chelsea are free-scoring under Xabi Alonso, and Liverpool are finding their rhythm after a solid midweek Champions League win.
With the FPL Gameweek 4 deadline locked in for Saturday, September 12 at 13:30 BST, here’s everything you need to refine your squad before the action kicks off.
FPL Gameweek 4 Fixtures
All times BST
Saturday, September 12
- Bournemouth vs Brentford (15:00)
- Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest (15:00)
- Chelsea vs Hull City (15:00)
- Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town (15:00)
- Liverpool vs Fulham (15:00)
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton (17:30)
- Sunderland vs Arsenal (20:00)
Sunday, September 13
- Coventry City vs Brighton & Hove Albion (14:00)
- Manchester United vs Manchester City (16:30)
Monday, September 14
- Leeds United vs Newcastle United (20:00)
Injury Updates, Suspensions and Key Team News
Midweek European and cup action has sharpened a few fitness pictures ahead of Fantasy Football Matchweek 4.
Liverpool’s 2-1 Champions League win over Atlético Madrid saw Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister on the scoresheet, with Bradley Barcola only suffering from a cramp and Cody Gakpo to be assessed ahead of Fulham. Hugo Ekitike remains a longer-term concern.
Arsenal ground out a 1-0 win at Napoli, and Mikel Arteta confirmed Ben White is fine after limping off. William Saliba is still out with a back issue, but Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera are closing in on returns and could feature at Sunderland. Declan Rice is available.
Chelsea’s chaotic 6-3 Carabao Cup thrashing of Leeds – with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto all influential after coming off the bench – leaves them in good spirits for Hull City. Although Moises Caicedo, Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha remain sidelined.
Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Porto keeps them flying, with Nico O’Reilly fully fit but Jeremy Doku needing a few more days; the derby may come too soon for the Belgian.
Aston Villa still miss Joao Gomes (suspended until Gameweek 5) plus longer-term absentees Amadou Onana and Leon Goretzka. Crystal Palace are without Jean-Philippe Mateta (thigh). Brentford lose Nathan Collins to a calf problem until after the international break. Manchester United will assess Luke Shaw after he was rested midweek, while Marcus Rashford was also managed carefully.
Keep a close eye on the final press conferences – last-minute fitness calls can still shift FPL Gameweek 4 decisions.
Must-Have FPL Picks
Gameweek 3 and the midweek fixtures have clarified a few things for FPL Gameweek 4.
Chelsea tore Leeds apart in the cup and now host bottom-half Hull City at Stamford Bridge – the standout attack of the weekend. Cole Palmer (£9.7m) and Joao Pedro (£7.7m) look nailed on for returns, with Morgan Rogers (£7.6m) also heavily involved. Defensive options such as Reece James or Maxime Lacroix offer clean-sheet and attacking upside against a side that has been solid but faces a big step up.
Liverpool host Fulham at Anfield after their European win. Alexander Isak (£9.1m) continues to deliver, while Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is in excellent form with set-piece threat and goal involvement. Virgil van Dijk remains a strong defensive play.
Arsenal travel to Sunderland. Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) retains premium appeal, and the defensive unit of Gabriel and Ricardo Calafiori still offers clean-sheet potential against a side that has started well but faces the league’s most organised attack.
Brighton head to Coventry. Despite earlier injury concerns, Pascal Groß (£5.6m) and Maxim De Cuyper remain attractive for attacking returns and clean-sheet potential against a newly promoted side still searching for points.
The Manchester derby is the weekend’s showpiece. Erling Haaland (£15.5m) is never far from the conversation even away from home, while Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) continues to dictate for United.
For FPL Gameweek 4, prioritise high expected minutes and the clearest fixtures while keeping an eye on price rises after the midweek form boosts.
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FPL Captaincy Picks
The FPL Gameweek 4 captaincy decision has a few strong candidates:
- Cole Palmer – (Chelsea vs Hull City)
- Alexander Isak – (Liverpool vs Fulham)
- Erling Haaland – (Man Utd vs Man City)
- Joao Pedro – (Chelsea vs Hull City)
- Bukayo Saka – (Sunderland vs Arsenal)
- Dominik Szoboszlai – (Liverpool vs Fulham)
- Bruno Fernandes – (Man Utd vs Man City)
Palmer is the standout for many given the home fixture against Hull and his recent involvement, though Haaland’s sheer ceiling keeps him in the conversation even in a tough derby. Isak’s underlying numbers at Anfield make him a very strong alternative.
Extra Time Notes
FPL Gameweek 4 rewards those who have stayed flexible through the early weeks and the midweek European and cup action.
Chelsea’s attacking form is the clearest story of the round, Liverpool look ready to capitalise at home, and Arsenal’s away trip still carries clean-sheet appeal.
Monitor the final team news closely – especially around Timber, Gakpo and any late Chelsea rotation after the cup exertions – because small shifts can still move the needle before the 13:30 BST lock. Build around the best fixtures, leave room for the price rises that are already starting to appear, and don’t overthink the derby.
Solid foundations and one well-timed captaincy call should keep you moving in the right direction.
Apply these FPL Gameweek 4 tips carefully, and you’ll be well placed heading into the next set of fixtures.
Good luck!
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