FPL Fantasy Forecast 2025/26 Season: Gameweek 4

The 2025/26 Premier League season is back for a 4th round of fixtures, with the team at Hype Train providing an in-depth look at the week ahead. We have covered our top players selections, tips, differentials, and provided a scout picks squad of picks for a standalone Gameweek 3. All aboard.

What should we expect during FPL Gameweek 4's fixtures?:

We FPL players are fresh off the first international break of the season, and with the transfer window slammed shut, at least there is the likelihood that starting line-ups will at least now become more understandable.

At the top of the table, Liverpool travel to Burnley on Sunday in a fixture that many like us presume an away win is on the cards for Arne Slot's team. Chelsea, who are also undefeated, are also on the road and take on a Brentford outfit who recently dispatched Aston Villa 1-0 at home, though from an FPL perspective this game is still a winnable and favourable fixture for Chelsea.

The only other undefeated team in the Premier League heading into Gameweek 4 is Crystal Palace, and they also have a favourable fixture as they host Sunderland at Selhurst Park. So any basis for FPL consideration should revolve around this trio of clubs as they have both form and fixture on their side.

If like us, you're a believer in form over fixtures, then Everton could be a team to back on home soil against Aston Villa. Jack Grealish (£6.7m) is in form as is Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m), whilst Aston Villa have simply not got going from an FPL perspective. On paper this is a tough game to call as form can swing at any moment, but at least the optics and suggestions are that Everton are in pole position to add to back-to-back wins.

Before the season started Bournemouth were touted to be on a big downslide after selling the majority of their defensive line, but yet 3 games in they sit on 2 wins and absolutely dominated Spurs in Gameweek 3's 1-0 win away from home. A combination of good recruitment, coaching, and a touch of class from players like Antoine Semenyo (£7.4m) have given Bournemouth life. At the back, Marcos Senesi (£4.6m, 25 points) has shaken the FPL beehive, with the Cherries hosting a competent Brighton outfit with a good run of fixtures in play for Bournemouth. Low risk and cheap for FPL players, form suggests Bournemouth are favourites, and from an FPL perspective they are low risk, budget options, that can be easily rotated.

We also fancy Arsenal to be favourites against Nottingham Forest in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, particularly as a change of Manager to Ange Postecoglou at Forest does create uncertainty over style of play. Fulham should also see joy against Leeds, as should Spurs away at West Ham, though the Hammers dismantled Forest and are incredibly hot-and-cold.

The Manchester Derby ends the Gameweek, and on paper you'd like to presume that City would be hot favourites, but let's be honest, both teams on the eye are in decline and this game could swing either way. Man City lost to United at home last season, and have just lost to Spurs and Brighton, whilst Man United's win at Burnley has them above Pep Guardiola's side in the league.

Gameweek 4 Score Predictions:

GW4 Score Predictions: Sam Austin

Arsenal 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Bournemouth 2-0 Brighton

Crystal Palace 3-0 Sunderland

Everton 2-1 Aston Villa

Fulham 1-1 Leeds

Newcastle 2-0 Wolves

West Ham 1-3 Spurs

Brentford 0-3 Chelsea

Burnley 0-2 Liverpool

Man City 1-0 Man United

GW4 Score Predictions: Phil Jones

Arsenal 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton

Crystal Palace 1-1 Sunderland

Everton 2-0 Aston Villa

Fulham 1-0 Leeds

Newcastle 2-0 Wolves

West Ham 1-2 Spurs

Brentford 1-3 Chelsea

Burnley 0-3 Liverpool

Man City 1-2 Man United

GW4 Score Predictions: Robert Austin

Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Bournemouth 1-1 Brighton

Crystal Palace 2-0 Sunderland

Everton 2-1 Aston Villa

Fulham 2-0 Leeds

Newcastle 2-0 Wolves

West Ham 0-3 Spurs

Brentford 1-3 Chelsea

Burnley 0-4 Liverpool

Man City 2-0 Man United

FPL considerations and musings ahead of Gameweek 4:

Does Ange Postecoglou's arrival signal a shift for FPL players?:

When Spurs beat Man United in the Europa League final this past summer, Ange Postecoglou played a defensive style, so he has it in his arsenal to manage a Nottingham Forest outfit that is defensively drilled under the ousted Nuno. The key question though is whether or not Ange will keep to Forest's current style, or rip up the playbook and play an aggressive system like he did at Spurs, with the Europa League winners finishing 17th last season?

The biggest loss to start Ange's reign is the loss of Ola Aina (£5.0m, 11.6% ownership), who picked up a hamstring injury, which instantly weakens the Forest backline. Being relentless, Forest have failed to picked up a clean sheet to start the season, with Defensive Contributions from the 2024/25 season pinning Murillo (£5.5m, 5.4%) and Milenković (£5.5m, 8.1%) not only overpriced, but also underscoring to start the campaign, with Matz Sels (15.9%, 6 points) also losing the battle against his £5.0m goalkeeping rival, Robert Sanchez (24.1%, 17 points). So, for us it is an easy decision to make right now to move Forest defenders on until they can prove themselves defensively.

If you're looking to move on Sels in goal, Dean Henderson (CRY, £5.0m, 7.9%) is a cost efficient upgrade, with Palace hosting Sunderland. If you have extra money in the bank, David Raya (£5.5m, 23.0%) or Jordan Pickford (£5.5m, 11.9%) are proven and dependable.

Is Hugo Ekitike (LIV) in threat of being benched or rotated due to Alexsander Isak's arrival?:

The answer is unclear, though Arne Slot's press conference confirms that Liverpool will slowly be eased into the Liverpool squad, so for a while Ekitike is still an option, though reduced minutes are now a certainty. Champions League football will only further rotate the squad, so this is a situation to wait-and-see, but what I think most people suspect is that this will either be a share role, or one will benched or moved out wide - and it won't be Isak.

Which teams have the form on their side heading into Gameweek 4?:

• Liverpool away at Burnley are the only team to win 3 consecutive matches

• Chelsea away at Brentford are also unbeaten, and in a local encounter

• Crystal Palace are the 3rd unbeaten team and host Sunderland - Munoz, Mateta, Henderson are all worthy options

• Bournemouth have won back-to-back games and host Brighton, with Semenyo in form

• Everton have also won back-to-back games and are also at home, going against Villa

• A trio of teams have lost 2 games on the bounce: Wolves, Aston Villa, and Man City

• Aston Villa are the only team yet to score a goal this season

• The second lowest scorers are Leeds (1), who scored from a controversial penalty against Everton (GW1)

• The best defensive records in the league are all London outfits, only conceding 1 goal each: Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal

• Mohammed Kudus (TOT) returns to West Ham, whilst Jack Grealish (EVE) plays Aston Villa. Football has a funny way of players performing and scoring against their old sides.

Who are the top captaincy considerations ahead of FPL Gameweek 4?:

Gameweek 4 has a range of good contenders, with Mohamed Salah the default pick ahead of Liverpool's visit on Sunday to Burnley. We have provided a list of our top contenders ahead of the Saturday morning deadline.

1) Mohamed Salah (LIV): vs. Burnley (A)

2) Erling Haaland (MCI): vs. Man United (H)

3) Jean-Philippe Mateta (CRY): vs. Sunderland (H)

4) Hugo Ekitike (LIV): vs. Burnley (A)

5) Viktor Gyökeres (ARS): vs. Nottingham Forest (H)

6) Antoine Semenyo (BOU): vs. Brighton (H)

7) Joao Pedro (CHE): vs. Brentford (A)

8) Jack Grealish (EVE): vs. Aston Villa (H)

Is it time to play a Wildcard or Free Hit?:

Before the international break after a frustrating Gameweek 3, I was extremely close to use my Wildcard. Phil Jones on our team has activated his Wildcard. I'm still on the fence as I've had some separation and with GW4 approaching I'm softening my personal stance on playing a chip - the season is still settling and the football season always picks up from now

What is clear though that any Wildcard team right this second should feature both Semenyo (BOU) and Grealish (EVE), as well as prioritising Crystal Palace assets against Sunderland during a good run of games. If you can stomach Arsenal's fixtures still, a defender can be on the priority list, whilst Newcastle and Aston Villa have good fixtures, but no form.

The big change that would facilitate the transfers your teams needs would be removing Haaland or Salah to allow the higher priced defenders such as Pedro Porro (TOT) Munoz (CRY) for the likes of Mateta (CRY) or Gyökeres (ARS) - without doing this, you are limited at getting the likes of Grealish/Semenyo in your squads.

Hype Train's Scout Picks for Gameweek 4:

Our Gameweek 4 squad picks utilise a £100.0m budget, and we have used this just for a squad of players for GW4's fixtures. Click the link here or below to see our picks on social media.

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