GW4 Predicted Lineups: The Gakpo Doubt and City’s Unsettled Derby XI

Team news is still landing right up to Saturday’s deadline, but the shape of Gameweek 4’s headline lineups is already clear enough to plan around. Here’s how the key sides look set to line up, and where the genuine selection dilemmas sit.

A predicted lineup is a probability, not a guarantee. Treat any single-source XI as a starting point, not the final word.

Chelsea (home vs Hull City)

Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers start as Chelsea’s front three without any real doubt, the same trio that troubled Arsenal’s defence last time out. The one name to watch is Estevao, who came off the bench to draw a smart save from David Raya and continues to push for more minutes behind the front three. Nothing in this lineup should change between now and deadline; this is the most settled XI of the week’s headline fixtures.

Liverpool (home vs Fulham)

Isak starts through the middle regardless of anything else. The genuine dilemma is on the left, where Cody Gakpo finished the Ipswich win carrying adductor discomfort and has only a chance of being fit. If he’s passed fit he plays, but Bradley Barcola made his full debut in that exact role in midweek and Victor Munoz continues to push from the right, so a Gakpo absence isn’t the drop-off it would have been a fortnight ago. Worth checking Saturday’s team news before locking in a starting or captaincy plan built around him.

Arsenal (away at Sunderland)

Saka, Odegaard and Havertz all start after last week’s derby-winning display against Chelsea, no fresh doubts there. The live call is at centre-back: William Saliba remains out and Cristhian Mosquera, who missed the Chelsea game entirely with a muscular issue, is a doubt to return here too. Ezri Konsa deputised well enough that Mikel Arteta looks set to stick with him regardless of Mosquera’s fitness, which makes Konsa a start-on-merit selection rather than a stopgap.

Manchester City (away at Manchester United)

Haaland starts regardless, but the shape around him is the least settled of any City lineup so far this season. Jeremy Doku remains out, and debutant Iliman Ndiaye struggled to find his positioning against Coventry, with his manager admitting he’s still learning the system. His place in the derby XI is genuinely uncertain, with Phil Foden the direct alternative for the same left-sided role. Nico O’Reilly also picked up a knock in the warm-up before the Coventry match, so check the teamsheet closely rather than assuming the same XI that started Gameweek 3.

Crystal Palace (home vs Ipswich Town)

Tyrick Mitchell starts at left wing-back off the back of his brace at Fulham without question. The uncertainty is further forward: Adam Wharton, Edward Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr all picked up knocks last time out, none considered serious but enough to leave Palace short of options in the final third against a newly-promoted side they’d otherwise expect to dominate. Worth checking which of the three make the matchday squad before treating any Palace forward as a captaincy or lineup lock.

All of the above is subject to change before Saturday’s 13:30 BST deadline. Final press conferences and morning-of team news can still shift a starting berth, so check back before locking anything in.