Captain Hugo Ekitike along with a Three-Pronged Arsenal Backline – The FPL Squad for the Round

What number of Liverpool selections might you accommodate in your team for this round?

The Merseyside club have notched back-to-back wins , featuring a sizzling forward in their French frontman preparing for a clash with Wolves that are tracking for an abysmal Premier League seasons ever.

Should you have held onto some of your AFCON free transfers and have the budget to reinvest following the injury to the unavailable Manchester United's playmaker, consequently Liverpool options must be the primary focus.

This team of the week is constructed using current FPL costs to comply with a 100 million pound spending limit, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

A Look Back at Last Week's Team?

Captain Manchester City's striker (a huge score) , alongside the productive pair of Bournemouth's forward (10 points) and Liverpool's frontman guided the selection to a solid score – with a bonus a double-digit cameo from Fulham's defender off the bench.

The FPL Team of the Week for Gameweek 18

Goalkeeper & Defenders

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

The North London side's defence experienced a brief dip in the wake of an injury to Gabriel, yet they've recorded two shutouts in their past four and have nine already before the campaign's midpoint gone.

Mikel Arteta's side have let in goals in just a handful of home games this season. The strikes they conceded were scored by a Manchester City superstar, a spectacular effort from Tottenham's forward , plus a unexpected header from Tolu Arokodare.

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

We're opting for a triple selection on the Arsenal backline.

Not only are they the strongest defensive unit in FPL, recording shutouts in more than half of their matches, they host a Brighton side that has not found the net in their past two matches.

Brighton have scored just nine goals across eight fixtures away from home.

Timber continues to be a steady choice each gameweek , with greater attacking upside now he is right-back.

The Ecuadorian has registered defensive contribution points in four consecutive starts, featuring a pair of shutouts.

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

I'd pick half a dozen Liverpool assets this week if possible.

Gary O'Neil's team failed to score for the tenth occasion this season during a recent 2-0 home loss to Brentford.

They have only managed 9 strikes all season, including a couple on the road. It represents a very secure shutout opportunity possible.

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

Despite the Yorkshire club's better offensive form – and the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin – the pick is a Stadium of Light clean sheet on home soil.

That would mark a third consecutive and the Paraguayan defender is cementing himself as the best budget defender option. Managers can field him confidently across many fixtures, thanks to his regular defensive contribution returns.

Midfielders

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

The English midfielder should play a significant part at Old Trafford over the coming fixtures, following their Portuguese maestro being sidelined.

Recently, Erik ten Hag's team registered the best xG across the Premier League by a comfortable distance – 8.78 compared to the next best Leeds United's 5.68.

They face a Newcastle United side that has not excelled away from home – with just one win in seven.

The former Chelsea man is likely to take over many of Fernandes' creative responsibilities, particularly on set-pieces, potentially feature in the number 10 role.

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

The German playmaker is poised for a big haul , with a home match versus the struggling Wolves representing the prime time for that to happen.

He has delivered returns across his last four fixtures – two assists plus a 'defcon' display.

In that period his chance creation stands at 10 chances, the most of any his teammates, while his xG stands at 0.88.

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

After recording 30 points across two gameweeks, the midfielder's current form cannot be overlooked.

He is Villa's talisman, who can scoring a goal with the smallest space inside the area.

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

Forwards

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

Due to his fixture, having no competition for his place, coupled with scored five goals over three matches, Ekitike receives the double-points role this week.

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

There's no omitting Haaland, however with him having a tricky fixture on the road this week, I'm willing to bet against him for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.6m

Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders

Elara Vance is a seasoned international business strategist with over 15 years of experience advising multinational corporations on market expansion and risk management.

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