This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
Finally, another international break has come to a close and the Premiership returns for four uninterrupted weeks of action.
Before previewing the upcoming matches and considering the break's ramifications on certain squads, let's freshen up on what happened heading into the weeklong layoff.
Liverpool earned their first win since Gameweek 3 by narrowly edging West Brom 2-1. Meanwhile, Merseyside neighbors Everton remain stuck on one win after losing by the same scoreline to Manchester United, who have surged to fourth place on the table.
Just below 17th-place Everton is Newcastle, who is still looking for their first win of the season, but a 2-2 draw with Swansea City at least helped the Toon point total.
Another team that's struggled out of the gates, Hull City claimed victory for the first time since Gameweek 1 by dispatching Crystal Palace, while Aston Villa continued to move in the opposite direction, with a 2-0 loss to Manchester City marking the third straight defeat for Paul Lambert's side.
Sunday represented the first installment of the "Pochettino Derby," as Tottenham's new boss handed his former club Southampton their first defeat since Gameweek 1 in a tight 1-0 affair. Nonetheless, the Saints' current third-place position still trumps Spurs' sixth-place standing, evidencing the job Ronald Koeman has done in replacing Pochettino.
Last, but certainly not least, Chelsea continued their dominance by edging Arsenal 2-0 to stay unbeaten in the league and preserve Jose Mourinho's unblemished record versus Arsene Wenger, though the Frenchman at least prevailed as the touchline champion when push came to shove Sunday.
As for the Best XI, Gameweek 7 produced fantastic recommendations for fantasy owners to follow.
Between the posts, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel bottled a favorable clean sheet opportunity by conceding twice to Burnley.
While Swansea defender Ashley Williams also let in two, both Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and West Ham's Winston Reid secured clean sheets in 2-0 wins, with Reid earning bonus points in some fantasy formats for his shining performance.
Two midfielders, David Silva of Manchester City and Eden Hazard of Chelsea, also earned clean sheet points and the latter converted a penalty after an impressive dribbling move drew a foul in the area.
Manchester United's Angel di Maria prolonged his Premier League prosperity by providing both a goal and an assist versus Everton, the third time di Maria has posted such totals in five appearances for the Red Devils.
Likewise, Gylfi Sigurdsson's deft distribution abilities assisted both of Swansea's goals over the weekend, bringing the midfielder's assist total to six on the season.
Up front, West Ham's Enner Valencia was highly active, attempting a team-high three shots, but once again, it was Diafra Sakho who scored out of the Hammers' striking duo. For those counting at home, that's four goals in four games for Sakho.
Last week's captain selection was on point, as Radamel Falcao opened his Manchester United account with a goal against Everton.
Similarly, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero found the net at Aston Villa, rounding out a fabulous four-goal, four-clean sheet, three-assist effort from the Best XI.
Now that we're up to speed, Gameweek 8 features top-half versus bottom-half matchups in eight of ten pairings. Nonetheless, the usual lingering effects from an international break should result in some players being rested, others returning hurt, and general squad rotations to compensate for the time off.
The weekend's best match is also its first one, as second-place Manchester City hosts Tottenham in Saturday's early game. However, judging by City's combined 11-1 score advantage from last season's pair of meetings, Spurs face a tall task in reversing their fortune at the Etihad Stadium.
Later on, an injury riddled Arsenal welcomes Hull City, with the Gunners holding a five-game win steak versus the Tigers in league play. Elsewhere in London, Chelsea travels to Crystal Palace and even though the Blues have lost just one of their past 15 London derbies, that loss came at Selhurst Park last season.
Unlike Chelsea, West Ham will leave the capital for the weekend, heading north to Burnley in search of their fourth win of the season. Considering all the claret and blue that should populate the ground, hopefully West Ham remembers to bring their away kits.
Nearby, Everton plays Aston Villa at Goodison Park, where both teams will look to stop the bleeding that's plagued them of late.
Newcastle is no stranger to recent struggles, but will hope a home date against promoted side Leicester City can finally get them in the win column. Meanwhile, Southampton will look to get back in the win column against Sunderland, who clinched their first win of the season last time out.
Just two games are scheduled for Sunday, with Liverpool at Queens Park Rangers starting the day off. While both teams won in Gameweek 3, they have combined for just one win since (Liverpool in Gameweek 7).
Then, though their respective positions in the standings suggest otherwise, Swansea City at Stoke City could be a very low-scoring tie. That's because the Britannia Stadium has only seen three goals all season, the lowest of any venue in England's top-flight. Also, Swansea has just one win from their past 12 Sunday Premier League matches, losing seven and drawing four times over that span.
Completing Gameweek 8's fixtures is Manchester United at West Brom on Monday, when Louis van Gaal's club will look to snap a five-game winless streak in Premiership matches on the road.
Given those considerations, it's time to get back to business and unveil this week's Best XI.
Formation: 3-4-3
Goalkeeper: Adrian (West Ham)
A revelation last season, Adrian recorded six clean sheets in his first 20 Premier League outings. Following a tempered start to this season, the Spanish shot-stopper posted his first such performance last time out for West Ham. Prior to that, Adrian's fantasy stock was rooted in his save total and three more versus QPR brought that tally to a very handy 24 through seven matches. This weekend, Adrian will visit Burnley, the league's lowest-scoring team. On the heels of a 2-2 draw, the home side is expected to put up a fight Saturday, but Adrian's clean sheet prospects still appear favorable.
Defenders:
Leighton Baines (Everton)
While Adrian faces the league's worst offensive side, Baines will take on an Aston Villa outfit tied for second-worst with merely four goals on the campaign. Surely, Everton's league-worst defensive record can't be ignored, but a seven-match start that included Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United certainly didn't do Toffees' defense any favors. Furthermore, Everton finished third defensively last season with the same unit, so a resurgence could be forthcoming. Despite his side's struggles at the back, Baines has continued to be the Premiership's best left-back, as he's supplied one goal and three assists already. Considering Aston Villa has failed to score in three straight matches, Baines has a ripe opportunity for a big day.
Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
Another fine-attacking full-back, Ivanovic has scored in two of Chelsea's three away matches this season. The Blues travel through London to Crystal Palace this weekend and no team has kept more clean sheets than Chelsea's 21 since Jose Mourinho returned to his former stomping ground at the onset of last season. While Crystal Palace has scored 10 goals to date, only three of those have come at home. Ivanovic also earned a clean sheet in his most recent appearance for Serbia over the international break and still ranks fourth on Chelsea with 1.7 shot attempts per game.
Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)
With Southampton selling starlet Calum Chambers this summer, the 23-year-old Clyne has taken full advantage of his expanded role along the Saints' right side. In fact, Clyne earned his first call-up to England's senior side for their recent Euro 2016 qualifiers, though he was an unused substitute for both matches. No matter, he's been an instrumental part of Southampton's league-best defense thus far, boasting three clean sheets and a cracking goal in Gameweek 1. The Saints have allowed only one goal at St. Mary's Stadium, which, coupled with visitors Sunderland's 0.66 away-goal average, hints toward a clean sheet for Clyne.
Midfielders:
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
The assist leader to this point in the season, Fabregas' total of seven helpers evidences his consistent contributions for Chelsea. In fact, his opponents this week, Crystal Palace, have just one more assist as a team than the Spaniard has himself this season. While his distribution abilities are unchallenged, Fabregas still hasn't provided a goal for the league's highest-scoring team. However, since he was rested for Spain's most recent Euro qualifier, Fabregas should be fresh for Saturday's second straight London derby when he'll look to help maintain Chelsea's record of at least two goals in seven of eight Premiership games.
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Fabregas' former understudy at Arsenal, Wilshere has put together some really good displays lately for both club and country. A goal and an assist versus Manchester City in Gameweek 4 earned him Man of the Match honors, as did his performance in England's most recent qualifier against Estonia. The 22-year-old seems to be finding a rhythm that he lacked at times in previous seasons due to disruptive injury spells. To that point, Wilshere's 2.8 dribbles completed per game rank fourth league-wide, as does his 2.5 fouls incurred average. Moreover, of the players ranked ahead of him in each category, nobody comes close to his tiny 0.8 times dispossessed average, which displays Wilshere's penchant for skillfully taking on defenders. With Mesut Ozil (knee) out for Arsenal, Wilshere will be relied on more in the final third, beginning Saturday versus a Hull City team that the Gunners have scored at least two goals against in seven consecutive meetings.
Adam Lallana (Liverpool)
While a knee injury put the start of Lallana's Liverpool debut on delay, the Englishman proved worth his hefty price tag in Gameweek 7 when he opened his Anfield account with a lovely goal versus West Brom. That standout showing was reminiscent of Lallana's awesome play for Southampton during his breakout nine-goal, five-assist campaign last term. This weekend, he'll play last-place Queens Park Rangers, who have conceded at least two goals in four straight league games and rank second-last defensively thus far. Also, since teammate Raheem Sterling has grown tired of late, Lallana could start in Liverpool's No. 10 role and could have top-striker Daniel Sturridge to target in front of him Sunday.
Forwards:
Graziano Pelle (C) (Southampton)
One of the players that have helped nullify Lallana and Co.'s departures from Southampton, Pelle totes four goals already, three of which came during a spectacular September that earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award. Brimming with confidence, Pelle also earned his first call-up to the Italian national team, started in his debut and scored the only goal in Gli Azzurri's win over Malta. Of players that have started all seven Premiership matches, Pelle leads the Premier League with 3.3 shot attempts per game. Additionally, he's scored in his past two home matches for Southampton, so though Sunderland currently has an impressive defensive record, Pelle's pulsating proficiency makes him Gameweek 8's Best XI Captain.
Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)
Another underrated summer signing, Welbeck has settled in to his new surroundings with similar success. In six starts for Arsenal across all competitions, Welbeck has four goals and one assist, and has also scored three times for England since moving to the capital. The freedom to play a central role at Arsenal has brought out the best in Welbeck, as he too is averaging 3.3 shot attempts per game. Despite picking up a knock over the break, Welbeck is still expected to start Saturday versus Hull City. Considering the Tigers have shipped at least a pair of goals in all but one of their last six away matches in the league, Welbeck may very well score the first home Premiership goal of his Arsenal career this weekend.
Edin Dzeko (Manchester City)
While strike partner Sergio Aguero rightfully gets most of the headlines from Manchester City's attack, Dzeko is far from a player that can be overlooked. His three shot attempts per game only rank behind Aguero for the defending Champions, and he's scored double-digit league goals ever since arriving at City in January 2011. Across all competitions this season, Dzeko has six goals and he also found the net for Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday. He'll take on Tottenham this Saturday, and last time he squared off versus Spurs, he scored from one of his astounding 10 shot attempts. On the whole, he's trampled Tottenham for six goals in seven appearances, including a four-goal feast to begin the 2011-12 campaign. City is hard to stop at home and Dzeko has certainly had Spurs suffering in his sights.
Adrian
Baines – Ivanovic – Clyne
di Maria – Fabregas – Wilshere – Lallana
Pelle (C) – Welbeck - Dzeko
