Matchweek eight gave us a bit of everything. Chelsea were quickest out of the blocks as they put six past Charlton. Sonia Bompastor's side looked every bit title challengers with a dominating performance from start to finish and there was a touching moment as Giulia Dragoni netted her first goal for the club.
Tottenham scored four against Birmingham, with Pelova adding another one to her growing collection of goals. Manchester City came from behind to beat London City 2-1, with the dynamic duo of Shaw and Hemp both on the scoresheet.
It’s the time of the week where we look ahead to matchweek nine. Saturday brings Manchester City against a West Ham side who have just scored four of their own, while Chelsea host Everton, hoping to keep the goals flowing after last weekend.
The second tier is back in league action this weekend and there’s a North East derby to look forward to as Durham take on Sunderland. There’s a lot of goal potential on the board, so we’ve backed the players in form and added a few value options to keep the budget happy.
Team news can change plans, so make sure to double-check your team before the deadline. Here's who we think will be in the points this weekend:
The Back Line
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea) - £5.5m
Hampton has kept five clean sheets in eight games, which has lifted her to 39 points so far this season. It also means 58% of managers have had the same idea, but that’s fine, because some picks are about going with the obvious choice and a goalkeeper in good form is exactly what you want for your line up.
Chelsea host Everton on Saturday lunchtime, which makes her one of the first players to appear on your screen. The early kick off gives you the opportunity to see how Chelsea get on and if Hampton blanks, you can always make a sub before the Sunday deadline. A safe pair of hands, and the option to make a change if required, the ideal set up in goal.
Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea) - £7.0m
Chelsea’s right back is in fine form. She's bagged four league goals already this season, and is key to everything Chelsea do going forward. She's averaging 17 shots per 90 which shows just how regularly she is arriving in the box instead of staying out wide. Her 5.3 crosses per 90 means she’s busy creating chances for her teammates as well. When Chelsea attack down the right, she’s usually somewhere in the middle of it all.
All of that adds up to 79 points, which is pretty remarkable number for a defender to be on at this stage of the season. We think Chelsea will dominate at home, so they should have the ball for long spells, and with Carpenter running forward, we’re hoping for a goal, an assist or a clean sheet. Preferably all three.
Kaitlyn Torpey (Newcastle) - £4.0m
Kaitlyn Torpey is probably the best value for money defender in the game. The Newcastle left back averages 4.3 interceptions per 90 minutes, so she reads the game early and often stops danger before it arrives. She also carries the ball forward, which makes her a fantastic outlet down the left for a side who are enjoying life at the top of BWSL 2.
At £4m she means you can splash out elsewhere without sweating over your budget. Newcastle have scored 16 and conceded only three, and Torpey’s four clean sheets show how hard they are to play against. Burnley visit on Sunday afternoon having scored four in six, so another shutout looks very possible. Only 14% of managers own her, so you could be ahead of the crowd by putting her in your team.
Mapi León (London City) - £5.5m
Think of Mapi León as London City’s quarterback. The former Barcelona defender has settled into life in the BWSL with ease and her performances have been incredibly impressive this season. She's a ball-playing centre back who averages more than 12 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and she receives around 54 passes per 90, so the ball spends a lot of time at her feet.
She isn’t just a passer either, picking up 4.7 interceptions per 90 to keep things tidy at the back. This combination actually suits fantasy really nicely, because the interceptions add to her defensive action points while the passing can lead to the odd assist, and she's one of LCL's set piece takers. Eder Maestre's side take on Birmingham City this week, and with London City on 20 goals from eight games, we expect them to dominate possession in this one and hopefully continue finding the back of the net.
The Midfield
Lauren Hemp (Manchester City) - £8.0m
When Manchester City need something to happen, the ball tends to find its way to Lauren Hemp. She's looked unstoppable so far this season. Hemp is key to how City play. She gets into dangerous areas constantly. Her dribble success rate of almost 88% and 5.7 progressive runs per 90 minutes, show how City move so quickly from midfield to the final third.
She has five goals and four assists to her name already this season and with City hosting West Ham, who have conceded 14, she should have plenty of room to run at defenders. Half of fantasy managers already own her, and it’s easy to see why.
Victoria Pelova (Tottenham) - £6.5m
Pelova has been exceptional for Tottenham, sliding between the midfield and the front line, and that freedom lets her get on the end of chances that would normally fall to a striker. Six goals from an xG of 3.26 means she has been finishing above an expected rate, so a little cooling off is possible, but a player taking 2.95 shots per 90 minutes will keep finding opportunities.
Goals from midfield are worth five points each in fantasy, so her six have already brought 30 of her 70 points. Spurs go into this weekend's game against Brighton after scoring four at Birmingham, with Pelova getting the last of them so we're hoping she can pop up with another goal here.
Kadidiatou Diani (London City) - £7.0m
Diani is a joy to watch on the right wing. She adds dynamism to an already impressive London City attack. The French international loves to run at her opponent and usually keeps the ball when she takes someone on. Her three goals and three assists come from 2.49 expected goals and 3.24 expected assists, so the numbers back up what she’s doing. She's only played 507 minutes, so rotation is the one thing to watch, but she's key for LCL when she's on the pitch.
Birmingham have conceded 17 in eight, and with London City scoring goals for fun, Diano could see a lot of the ball down the right side as they look to her to create goalscoring opportunities. At only 8% ownership, she’s the sort of pick that is still flying under the radar so could be a really clever choice this weekend.
Beth Lumsden (Newcastle) - £7.5m
Lumsden is the kind of player who makes things happen for the people around her. She plays on the right wing and has four assists already this season. She drives Newcastle forward with the ball at her feet, averaging 3.3 progressive runs per 90. She's key to their build up play and the player who constantly arrives in dangerous areas at the right time.
That means there could be plenty of attacking involvement points up for grabs as well plenty of assist potential. Newcastle sit top of the BWSL 2 table on 16 points, and with Burnley the visitors this weekend, we expect the Magpies to be in control. A clean sheet point would be a lovely bonus. At £7.5m and 6% ownership, she’s a smart way to join the party at the top without following the crowd.
The Forwards
Bunny Shaw (Manchester City) - £12.5m
Some picks need a long explanation, but Bunny Shaw isn’t one of them. Nine goals in eight games and an average of 5.68 shots per 90 minutes are reason enough to put her in your team. She’s a pure centre-forward who knows exactly where the goal is and how to find it.
West Ham are City's opponents this week. The Hammers have conceded 14 so far, so they have a busy afternoon ahead. At £12.5m she’s the priciest player in our team, but sometimes the obvious choice really is the best one.
Elise Hughes (Sunderland) - £7.0m
The Sunderland forward has been one of the most reliable goalscorers in BWSL 2. Her five goals have come from an xG of 5.51, so her finishing is right where it should be, and she puts 55.6% of her shots on target. She also averages 2.72 shots per 90 minutes, which tells you she keeps getting into the right areas.
Sunderland have scored 12 in six games and sit third in the table, this weekend they travel to Durham for the North East derby. Durham have conceded 20 in six, so there should be chances for Hughes, and the derby adds a bit of extra spice. At £7m she’s on 39 points for the season, and with only 3% of managers owning her, she’s a nice differential up front.
Melvine Malard (Chelsea) - £8.0m
Malard might be the most fun player on this list. Her goal rate is the highest in the team, with 5.4 shots per 90 minutes and an expected goals total of 7.13 from only 383 minutes, so she keeps finding scoring positions. Six goals from that time on the pitch is a brilliant return for any striker, she's settled into this Chelsea side with ease and hopefully her good form will continue this weekend.
Everton have conceded only nine in eight games, joint second best in the league alongside Arsenal, so the chances won’t come as easily as they did against Charlton, when she scored twice inside the opening twenty minutes. Even so, Chelsea have scored 27 this season, the most in the league, and that’s a lot for any defence to deal with so we're backing Malard to find the back of the net again.
Subs
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Crystal Palace) - £4.5m
If you want cover for Hampton, Peyraud-Magnin is the one to swap in, and she’s a very different keeper. Palace face 6.64 shots per 90 minutes, so she’s rarely short of work, and her 37 saves have already earned her 10 points. She stops 70.18% of the shots she faces, and Palace have conceded 17 from an expected 18.02, so she’s doing a little better than the chances suggest. Charlton visit on Sunday afternoon having scored three in eight, so a clean sheet is a real possibility. At £4.5m she frees up some funds, and only 2% of managers own her.
Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United) - £6.0m
Le Tissier is the bench pick for anyone who likes a ball-playing centre back. She marshals United’s back line and receives 51.51 passes per 90 minutes, so plenty of their build up goes through her. She wins 68.42% of her aerial duels, and her 6.28 interceptions per 90 show how important she is to Eva Olid's defence. Villa are a tough clean sheet test, but she’s a safe swap if you want an extra defender.
Molly Bartrip (Crystal Palace) - £4.0m
Bartrip is a very busy centre back. She makes 12.81 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes, helped by 8.38 interceptions, and as Palace face plenty of shots, she’s often the one stepping in to help. Her workload has earned her defensive action points this season, and she’s scored once as well, which is a nice bonus for a defender. If Palace keep it tight against Charlton, we would back her to collect clean sheet points. She’s a solid value pick for the back line this week.
Katie Kitching (Sunderland) - £7.0m
Kitching is the creator behind Sunderland’s attack, and the quiet one you’ll want to keep an eye on. She plays as midfielder for Sunderland but has freedom to roam across the pitch. So far this season she's averaging 3.82 crosses and 4.15 passes into the box per 90 minutes, and her 18 shots show she’s regularly in scoring positions too. Only 1% of managers own her, so she’s a proper differential pick.
