Fantasy Premier League 2021 – Positions 5th-8th Preview

5 of 5

Fixtures

Attack 11%

Defence 99%

Wow. Not a good start for Arteta at all! They do actually start with 2 very kind games against Fulham and West Ham, but after that, they have to travel to Liverpool and Man City, while also playing giant-killers Sheffield United and Leicester. There’s one man in my lineup who will be there next week, but otherwise, keep a wary eye on Arsenal and make sure you have an exit strategy.

Main Pick

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (MID, 12.0m)

I looked at Auba in the initial preview and my thoughts on him have not changed. He’s been in my side ever since I first logged on and realised he had been reclassified as a midfielder, and he won’t leave for a while!

I recommend looking for an article on Talisman Theory by ‘Who Got The Assist’ (my favourite FPL podcast) which provides even more reasons why Auba is a must-own. And finally, the cherry on the cake, Lacazette seems close to leaving the club which could mean Auba gets a more advanced role while still being a midfielder!

Differential Pick

Edward Nketiah (FWD, 6.0m)

Here we have a young striker who has got the trust of the manager and is one of the reasons Lacazette might be leaving the club! If he holds that starting position and Arsenal start to pick up then he will definitely improve his goal tally (just 3 so far in the equivalent of ~10 matches) and be a perfectly cheap striker allowing you to plough more money into the midfield.

Defensive Pick

Kieran Tierney (DEF, 5.5m)

It was a difficult first season for Tierney with a lot of injuries that kept him out of the first team, but he was a beneficiary of lockdown as that allowed him to get back to fitness and play 85% of minutes in Project Restart. He got a goal and an assist in that time and will hope to build on that next year.

Steer Clear

Bernd Leno/Emiliano Martinez (GK, 5.0m/4.5m)

This one is a bit of a kick in the teeth for me! I had Martinez pegged as a decent option for at least the opening weeks, but with Leno coming back to full fitness Arteta now has a choice to make. Martinez performed well in his role as deputy and now wants to be number 1.

light. Read. PSG in talks with Hector Bellerin

If he’s not given that chance, then he has said he’s out! Therefore, I would wait at least until the situation is clearer (although by that point they will be in the middle of their tough run of games).

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