Bournemouth and Aston Villa Players to Target in Gameweek 9
The fixture swing is coming, and Bournemouth and Aston Villa sit right at the heart of it.
Gameweek nine hands Bournemouth a home tie against Leeds and opens up a kind run of matches that suddenly makes their mid-priced assets far more interesting. Among them, Marcus Tavernier (£6.4m) stands out as the headline pick. His recent performances have dragged attention his way: he carries genuine goal threat, supplies chances from midfield, and crucially, he does it at a price that lets managers reshape the rest of their squads.
He is not alone. Evanilson (£6.2m) offers a cheaper route into Bournemouth’s attack and looks well-placed to profit from this stretch of fixtures. He’s not the flashiest name in the game, but he’s a budget forward who should see enough opportunities to justify the outlay. For those who want attacking access without blowing the bank, he ticks the box.
At the back, Antonio Silva (£5.0m) is the defender of choice from the Cherries. His defensive contributions and price make sense in the current landscape, even if there’s little appetite to go all-in and triple up on Bournemouth assets. The upside is there, but the risk of overcommitting to one team remains clear.
Villa’s Turn, Jackson’s Moment
Aston Villa’s own schedule turns inviting with Fulham at home in gameweek nine, the start of a run that puts their attackers firmly on the radar. Nicolas Jackson (£6.7m) has already forced his way into the conversation with four goals in his last four Premier League matches. He looks increasingly comfortable at Villa, offering managers an appealing alternative to other budget forwards.
There is a caveat. His minutes carry a slight question mark. With Villa balancing Champions League commitments and promising young striker Brian Madjo (£5.4m) now back from injury, the risk of Jackson being hooked early in games is real. Even so, when you weigh his form and price, he remains a very strong option to target this upcoming run.
Haaland Still Reigns
Despite Manchester City’s first Premier League defeat of the season, Erling Haaland (£15.7m) still sits alone at the top of the captaincy conversation. He scored again against Aston Villa in gameweek eight and continues to be the player most likely to produce the biggest haul in any given round.
That doesn’t mean the armband has to be glued to him every week. There will be moments to take a calculated risk elsewhere. But right now, he is the only truly reliable premium asset in the game, and that status keeps him firmly in captaincy plans.
Time to Cut Joao Pedro Loose
Joao Pedro (£7.8m) becomes an easy sell after Xabi Alonso’s comments ruling him out for weeks. Some managers will be tempted to bench him and wait it out, knowing how explosive he can be when fit. The problem is the uncertainty. No one knows exactly how long this absence could stretch, and that makes holding him a costly gamble.
The landscape up front only strengthens the case to move him on. Mid-priced forwards are in a good place: Jackson and Evanilson bring form and fixtures, while Dominic Calvert Lewin (£6.1m), Thierno Barry (£5.6m) and, for those with extra funds, Alexander Isak (£9.1m), all present viable alternatives. With so many options available, tying up nearly £8.0m on the bench feels wasteful.
Cherki on the Chopping Block
Rayan Cherki (£8.0m) is also on the brink. The talent is obvious, but his minutes are becoming a serious concern. Substituted at half-time against Aston Villa in gameweek eight and already struggling for consistent game time before that, he no longer fits the profile you want at that price point. When you pay that much for a midfielder, you expect 80–90 minutes most weeks, not a constant guessing game.
The solution is straightforward: drop down in price and reinvest. Tavernier again emerges as a logical replacement, offering value and freeing up funds to strengthen other areas of the squad. Yes, Cherki could punish sellers with a big haul if he suddenly starts and stays on the pitch, but the smarter play is to back a player with more reliable minutes.
With fixtures turning and mid-priced options surging, this feels like one of those pivotal stretches in the season where decisive managers can reshape their squads and pull clear.
