Skipper Hugo Ekitike and a Three-Pronged Arsenal Defence – The Fantasy Premier League Squad for the Round

How many The Reds players are you able to fit in your team for this round?

Jurgen Klopp's side are coming off a pair of triumphs , featuring a sizzling striker in Hugo Ekitike ahead of a fixture with a struggling Wolves side who are on course for a historically poor top-flight seasons ever.

For managers who held onto some of your AFCON free transfers , and possess the funds to spend following the injury to the sidelined Bruno Fernandes, consequently Liverpool options ought to be your top priority.

This ideal squad is chosen using current Fantasy Premier League prices to comply with a £100m spending limit, mirroring activating a Free Hit chip.

A Look Back at Last Week's Squad?

Skipper Manchester City's striker (a huge score) and the in-form duo of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) and Hugo Ekitike propelled the selection to a solid total – supplemented by a double-digit cameo from Antonee Robinson as a substitute.

Our FPL Ideal Squad for Matchday 18

Goalkeeper and Defenders

David Raya, the Gunners, goalkeeper, £6m – vs Brighton & Hove Albion (H).

Arsenal's backline had a slight stumble in the wake of an injury to Gabriel, yet they've recorded two shutouts recently , with 9 already with not even the campaign's midpoint played.

Mikel Arteta's side have conceded in only three fixtures at the Emirates this season. Those goals came from Erling Haaland, a long-range strike from Richarlison , plus a surprise goal from Tolu Arokodare.

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

This week features a three-pronged from the Arsenal backline.

Not only are they the best defensive unit statistically, with a clean sheet in over 50% of their matches, they take on a Roberto De Zerbi's team who have not found the net in their past two matches.

The South Coast club have only managed nine strikes in eight away games.

Timber continues to be a reliable choice each gameweek , with more attacking upside since returning to the full-back role.

The Ecuadorian has earned 'defcon' points over his last four starts, including two clean sheets.

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

Managers would love half a dozen Anfield assets this week if the rules permitted.

Wolves drew another blank once again so far in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Molineux to Brentford.

The Midlands side have only managed 9 strikes all season, with only a couple on the road. That makes this one of the safest shutout opportunity available.

Omar Alderete, Sunderland, £4m – vs Leeds United (H).

Even with the Yorkshire club's improved goalscoring upturn – including the performances of their striker – we're selecting a Sunderland shutout at home.

That would mark a third consecutive , with Alderete is cementing himself as the best budget defender option. You can field him with assurance across many fixtures, thanks to his potential for 'defcon' returns.

Midfielders

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

The English midfielder is expected to take on a key responsibility at Manchester United in the next few games, due to their Portuguese maestro suffering an injury.

Recently, Erik ten Hag's team have generated the highest expected goals (xG) statistically by over three goals – 8.78 versus the next best Leeds United's 5.68.

They face a Newcastle team that has not excelled on the road – with just a single victory from seven attempts.

The former Chelsea man is likely to take over a large share of the injured star's playmaking duties, notably on set-pieces, and might operate as an attacking midfielder.

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

Wirtz is on the verge of a significant score and a fixture at Anfield versus Wolves representing an ideal opportunity for it.

He has delivered returns in three of four recent fixtures – a pair of assists plus a defensive contribution display.

During that spell he's made 10 chances, the highest of any his teammates, while his expected goals stands at 0.88.

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

After recording 30 points across two gameweeks, the midfielder's form demands attention.

He is Villa's talisman, with an ability to creating a goal with half a yard of room in the box.

An away trip to Stamford Bridge might seem a challenging assignment, the Birmingham club have won at that ground in two of recent years.

Strikers

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

Because of his fixture, a lack of rivalry for a starting spot, and having scored a five-goal haul over three matches, the French striker gets the captaincy for this round.

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

It is unthinkable to omitting Haaland, although with him having a tougher fixture on the road in this round, the choice is to look elsewhere with the captain's role.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Jorge Osborn
Jorge Osborn

A technology journalist and business analyst with over a decade of experience covering global tech trends and startup ecosystems.