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

The quantity of The Reds selections might you squeeze in your team for this round?

The Merseyside club are coming off back-to-back wins , featuring a sizzling attacker in their French frontman ahead of a clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers that are heading towards an abysmal Premier League seasons on record.

If you've retained some of your AFCON transfers , with the budget to reinvest after losing the unavailable Bruno Fernandes, in that case Liverpool options must be your top priority.

This ideal squad is constructed according to present Fantasy Premier League prices to comply with a 100 million pound budget, mirroring activating a Free Hit chip.

What Was the Performance of Last Week's Team?

Captain Manchester City's striker (32 points) and the in-form duo of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) and Hugo Ekitike guided the selection to a solid total – supplemented by a 10-point performance from Fulham's defender off the bench.

Our FPL Ideal Squad for Gameweek 18

Keeper and Defence

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

The North London side's backline experienced a minor wobble following an injury to Gabriel, but they have recorded two shutouts in their past four and have 9 so far with less than the campaign's midpoint played.

The Emirates Stadium outfit have let in goals in only three home games campaign. The strikes they conceded came from Erling Haaland, a long-range strike from Tottenham's forward and a unexpected header from Wolves' attacker.

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

It's a triple-up from the Gunners' defence.

They are the top defence statistically, with a clean sheet in more than half of their fixtures, they face a Brighton team who have not found the net in their last two matches.

Brighton have a mere nine goals across eight away games.

Timber is a steady option each gameweek and has increased attacking upside operating as right-back.

Hincapie has registered defensive contribution points in four consecutive starts, including two clean sheets.

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

One could select six Liverpool players for this fixture if possible.

Gary O'Neil's team were shut out once again so far in Saturday's 2-0 home loss to the Bees.

They have a paltry nine goals all season, including two on the road. This is as safe a clean sheet prospect imaginable.

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

Regardless of the Yorkshire club's better goalscoring upturn – and the form of their striker – the pick is a Sunderland clean sheet at home.

That would mark their third consecutive , with Alderete is cementing himself as an outstanding budget defensive pick. Managers can select him with assurance across many fixtures, due to his potential for defensive contribution points.

Midfielders

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

Mount will likely assume a significant responsibility at Old Trafford over the coming fixtures, due to Bruno Fernandes being sidelined.

Over the past three games, United registered the highest xG in the league by over three goals – 8.78 against the next best Leeds United's 5.68.

Their opponents are a Newcastle United side who have not excelled away from home – with just one win in seven.

The former Chelsea man is likely to inherit many of Fernandes' creative responsibilities, notably on set-pieces, and could operate in the number 10 role.

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

Wirtz is on the verge of a significant score and a home match against the struggling Wolves being an ideal time for that to happen.

Wirtz has posted points in three out of four recent games – a pair of assists and one defensive contribution performance.

In that period he's made 10 chances, the highest of any Liverpool, and his expected goals is 0.88.

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

With 30 points in two games, the midfielder's hot streak is impossible to ignore.

He is Aston Villa's main goal threat, with an ability to scoring a strike from minimal room in the box.

A fixture at Stamford Bridge might seem a difficult 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).

Due to facing an abysmal Wolves side, a lack of rivalry for his place, and having scored a five-goal haul in three games, Ekitike earns the double-points role for this round.

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

It is unthinkable to benching the Norwegian goal machine, but with him having a tricky away game in this round, I'm willing to pass over him for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Brian Davis
Brian Davis

A wildlife biologist with over a decade of experience studying sloths in Central America, passionate about conservation and education.