Captain Hugo Ekitike and a Three-Pronged Gunners Backline – The Fantasy Premier League Team of the Week
What number of Liverpool selections might you squeeze in your lineup for this round?
Jurgen Klopp's side have notched two consecutive victories , featuring a red-hot striker in Hugo Ekitike going into a encounter with a struggling Wolves side who are tracking for a historically poor Premier League campaigns in history.
Should you have retained a few of your Africa Cup of Nations transfers and have the cash to reinvest after losing the sidelined Manchester United's playmaker, then assets from Anfield options should be the main consideration.
The team of the week is chosen according to present Fantasy Premier League prices to comply with a £100m budget, simulating you were playing a Free Hit.
What Was the Performance of Last Week's Team?
Captain Erling Haaland (a huge score) , combined with the hot pair of Antoine Semenyo (10 points) plus Liverpool's frontman led the squad to a respectable score – with a bonus a 10-point performance from Antonee Robinson off the bench.
This Week's FPL Team of the Week for Gameweek 18
Goalkeeper & Defenders
David Raya, the Gunners, goalkeeper, £6m – vs Brighton (H).
The North London side's backline had a minor wobble in the wake of the absence of their Brazilian defender, yet they've kept two clean sheets over their last four matches and have nine already with less than half the season gone.
The Emirates Stadium outfit have conceded in just a handful of matches at home this season. The strikes they conceded came from Erling Haaland, a spectacular effort from Tottenham's forward and a surprise goal from Tolu Arokodare.
Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) and Piero Hincapie (£5.5m), the Gunners – vs Brighton (H).
It's a triple-up from the Arsenal defence.
As well as being the strongest defence in the game, with a clean sheet in the majority of their fixtures, they face a Brighton team that has drawn a blank in their last two games.
The South Coast club have scored just 9 goals from eight fixtures away from home.
Timber continues to be a reliable choice every week , with more offensive potential operating as the full-back role.
The Ecuadorian has earned defensive contribution points in his past four starts, including two clean sheets.
Virgil van Dijk, the Reds, £5.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
One could select half a dozen Anfield players this week if possible.
Wolves failed to score for the 10th time this season during a recent 2-0 defeat at Molineux to Brentford.
They have a paltry 9 goals all season, with only two on the road. This is one of the safest shutout bet imaginable.
Omar Alderete, Sunderland, £4m – vs Leeds (H).
Even with the Yorkshire club's improved offensive form – and the form of their striker – I'm backing a Sunderland shutout on home soil.
This would secure their third in a row and Alderete establishing himself as an outstanding value defender option. You can field him with assurance in most games, due to his regular 'defcon' returns.
Midfield
Mason Mount, United, £5.9m – vs Newcastle United (H).
The English midfielder should play a key role at Manchester United in the next few games, with their Portuguese maestro suffering an injury.
In their last three matches, United have generated the greatest xG in the league by a significant margin – 8.78 compared to second-best Leeds United's 5.68.
They face a Newcastle United team who have not excelled away from home – managing one win in seven.
The former Chelsea man is likely to inherit many of the injured star's creative responsibilities, notably on set-pieces, and might feature behind the striker.
Florian Wirtz, the Reds, £8.1m – vs Wolves (H).
Wirtz is on the verge of a significant score , with a home match against the struggling Wolves presenting the prime time for that to happen.
Wirtz has posted points in three out of his last four fixtures – two assists plus a 'defcon' display.
During that spell he has created 10 chances, the most of any Liverpool, while his expected goals stands at 0.88.
Morgan Rogers, Villa, £7.2m – vs the Blues (A).
Boasting 30 points in two games, Rogers' form is impossible to ignore.
He's Villa's main goal threat, capable of creating a strike with half a yard of room in the box.
An away trip to Chelsea may appear a challenging proposition, but Villa have emerged victorious there twice during recent years.
Strikers
Hugo Ekitike (Captain), the Reds, £8.9m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
Given his fixture, having no competition for his place, coupled with notched a five-goal haul over three matches, Ekitike receives the double-points role this week.
Erling Haaland, Manchester City, £15.1m – vs Forest (A).
There's no benching the Norwegian goal machine, although because he has a tricky away game in this round, I'm willing to bet against him for the armband.
Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United, £7.6m