3 Arsenal players you must have in your FPL team

After spending weeks stressing over that Gameweek 1 deadline, how many of you Fantasy Premier League managers have come to the harsh realisation that you got it all wrong?

Erling Haaland's whopping £15m price tag has undoubtedly thrown a spanner in the works for 2024/25. His fair valuation facilitated a rather boring start to last season's edition, with managers opting for similar lineups, but his hefty price this time around has meant fewer are willing to add the inevitable goal machine to their squads.

At the time of writing, 52.5% of users are riding it out with Haaland.

Almost half of us have opted to go in a different direction, building our squads around multiple lucrative assets. Arsenal, given that they were the second-highest scorers in the Premier League last season while boasting the stingiest defence, have many a lucrative asset in the FPL realm.

With another prosperous campaign projected, you'd be silly not to use up all three of your Arsenal slots in your 2024/25 FPL outfit. We've had a week to assess, and here are the three you should be selecting.

1. David Raya (£5m)

Raya was a surprise addition to the club's ranks last summer, but it didn't take long for the Spaniard to usurp Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal's number one. That was always Mikel Arteta's intention.

After recording an impressive 166-point haul with Brentford in 2022/23, Raya's 16 clean sheets meant he notched 135 points in 32 games on his way to the Golden Glove last season. Playing behind a superb defence, Raya wasn't tested anywhere near the other goalkeepers in the division.

With the Gunners' backline only getting sturdier over the summer, we can expect another clean-sheet laden campaign for Raya. While Arsenal's number one won't be racking up many save bonuses, he's going to get you a clean sheet bonus every two games - roughly.

His 2024/25 campaign started with another shutout against Wolves, although Raya was made to work hard for his maiden clean sheet of the campaign. Some may be put off his price (£5.5m) which is the joint-highest among goalkeepers, but his output is inevitable.

2. William Saliba (£6m)

Arsenal conceded a mere 29 goals in the Premier League last term, and Saliba was a constant in Arteta's backline. After missing the backend of 2022/23 through injury, the Frenchman was ubiquitous as the Gunners challenged Manchester City for the second season running.

Assuming he stays fit, Saliba will be a constant in Arsenal's defence again. He's simply too important to the system. His absence makes everything just that little bit more vulnerable.

Thus, while he may not bank the attacking returns of Gabriel, Saliba is less likely to get rotated out of the starting XI with Riccardo Calafiori capable of playing in the Brazilian's position. The Frenchman also does an excellent job of avoiding yellow cards (just four last season), and there's room for the defender's attacking returns (three last term) to improve given Arsenal's typical proficiency from set-pieces.

He's priced at £6.0m along with Gabriel, although some might prefer the potential attacking returns Ben White (£6.5m) will offer.

3. Kai Havertz (£8m)

With two spots being occupied by defenders, which is always a risky game but one, in my opinion, worth taking here, we can only pick one Arsenal midfield or forward to make up your trio.

Let's avoid Martin Odegaard, whose evolution suggests he'll be playing deeper, and any left-sided operator given the rotation that will occur down that flank this term. Bukayo Saka is cash money and well worth considering, but given the fewer forward options that are available, especially if you avoid Haaland, Havertz at £8m might be the smartest pick.

The German has been as productive as anybody in the division since he emerged as the club's starting nine. Gabriel Jesus may have had a promising pre-season, but Arteta is always going to lean on his do-it-all raumdeuter up top.

Havertz started the season with a goal and assist, maintaining his incredible record from 2023/24, and given the confidence he's currently exuding, it's hard to envisage the German slowing down anytime soon. This is a player, in his current role and vein of form, capable of reaching 20 goals in the Premier League this term.

His tendency to pick up bookings is a downside, but that's a hit you should be willing to take.

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