TOTW 3 Predicted Starting XI
Unfortunately, it looks as though TOTW 3 could be the worst we have seen so far this season, with just Alvarez being worthwhile packing. Outside of him, there are a few usable cards, with the likes of Joelinton, Laimer, and Stanway standing out.
GK: Dominik Greif (Lyon) - 78 OVR -> 82 OVR:
Ligue 1 looks set to receive back to back goalkeeper inclusions after Greif was named player of the week for his four saves during Lyon's 1-0 away win over Lille. With L'Equipe awarding the stopper an 8/10 and minimal options elsewhere, I would be surprised if he is not the keeper selection for week 3.
LB: Konrad Laimer (Munich) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Kane continues to impress for Munich, with the goals flying in this season for the Englishman. He can’t receive the IF every week, though, and despite earning MOTM, we have to look elsewhere. Laimer was the second best in terms of match rating, and with a goal and a clean sheet during the 4-0 win, I like his chances of being included here.
CB: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With Liverpool dropping their 100% start to the season, it’s highly likely that Palace will receive an IF this week. Guehi’s late assist secured a 2-1 win, with the defender claiming MOTM and earning a 9/10 for his performance.
CB: Robin Koch (Frankfurt) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With Frankfurt 6-0 up just after half time, it looked as though Gladbach were in for a very tough evening. The game turned around, with the final score ending 6-4. This does hurt Koch's chances, as a defender conceding four is never ideal. The German scored twice, however, and featured in Kicker's TOTW, so it is still difficult to ignore him.
RB:Amir Murillo (Marseille) - 76 OVR -> 81 OVR:
Marseille look to be a dangerous side this season in Ligue 1, with another win this weekend taking them up to third in the table. Murillo's last-minute goal could see him sneak into TOTW 3, potentially making it three IFs from the opening three weeks.
LW:Armand Lauriente (Sassuolo) - 80 OVR -> 83 OVR:
Serie A was the hardest division to select from this week, with a lot of low-scoring matches occurring. Lauriente is the best option from the week, having scored once and assisted another during Sassuolo's 3-1 home win over Udinese.
CDM: Korbin Shrader (Lyonnes) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
D1 Arkema is often decided by a handful of games, with a huge gap in quality between the top few sides and the rest. Lyon continue to dominate the division, and early signs suggest the same again this season. A 6-1 win over PSG on Saturday reinforced that early dominance. Schrader scored three and assisted another from CDM, making her an easy choice.
CDM: Georgia Stanway (Munich) - 85 OVR -> 86 OVR:
With EA's reluctance to include more than one player from several divisions so far this season, I have largely tried to replicate that in this prediction, meaning I have ignored Levels from the Frauen Bundesliga in favour of Stanway, who provided three assists for Munich during their midweek win over Freiburg.
CM: Joelinton (Newcastle) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With EA's addition of cup matches into TOTW, I would expect to see a few included again this week as they showcase a new feature. Joelinton scored twice from CM as Newcastle progressed with a 4-1 win over Bradford. It’s yet to be seen how the calibre of opposition affects the selection process.
ST: Igor Thiago (Brentford) - 75 OVR -> 84 OVR:
While Thiago is a completely different type of player to both Mbuemo and Wissa, the forward is still showing promising signs early on for Brentford. A brace against Man United this weekend took him to four for the season while also doubling Brentford’s point total in the process.
ST: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) - 87 OVR -> 88 OVR:
Alvarez was by far the easiest selection this week, with his performances meaning he could have received the IF from either of his matches. A hat trick midweek was then backed up with a brace against Madrid, as Atlético cruised to a 5-2 home win over their rivals.
TOTW 30 Predicted Subs & Reserves
CB: Omar Alderete (Sunderland) - 78 OVR -> 82 OVR:
Sunderland continue to surprise in the Premier League, now sitting fourth after recording another three points this weekend with a 1-0 away win over Forest. Alderete scored the only goal of the game and earned a 9 match rating from Sky in the process.
LM:Michal Skoras (Gent) - 70 OVR -> 80 OVR:
Silvers featured heavily last week, suggesting that EA are open to including more on the bench as they look to slow the power curve. I expect that trend to continue this week, with a large number performing well once again. Skoras is one of those, as his goal and two assists from LM helped Gent to a 4-2 away win.
LM: Jesus Rodriguez (Como) - 74 OVR -> 80 OVR:
Italy also saw a set of cup fixtures played this week. Rodriguez is seemingly the best option from them, with Como facing Sassuolo, another top-division side. Rodriguez scored twice from LM to help the up-and-coming side progress.
CAM:Rafa (Besiktas) - 82 OVR -> 84 OVR:
There were a lot of midweek matches with strong contenders this week, and one of those came from Besiktas' 4-0 win over Kayserispor. Rafa scored three from a CAM role, which should all but cement his spot in the side.
CM: Sean Longstaff (Leeds) - 75 OVR -> 81 OVR:
The promoted sides this season are giving a lot more fight than in the previous couple of campaigns. Leeds could see back-to-back IFs after securing a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. Longstaff was involved in both goals, registering both a goal and an assist.
ST: Gift Monday (Washington) - 80 OVR -> 83 OVR:
A pacey option for your NWSL sides, Monday is an easy selection for TOTW 3, having scored a hat trick during a comfortable 4-0 home win over Houston. It looks as though the NWSL will be a division to receive an IF each week, making Monday the obvious choice this time.
ST: Joesph Paintsil (LA Galaxy) - 76 OVR -> 81 OVR:
Messi is an option this week, but with EA showing a clear preference for just one MLS player per week, it becomes difficult to look past Paintsil. The Ghanaian forward played ST this weekend against Kansas and scored three times in a 4-1 win.
LB: Jayden Sweeney (Grimsby) - 62 OVR -> 80 OVR:
Grimsby recorded one of the biggest wins this weekend with a 7-1 victory over Cheltenham. Sweeney scored two of those seven, making his chances of making the reserves seem likely.
RM: Diego Gomez (Brighton) - 73 OVR -> 80 OVR:
With EA introducing cup game IFs last week Gomez who would have usually missed out is now a very strong candidate. Yet another promising South American breaking through at the seaside club he scored four goals, a couple of which were exceptional, to help the Seagulls beat Barnsley 6-0.
LM: Marco Essimi (Dunkerque) - 62 OVR -> 80 OVR:
The final three players, as is often the case, saw three offensive returns. The first is Essimi, who scored three times from LM during Dunkerque's 6-2 home win over Amiens.
CM: Tolcay Cigerci (Energie Cottbus) - 69 OVR -> 80 OVR:
Over to the third tier of Germany, Cigerci claimed POTW from Kicker for his three assists during a comfortable 5-0 win over Stuttgart II.
ST: Fabio Abreu (Beijing Guoan) - 74 OVR -> 80 OVR:
The Chinese division has seen a couple of snubs in the early weeks, but Abreu will be the decider on what EA are willing to do in the division. After scoring three goals during a 4-2 win and claiming a perfect 10 match rating, if he doesn’t get in, I would expect the division to be completely ignored all season.
That concludes this week's Team of the Week predictions! What do you make of these predictions? Is there anyone else who should have made the TOTW? Let us know below!
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