Should You Triple Up On Arsenal Defenders? The Fpl Talking Point

Premier League leaders Arsenal person go masters successful nan creation of defending this season, keeping 8 cleanable sheets successful a statement successful each competitions to adjacent a 122-year nine record.

The past extremity nan Gunners backline conceded was much than 5 weeks agone connected 28 September, erstwhile Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade scored earlier Arsenal's melodramatic precocious fightback brought triumph astatine St James' Park.

Overall, from 16 games successful each competitions, Mikel Arteta's broadside person conceded conscionable 3 goals - each successful nan Premier League.

There are now immoderate whispers astir whether this Arsenal defence tin beryllium nan 1 to break nan seemingly unbreakable Chelsea grounds from 2004-05, erstwhile Jose Mourinho's stubborn defence conceded only 15 goals successful nan convention arsenic they ran distant pinch nan title.

At their existent rate, Gabriel and co are connected people to concede less than 12 convention goals this season.

The mobility now is this: do Fantasy Premier League managers load up connected Arsenal defenders arsenic their impenetrable defence shows nary motion of weakness, aliases is it a risky move successful lawsuit a wobble successful shape does occur?

This week's FPL master Holly Shand and nan guys from The FPL Podcast by BBC Sport statement nan latest FPL talking point.

Holly Shand: There's a coagulated lawsuit for having aggregate investments into Arsenal's defence this season, fixed that they person kept 7 cleanable sheets successful 10 games. They've conceded conscionable 3 goals, pinch only six large chances conceded connected their goal.

Their defenders person aggregate routes to points, pinch Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori connected 3 extremity involvements, and Jurrien Timber connected four. Gabriel leads nan measurement among defenders for large chances connected extremity pinch three, while Timber has had 5 shots connected target.

Set-pieces, and corners successful particular, are a cardinal way to goals for this Gunners side, which is why we are seeing a precocious measurement of attacking returns from their defenders. Then we person nan preamble of protect publication points for this run to further bolster nan routes to points for Arsenal's centre-backs, pinch Gabriel averaging 9.5 per game. He has outscored Erling Haaland complete nan past 5 gameweeks.

However, stacking defenders from nan aforesaid nine is ever a risky business successful season-long imagination games. Having each of your eggs successful 1 handbasket intends that if Arsenal concede, it's past incredibly difficult to station a large people successful a fixed gameweek.

Arsenal's fixtures stiffen pursuing gameweek 11, pinch a location crippled against Spurs successful gameweek 12 and past a travel to Chelsea successful gameweek 13.

While Gabriel has a precocious guidelines for some prize and protect contributions, you'd beryllium relying connected extremity involvements from Calafiori aliases Timber to redeem a people erstwhile conceding, pinch William Saliba's routes to points moreover much diminished.

Goalkeeper David Raya has a ceiling of six points this season, pinch a prize connected 1 juncture and very fewer prevention points, truthful he would request to widen his tally of consecutive cleanable sheets to warrant his value tag.

Julien Laurens: I would not do it. If you don't want to walk nan money connected Bukayo Saka - which I tin understand, he should person had 2 goals astatine Burnley and is not successful his champion goalscoring shape correct now - I would spell for Declan Rice each azygous day. I would spell for 2 Arsenal defenders and past Declan Rice.

Julien Laurens: I captained Gabriel for nan past gameweek, which was awesome connected Saturday. Then I was very stressed betwixt nan extremity of nan Arsenal crippled and nan extremity of nan Man City crippled because of Erling Haaland. In nan end, Gabriel sewage 12 points and Haaland sewage 13.

A batch of group captained Haaland and rightly so. I was still very proud of my Gabriel pick, but it sewage very tense, and I was frightened of Haaland's points.

The truth that Arsenal are truthful bully astatine defending, not conceding, not giving thing distant to nan opponent... nan truth that he is truthful bully astatine set-pieces.

At slightest you get immoderate points disconnected nan cleanable expanse and points for nan 90 minutes, because he ne'er comes off.

On apical of that, you tin person an assist, a extremity aliases possibly much connected a set-piece. I thought it made sense. To beryllium fair, I mightiness moreover do it again against Sunderland if I don't consciousness for illustration Haaland against Liverpool.

Statman Dave: Gabriel sewage booked, truthful if he hadn't been booked, it would person been 13 points for nan match, past an other prize constituent arsenic well, truthful it would person been 13-14 points successful favour of Gabriel.

I deliberation nan large point I would urge is that it would beryllium a very stressful point [to skipper Gabriel].

I would opportunity spell Haaland for your sanity.