Brighton FPL Gameweek 9: Dunk can net against leaky Wolves

Successive wins over Newcastle United and Spurs have lifted the Albion into fifth in the Premier League. With a Gameweek 9 home fixture against last placed Wolves, Brighton assets like Lewis Dunk are certain to be of plenty of interest to FPL managers.

The manner in which the Seagulls nullified Newcastle at one end and were clinical at the other made for one of the most eye catching results of Gameweek 8.

Brighton faced 21 shots – 15 from inside the penalty area – and yet managed to see their way to a clean sheet. And despite missing Kaoru Mitoma (£6.6 million) and Yankuba Minteh (£5.4 million) from the starting XI, the Albion still created their fair share of opportunities playing on the counter.

Danny Welbeck provided the only goal of the game before being stretchered off and taken to hospital with eight minutes remaining.

That may leave some FPL managers concerned over what to do with Welbeck. But his form this season probably deserves an element of risking taking.

With all this in mind, here are couple of interesting Brighton players to consider for Gameweek 9.

Lewis Dunk – (£4.5 million)

The Albion did not record a Premier League clean sheet last season until the midway point of the campaign and a 0-0 draw at West Ham United in early January.

In contrast, Brighton already have three on the board this time around before Halloween. Despite all the questions and criticism of Fabian Hurzeler’s high line, the German has brought an immediate improvement to the Seagulls’ defence.

Something further underlined by Brighton having conceded the fifth-fewest shots (90) in the Premier League this season.

Whilst injuries have seen one of the centre back berths switch between Jan Paul van Hecke, Adam Webster and Igor Julio, captain Dunk has started every match so far.

Saturday saw Dunk register his first big chance of the season with a volley lifted just over. His attacking threat is well-known to seasoned FPL managers, with Dunk scoring three times for Brighton in 2024-24.

He also ended the campaign as joint-third best defender for box shots (27) and joint-fourth for attempts on target (12).

Dunk will fancy his chances of opening his account for 2024-25 against a Wolves side with the leakiest defence in the Premier League.

The Old Gold have shipped 23 goals already, making Dunk a good option for FPL managers wanting to sell the suspended William Saliba (£6.0 million) or downgrade Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1 million).

Danny Welbeck (£5.9 million)

Hurzeler said in his pre-Wolves press conference that a decision on whether Welbeck plays would be made based on how he trains.

A blow to the back had hit a nerve and left Dat Guy with no feeling in his legs. Whilst Welbeck was still in pain, the Albion head coach said there remained a chance he would recover sufficiently to face the Old Gold.

In which case, he looks an ideal bargain replacement for misfiring Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0 million) or those wanting to raise money for extra premium assets.

A combination of injuries and squad competition means Welbeck has only once exceeded 2,000 Premier League minutes in a season before. He has not surpassed six goals since 2013-14.

This season alone has seen Welbeck start all eight games and net five times thus far. The 33-year-old ranks joint-sixth for shots on target (10) and ended last weekend as FPL’s second-best forward with 50 points.

Captaincy

Erling Haaland (£15.4 million) continues to be a highly popular armband choice despite having drawn blanks for three consecutive Gameweeks now.

An outrageous goal in midweek Champions League action as Manchester City beat Sparta Prague 5-0 will, however, give FPL managers hope that the Norwegian will be firing on all cylinders this weekend.

Haaland faces a struggling Southampton side at the Eithad which may lead some to believe he is entering Triple Captain territory.

But Haaland failed to muster a shot against last-placed Wolves on Sunday – as already noted, the leakiest side so far.

Stung managers looking elsewhere from Haaland will not like Mohamed Salah (£12.6 million) and Bukayo Saka (£10.1 million) going head-to-head at the Emirates. So perhaps Cole Palmer (£10.8 million) at home to Newcastle is the alternative.

Whoever gets the nod, FPL managers should remember to get their selections in before the abnormal Friday evening deadline due to the clash between Leicester and Nottingham Forest.

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