FPL
Mitchell Bags 15: Do You Buy for Ipswich?
5 September 2026
In this guide: Mitchell's fifteen-pointer, Chilwell's instant impact and the attacking numbers Fulham owners should not ignore after a 3-2 defeat. Both starting XIs' expected and actual points are below. Then we weigh up Palace for Ipswich at home, with a very different fixture awaiting Fulham.
- Mitchell: two goals, 15 points. His replacement Chilwell scored the winner three minutes after coming on.
- King and Palacios scored for Fulham, returning 10 and 8 points respectively.
- Fulham produced 3.13 xG, 25 shots and 63 touches in Palace's box. They still lost.
- Nketiah started and assisted, but Strand Larsen replaced him at half-time.
- Next: Palace host Ipswich. Fulham go to Liverpool.
Three Palace goals. All from the left-backs.
King put Fulham ahead in the eleventh minute. Mitchell equalised, Palacios restored the lead before half-time, and Mitchell levelled again after the break. Then Palace replaced their two-goal defender with Chilwell. Three minutes later, Chilwell scored the winner from Kamada's pass. If you were looking for a striker haul, Palace found a rather different way to win.
Mitchell's fifteen points came without a clean sheet: two goals, two appearance points, two bonus and a point lost for conceding twice. That is a monster return from a £4.5m defender. Chilwell added seven from the bench at the same price. The immediate temptation is obvious. The minutes question deserves just as much attention.
Fulham's starting XI: expected points v actual points
| Player | xPts | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leno | 3.1 | 1 | -2.1 |
| Castagne | 2.8 | 1 | -1.8 |
| Andersen | 1.5 | 1 | -0.5 |
| Bassey | 2.8 | 1 | -1.8 |
| Robinson | 3.1 | 1 | -2.1 |
| Shea Charles | 0.8 | 4 | +3.2 |
| Palacios | 2.6 | 8 | +5.4 |
| Bobb | 2.5 | 2 | -0.5 |
| King, top three expected points pick | 3.4 | 10 | +6.6 |
| Iwobi, top three expected points pick | 3.5 | 2 | -1.5 |
| Gonzalo, top three expected points pick | 4.5 | 2 | -2.5 |
Top three xPts picks, including ties. xPts = expected points; +/- = actual minus expected. Green: 1.5+ above. Red: 1.5+ below. Otherwise neutral.
Palace's starting XI: expected points v actual points
| Player | xPts | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson, top three expected points pick | 2.9 | 2 | -0.9 |
| Disasi | 0.3 | 3 | +2.7 |
| Richards | 2.8 | 1 | -1.8 |
| Canvot | 2.7 | 3 | +0.3 |
| Khalaili | 1.8 | 3 | +1.2 |
| Wharton, top three expected points pick | 3.2 | 2 | -1.2 |
| Quinten Timber | 0 | 2 | +2 |
| Mitchell | 2.5 | 15 | +12.5 |
| Yeremy Pino | 2 | 5 | +3 |
| Kamada, top three expected points pick | 2.9 | 5 | +2.1 |
| Nketiah | 2.3 | 4 | +1.7 |
Top three xPts picks, including ties. xPts = expected points; +/- = actual minus expected. Green: 1.5+ above. Red: 1.5+ below. Otherwise neutral.
Fulham's attack deserved more than a defeat
Twenty-two of Fulham's 25 shots came from inside the box. Their 63 touches there dwarf Palace's eighteen. That is meaningful attacking pressure, even in defeat. Palace created fewer attempts but six big chances, so this was not simply a smash-and-grab built on three hopeful shots. Both teams gave the opposition enough openings to damage their clean-sheet prospects.
Mitchell's haul has a rival on the same flank
Mitchell had 0.74 xG in 73 minutes. Chilwell replaced him and scored from 0.14 xG in sixteen minutes. Mitchell has the start and the bigger return in his favour; Chilwell has made his case for more involvement. Check the team news before buying either. Neither is guaranteed ninety minutes.
Khalaili is the quieter Palace defender to inspect. He played the full match and accumulated 0.72 xG, almost matching Mitchell, but finished on three points. At £5.0m he costs more, and today's missed chances do not make him the better buy automatically. They do mean the attacking threat was not confined to the man who scored twice.
Up front, Nketiah's FPL assist came in only 45 minutes before Strand Larsen replaced him. The latter also blanked. Ipswich at home is appealing, but a shared match between two forwards makes either a less straightforward purchase than the fixture alone suggests. Kamada and Pino each returned five through an assist and stayed on much longer.
King scored. Bobb still created.
King's goal and three bonus produced ten points. Palacios scored from an afternoon worth 0.82 xG and returned eight in 61 minutes. Both cost £5.5m. Bobb, also £5.5m, blanked despite 0.26 xG and 0.60 expected assists; Iwobi contributed 0.42 expected assists without a return. If you own either, the result gives you less reason to panic than the points suggest.
Gonzalo played ninety minutes and posted 0.44 xG. He was involved, but the next fixture changes the buying decision. Liverpool away followed by Manchester United at home is a tougher entry point than this open match at the Cottage. Keep the attacking evidence on your watchlist without assuming you need to bring someone in tonight.
GW4: Palace get Ipswich, Fulham get Anfield
| Player | Price | Expected points | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell | £4.5m | 3.3 | Ipswich (H) |
| Khalaili | £5.0m | 2.7 | Ipswich (H) |
| King | £5.5m | 2.2 | Liverpool (A) |
| Bobb | £5.5m | 1.7 | Liverpool (A) |
Palace follow Ipswich with Leeds away and Forest at home. That makes Mitchell worth a proper comparison if you need a defender, with Chilwell's competition kept in mind. Conceding 3.13 xG here gives little reason to buy two Palace defenders together purely on the back of a win. One affordable attacking option is a different decision from doubling up for clean sheets.
For Fulham owners, use your bench where it is stronger and avoid a hit just to escape one difficult match. Our Liverpool review covers the next opponent. Put the two teams' expected points beside your current XI before deciding whether to hold, bench or sell.
