Two gameweeks are rarely enough for a definitive verdict, but they are enough to reveal patterns. Here is who should leave your team before the GW3 deadline — and who deserves patience, with the numbers explaining the difference.
Brian Brobbey — sell, no debate
The pre-season hype around Sunderland centred on their opening fixtures. Two gameweeks later, Brobbey has yet to capitalise, having neither delivered returns nor impressed on the pitch. At 6.0m, he is no longer a cheap punt — he is taking up a place that could be earning you points elsewhere.
Igor Thiago — hold, because the numbers make a stronger case for him than the results suggest
Thiago is the only one of the top four forwards without a single goal involvement so far. But look more closely and a different story emerges: in the opening match against Tottenham, he registered an xG of 0.95 — almost one expected goal in that match alone, without finding the net. That is not a sign that the chances are not coming. It is a sign that, for now, he is missing them. Brentford host Sunderland this gameweek, a fixture favourable enough to earn him another chance before you sell. If he fails to deliver returns again despite good underlying numbers, he is out for good next week.
Mbeumo — do not let panic dictate your transfers
More than 350,000 managers have already sold Mbeumo this week, despite him delivering both a goal and an assist against Ipswich in a match where Manchester United collectively registered 5.76 xG — one of the highest figures across the league this gameweek. Selling a player straight after his team have performed like that is rarely good timing, and this mass sell-off looks more like renewed fear stemming from a slow start to the season than a genuine indication of form. He is also relevant in an entirely different context — see the Bruno article to find out why.
Bruno Fernandes — see separate article
Bruno deserves his own analysis this week. The picture is far more nuanced than “hold” or “sell”, and is closely linked to Mbeumo above. Read Are we sold on Bruno?
Practical advice
Use your transfers to move Brobbey out first. Thiago is a “give him one more gameweek” candidate whose underlying numbers genuinely make the case for patience, and you certainly should not sell Mbeumo based on the ownership trend alone.