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

What number of The Reds players might you squeeze into your squad in the upcoming gameweek?

The Merseyside club have secured a pair of triumphs , featuring a in-form forward in Hugo Ekitike going into a clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers currently tracking for an abysmal top-flight campaigns ever.

Should you have kept a portion of your Africa Cup of Nations free transfers , and possess the cash to reinvest by replacing the sidelined Bruno Fernandes, consequently assets from Anfield options must be the primary focus.

The ideal squad is constructed based on latest Fantasy Premier League valuations to comply with a £100m spending limit, as if activating a one-week wildcard.

A Look Back at The Previous Selection?

Captain Erling Haaland (a huge score) and the hot pair of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) and Hugo Ekitike propelled the team to a solid 82 points – supplemented by a 10-point cameo from Antonee Robinson as a substitute.

Our FPL Ideal Squad for Gameweek 18

Goalkeeper & Defence

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

The North London side's backline experienced a minor wobble in the wake of the absence of their Brazilian defender, but they have secured two shutouts in their past four and have nine to their name before the campaign's midpoint played.

The Emirates Stadium outfit have conceded in just a handful of fixtures at the Emirates campaign. Those goals were scored by Erling Haaland, a wondrous strike from Tottenham's forward , plus a unexpected goal from Tolu Arokodare.

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

This week features a three-pronged on the Gunners' backline.

As well as being the top defence in FPL, recording shutouts in more than half of their fixtures, they face a Roberto De Zerbi's team that has failed to score in their last two games.

Brighton have a mere nine strikes in eight fixtures away from home.

Timber continues to be a solid choice every week and has more attacking upside now he is right-back.

Hincapie has collected defensive contribution points in four consecutive starts, featuring two clean sheets.

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

One could select six Liverpool players this week if possible.

Gary O'Neil's team drew another blank for the tenth occasion this season in a recent 2-0 defeat at Molineux to Brentford.

They have a paltry nine goals in total, including two away from home. This is one of the safest shutout prospect imaginable.

Omar Alderete, the Black Cats, £4m – vs Leeds (H).

Regardless of the Yorkshire club's recent offensive form – and the form of their striker – I'm backing a Stadium of Light shutout on home soil.

That would mark their third consecutive , with the Paraguayan defender establishing himself as the best budget defender option. You can start him confidently across many fixtures, given his regular 'defcon' returns.

Midfield

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

Mount is expected to take on a bigger part at Old Trafford over the coming fixtures, due to Bruno Fernandes suffering an injury.

Over the past three games, United boast the highest xG statistically by over three goals – 8.78 versus second-best Leeds United's 5.68.

They welcome a Newcastle side that has been poor away from home – with just a single victory in seven.

The former Chelsea man may assume many of the injured star's playmaking duties, notably from dead-ball situations, and could operate behind the striker.

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

Wirtz is due a big haul and a fixture at Anfield against Wolves presenting the prime time for it.

Wirtz has delivered returns across four recent games – a pair of assists plus a defensive contribution display.

Over that time he's made 10 chances, the most of any Liverpool, while his xG totals 0.88.

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

After recording 30 points across two gameweeks, the midfielder's hot streak is impossible to ignore.

He is Aston Villa's main goal threat, capable of producing a strike from minimal space inside the area.

An away trip at Stamford Bridge may appear a challenging assignment, but Villa have won there on two occasions in the past three seasons.

Forwards

Hugo Ekitike (Captain), the Reds, £8.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).

Due to his fixture, a lack of rivalry for his place, and having bagged five goals over three matches, the French striker receives the captain's armband this week.

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

It is unthinkable to benching Haaland, but because he has a tougher fixture on the road this week, I'm willing to pass over him for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Faith Thomas
Faith Thomas

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino strategy and player psychology.