Premier League Weekend Roundup: Joao Pedro Shines, City Dominates Liverpool, and Mbeumo Takes October Honors

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro (£7.4m) is enjoying a meteoric rise in Fantasy Premier League after captaining over 1.1 million managers who celebrated his second consecutive goal in Gameweek 11. He netted Chelsea's second goal in their 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, earning maximum bonus points and delivering 16 points over two matches. Remarkably, this marks the first time he has featured among the top two captains in Fantasy, climbing sharply from 620,000 fewer backers in the previous round. After being the most-sold player since Gameweek 7, his resurgence has caused many managers regret, especially given his match-winning impact against Tottenham Hotspur last week.

In stark contrast, Jean-Phillipe Mateta (£7.9m), heavily transferred in with over 900,000 managers ahead of the weekend, failed to make an impact for Crystal Palace against Brighton, managing only one shot on goal with an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.08, his lowest this season. Captained by more than 450,000 managers, Mateta’s underwhelming performance underscored the risks of Fantasy gambling.

Manchester City delivered a statement 3-0 win over reigning champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, reducing Arsenal’s lead at the top to just four points. Goals by Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku sealed a comprehensive victory. Young defender Nico O’Reilly was a standout performer, successfully shutting down Mohamed Salah, who was kept quiet throughout the game. Speaking post-match, O’Reilly said, "I came into the game thinking this would be the outcome. I know how good he (Salah) is but I studied his game and what he’d want to do… to keep him quiet, it’ll always help the team." This performance builds on O’Reilly’s excellent season start and first senior England call-ups, marking him as a rising defensive talent.

Liverpool appeared lackluster and rarely troubled the City defense beyond a brief post-half-time spell, underscoring their struggles compared to last season's double over City. Meanwhile, City took a giant step towards UEFA Champions League Round of 16 qualification with last week’s 4-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund, establishing strong momentum in both domestic and European competitions.

On the individual accolades front, Bryan Mbeumo was voted EA SPORTS Player of the Month for October 2025, a first in his career. The Manchester United winger’s four goal involvements helped his club secure three consecutive league wins—the first such streak since February 2024 for United this season. Highlights include his quick strike at Anfield securing United’s first Premier League win there since 2015 and a brace in the 4-2 victory over Brighton. Mbeumo now leads United’s Premier League scoring charts with four goals, and he becomes the first Red Devils player to win the monthly honor since Bruno Fernandes in March 2025.

Crystal Palace are actively trying to secure their young star Adam Wharton’s future amid intense interest from top European clubs including Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and PSG. The Eagles have begun contract extension talks to keep the promising midfielder through 2027. Wharton expressed a grounded approach to transfer rumours, stating, "I don’t really look into it or think too much about it… If I’m one of 20, then it’s nothing special, so it doesn’t really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who’s interested and who’s willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you’ve got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

In Fantasy Premier League bonus points awarded during Gameweek 11, standout performers included Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes for Manchester City in the victory over Liverpool, Bryan Mbeumo starred for Manchester United, while Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka gained recognition despite their draw at Sunderland. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Crystal Palace received contributions from various players with both teams seeing mixed results in their matches.

As the Premier League progresses through November, Manchester City and Arsenal’s title race intensifies with key players stepping up and emerging stars making critical impacts. Meanwhile, transfer speculation around young talents like Adam Wharton continues to add intrigue for the upcoming January window and beyond.