Captain Hugo Ekitike along with a Three-Pronged Arsenal Defence – The Fantasy Premier League Squad for the Round

What number of Liverpool assets are you able to fit in your squad for this round?

The Merseyside club have secured back-to-back wins and boast a red-hot attacker in Hugo Ekitike going into a fixture with Wolves currently heading towards one of the worst Premier League campaigns ever.

Should you have held onto some of your AFCON transfers and have the funds to reinvest by replacing the injured Manchester United's playmaker, consequently Liverpool players should be your top priority.

The weekly selection is chosen based on current Fantasy Premier League costs to stay under a £100m budget, as if you were playing a one-week wildcard.

A Look Back at Our Recent Selection?

Captain Manchester City's striker (32 points) and the in-form pair of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) plus Hugo Ekitike led the squad to a respectable total – enhanced by a double-digit cameo from Antonee Robinson as a substitute.

The Fantasy Premier League Team of the Week for Matchday 18

Goalkeeper and Defence

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

Arsenal's backline experienced a slight stumble after an injury to Gabriel, yet they've kept two clean sheets recently and have nine so far before half the season gone.

The Emirates Stadium outfit have let in goals in just a handful of matches at home campaign. The strikes they conceded came from a Manchester City superstar, a long-range strike from Tottenham's forward , plus a unexpected goal from Wolves' attacker.

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

This week features a triple selection from the Arsenal defence.

As well as being the best defensive unit in the game, with a clean sheet in over 50% of their fixtures, they take on a Roberto De Zerbi's side that has not found the net in their past two matches.

Brighton have only managed 9 goals in eight matches on the road.

Timber remains a solid option every week , with more attacking upside now he is the full-back role.

The Ecuadorian has registered 'defcon' points over his last four appearances, which included two clean sheets.

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

I'd pick six Anfield players for this fixture if the rules permitted.

Gary O'Neil's team failed to score for the 10th time this season in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Molineux to the Bees.

The Midlands side have a paltry nine strikes in total, including a couple away from home. That makes this a very secure clean sheet opportunity possible.

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

Regardless of the Yorkshire club's better offensive form – highlighted by their striker – we're selecting a Stadium of Light clean sheet on home soil.

It would be a third consecutive , with Alderete becoming an outstanding low-cost defender option. Managers can start him with assurance across many fixtures, given his regular 'defcon' points.

Midfield

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

Mount should play a significant responsibility for Manchester United in the next few games, due to Bruno Fernandes suffering an injury.

Recently, Erik ten Hag's team registered the highest xG across the Premier League by over three goals – 8.78 against the next best Leeds United's 5.68.

They welcome a Newcastle team that has been poor on the road – managing a single victory in seven.

Mount is likely to inherit many of the injured star's creative responsibilities, especially on set-pieces, potentially play as an attacking midfielder.

Florian Wirtz, the Reds, £8.1m – vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).

Wirtz is due a significant score and a fixture at Anfield versus Wolves representing the prime scenario for it.

He has registered attacking returns in three out of his past four games – a pair of assists and one 'defcon' performance.

In that period his chance creation stands at 10 chances, the most among all Liverpool, and his xG totals 0.88.

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

After recording 30 points in two games, Rogers' form cannot be overlooked.

He is Villa's key attacker, capable of creating a strike with minimal room in the box.

An away trip at Chelsea could be viewed as a tough assignment, the Birmingham club have emerged victorious there in two of recent years.

Forwards

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

Given his fixture, a lack of rivalry for his place, and having bagged five goals over three matches, Ekitike receives the double-points role this week.

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

It is unthinkable to benching the Norwegian goal machine, but with him having a tougher fixture on the road in this round, I'm willing to bet against him for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Nicholas Green
Nicholas Green

Elara is a seasoned gaming analyst with a passion for uncovering the latest trends in online casinos and sharing actionable advice for players.