Fantasy Premier League GW9 reaction: Trossard steps up but Royal self-destructs

Gameweek 9 in the Premier League did not disappoint as club football returned after the international break. 

Erling Haaland bagged his third hat-trick of the season in a 6-3 victory over Manchester United, securing the Norwegian a 23-point haul.

His Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden also scored three against their rivals, with the Englishman earning 19 points for the 9.7% of players who selected him.

Red Devils stopper David de Gea returned no points for his owners and the near 25% of Ivan Toney gamblers will be disappointed with his one point against Bournemouth.

With fixtures coming thick and fast and rotation guaranteed, we take a look at three of the best and worst performers ahead of Gameweek 10.

Gameweek 9 top performers

Leandro Trossard (Brighton)

Graham Potter may have exited Brighton but Leandro Trossard has picked up where he left off before the international break.

The 27-year-old became just the third player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Anfield and he was a spectacular watch from start to finish. 

With just 7% of fantasy players opting to include the Belgian international in their squad, his 20-point return makes him the second highest scorer of the weekend behind Haaland.

Trossard and Brighton face Tottenham in GW10 and the fixture has been a happy hunting ground for the winger in recent years — it may be worth taking another punt on him. 

Miguel Almiron (Newcastle)

Newcastle picked up their first league win since the opening weekend against 10-man Fulham on Saturday and Miguel Almiron was unlucky not to bag three.

Sporting just a 3.2% ownership, the Paraguayan rewarded risk takers with a 15-point haul, notching a brace as the Magpies sailed to a 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage.

Almiron had not returned more than seven points in a Gameweek until now with his previous high score coming against champions City.

Eddie Howe's side face Brentford at home this weekend and with mounting injury issues for Newcastle, Almiron could be set to shine once again in front of the Toon Army.

Illan Meslier (Leeds)

Although Leeds did not manage to pick up all three points against Aston Villa, Illan Meslier will be happy to have kept his second clean sheet of the season.

The French stopper ranks highest among goalkeepers in GW9, totalling 11 points — his best total of the season. 

The West Yorkshire club were under pressure for the majority of the second half due to the dismissal of Luis Sinisterra, but Meslier earned his side a goalless draw.

Jesse Marsch will now be preparing his troops for a tough trip to Crystal Palace in GW10, so players may want to think twice before sticking with Meslier as your primary goalkeeper. 

Gameweek 9 worst performers

Emerson Royal (Tottenham)

Arsenal triumphed 3-1 in the first North London derby of the season and it was largely down to Emerson Royal's recklessness that saw him sent off at the Emirates. 

Although 2-1 down at the time, Spurs were in the game, but a nasty challenge from the Brazilian saw him dismissed by Anthony Taylor. 

The red card meant that the wing-back finished on minus two points, which will be displeasing for the 4.3% of players who selected him.

Spurs face Brighton at the Amex this Saturday, but the former Barcelona man is now set to miss the next three Premier League fixtures.

Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)

The Blue half of Manchester showed no mercy in Sunday's derby and Lisandro Martinez was on the wrong side of a thumping.

City found themselves 4-0 up at one point and it can be put down to a mixture of poor defending and Haaland being unstoppable at this moment in time. 

Nearly 6% of players opted for Martinez in their backline despite the daunting task of upsetting the champions and it was not a gamble that paid off.

Returning a loss of a point, the Argentinian will look to bounce back against Everton this weekend. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

It was a 3-3 thriller at Anfield but it was not a good day for defenders and Trent Alexander-Arnold was highlighted for being at fault for Brighton's first goal.

It seems the Englishman is shot of confidence after Gareth Southgate snubbed the Champions League winner during the break and his zero-point return is not promising for his 33.2% ownership.

The full-back has only once scored more than three points once in fantasy football this season and it came in the 9-0 win over Bournemouth.

With a trip to the Emirates to face top-of-the-table Arsenal on the horizon, it may be time to consider other options in defence.