Manchester City Midfield Rotation Uncertain, Foden and Cherki May Share Playing Time

Manchester City's midfield gave an unfavorable signal in the third round: Phil Foden (7.0m) was placed on the bench, while Rayan Cherki (7.8m) was substituted around the 65th minute, with Foden coming on in his place. The timing says a lot — the two players are likely to share playing time.

More troubling is that Iliman Ndiaye (5.9m) and Enzo Fernandez (6.9m) have also joined the midfield competition. Manchester City's midfield was already crowded, and now it is even more packed. Owning a Manchester City midfielder naturally has a huge upside, but the condition is that they must actually be on the pitch. Even if they start, being substituted early remains a concern. It is still too early to know who Enzo Maresca trusts more and who can secure the most minutes.

Manchester City's midfield rotation risk spreads to the defense.

This uncertainty has even affected Nico O'Reilly (6.5m) and Josko Gvardiol (5.6m). O'Reilly had previously been playing in midfield and can also compete with Gvardiol for the left-back position. This situation is worth monitoring, so apart from Erling Haaland (15.5m), Manchester City players should temporarily be avoided.

If you own Foden or Cherki and can afford a move to Morgan Rogers (7.6m), it would be a solid transfer. Of course, if you can bench them this week and replace them with a better player, you do not necessarily have to sell — after all, Manchester City will face Sunderland at home in Gameweek 5.

Notable changes appear in Arsenal's defense.

There are also notable changes in Arsenal's defense. The original text mentioned an Arsenal defender making his first start, while Mikel Arteta explained after the match that another defender had a "muscle problem." This is a positive signal for players who own that starting defender, and more importantly, concerns about his short-term playing time can temporarily be put aside.

That defender was already an extremely attractive option at this price point, and the uncertainty of his teammate means he should start at least the next few matches. He even has a strong chance to keep his starting place before William Saliba (6.0m) returns from injury. There is almost no downside risk to owning an Arsenal defender at this price range.

In the next five rounds, Arsenal will face Sunderland (away), Leeds United (home), Nottingham Forest (away), and Everton (home). Now is a good time to buy this defender. Based on his current performances and playing-time trend, this price may not last for long.

Chelsea's attack still has FPL value.

Although Chelsea lost this London derby, from an FPL perspective there are still many things to like. They once again showed in attack that they