Captain Ekitike along with a Three-Pronged Gunners Backline – The FPL Squad for the Round
The quantity of Liverpool assets might you accommodate inside your lineup this week?
The Merseyside club are coming off two consecutive victories , featuring a sizzling striker in their French frontman preparing for a fixture with Wolves who are tracking for a historically poor top-flight campaigns in history.
Should you have kept a few of your Africa Cup of Nations free transfers and have the budget to reinvest after losing the unavailable Bruno Fernandes, in that case Liverpool players should be the primary focus.
This ideal squad is constructed based on latest Fantasy Premier League valuations to fit within a 100 million pound cap, as if activating a one-week wildcard.
What Was the Performance of The Previous Selection?
Captain Manchester City's striker (32 points) , combined with the hot pair of Antoine Semenyo (10 points) plus Hugo Ekitike guided the selection to a handsome 82 points – enhanced by a 10-point performance from Fulham's defender from the replacements.
This Week's Fantasy Premier League Ideal Squad for Matchday 18
Keeper & Defence
David Raya, Arsenal, keeper, £6m – vs Brighton (H).
Arsenal's backline had a slight stumble after an injury to their Brazilian defender, yet they've kept two clean sheets over their last four matches , boasting nine so far with less than half the season completed.
Mikel Arteta's side have let in goals in all but three fixtures at the Emirates campaign. The strikes they conceded came from a Manchester City superstar, a long-range strike from Tottenham's forward , plus a surprise goal from Tolu Arokodare.
Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) & Piero Hincapie (£5.5m), Arsenal – vs Brighton (H).
It's a three-pronged on the Arsenal defence.
Not only are they the best defence in the game, recording shutouts in over 50% of their matches, they face a Brighton team that has drawn a blank in two consecutive games.
Brighton have only managed 9 goals from eight fixtures away from home.
Timber continues to be a solid option every week , possessing more attacking upside since returning to right-back.
Hincapie has registered defensive contribution points in his past four appearances, including two clean sheets.
Virgil van Dijk, the Reds, £5.9m – vs Wolves (H).
One could select half a dozen Anfield assets for this fixture if possible.
Gary O'Neil's team were shut out once again this season in Saturday's two-nil defeat at Molineux to Brentford.
The Midlands side have scored just 9 goals this campaign, including a couple on the road. It represents a very secure shutout opportunity imaginable.
Omar Alderete, the Black Cats, £4m – vs Leeds United (H).
Even with the Yorkshire club's better goalscoring upturn – including the performances of their striker – the pick is a Stadium of Light shutout on home soil.
It would be a third consecutive and the Paraguayan defender establishing himself as an outstanding value defensive pick. Managers can field him with assurance across many fixtures, thanks to his consistent defensive contribution points.
Midfielders
Mason Mount, Manchester United, £5.9m – vs Newcastle United (H).
Mount should play a bigger part for Manchester United in the next few games, following their Portuguese maestro out injured.
Recently, United boast the best expected goals (xG) statistically by a comfortable distance – 8.78 against the next best Leeds' 5.68.
They welcome a Newcastle side that has been poor away from home – with just one win from seven attempts.
The former Chelsea man could well inherit many of Fernandes' playmaking duties, particularly on set-pieces, potentially feature behind the striker.
Florian Wirtz, the Reds, £8.1m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
The German playmaker is on the verge of a significant score , with a fixture at Anfield versus Wolves presenting an ideal scenario for that to happen.
He has posted points across his past four games – a pair of assists plus a defensive contribution display.
In that period he has created 10 chances, the most among all his teammates, and his xG stands at 0.88.
Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa, £7.2m – vs the Blues (A).
After recording 30 points across two gameweeks, Rogers' hot streak demands attention.
He is Villa's talisman, with an ability to producing a strike with the smallest space in the box.
An away trip at Chelsea could be viewed as a difficult assignment, but Villa have won at that ground in two of the last three campaigns.
Strikers
Hugo Ekitike (Captain), Liverpool, £8.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
Because of facing an abysmal Wolves side, having no competition for his place, and having bagged five goals in three games, Ekitike receives the double-points role this week.
Erling Haaland, Manchester City, £15.1m – vs Nottingham Forest (A).
There's no omitting the Norwegian goal machine, although with him having a tricky fixture on the road in this round, the choice is to look elsewhere with the captain's role.
Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m