Skipper Hugo Ekitike and a Triple Arsenal Backline – The FPL Squad for the Round
What number of The Reds assets are you able to accommodate inside your lineup this week?
Jurgen Klopp's side are coming off a pair of triumphs , with a red-hot attacker in Hugo Ekitike preparing for a fixture with a struggling Wolves side currently heading towards one of the worst Premier League campaigns on record.
For managers who kept a portion of your Africa Cup of Nations transfers , and possess the funds to upgrade following the injury to the sidelined Bruno Fernandes, consequently assets from Anfield picks ought to be the main consideration.
This weekly selection is assembled according to present Fantasy Premier League costs to stay under a £100m cap, mirroring you were playing a one-week wildcard.
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Captain Erling Haaland (32 points) , combined with the hot duo of Antoine Semenyo (10 points) plus Hugo Ekitike propelled the selection to a respectable score – with a bonus a double-digit performance from Fulham's defender from the replacements.
This Week's Fantasy Premier League Ideal Squad for Matchday 18
Goalkeeper & Defenders
David Raya, Arsenal, goalkeeper, £6m – vs Brighton (H).
Arsenal's backline experienced a minor wobble in the wake of the absence of Gabriel, however, they've kept two clean sheets in their past four , with nine already before the campaign's midpoint completed.
Mikel Arteta's side have conceded in only three matches at home campaign. The strikes they conceded came from Erling Haaland, a long-range effort from Richarlison and a late header from Tolu Arokodare.
Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) & Piero Hincapie (£5.5m), Arsenal – vs the Seagulls (H).
It's a triple-up on the Arsenal backline.
They are the strongest defence in the game, with a clean sheet in more than half of their matches, they face a Roberto De Zerbi's team that has not found the net in two consecutive games.
The South Coast club have a mere 9 strikes from eight away games.
Timber continues to be a reliable pick every week , with greater attacking upside now he is right-back.
The Ecuadorian has collected defensive contribution points in four consecutive starts, which included a pair of shutouts.
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £5.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
I'd pick half a dozen Anfield players for this fixture if the rules permitted.
Gary O'Neil's team drew another blank for the tenth occasion in 17 games in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Molineux to the Bees.
The Midlands side have only managed nine goals all season, with only a couple on the road. This is one of the safest shutout opportunity imaginable.
Omar Alderete, Sunderland, £4m – vs Leeds (H).
Despite the Yorkshire club's better goalscoring upturn – and the form of their striker – the pick is a Stadium of Light shutout on home soil.
This would secure their third in a row and the Paraguayan defender establishing himself as the best budget defender option. You can start him regularly across many fixtures, due to his potential for 'defcon' points.
Midfielders
Mason Mount, Manchester United, £5.9m – vs Newcastle (H).
The English midfielder should play a key responsibility at Old Trafford in the next few games, due to Bruno Fernandes suffering an injury.
Over the past three games, United registered the best xG across the Premier League by a significant margin – 8.78 compared to second-best Leeds' 5.68.
They face a Newcastle side that has not excelled away from home – managing a single victory from seven attempts.
The former Chelsea man is likely to take over many of the injured star's playmaking duties, particularly on set-pieces, potentially play as an attacking midfielder.
Florian Wirtz, the Reds, £8.1m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
The German playmaker is poised for a significant score , with a fixture at Anfield versus Wolves presenting the prime time for that to happen.
Wirtz has posted points in three of his last four fixtures – two assists and one 'defcon' display.
During that spell he's made 10 chances, the highest among all Liverpool, while his xG totals 0.88.
Morgan Rogers, Villa, £7.2m – vs the Blues (A).
With 30 points across two gameweeks, the midfielder's current form cannot be overlooked.
He's Aston Villa's main goal threat, capable of producing a strike from minimal room in the box.
An away trip to Stamford Bridge could be viewed as a tough proposition, the Birmingham club have won at that ground on two occasions in recent years.
Strikers
Hugo Ekitike (Captain), Liverpool, £8.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
Due to his fixture, a lack of competition for a starting spot, coupled with notched five goals in three games, the French striker gets the captain's armband for this round.
Erling Haaland, City, £15.1m – vs Forest (A).
There's no omitting the Norwegian goal machine, but with him having a tricky fixture on the road in this round, the choice is to pass over him for the armband.
Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United, £7.6m