GW2 Player Performance Review: Bruno’s Hat-Trick, City’s Double Act, Hull’s Bargain Backline
Gameweek 2 produced the first genuine statement performances of the season. One hat-trick, one City double act, and a Hull City backline that has now kept the division guessing through two matches. Here’s what the underlying numbers say about which of it repeats.
A big score tells you what happened. Shots, big chances and xG tell you whether it’s likely to happen again.
GW2 TOP FPL SCORES
Bruno Fernandes (MUN): 23 points, hat-trick plus an assist vs Ipswich
Erling Haaland (MCI): 13 points, brace plus full bonus at Crystal Palace
Rayan Cherki (MCI): brace off the same performance at Selhurst Park
Dominik Szoboszlai (LIV): penalty conversion vs Newcastle, now first-choice taker
Nobel Mendy and Semi Ajayi (HUL): unexpected defensive hauls, both £4.0m
Bruno Fernandes: The Hat-Trick That Silenced the Sellers
More than 100,000 managers had already sold Fernandes after United’s Gameweek 1 defeat at Hull, which made the timing of his response almost too neat. Three goals and an assist against Ipswich delivered 23 points, and it wasn’t a fluke result long enough coming: Fernandes produced eight double-digit home hauls last season and led all Premier League midfielders for home assists. The lesson isn’t really about Fernandes specifically. It’s about not reacting to one bad performance against a strong opponent’s fixture list still sitting there unplayed.
Haaland and Cherki: City’s Two-Man Show
Haaland’s brace and full bonus haul at Crystal Palace produced 13 points, and with the Triple Captain chip attached it turned into 39 for the more than 83,000 managers who backed him. What’s more interesting is that Cherki matched him goal for goal from a more advanced, less nailed role, and City now have two viable captaincy sources from the same fixture list rather than one. That depth is exactly why Gameweek 3’s home date with Coventry is drawing so much Triple Captain interest again.
Hull’s Backline Keeps Delivering
Nobel Mendy and Semi Ajayi, both £4.0m, were among the most unexpected point scorers of the weekend, continuing a perfect start that already has two clean sheets and a win over Coventry attached. Bargain-priced promoted-side defenders rarely sustain a run like this past the point where opponents start planning specifically to break them down, but at their price point the risk-reward is hard to ignore for a squad’s final bench slots.
Ownership Shift: João Pedro Overtakes Haaland
João Pedro has narrowly overtaken Haaland to become the most-owned player in the game, a reminder that raw ownership and best captaincy pick aren’t the same question. Haaland was still comfortably the most popular armband of the week regardless, taking a larger share of the captaincy than Bruno Fernandes and João Pedro combined.
What Repeats, What Doesn’t
Likely to repeat: Bruno Fernandes’ home form, Haaland’s role and shot volume, Szoboszlai’s penalties
Watch closely: Cherki’s advanced role, Hull’s defensive form against tougher opposition
Differential to track: Mamadou Sangaré’s set-piece and DefCon route to points, low ownership, already picking up an early bandwagon after his haul against Tottenham
One big score is a headline. Two or three in a row, backed by the shot and chance numbers, is a trend worth building a squad around.
