Premier League action continued last weekend, with Week 7 producing more fascinating stories and a few new faces stepping up into Fantasy contention.

Tottenham Hotspur were the final club to earn their first league victory, with the result over Coventry including a first goal from major signing Omar Marmoush. The intriguing midweek round of European fixtures makes for some serious challenges for managers going forward, but here are a few suggestions.

Defenders

Bobby Thomas (Coventry City, £4 million v Fulham)

Coventry have had a steady start considering their opponents early in the season, but struggled to penetrate in the Monday night defeat at Spurs. Thomas has the most defensive contributions (74) among defenders, yet the Sky Blues have started with just two clean sheets. Upcoming matches against Fulham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace at home could improve the fate of the newly promoted side and provide clean sheet chances for Thomas.

Sven Botman (Newcastle United, £5m v Crystal Palace)

Newcastle face the leakiest defence in the division, with Crystal Palace conceding 17 so far. Dutch veteran Botman has a chance of adding to his 69 defensive contributions, which is second to Thomas, and potentially adding in attacking returns. The Eagles have the lengthy visit to Besiktas in midweek and will probably go strong, so the Dutch defender could pounce on any lapse of concentration

John Egan (Hull City, £4.1m v Brentford)

Hull City tie for the third-best defensive record, and John Egan has had their most important moments defensively (third-most defcon points), as well as starting in the Tigers’ three clean sheets. The Irish stalwart needs to have a big effort if they want to get their first win in six league games but will certainly get more defensive output.

Midfielders

Pedro Neto (Chelsea, £6.5m v Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham have been far from impressive this campaign, despite victory in the last round. Pedro Neto has three contributions in his last two games, playing in a wingback role, and Spurs gave up numerous chances on Monday. The Portuguese will get space in behind and should be clinical against a defence that gives up several chances.

Jeremy Doku (Manchester City, £7.5m v Aston Villa)

Jeremy Doku has the third-best form of all midfielders currently and he also has three goal contributions in his last two. He will torment the Aston Villa defence, especially given his freshness. He will also benefit from the attacking attention commanded by maverick Rayan Cherki, who is the most transferred-in midfielder.

Diego Gomez (Brighton, £5m v Liverpool)

Brighton have been flying high this season as top scorers and Gomez scored one of the goals of the season so far in the rout over Palace. His box crashing will pile pressure on the Liverpool defence. The Seagulls will score against almost anyone in the division and they face the Reds and Man City next.

Forwards

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United, £6m v Sunderland)

Sunderland also have European action on Thursday, visiting Lech Poznan, so they will equally be tired. However, their struggles defensively (third most goals conceded) could benefit the power and form of Calvert-Lewin who has three goals so far.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City, £15.6m v Aston Villa)

Haaland has eight goals already and Manchester City should continue their league dominance. The ‘striking Viking’ was rested midweek and will continue to fire. He is worthy of captaincy.

Joao Pedro (Chelsea, £7.9m v Spurs)

Joao Pedro also has eight contributions, with an all-round start boasting five goals and three assists. Most experts believe Spurs will open up in this London derby, meaning Pedro will thrive in channels or from cutbacks.

The Verdict

Some managers will triple up on Chelsea given their fixtures against poor sides in Spurs and Manchester United, and Cole Palmer is even an option for captaincy. Pedro Neto is more budget-friendly, but premiums are off so far in midfield. The coming weeks before the November international break are key, with Europe and injuries the most important factors.

Arsenal are probably the most certain defensive team, but Brighton have by far the most attacking fluidity. Ipswich host Nottingham Forest on Friday at 4pm Bermuda time, with the deadline 90 minutes prior.