The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek eight was filled with surprises as many things unfolded right before our eyes most especially the defensive side of things.
Five defenders made it to the team of the week and each one of them recorded double digits which is something we rarely see.
Chelsea defender, Reece James (£5.4m) led the pack with his 18 points haul in the Blues’ 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.
The England international scored a goal, provided as many assists, kept a cleansheet and claimed the maximum bonus points which was enough to see him climb the leaderboard for the week.
James’ points haul means a defender has been the top-scoring player in five out of eight gameweeks so far this season.
He now follows the steps of Daniel Ballard (£4.6m), Jurrien Timber (£5.9m), Marc Guehi (£4.9m) and Omar Alderete (£4.1m).
A defender has been the top-scoring player in FIVE out of eight Gameweeks so far this season 😳#FPL pic.twitter.com/XgUD5c8uO9
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) October 20, 2025
James’ teammates, Josh Acheampong (£3.9m) and Pedro Neto (£7.0m) also recorded double figures to cap off a wonderful display at the City Ground which led to the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou as Forest boss.
Sunderland ace, Nordi Mukiele (£4.0m) was one point off James which denied him the chance to sit alongside his teammates, Ballard and Alderete in the top-scoring board.
However, his owners will be extremely delighted with the 17 points he delivered following a goal, cleansheet, reaching the threshold for defensive contributions points as well as claiming three bonus points.
Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.3m) plundered 12 points in Tottenham Hotspurs’ 2-1 loss at home to a resurgent Aston Villa side. The defeat didn’t stop the Uruguay international from claiming the maximum bonus points as his goal and 12 defensive contributions was enough to make him the highest rated.
Following five blanks out of the first seven gameweeks, Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) netted an astonishing hattrick to collect 17 points in Crystal Palace’s 3-3 draw against Bournemouth at the Selhurst Park.
The Frenchman had the chance to increase his points tally as he was presented with a big opportunity to seal the victory for the Eagles which he missed late on in the game.
Danny Welbeck (£6.3m) hit two goals in Brighton and Hove Albion’s 2-1 win over Newcastle United to claim 13 points.
This is just the second time the former Manchester United and Arsenal forward will record attacking returns this season having first done so in the 3-1 win away at Chelsea in GW6.
Erling Haaland (£14.7m) continued his hot streak in front of goal as he put Everton to the sword with a brace to collect 13 points.
The Norwegian extended his lead at the top to 13 points as he became the first player to hit the 80+ points this campaign.
The iSoccer FPL GW8 Winners
1 EL MATADOR
2 IRON TANK
3 SMG
4 Dan_Waja_FPL
5 TIMS FC’ ‘
Related Stories: FPL GW7 Recap: Semenyo Taking Over The Reins; iSoccer Winners
Please Note: Winners will be contacted directly by the iSoccer FPL admins ONLY if they have dropped a comment or their team names at any point during the season. Winners who haven’t fulfilled any of the above requirements would have their win passed down to a next eligible manager (who has sent in comments).
Also Note: Each player is entitled to only ONE team. Therefore, payments will be denied from players with more than one team, and passed to next manager.
All players are also advised to follow the social media handles and to visit the iSoccer website frequently.
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By: Habeeb Kuranga
COMMENTS
One of the toughest wins
Thanks ISOCCERNG🤝
Thank you issocer. I never expected the hauls