🔗 Share this article

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

The Merseyside club have notched back-to-back wins , with a in-form striker in Hugo Ekitike preparing for a clash with a struggling Wolves side currently heading towards one of the worst Premier League seasons on record.

Should you have kept a portion of your AFCON free transfers , with the cash to spend by replacing the injured Manchester United's playmaker, then assets from Anfield players should be the primary focus.

The team of the week is assembled according to latest Fantasy Premier League costs to comply with a 100 million pound budget, simulating activating a one-week wildcard.

What Was the Performance of Our Recent Squad?

Skipper Manchester City's striker (a massive haul) , alongside the hot duo of Antoine Semenyo (10 points) as well as Hugo Ekitike guided the squad to a respectable score – with a bonus a 10-point contribution from Antonee Robinson off the bench.

The Fantasy Premier League Ideal Squad for Gameweek 18

Keeper & Defenders

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

The North London side's backline suffered a minor wobble in the wake of an injury to their Brazilian defender, however, they've kept two clean sheets recently , with 9 so far before half the season completed.

The Emirates Stadium outfit have let in goals in all but three fixtures at the Emirates this season. The strikes they conceded were scored by a Manchester City superstar, a spectacular effort from Tottenham's forward , plus a late header from Wolves' attacker.

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

This week features a triple-up on the Arsenal backline.

Not only are they the best defence in the game, with a clean sheet in more than half of their matches, they take on a Roberto De Zerbi's team that has failed to score in their past two matches.

The South Coast club have scored just 9 strikes from eight fixtures away from home.

The Dutch defender is a steady choice every week and has increased offensive potential since returning to the full-back role.

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

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

I'd pick six Liverpool players for this fixture if possible.

Gary O'Neil's team drew another blank for the tenth occasion so far in a recent two-nil defeat at Molineux to Brentford.

They have scored just nine goals in total, including a couple on the road. This is as safe a shutout bet imaginable.

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

Even with the Yorkshire club's recent goalscoring upturn – and the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin – I'm backing a Stadium of Light shutout on home soil.

This would secure a third in a row and Alderete is cementing himself as a prime low-cost defender option. You can field him with assurance across many fixtures, thanks to his consistent 'defcon' points.

Midfield

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

The English midfielder will likely assume a significant role for Old Trafford in the next few games, following their Portuguese maestro out injured.

Recently, Erik ten Hag's team have generated the greatest xG across the Premier League by a comfortable distance – 8.78 versus second-best Leeds' 5.68.

They welcome a Newcastle side that has not excelled in away matches – with just a single victory in their last seven.

The former Chelsea man could well assume many of Fernandes' creative responsibilities, particularly on set-pieces, potentially operate behind the striker.

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

The German playmaker is on the verge of a major point return , with a fixture at Anfield versus the struggling Wolves representing the prime opportunity for that to happen.

Wirtz has delivered returns in three out of four recent fixtures – two assists and one defensive contribution performance.

During that spell he's made 10 chances, a team-high of any Liverpool, and his xG is 0.88.

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

With 30 points over two matches, Rogers' form is impossible to ignore.

He's Aston Villa's key attacker, capable of scoring a goal from half a yard of room inside the area.

An away trip at Stamford Bridge could be viewed as a difficult proposition, but Villa have emerged victorious at that ground in two of the last three campaigns.

Strikers

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

Because of facing an abysmal Wolves side, a lack of competition for his place, coupled with notched a five-goal haul in three games, Ekitike earns the double-points role this week.

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

There's no dropping Haaland, however with him having a more difficult away game this week, we are opting to look elsewhere for captaincy.

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United, £7.6m