FPL Gameweek 11: Haaland, Brighton and Arsenal Lead Early Scout Picks

Brighton’s trip to Hull and Arsenal’s visit to Newcastle shape the early thinking for Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 11. The draft also keeps Erling Haaland in view after two blanks, while leaving Chelsea attackers out of the likely selections as their fixture and recent underlying numbers raise doubts.

This is an early “bus team” for the Gameweek, published on 9 November 2026. The final Scout Picks are still to come: squad nominations and any injuries during the international break could change the picture. The draft is intended for Gameweek 11 alone and works within an £83.0m budget for the starting XI, a £100.0m squad limit and a maximum of three players from any one club.

Brighton and Arsenal set the defensive tone

Brighton have moved ahead of Manchester City into second place, and their away match against Hull makes several Seagulls worth monitoring. Pascal Gross (£6.3m) is the familiar pick, though he may offer more security than upside for managers seeking rank gains. His latest expected goal involvement (xGI) figure, at 1.52, was his best of the season. Diego Gomez (£5.0m) also merits a look: the Paraguayan scored against Brentford and is the fifth-highest-scoring midfielder.

Brighton’s defensive options present a choice between Luka Vuskovic (£5.3m) and Maxim De Cuyper (£5.5m). Vuskovic earned a Fantasy assist when Gross converted a penalty, finishing with 12 points. He has the edge for defensive contribution rewards and shots; De Cuyper offers more in big chances and creativity. The Belgian’s close-range header against Brentford was a major opportunity, and his 0.73 xGI was his highest since Gameweek 1. One or both could make the final team.

Arsenal’s trip to Newcastle is another fixture that points toward clean-sheet potential. David Raya (£6.2m), Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.1m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.9m) are the leading options, with Ezri Konsa (£4.8m) also mentioned as a possible pick. Newcastle’s recent struggles may make the atmosphere less intense than usual, and the Gunners are expected to have the stronger defensive outlook.

Gameweek 11’s leading clean-sheet odds.

Keep faith with Haaland; watch Isak’s matchup

Haaland (£15.8m) has blanked in consecutive matches, but that’s too short a run to justify losing patience. He scored in each of the seven games before those blanks. The more notable concern is Manchester City’s team form: Brighton have passed them in the table, which adds a question mark around City’s collective outlook without erasing Haaland’s scoring record.

Alexander Isak (£9.3m) arrives in better immediate form, with seven goals in eight matches after scoring late against Crystal Palace. His next opponent is Manchester United, who have yet to keep a clean sheet. United conceded nine goals across their previous three matches, including a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa. That defensive record gives Isak a compelling route to points.

Tottenham have looked more settled at the back, even though Leeds’ 79th-minute winner denied them a third straight clean sheet. Antonin Kinsky (£4.4m) and Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.1m) are therefore still in the conversation. Van Hecke’s attacking numbers stand out: he shares the league lead among defenders for shots on target, with five, and ranks second for expected goals (xG), at 1.70.

Villa and Bournemouth offer opportunities with caveats

Nicolas Jackson (£7.1m) has made a persuasive case for attention, averaging 11 points over his last three appearances. Since Gameweek 5, he has scored six goals, the most in the league over that span. For Aston Villa, John McGinn (£5.4m) may now be a more appealing midfield choice than Johan Manzambi (£6.2m), given McGinn remains on penalties. He has returned two goals and four assists across his last six starts, although he also missed a spot-kick against Fulham.

Bournemouth’s fixture against Nottingham Forest is less straightforward for their attackers. Forest have allowed just 100 attempts, rank second for limiting shots on target with 30, and have conceded 11.01 expected goals. Evanilson (£6.5m) has nevertheless scored in five consecutive games, even if individual defensive errors have helped create some of those chances.

Marcus Tavernier (£6.7m) remains an option after missing a close-range chance shortly after Evanilson scored. The miss was frustrating, but his positioning continues to put him in promising areas. Tavernier and Antonio Silva (£5.1m) are both close to suspension, though neither is suspended for Gameweek 11. Silva’s run of eight-point returns ended at Ipswich, where Bournemouth conceded, but he still reached the defensive contribution threshold for the seventh time.

Declan Rice (£7.5m) is the more understated Arsenal attacking option against Newcastle, with five assists in eight matches. Martin Odegaard (£6.7m) has tended to deliver more reliably at home. Jack Rudoni (£4.9m) brings a different appeal: the budget midfielder takes penalties, has scored three times recently and hosts a Crystal Palace side conceding an average of 2.4 goals per match.

Why Chelsea’s attack is a harder sell

Chelsea have often supplied an obvious attacking pick, but this week’s matchup looks less inviting against the league’s third-best defence for goals conceded. Cole Palmer (£9.8m) has not posted more than 0.23 non-penalty xG in a match since Gameweek 2. Morgan Rogers (£8.2m) could be the alternative if a Chelsea attacker is selected, but neither appears an automatic choice.

Longer shots and late decisions

Mohammed Kudus (£6.6m) could tempt managers looking beyond the obvious picks. Ipswich are still without a clean sheet, while Kudus has started five straight matches and assisted in three consecutive home games. He also missed a major chance in Gameweek 9. Tottenham’s defence has looked stronger than their attack, however, so even this favorable matchup doesn’t make Kudus a certain selection.

Crystal Palace’s reported plans to dismiss manager Pierre Sage could bring a short-term lift before their visit to Coventry, though Coventry may feel more confident of winning. Palace defender Chris Richards (£4.9m) is an option for defensive contribution points. Coventry full-backs Jay Dasilva (£4.0m) and Milan van Ewijk (£3.9m), along with Bobby Thomas (£4.0m) if fit, are also under consideration, but the week offers plenty of other defensive choices.

Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) and Jeremy Jacquet (£5.1m) face a Manchester United side that has scored seven goals in its last two matches. That output makes a clean sheet harder to back, despite United’s wider defensive problems.

Joao Pedro (£7.6m) would strengthen Chelsea’s attack if he returns from injury, particularly given how the team has looked without him. The question is whether there’s enough certainty about his fitness and starting role to select him. Thierno Barry (£5.7m) has a stronger claim on form: he scored twice, assisted once and collected 16 points against Coventry, despite missing three big chances. His 17 clear-cut opportunities across the previous six Gameweeks were more than double the next-best total. The difficult fixture is the main reason to hesitate.

The early Gameweek 11 draft

The initial Scout Picks lean on Brighton’s favorable trip to Hull and Arsenal’s defensive prospects at Newcastle. Haaland remains in contention despite two blanks, while Isak’s matchup with a struggling Manchester United defence strengthens his case. The draft’s most unsettled calls include Brighton’s defenders, Villa’s penalty taker, Chelsea’s attacking options and Barry’s form-versus-fixture trade-off.

The early team is a starting point, not a settled XI. International-break injuries and the upcoming Scout Squad nominations will shape the final selection, so the clearest takeaway for now is where the strongest cases sit: Brighton and Arsenal at the back, with proven scorers and favorable matchups competing for the attacking slots.