Captain Ekitike and a Three-Pronged Arsenal Defence – The FPL Team of the Week

What number of Liverpool players can you fit into your lineup in the upcoming gameweek?

The Merseyside club have notched a pair of triumphs and boast a sizzling attacker in their French frontman preparing for a encounter with Wolves who are heading towards one of the worst top-flight seasons ever.

Should you have kept some of your Africa Cup of Nations transfers , and possess the budget to spend by replacing the unavailable Manchester United's playmaker, then Liverpool options ought to be the main consideration.

The team of the week is chosen using current FPL costs to fit within a £100m spending limit, mirroring you were playing a Free Hit.

What Was the Performance of Last Week's Team?

Skipper Erling Haaland (a massive haul) and the hot duo of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) and Hugo Ekitike led the squad to a handsome score – enhanced by a double-digit contribution from Fulham's defender as a substitute.

Our FPL Team of the Week for Matchday 18

Keeper & Defence

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

The North London side's defence had a slight stumble after an injury to Gabriel, but they have recorded two shutouts over their last four matches , boasting nine so far before the campaign's midpoint completed.

Mikel Arteta's side have conceded in all but three fixtures at the Emirates campaign. Those goals came from Erling Haaland, a long-range strike from Richarlison , plus a surprise header from Wolves' attacker.

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

This week features a three-pronged on the Arsenal defence.

Not only are they the strongest defence in the game, with a clean sheet in more than half of their fixtures, they host a Roberto De Zerbi's team who have drawn a blank in their past two outings.

Brighton have only managed 9 goals from eight away games.

The Dutch defender continues to be a steady option every week , possessing more offensive potential since returning to the full-back role.

Hincapie has earned 'defcon' points in his past four starts, including two clean sheets.

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

One could select half a dozen Liverpool assets for this fixture if the rules permitted.

Wolves were shut out for the 10th time so far during a recent 2-0 home loss to Brentford.

The Midlands side have a paltry nine strikes this campaign, including a couple away from home. It represents a very secure clean sheet bet possible.

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

Even with the Yorkshire club's recent goalscoring upturn – highlighted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin – we're selecting a Stadium of Light shutout at home.

That would mark a third in a row and Alderete establishing himself as a prime budget defensive pick. You can start him with assurance in most games, given his potential for 'defcon' points.

Midfielders

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

The English midfielder should play a bigger role for Manchester United in the next few games, following their Portuguese maestro being sidelined.

In their last three matches, United registered the highest expected goals (xG) across the Premier League by a significant margin – 8.78 versus second-best Leeds' 5.68.

They face a Newcastle United team who have been poor away from home – with just a single victory in their last seven.

Mount is likely to take over a large share of Fernandes' playmaking duties, notably from dead-ball situations, and could play in the number 10 role.

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

The German playmaker is poised for a major point return and a home match versus Wolves being the prime opportunity for it.

He has delivered returns across his past four games – two assists plus a defensive contribution performance.

In that period he has created 10 chances, a team-high among all his teammates, while his xG totals 0.88.

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

Boasting 30 points in two games, the midfielder's current form demands attention.

He's Aston Villa's talisman, capable of producing a goal from the smallest space in the box.

A fixture at Chelsea might seem a challenging proposition, but Villa have emerged victorious at that ground in two of the last three campaigns.

Forwards

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

Because of his fixture, having no rivalry for a starting spot, coupled with scored a five-goal haul over three matches, Ekitike receives the captain's armband for this round.

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

One cannot consider dropping Haaland, although because he has a more difficult away game this week, the choice is to pass over him for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Gwendolyn Allen
Gwendolyn Allen

A technology consultant with over 12 years of experience in IT infrastructure and digital transformation strategies.