Arsenal are all set to play Wolves in their first Premier League clash of the 2024/25 campaign, and fans likely have a rough idea of their best starting XI for this blockbuster weekend. With every new season comes the excitement of ensuring that you have the best Fantasy Premier League team. However, there is a bit of concern about the FPL defensive options among the Gunners’ assets, and we will try to simplify this decision for you (or possibly complicate it) as we dive into the Arsenal defenders you can consider for your FPL 2024/25 squad this gameweek.
Best Arsenal Defenders for FPL Gameweek 1
Arsenal will be looking to have a strong start this year, as they have done in the last two seasons, and the key to this Gunners’ foundation is their high-performing defenders. Putting stats into perspective, the Gunners conceded the fewest goals in the league last season and also had the best expected goals conceded (xGC) ratio.
They were explosive going forward as well, and this healthy balance will make it difficult for Wolves to find a weakness. Gary O’Neil’s side needs to present their best football to date or risk making things too easy for the hosts this weekend.
The Gunners are ruthless in their opening games, a pattern they will want to follow from last season, where they won 10 games straight and also kept a clean sheet against Manchester City.
You can’t mess with Mikel Arteta’s great back wall at the Emirates. Three of those scored the most Fantasy points last season.
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William Saliba and Gabriel Maghalaes are the super fantasy picks and both are available for just £6m. Saliba is one of the most owned defenders in the FPL and his price remains the same this season as well. He is possibly the most nailed defender in the Gunners defence as of now giving good returns last season and we expect the same this year.
Meanwhile, with Gabriel, he adds that attacking threat over Saliba from the set-pieces. Along with being rock solid at the back, he had the second-most headed attempts of all defenders (25) from the previous season. He gives an additional threat from set-pieces as well, an aspect of play where Arsenal has been possibly the best in the league.
However, with Gabriel, he may be benched in some games if Mikel Arteta decides to try the same thing as last season with a floating defense, especially with Jurrien Timber returning and Riccardo Calafiori joining the Gunners this summer.
Ben White ended with the most goal involvements in the previous campaign; however, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s involvement could have a domino effect on his game as the Ukrainian will get that freedom to roam across to the final third with White sitting put to maintain the back three in possession. His added marquee price tag is something to consider when associating with a probable return on investment.
Talking about Zinchenko, his excellent preseason means he is ready to feature in the starting XI for Arteta. He gives a more balanced approach to the game with his attacking movements bringing a different dynamic to the field.
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White looks nailed to start most of the games. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian will meet with some resistance in the left-back spot. Riccardo Calafiori might get to taste a few chances but will remain more defensive. Jurrien Timber is another option in rotation. Comparatively, he is a cheaper option, but its better to wait before opting for the 23-year-old.
The Gunners play three away games between GW1-GW5 as they travel to Aston Villa (A), Tottenham Hotspur (A), and Manchester City (A). When talking about the Gunners’ defense, Arteta has created a rock-solid one, and if they are to concede a goal, it could be attributed only to a handful of possibilities.
Arsenal Defenders’ Pre-Season Minutes Breakdown
Looking by the minutes in the pre-season, let’s get a few basics out of the way. Calafiori will not be thrown into the lineup with only under half an hour of game time under his belt in the pre-season. He will be gently introduced into the squad. Timber suffered from a minor knock following the United game and has been recovering from it since. However, the Dutch international is already in training and could soon be back to contend for Zinchenko’s place, especially in the marquee games.
Ben White looks the most nailed defender at this point considering his minutes in the pre-season. The rest he got in a busy international summer helps his cause.
Zinchenko is a tricky one here. His demise did not last long. The Ukrainian is back among the thick of things, and he played some excellent, highly technical football in all five pre-season games, starting the latter four of those. He looks nailed going into the season. However, the fact that he exposes ample of space defensively means Timber or Calafior could be preferred over the former City star in big games.
Then comes the centre-back duo of Gabriel and Saliba. The Brazilian defender has accumulated consistent minutes since he joined the squad, so he looks nailed going into the season as well. And Saliba, there is not much to talk about him; the Rolls-Royce is ready to roll as the season comes to a close.
FPL Potential: Arsenal Defenders and Goal Scoring
William Saliba and Gabriel scored one goal each in the Gunner’s final pre-season outing. However, if we are in a debate between the two, the latter scored four goals during the last season but accumulated an xG of 4.3 around the Premier League season. Saliba scored two and gave one assist; however, he only accumulated an xG of 1.6.
The expected goal stats show how Gabriel is always getting into good positions from dead balls and how he is expected to do so again this season (something we have already mentioned in the article above).
And hence it is a fair deal to bank on the Gunners’ defense.
Gabriel comes out as the pick for me, owing to his potential to generate higher offensive output.
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