Pep Guardiola’s men face a tough assignment on the opening day, travelling to the capital to face West Ham United.
A spirited second half comeback was enough to earn City a point at the London Stadium in the penultimate match of last season, and the squad will be under no illusions that we need to be at our best once again to get our latest title defence off to a winning start.
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We will be looking to bounce back quickly from last week’s Community Shield defeat to Liverpool, when Julian Alvarez scored our only goal in a 3-1 defeat.
But which City stars have you tipped for FPL success? Who from the Hammers’ squad could pose a threat? And which other Premier League players could make the difference in Gameweek One?
FPL managers have been left with plenty of difficult decisions ahead of Friday’s 18:00 (UK) transfer deadline. You can still enter our league as well, just use the code: ny0c81 to take on City fans and legends.
Thankfully, the first FPL Scout report of the 2022/23 campaign is on hand to help ease those last-minute selection dilemmas…
CITY STARS
Joao Cancelo (£7.0m) produced 108 points in away matches last season, second only to the 124
points of Liverpool’s Mo Salah among all players in the league.
Cancelo’s incredible haul came largely thanks seven assists, one goal and 2,951 passes across the season.
We will avoid all of last season’s top six in the first six Gameweeks, lifting the appeal of Erling
Haaland (£11.5m) as a major captaincy pick for many players.
The Norwegian striker moves to the Premier League after finding the net 86 times in 89 appearances for German giants Borussia Dortmund.
OPPONENT TO WATCH
Jarrod Bowen (£8.5m) scored both West Ham’s goals in the corresponding fixture last season,
earning 14 points.
The forward’s form in 2021/22 earned him an England call-up and with a World Cup to come in the middle of this season, he will be looking to hit the ground running to keep his name in the thoughts of Gareth Southgate.
City fought back twice in that game to earn a draw that proved crucial once the destination of the title was decided. Should Bowen start the season on fire, it may require a similar level of determination to bring the three points home from the London Stadium.
OTHER PREMIER LEAGUE PICKS
Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli (£6.0m) supplied five assists over the summer, more than any other player in Fantasy. His side take on Crystal Palace on Friday evening.
Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) has scored in each of his five GW1 appearances for Liverpool, averaging 13.6 points per match (ppm). They will face Fulham at 12:30 on Saturday.
Matty Cash (£5.0m) was Aston Villa’s top performer under Steven Gerrard last term, claiming 108 points from GW12 onwards thanks to three goals, three assists and nine clean sheets. They travel to Bournemouth on Saturday at 15:00.
Jose Sa (£5.0m) was the top-scoring goalkeeper in away matches in Fantasy last term, keeping seven clean sheets and earning 16 save points. His Wolves side are at Leeds United on Saturday.
Two assists and a clean sheet in his final two summer appearances highlights Kieran Trippier ’s (£5.0m) potential at both ends of the pitch. Newcastle United will face Nottingham Forest.
Son Heung-min (£12.0m) delivered 11 double-figure hauls in the previous campaign, more than any
other player in Fantasy. Spurs will play Southampton on Saturday.
Mason Mount (£8.0m) enjoyed his best-ever season in Fantasy last term, producing 11 goals, 11
assists and 168 points. Chelsea travel to Everton for a 17:30 kick off on Saturday.
Leicester winger Harvey Barnes (£7.0m) supplied nine assists in home matches last season, more than
any other player in Fantasy. His team welcome Brentford on Sunday.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (£10.0m) has averaged 8.8ppm across his five meetings with Brighton, their opponents this weekend.
