Skipper Hugo Ekitike and a Three-Pronged Gunners Defence – The Fantasy Premier League Team of the Week

The quantity of Liverpool players can you squeeze inside your team for this round?

The Merseyside club are coming off back-to-back wins and boast a red-hot forward in their French frontman preparing for a fixture with Wolverhampton Wanderers that are on course for one of the worst Premier League campaigns ever.

For managers who retained a few of your AFCON wildcards , and possess the funds to reinvest following the injury to the sidelined Bruno Fernandes, then Liverpool players must be your top priority.

This weekly selection is chosen using present FPL prices to fit within a £100m cap, simulating using a Free Hit chip.

A Look Back at Our Recent Selection?

Skipper Erling Haaland (32 points) and the in-form duo of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) plus Liverpool's frontman led the selection to a handsome 82 points – with a bonus a 10-point performance from Fulham's defender as a substitute.

The FPL Ideal Squad for Matchday 18

Keeper and Defenders

David Raya, the Gunners, keeper, £6m – vs Brighton & Hove Albion (H).

The North London side's defence suffered a brief dip in the wake of the absence of their Brazilian defender, yet they've kept two shutouts recently , with nine already with not even the campaign's midpoint played.

Mikel Arteta's side have let in goals in only three matches at home this season. Those goals were scored by a Manchester City superstar, a spectacular strike from Tottenham's forward , plus a unexpected header from Wolves' attacker.

Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) and Piero Hincapie (£5.5m), the Gunners – vs the Seagulls (H).

It's a triple-up from the Gunners' defence.

They are the best defensive unit in the game, recording shutouts in the majority of their matches, they host a Roberto De Zerbi's side that has failed to score in their past two matches.

The South Coast club have only managed 9 goals across eight away games.

Timber is a steady pick each gameweek , possessing more goal threat operating as right-back.

The Ecuadorian has earned defensive contribution points in his past four appearances, featuring two clean sheets.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £5.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).

I'd pick six Liverpool assets this week if possible.

Wolves failed to score for the tenth occasion in 17 games during Saturday's 2-0 home loss to the Bees.

The Midlands side have a paltry nine goals all season, with only two on the road. This is one of the safest clean sheet prospect imaginable.

Omar Alderete, Sunderland, £4m – vs Leeds United (H).

Even with the Yorkshire club's recent offensive form – highlighted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin – I'm backing a Sunderland clean sheet on home soil.

It would be their third consecutive , with Alderete becoming the best budget defender option. Managers can start him with assurance in most games, given his regular defensive contribution points.

Midfielders

Mason Mount, Manchester United, £5.9m – vs Newcastle United (H).

Mount will likely assume a significant part at Manchester United over the coming fixtures, due to their Portuguese maestro suffering an injury.

In their last three matches, Erik ten Hag's team boast the highest xG statistically by a comfortable distance – 8.78 against the next best Leeds United's 5.68.

Their opponents are a Newcastle side who have not excelled on the road – with just one win in their last seven.

Mount is likely to inherit many of the injured star's playmaking duties, notably on set-pieces, and could feature in the number 10 role.

Florian Wirtz, Liverpool, £8.1m – vs Wolves (H).

Wirtz is due a major point return and a fixture at Anfield against Wolves representing an ideal time for it.

He has posted points across his past four fixtures – two assists and one 'defcon' performance.

During that spell he's made 10 chances, the highest of any his teammates, while his expected goals is 0.88.

Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa, £7.2m – vs Chelsea (A).

With 30 points over two matches, the midfielder's form is impossible to ignore.

He is Villa's talisman, who can creating a goal from the smallest space inside the area.

A fixture at Chelsea could be viewed as a challenging proposition, but Villa have emerged victorious there in two of the past three seasons.

Forwards

Hugo Ekitike (Captain), Liverpool, £8.9m – vs Wolves (H).

Due to facing an abysmal Wolves side, having no competition for a starting spot, coupled with scored a five-goal haul over three matches, the French striker gets the double-points role this week.

Erling Haaland, Manchester City, £15.1m – vs Nottingham Forest (A).

One cannot consider omitting the Norwegian goal machine, however with him having a more difficult fixture on the road in this round, I'm willing to look elsewhere for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United, £7.6m

Matthew Walker
Matthew Walker

A theoretical physicist specializing in spin dynamics and quantum information theory, with over a decade of research experience.