This series will see 101 explore the three best picks for your FPL side from all 20 Premier League clubs ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Make sure to check back to the site every day for more FPL tips and updates across the forthcoming season.
The first team we will look at is Arsenal.
2022/23 is expected to see Arsenal continue to improve under Mikel Arteta after the Gunners, who had finished 8th in 2020/21, secured a 5th-place finish last term – narrowly missing out on a Champions League place thanks to a small collapse at the end of the campaign.
Regardless, the Gunners should still be a useful team to handpick a couple of FPL assets from this term, especially as they have a kind start to the season that sees them face two of the newly-promoted teams within the first four gameweeks.
With this in mind, 101 have taken a look at the best Arsenal players for your FPL team.
Ben White, defender (4.5m)
The 4.5m defender is a staple of any decent Fantasy Premier League side.
If you are able to pick out some 4.5m defenders who start week in week out for a decent side, that is obviously a good use of your money.
But perhaps more importantly, the 4.5m defenders can help you devote a larger amount of your money to other higher-scoring areas of your team, such as midfield and your forward line.
As a result, someone like Ben White could be a very valuable asset this season. The Englishman featured in 32 of Arsenal’s league games last campaign, missing a few matches due to Covid-19 and then a few at the end of the season.
Arsenal also had a fairly respectable defensive record during 2021/22, keeping 13 clean sheets and conceding 48 goals.
So, whilst White is unlikely to score you many double-digit hauls, he should, especially if rotated with another 4.5m defender, by a regular source of clean sheet points.
Emile Smith Rowe, midfielder (6.0m)
Much like the 4.5m defender, finding a midfielder worth around 6/6.5m to fit into your side is very useful when it comes to trying to squeeze in big-hitters such as Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane.
And in Emile Smith Rowe, Arsenal have a very solid budget midfielder.
Smith Rowe scored 10 and assisted two in 33 Premier League ties last term, with teammate Bukayo Saka the only player aged 21 or under to net more goals than Smith Rowe in the division.
The only issue you may have when selecting Smith Rowe is that he is not a nailed-on starter and may be benched on occasion, especially now Arsenal are back in Europe.
Bukayo Saka, midfielder (8.0m)
The final player you should look to add to your FPL team is Bukayo Saka.
At 8.0m Saka is currently Arsenal’s most expensive FPL asset this year at 8.0m. (Gabriel Jesus’ price is unknown at the time of writing)
However, though he cannot really be brought into your side as a budget option, Saka is still someone you should consider signing.
The Englishman scored 11 and assisted seven for Arsenal in the PL during 2021/22 and, unlike Smith Rowe, is a nailed-on starter – featuring in all 38 of the north Londoners’ league ties last term.
