This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
As we cross the quarter mark of this season, a trio of heated derbies headline Gameweek 10 of the Premier League.
First off, 12th-place Chelsea have a London derby against fourth-place West Ham, who despite having gone unbeaten in their past six league matches, have not beaten Chelsea since 2012.
Later on, Sunday's four-match slate begins with the Tyne-Wear derby of Newcastle at Sunderland. Although both teams currently sit in the relegation zone, Newcastle at least carries the momentum from a six-goal outburst that earned them their first win of the campaign last weekend.
The Manchester derby will also take stage Sunday at Old Trafford, where third-place Man United could jump leaders City with a win, as only two points separate the age-old rivals at the moment.
With those matchups and the rest of the Gameweek 10 fixtures in mind, let's turn our attention to the Best XI for this weekend.
Goalkeeper:
Jack Butland
At just 22 years old, Butland has started his first-team career brilliantly with Stoke City, showing composure beyond his years at the Potters' goalkeeping position. To that point, Butland averaged five saves per game through Stoke's first seven matches this season, including an incredible 10-stop outing at Arsenal. Since then, the Englishman has clinched his first two clean sheets in Stoke's past pair of matches, which came at Aston Villa and Swansea City. Now, he and the Potters will return to the Britannia Stadim this weekend to face Watford, whose six goals this season currently rank dead-last in England's top-flight.
Defenders:
Hector Bellerin
Another ascending youngster, the 20-year-old Bellerin's development was exemplified in his midweek Champions League display against Bayern Munich. After losing some early one-on-one battles, Bellerin's play improved exponentially as the game wore on, and by the 94th minute, a breathtaking sequence saw Bellerin intercept a pass at mid-field, surge into the Bayern penalty area, and assist the match-sealing goal of Arsenal's clean sheet win.
View post on imgur.comIn Premier League play, Bellerin already sports five clean sheets and two assists, and recorded one of each in last weekend's victory at Watford. Combined, that puts the swashbuckling Spaniard in spectacular form ahead of Saturday's game against Everton, who have scored two goals in their last five visits to the Emirates Stadium.
Eric Dier
Just 21 years old, Dier is yet another player making the most of his early opportunities in the Premier League. Prior to his Gameweek 9 suspension, Dier had started all eight of Tottenham's league matches, picking up three clean sheets along the way. However, despite Dier's defender designation in most fantasy formats, he's actually been deployed at the base of Tottenham's midfield this season. That more advanced position has helped Dier score two goals already, boosting his stock for certain. This weekend, he figures to reclaim his place ahead of Tottenham's trip to Bournemouth, who are presently placed 17th in the standings and have scored just three times in their past three games.
Daryl Janmaat
An attack-minded defender, Janmaat supplied his first assist of the season in Newcastle's outstanding 6-2 victory over Norwich City last weekend. That contribution came after the Dutchman registered an impressive eight assists in his debut Premiership campaign last term. While Janmaat has also scored one goal this season, his defensive prospects appear brighter than usual in advance of Newcastle's cross-town tussle at Sunderland this weekend. That's because the Black Cats are currently tied for the third-fewest goals scored in the league, so if the Magpies and Janmaat can carry over their momentum from last weekend, the Dutchman could be destined for another standout showing.
Midfielders:
Kevin De Bruyne
Another week at Manchester City brought about more invaluable contributions from De Bruyne, as he buried a 91st-minute winner against Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday, and supplied an assist in City's 5-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend. On the whole, the Belgian has accumulated four goals and three assists in his past six games for the Citizens, and he also scored twice over the recent international break. Seemingly able to do no wrong at the moment, De Bruyne's perfect form could not come at a better time, as David Silva's (ankle) injury absence makes him the fulcrum of manager Manuel Pellegrini's attack heading into this weekend's Manchester derby.
Dimitri Payet
Like De Bruyne, Payet's playmaking ability has transitioned tremendously to the Premier League. After leading Ligue 1 in assists last season, Payet has handed out three helpers for West Ham so far, but he's also found the back of the net five times himself. In fact, Payet has scored in back-to-back games and has finished with either a goal or an assist in each of West Ham's last five league outings. Fueled by the Frenchman's flying form, West Ham have tallied 20 goals so far, trailing only Manchester City in the category ahead of Saturday's visit from Chelsea, whose much-maligned defense is tied for third-worst right now.
Georginio Wijnaldum
The fantasy star of Gameweek 9, Wijnaldum scored four of Newcastle's six goals by himself last Sunday, shooting him up the league-long rankings at his position. However, the Dutchman entered that contest having scored in Gameweek 7 and assisted in Gameweek 8, so his outburst, albeit sensational, hardly came out of nowhere. With six league goals through his first nine English appearances, Wijnaldum enters the upcoming Tyne-Wear derby as the main attraction, and Sunderland's lackluster defense offers a chance to capitalize upon. Only last weekend's opponent, Norwich City, has conceded more goals than Sunderland thus far, so Wijnaldum's magnificent momentum is buoyed by another awesome matchup.
Alexis Sanchez
With one more goal last weekend against Watford, Alexis remained among the only three midfielders now ahead of Wijnaldum in points in the Premier League's fantasy game. That being said, compared to his peers, Alexis has been on another level lately, as he's racked up an amazing 10 goals and two assists over his last seven matches for club and country. That includes six goals in Arsenal's last three Premier League matches, when the Gunners have scored 11 times as a team. Factor in the boost added from their midweek win over Bayern Munich, and Arsenal's attack is purring heading into Saturday's home match versus Everton, who have allowed 14 goals in their past five games against the Gunners.
Forwards:
Jamie Vardy (C)
Speaking of players that continue to impress week after week, arguably no player has been more consistent than Vardy this season. Believe it or not, the Englishman has scored nine goals in Leicester's nine games to date, and after bagging a brace last weekend, he's found the scoresheet in a remarkable six straight matches. Obviously, that makes Vardy a much coveted fantasy performer heading into Gameweek 10, regardless of matchup. Still, Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace sweetens the pot, as the Eagles are fresh off shipping three goals at home last weekend to West Ham.
Diego Costa
Back in the lineup last weekend following his three-match suspension, Costa scored the opener and was later credited with an assist in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Those contributions doubled Costa's league totals in both categories, perhaps allowing the Spaniard to push on as his team hopes to do the same. Opportunely, Costa and Chelsea take on West Ham this weekend, and despite the Hammers' strong start to this season, the Blues have had their London counterpart's number in recent years. Additionally, Costa scored against West Ham last season, making him a sound fantasy selection this time around.
Wilfried Bony
Promoted to Manchester City's coveted starting central striker position last weekend in wake of Sergio Aguero's (hamstring) recent injury, Bony finished with two goals and one assist as the Citizens topped Bournemouth 5-1. That offensive assault followed City's 6-1 trashing of Newcastle prior to the international break, evidencing the supreme potency of their attack at the moment. With Bony now spearheading the charge, the Ivorian has a great opportunity to return to fantasy stardom in the coming weeks, and Sunday's derby against Manchester United offers a high-profile occasion to do such.
BENCH
GK: Lukasz Fabianski
Last season's leader in saves, Fabianski has a good clean sheet chance this weekend at an Aston Villa outfit whose eight goals scored are presently tied for third-worst in the Premiership.
DEF: Aleksandar Kolarov
Despite missing Man City's lopsided win last weekend, Kolarov is still the leader in fantasy points among defenders in the Premier League's fantasy game and is expected to return for Sunday's Manchester derby.
DEF: Ryan Bertrand
After a breakout season last term, Bertrand missed Southampton's first six games of this season due to a knee injury. While he's yet to secure his first clean sheet of the current campaign, Bertrand could do so this weekend at a Liverpool outfit that failed to score last weekend and is still adjusting to a new manager.
MID: Mesut Ozil
Tied for the Premiership-lead with six assists, Ozil has also scored in two of his past three matches for Arsenal, including the Gunners' Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich this week. That should have the German's confidence brimming ahead of Saturday's visit from Everton.
MID: Riyad Mahrez
Although he's slowed down a bit, Mahrez still provided an assist last weekend, bringing his season tallies to five goals and four assists heading into Saturday's match against Crystal Palace.
FWD: Harry Kane
A disappointing second season that includes just one goal so far could take a turn for the better this weekend at Bournemouth, whose 17 goals conceded are tied for third-worst in the league.
FWD: Saido Berahino
Following a turbulent summer and early season amid transfer talks, Berahino has scored three times in West Brom's past four games, putting him in good standing ahead of Saturday's game versus a Norwich City team that surrendered six goals last weekend.
