Update (Wednesday 21 October, evening): the full Champions League matchday 3 review. All five English clubs have now played. The record is three wins, a draw and a defeat. The biggest news for FPL managers is Saka‘s injury, and the worst night belonged to United, beaten 4-1 at Como.
| Match | Score | English club’s scorers |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City v AEK Athens | 5-1 | Foden 3, Anderson, Cherki |
| Liverpool v Villarreal | 4-3 | Mac Allister 2, Araújo, Wirtz |
| Bayern v Arsenal | 2-2 | Eze, Rice |
| Aston Villa v Viking | 3-1 | Barkley, Buendía (pen), Heggheim own goal |
| Como v Manchester United | 4-1 | Zirkzee |
Bayern 2-2 Arsenal. Saka off after 10 minutes. With the score at 0-0, Saka clutched his left thigh after playing a pass, had a quick word with Arteta and went straight down the tunnel. There was no contact with an opponent. The club has not given a diagnosis yet, but the game has already flagged him: thigh injury, 75% chance of playing. Saka is owned by 16.5% of managers, and our rating has dropped from 87 to 85. Arsenal host Everton at 15:00 on Saturday. If you own Saka, don’t sell him overnight. Wait for Arteta’s pre-match press conference instead. The deadline is Friday at 18:30, so there is time to decide.
Eze replaced Saka and volleyed Arsenal ahead on 25 minutes from an Ødegaard pass. Bayern hit back through Davies (35) and a Kane penalty (61), and Rice equalised on 82 minutes from a pass by substitute Gyökeres. Raya, Gabriel, Calafiori, Konsa (booked), Timber, Rice and Madueke played the full match. Havertz came off on 68 minutes and Ødegaard on 85. We rate Eze only 61 because he has played just 130 league minutes so far, so despite the goal he is not one to buy before Friday. Arsenal have 7 points from three Champions League matches.
Como 4-1 Manchester United. Nico Paz scored inside two minutes, set up Douvikas (49) and added a second (57). Jacobo Ramón headed the fourth (76), and United only replied in stoppage time, when Zirkzee scored from an Amad cross. It is United’s seventh game in a row without a win, their longest such run since 2015 according to Sky Sports. Michael Carrick said after the game that he was very angry and did not like what he saw. He took off Cunha and Andrey Santos at half-time without giving a reason. United have 3 points from three matches.
For FPL: Bruno Fernandes (28.9% ownership) played until the 67th minute and Mbeumo (20.5%) until the 86th. Bruno is the third most transferred-out player this week (225k), while Mbeumo is among the most transferred-in (136k) and completes our top ten captain picks. Our model uses league data, not cup games or the mood around the club, which is why Bruno is still rated 86 and Mbeumo 87. United host Bournemouth at 14:00 on Sunday, the longest rest of Wednesday’s three clubs, but the team’s form is something the model cannot see.
Aston Villa 3-1 Viking. Villa have won all three matches and have the maximum 9 points. Barkley headed the opener (23), Buendía scored a penalty (37) and the third was an own goal by Heggheim (62). Christiansen pulled one back for Viking (84). Unai Emery rotated heavily before Saturday’s game with City: Suzuki started in goal, and Jackson, Barkley and João Gomes came off on 70 minutes. McGinn (rated 86, 2.8% ownership) and Buendía (84, 1.3%), Villa’s two highest-rated midfielders, played the full match. Manzambi (flagged at 75%) was not in the matchday squad.
What it means before Gameweek 8: Saka is the key issue, and the decision is best left until after Arteta’s press conference. City and Liverpool are fresh, having played on Tuesday and rotated. Villa have the shortest rest of the English clubs (just under 2 days and 17 hours) and open the gameweek against City at 12:30 on Saturday. Our full Gameweek 8 guide follows on Thursday.
Results, scorers and line-ups from ESPN, Sky Sports and Sports Mole. Flags, ownership, transfers and ratings in this update as of Wednesday 21 October, 22:30 UK time.
Matchday 3 of the Champions League league phase kicked off on Tuesday. Two English clubs played and both won: Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1, and Liverpool came back from two goals down to beat Villarreal 4-3. For FPL managers, who played and who rested matters more than the scores. The Gameweek 8 deadline is Friday at 18:30 UK time, and the first match of the gameweek is Aston Villa v Manchester City on Saturday.
Manchester City 5-1 AEK Athens: Haaland on the bench, Foden hat-trick
Haaland (76.8% ownership) was on the bench and did not come on. He was limping late in Saturday’s win over Ipswich, and the game had him flagged at 75%. After the AEK match Enzo Maresca said: “He’s okay to start on Saturday”, meaning Haaland can start against Villa. The flag has already been removed. City started 17-year-old Floyd Samba instead.
City’s goals came from Anderson on 12 minutes (a rebound from an Enzo Fernández free-kick, his first goal for City), Foden on 34, 65 and 76 minutes, and Cherki on 57. Stavros Pilios scored for AEK. Rico Lewis set up two of Foden’s goals. It was Foden’s first hat-trick since April 2024, and with his goal against Ipswich he now has four goals in two matches. According to ESPN he also added an assist.
Who rested: Guéhi (17.8% ownership), Doku and Ndiaye also stayed on the bench. Foden, Cherki and Anderson played the full match. Gvardiol (28.3%) came off on 72 minutes after treatment. Maresca told TNT Sports the defender had a minor back problem in the warm-up but was able to play. He has no flag in the game, although 101k managers have already sold him this week. O’Reilly (9.2%) was not in the matchday squad and is flagged at 75% (back).
What Foden’s hat-trick means for FPL
Foden costs £6.8m and is owned by just 1.7% of managers. Our model rates him 78, a Hold. The reason is simple: after his red card in the derby he was suspended until 17 October and has played only 293 Premier League minutes so far. The model scores proven Premier League minutes, and Champions League matches don’t count towards the rating, so the AEK hat-trick doesn’t change it. If Foden starts playing regularly in the league, his rating will rise on its own.
There is also the question of a place in the team. With Haaland back up front, Cherki, Doku, Ndiaye, Anderson and Foden are competing for the spots behind him (Semenyo is injured). That makes Foden one to watch rather than one to buy before Friday.
Cherki is the most transferred-in player this week (186k). He is owned by 37.8% of managers and rated 84, a Buy. He scored again on Tuesday and played the full match.
Liverpool 4-3 Villarreal: three wins from three
Liverpool were 2-0 down after 29 minutes. Mikautadze scored on 4 minutes after a misjudged header from van Dijk, and Cardona added the second. Mac Allister headed one back from a Tsimikas corner (36). In first-half stoppage time Araújo headed the equaliser from a cross by 18-year-old Ngumoha. After the break Mac Allister scored again from a Ngumoha cut-back (65), and Wirtz, a half-time substitute, made it 4-2 from a Gakpo pass (68). Oluwaseyi pulled one back for Villarreal on 87 minutes. Ngumoha had two assists and the Daily Mirror named him man of the match. Liverpool have maximum points after three Champions League matches.
Araújo came off at half-time despite scoring. It is the second match in a row in which he has been replaced after 45 minutes (Brentford was the first). Andoni Iraola said it was a tactical change: Gravenberch moved to right-back to deal better with runs into midfield. According to RotoWire the coach added that the player felt some discomfort but is fine. Our model rates Araújo 58, a Sell, because his minutes are clearly being managed. We covered his loan from Barcelona here.
Minutes: Gakpo played the full match and had an assist (rated 82, 6.5% ownership). Isak came on in the 66th minute (79, Hold, 120k transfers in this week). Wirtz played 45 minutes and scored (83, Buy). Ngumoha has played only 152 league minutes so far, which is why the model rates him 54, even though he was the best player on the pitch on Tuesday.
Szoboszlai is still out. The game lists Szoboszlai with a hamstring injury and no return date. He is still owned by 19.2% of managers and is the most transferred-out player in FPL this week (288k). Frimpong is also listed as injured with no return date.
Rest before Gameweek 8
| Club | Champions League | Gameweek 8 | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Wed 21 Oct, 20:00 – Viking (home) | Sat 24 Oct, 12:30 – Man City (home) | approx. 2 days 16 hrs |
| Arsenal | Wed 21 Oct, 20:00 – Bayern (away) | Sat 24 Oct, 15:00 – Everton (home) | approx. 2 days 19 hrs |
| Manchester City | Tue 20 Oct, 20:00 – AEK (5-1) | Sat 24 Oct, 12:30 – Aston Villa (away) | approx. 3 days 16 hrs |
| Manchester United | Wed 21 Oct, 17:45 – Como (away) | Sun 25 Oct, 14:00 – Bournemouth (home) | approx. 3 days 21 hrs |
| Liverpool | Tue 20 Oct, 20:00 – Villarreal (4-3) | Sun 25 Oct, 14:00 – Brighton (home) | approx. 4 days 19 hrs |
Aston Villa get the least rest: they play Viking tonight and host City at 12:30 on Saturday in the first match of the gameweek. City have an extra day, and Haaland did not play at all on Tuesday. Arsenal play in Munich tonight and host Everton at 15:00 on Saturday.
In our captain picks for Gameweek 8, Haaland is only ninth (rating 87, risk 38, upside 79) because he goes to Villa Park. Rogers leads (89, risk 31, upside 89), and João Pedro has the second-best profile (88, risk 32, upside 86). Both play at home to Tottenham at 17:30 on Saturday, and Chelsea are not in European competition this season, so they have no extra match in their legs.
Note the clock change: UK clocks go back in the early hours of Sunday 25 October. Sunday’s matches kick off at 14:00 and 16:30 UK time.
United, Arsenal and Villa play tonight
On Wednesday: Como v Manchester United at 17:45, then Bayern v Arsenal and Aston Villa v Viking at 20:00. We will add the results, line-ups and minutes to the top of this article on Thursday morning, and our full Gameweek 8 guide will follow on Thursday.
All ratings are in our AI rankings, and player flags are in the Injury Centre. We covered the previous Champions League matchday here, and our Premier League Gameweek 7 review is here.
Results, scorers and line-ups verified against external sources (ESPN, Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Daily Mirror, RotoWire). Ownership, transfers and ratings come from the official game API and our engine, as of Wednesday 21 October morning. This article was produced with the help of artificial intelligence and checked by our editors. This is not betting advice.