TOTW 4 could be the best of the bunch, featuring superb players throughout the squad. Headlining the lineup are Lewandowski’s treble, Saka’s goal and assist, and Valverde, who ran the show in the middle of the park for Madrid.
Paulo Gazzaniga - GK - 82 > 84 OVR
Two pen saves, three saves / Girona 2 - Athletic Club 1 / 8.1 Sofascore Rating
So far, EA has heavily favoured penalty-saving keepers over the highly-rated ones from France or Germany. Gazzaniga should be high on their radar after saving not one, but two penalties during Girona’s 2-1 home victory.
Nicolas Tagliafico - LB - 78 > 84 OVR
Goal and clean sheet / Lyon 2 - Nantes 0 / 7 L’equipe Rating
It's been a couple of years since we've had a usable Tagliafico card, and while this one looks average, one more upgrade could make the Argentine a viable option. Tagliafico opened the scoring and helped Lyon maintain a clean sheet.
Alessandro Bastoni - CB - 87 > 88 OVR
One assist / Inter 3 - Torino 2 / 7 Gazzetta Rating
Thuram scored all three of Inter's goals, but given his recent POTM SBC, I’m taking a chance on EA opting for Bastoni instead. The central defender provided one assist, and with a lack of defensive options, this is not an unrealistic choice.
Alistair Johnston - RB - 75 > 81 OVR
Goal and assist / Ross County 1 - Celtic 2 / 8.9 Sofascore Rating
We saw Butland included for Rangers last week, somewhat surprisingly. This week looks set to be Celtic’s turn after their right-back, Johnston, scored once and provided an assist. With defensive options lacking this week, I would be shocked if he doesn’t make the squad.
Sadio Mane - LM - 84 > 86 OVR
Two goals / Al-Nassr 3 - Al Orobah 0 / 8.7 Sofascore Rating
The Saudi division looks set to receive a lot more IFs, with early signs suggesting the league is a strong contender in the selection process. Mané scored twice for Al-Nassr this weekend during their 3-0 home win, and I doubt he misses out as a result.
Federico Valverde - CM - 88 > 89 OVR
Goal and assist / Real Madrid 2 - Villarreal 0 / 8.8 Sofascore Rating
With the preference for pack-selling players early on, EA is unlikely to miss the opportunity to include Valverde this week. The Uruguayan deserves his place after providing both a goal and an assist during Madrid’s 2-0 home win.
Mateo Kovacic - CDM - 83 > 85 OVR
Two goals / Man City 3 - Fulham 2 / 8 Sky Rating
Fulham have impressed so far this season, and it was another strong performance from them against the reigning champions. However, Man City overcame the challenge with an unlikely hero in Kovacic. The Croatian scored both the first and second goals as City battled their way to a 3-2 win.
Keira Walsh - CDM - 85 > 86 OVR
Two goals, one assist / Madrid (W) 1 - Barcelona (W) 8 / 9.9 Sofascore Rating
Just five games into the season, Barcelona has a +22 goal difference, with their latest win coming via an 8-1 away victory. Walsh seems to be a clear favorite to claim a spot in the TOTW after scoring twice and assisting another from CDM.
Bukayo Saka - RM - 87 > 88 OVR
Goal and assist / Arsenal 3 - Southampton 1 / 9 Sky Rating
Arsenal had a slight scare after falling behind to Southampton in the second half, but they turned it up a gear, with Saka especially impressing during the comeback. EA has shown a clear preference for big names in the Premier League, which only strengthens the case for Saka’s inclusion.
Robert Lewandowski - ST - 88 > 89 OVR
Hat trick / Aalves 0 - Barcelona 3 / 9.8 Sofascore Rating
We're now seeing the best of Lewandowski at Barcelona, as he starts to deliver the numbers we knew he was capable of at Bayern Munich. His latest hat-trick puts him at ten goals for the season in just nine games. And don't forget, he's now 36 years old, which makes these numbers all the more impressive.
Romelu Lukaku - ST - 82 > 84 OVR
One goal, two assists / Napoli 3 - Como 1 / 8 Gazzetta Rating
Lukaku is not as appealing to the community as he once was, but after being involved in all three of Napoli's goals this weekend, the Belgian is in line for his first special of the game. Pace is not as important as it used to be, with more factors influencing the game, so Lukaku will be usable.
Substitutes
Matz Sels - GK - 77 > 81 OVR
Nine saves / Chelsea 1 - Nottingham Forest 1 / 9 Sky Rating
While it's rare to see two keepers, it can happen. Both Sánchez and Sels played a huge role in their teams picking up a point, with each producing nine saves. However, it was Sels who claimed MOTM. Given that the point was more impressive for Forest, it makes sense that EA might opt for him as well.
Kevin Vogt - CB - 75 > 81 OVR
One goal / Union Berlin 2 - Dortmund 1 / 2 Kicker Rating
Defensive options were few and far between this week, so I had to take a few risks. Vogt is one of those choices, as the German scored a penalty and claimed MOTM during Union Berlin’s 2-1 home win over Dortmund, helping to continue their strong start to the campaign.
Jorge Frutos - RM - 77 > 81 OVR
Two goals / Valladolid 1 - Vallecano 2 / 8.6 Sofascore Rating
There were a lot of low-scoring matches in La Liga this weekend, which resulted in minimal options from the division. Frutos stands out for his two goals during Vallecano’s 2-1 away win. With no RWB in the game right now, it's likely he receives the IF as a RM.
Heorhii Sudakov - CAM - 77 > 81 OVR
Four goals, one assist / Shakhtar 5 - Cherkasy 1 / 10 Sofascore Rating
We have already seen a hat trick from a CM ignored for Shakhtar, so if they choose to overlook Sudakov for this performance, I would fully expect no IFs from the division all season. However, I can't ignore this performance, as Sudakov scored four goals and provided an assist during the 5-1 win.
Juan Cucho Hernandez - ST - 78 > 82 OVR
Two goals / Columbus 3 - Philadelphia 2 / 10 Sofascore Rating
Similar to the Saudi division, the MLS also seems to be receiving preferential treatment. Because of this, I’m opting for Hernández. The Colombian scored twice for Columbus as they secured a narrow 3-2 win.
Jonathan Burkardt - ST - 76 > 81 OVR
Two goals / St Pauli 0 - Mainz 3 / 1.5 Kicker Rating
I could have easily overlooked the Bundesliga this week, given the minimal options available. However, Burkardt deserves recognition for his early-season form. Another two goals this weekend brought his tally to five for the season.
Mateo Retegui - ST - 76 > 81 OVR
Three goals, one assist / Atalanta 5 - Genoa 1 / 8.5 Gazzetta Rating
Retegui’s performance on Saturday was simply phenomenal. With four goal contributions, he is a certainty for this side. Gazzetta awarded him an 8.5 for his performance, the highest of the week, and it will likely be one of the highest grades they award this season.
Reserves
Caspar Jander - CM - 66 > 80 OVR
Two goals, one assist / Nurnberg 3 - Munster 2 / Kicker POTW
Eliesse Ben Seghir - CAM - 73 > 80 OVR
Two assists / Rennes 1 - Monaco 2 / 8 L’equipe Rating
Zuriko Davitashvili - LW - 72 > 80 OVR
Hat trick / St Etienne 3 - Auxerre 1 / 8 L’equipe Rating
Mika Biereth - ST - 68 > 80 OVR
Hat trick / Sturm 5 - Salzburg 0 / 9.3 Sofascore Rating
Tom Cannon - ST - 69 > 80 OVR
Four goals / Stoke 6 - Portsmouth 1 / 10 Sofascore Rating
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