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

How many The Reds players can you accommodate inside your team for this round?

Jurgen Klopp's side are coming off two consecutive victories and boast a red-hot striker in Hugo Ekitike preparing for a clash with a struggling Wolves side currently on course for a historically poor Premier League seasons ever.

For managers who held onto a few of your Africa Cup of Nations wildcards and have the funds to reinvest following the injury to the unavailable Bruno Fernandes, then Liverpool options must be the primary focus.

The ideal squad is assembled using latest FPL costs to stay under a 100 million pound cap, as if you were playing a Free Hit chip.

A Look Back at The Previous Squad?

Captain Erling Haaland (32 points) , alongside the productive duo of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) plus Hugo Ekitike propelled the team to a handsome total – enhanced by a 10-point performance from Fulham's defender from the replacements.

Our Fantasy Premier League Selection for Matchday 18

Keeper & Defence

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

The North London side's backline experienced a minor wobble following the absence of their Brazilian defender, yet they've secured two shutouts in their past four , boasting 9 so far with not even half the season gone.

Mikel Arteta's side have let in goals in just a handful of matches at home this season. Those goals were scored by a Manchester City superstar, a long-range strike from Richarlison , plus a surprise goal from Wolves' attacker.

Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) & Piero Hincapie (£5.5m), Arsenal – vs the Seagulls (H).

This week features a three-pronged on the Gunners' backline.

Not only are they the strongest defence in the game, with a clean sheet in over 50% of their fixtures, they host a Roberto De Zerbi's side that has not found the net in their last two outings.

The South Coast club have scored just nine goals across eight matches on the road.

The Dutch defender remains a steady option every week , possessing more attacking upside now he is the full-back role.

Hincapie has registered defensive contribution points over his last four appearances, including two clean sheets.

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

Managers would love six Anfield players this week if the rules permitted.

Gary O'Neil's team failed to score for the tenth occasion this season in Saturday's 2-0 home loss to the Bees.

They have only managed nine strikes this campaign, including two away from home. This is as safe a clean sheet bet possible.

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

Despite the Yorkshire club's recent offensive form – including the performances of Dominic Calvert-Lewin – we're selecting a Stadium of Light shutout at home.

It would be their third in a row and the Paraguayan defender becoming the best budget defender option. You can start him confidently across many fixtures, given his regular defensive contribution returns.

Midfield

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

The English midfielder is expected to take on a bigger role for Old Trafford in the next few games, following their Portuguese maestro suffering an injury.

Over the past three games, Erik ten Hag's team registered the greatest expected goals (xG) in the league by a comfortable distance – 8.78 against second-best Leeds' 5.68.

They welcome a Newcastle side who have been poor away from home – with just a single victory from seven attempts.

Mount may inherit many of Fernandes' playmaking duties, notably on set-pieces, and might play in the number 10 role.

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

Wirtz is on the verge of a significant score and a fixture at Anfield against Wolves being a perfect opportunity for it.

He has delivered returns across his last four fixtures – a pair of assists plus a defensive contribution performance.

During that spell his chance creation stands at 10 chances, the most among all his teammates, while his expected goals stands at 0.88.

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

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

He is Aston Villa's key attacker, with an ability to scoring a strike from minimal space inside the area.

An away trip at Chelsea could be viewed as a challenging assignment, but Villa have emerged victorious at that ground on two occasions in the last three campaigns.

Forwards

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

Due to facing an abysmal Wolves side, a lack of rivalry for a starting spot, and having notched a five-goal haul in three games, the French striker receives the captain's armband for this round.

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

There's no omitting the Norwegian goal machine, although because he has a tricky fixture on the road in this round, I'm willing to look elsewhere for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United, £7.6m

Shannon Arellano
Shannon Arellano

Maya Chen is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering digital trends and innovations across Europe.