04 Aug, 2025
With some big name transfers joining this summer, we take a look at which Arsenal players FPL managers should look to own and which ones to avoid ahead of the 25/26 season!
| Best Arsenal Players to Own in FPL |
|---|
| 1. Gabriel |
| 2. Saka |
| 3. Saliba |
| 4. Timber |
| 5. Gyokeres |
A guaranteed starter every single GW when healthy, playing for the potentially the best defence in the Premier League, under a manager who prefers not to lose and keep things tight rather than go for the win while risking a loss, who is one of the best goal threats in the league from set pieces…. For £6.0m? Sounds like amazing value to me.
As long as Arsenal maintain the kind of defensive performance they put up last season, when they finished 1st in xG conceded (a full 3.6xG better than 2nd placed Liverpool), kept the 2nd most clean sheets behind only Liverpool and faced the 2nd least number of shots per game, all Arsenal starting Defenders are good options. But Gabriel sits at the top of that list. The Brazilian is always fit, which is big for his FPL value, and was Arsenal’s best centre-back last season despite Saliba being more widely praised because of the style he plays and his age.
Where his value really differentiates itself from Timber or Saliba or even Lewis-Skelly, is his goal threat from set pieces. Arsenal are famous for their set piece-coach, and breaking the Premier League record for goals from set pieces in the 23/24 season. They have great routines and excellent set piece takers like Rice and Saka putting in inviting deliveries for the likes of Gabriel to attack. He scored 3 goals in the league last season, all from corners. He registered 22 shots and 2.6xG last season which was 92nd percentile and 96th percentile for centre-backs respectively.
This was all in a season where things somewhat fell apart for Arsenal from an injuries and form standpoint. If the Gunners can keep their squad healthier this season, and maintain elite form all season, Gabriel should be in for an even bigger FPL season this year than last, especially with the new Defensive Contribution points a factor.
Saka is Arsenal’s talisman and an FPL superstar. The key question is, will he justify his price-tag this season when we have so many good options, and Salah and Haaland are so expensive and most FPL managers want at least one of them? People are down on Arsenal’s attack after a disappointing 24/25 season where the attack was the main issue. But that says nothing of how good Saka was individually last season and if he is able to stay fully fit this season, there is no reason to think he cannot break the 25 G/A mark for the first time in his career.
Saka was 4th last season for xG + xA per 90 trailing only Salah, Haaland and Isak. Despite only starting 20 league games and playing less than 2000 total league minutes in 24/25, he still managed to produce 16 G/A. He scored 6 goals from 6.9xG, with a post-shot xG of 7.35 so his finishing was still top level and added value to his chances. His chance creation was really where he shone. He finished the season with 7.8xA which was top 5 in the league, despite all the missed games due to injury, which is quietly a crazy achievement. And now he gets to play with a striker that is a ruthless finisher instead of one in Havertz whose biggest weakness is finishing. It’s hard to see how his assist numbers don’t climb.
He is also, as things stand today, Arsenal’s penalty taker, and shares corner and free kick duties with Declan Rice, which really does boost his chance creation and assist numbers massively, and that is what we want for our FPL midfielders. We want them to be in roles that maximise their output and Saka is certainly in the player that is given that priority at Arsenal.
If saka can stay fit, he should be a good value for money despite the high price-tag. If he cracks 25 G/A this season, no one will care that he is £10.5m, especially as he will become a great captaincy choice many weeks.
Saliba is a pretty easy case to make when it comes to owning him in FPL, although I do find it difficult to make the case for him over Gabriel for the same price.
However, his case is still a good one and if someone is going for a heavy Premium Defender template, he would certainly be a strong contender. His expected minutes are as secure as any Defender in the league, right up there with Van Dijk in terms of that and his general durability. Arsenal, as we have discussed are strong contenders to be the best defence in the league, and to keep the most clean sheets.
Surprisngly, Saliba’s xG is very similar to Gabriel’s last season. Saliba had 2.2xG last season which is 93rd percentile for centre-backs, scoring 2 goals. If he could get that total up to 4 goals, and could maybe sneak in an assist in there (he had 0 from 1.2xA last season) then he really does put himself into contention for title of highest scoring Defender in FPL for the 25/26 season.
Timber was one of the best right-backs in world football last season and has become Arteta’s first choice RB over Ben White. He started all of the important Champions League games down the stretch against Real Madrid and PSG last season, and any league games that mattered (there weren’t many in the second half of last season for Arsenal) over White. Timber is not your typical very attack minded fullback, bombing up the wing and whipping in crosses and getting assists. What he is, is a lockdown 1-on-1 defender and very good technical player who will chip in with the odd goal and assist.
He registered 3 assists from 1.3xA last season, and that was in an Arsenal team that crumbled in the Premier League, had nearly every forward in the team injured and were focused on the Champions League. This season, with fit attackers, hopefully a slightly less defensive mindset from Arteta, and new signings to help improve the attack, Timber’s assist numbers could increase.
The likes of Murillo and Mykolenko are being touted highly, especially because of Defensive Contribution points. However those are limited at 2 extra points per game and both teams have had horrendous pre seasons, leaking goals and losing games to lower league sides and bottom half Premier League sides. Newcastle’s full-backs are tempting but the Magpies have had an awful summer and their pre-season also has not gone well at all. Timber is a pretty safe choice when thinking about which £5.0-£5.5m Defenders have a good shot at clearing the 120 point mark this upcoming season.
You can check out my more long-form thoughts on Gyokeres in our Gyokeres transfer breakdown. To summarise, I do think he is a good player that will add dimensions to Arsenal’s attack, and he will score more goals than Kai Havertz. However, I do think Kai Havertz will still start games early on in the season. He is a player that is loved by Arteta and someone who does do certain things that are key to how Arteta likes to play to a higher level than Gyokeres does.
Additionally, Gyokeres has only just joined Arsenal’s pre season and did not look in great shape in his debut against Spurs last week. He will need time to acclimate to a new country, a new coach and system, new teammates and a far superior league to the Primeira Liga. I have serious doubts about a 27 year old, who has thrived in the Championship, and the Primeira Liga – where a lot of his goals came against bottom half Portuguese teams which are about the standard of Championship teams.
Porto and Benfica were bounced out of the CWC early and were shown to be at a worse level than even their Brazilian contemporaries. Gyokeres is also not a great aerial presence (0 headed goals last season). 12 of his 39 league goals last season were penalties – he is not currently Arsenal’s penalty taker. These 2 things specifically worry me because Arsenal were not a top tier open play chance creating team last season; they were middle of the pack. There are flaws in his game (hold-up/link play, aerially, passing, touch in tight spaces) that if they were exposed enough in Portugal, they are only going to be even more greatly exposed in the Premier League.
Now, do I think he will score 14-18 goals next season? Yes I do. But his overall G/A tally won’t be much different from his goal tally, because he is not a high level chance creator/playmaker for teammates. And if goal scoring is his main attribute but he is not on pens, and is going to find that much more difficult to score in the Premier League, I just feel that is a player FPL managers should wait on see on. Especially when he costs £9.0m and there are great Forward options like Haaland, Isak, Bowen and Joao Pedro among others.
| Arsenal Players to Avoid in FPL |
|---|
| 1. Havertz |
| 2. Madueke |
| 3. Martinelli |
| 4. Calafiori |
| 5. Odegaard |
Havertz is no longer Arsenal’s number 1 striker, and despite the fact he will play plenty of minutes this season, you do not want to own a backup striker who’s biggest weakness is finishing and ball-striking. Especially when they cost £7.5m and play for a team that struggled to create chances from open play last season.
Whether Madueke is Arsenal’s starting left-winger come GW1 or that is Martinelli or potentially Eze, will be a big factor in his FPL viability. However, his price-tag is far too high for a player with lower expected minutes than we would like, for a team that again, was not a high-level attacking unit last season. Madueke himself consistently makes poor decisions in the final third and his finishing is woeful at times. He is not someone I’m even considering in FPL this season.
What was said about Madueke, can be said about Martinelli. He now has more competition at the left-wing spot, his expected minutes are not secure and his output is not good enough to justify £7.0m. There have also been rumours all summer that Arsenal are trying to sell him for £60m+.
Lewis-Skelly is a wonderful young player and will be competing with Lewis-Hall and Kerkez for the claim of best left-back in the Premier League for many years to come. So the idea Calafiori will be Arsenal’s starting left-back has died before it ever really had any hope. Further, he is most certainly not ousting either Saliba or Gabriel. Therefore, simply put, he is not in Arsenal’s preferred starting XI. You cannot own a non-starter player in FPL.
Arsenal’s captain had an awful campaign last season. He became a player who thrived in a deeper role rather than in the final third which is not what we want from an FPL Midfielder. He is off set piece duties for the most part. His desire to be a real goal threat seemingly disappeared. There is more competition for his place in the starting XI now. And yet somehow FPL priced him at £8.0m? No thanks!
Some additional key Arsenal info ahead of GW1 are Arsenal’s best stretch of fixtures this season, and given Arsenal are the set piece kings, who Arsenal’s set piece takers are is also some pretty key info ahead of GW1. Both will help you make the best squad selections when it comes to Arsenal players and players from other teams too!
Now that we’ve covered Arsenal, you will want to brush up on every team ahead of GW1. You can see which Liverpool players to own and which to avoid in 25/26 and stay on the lookout for all the other Premier League teams as we cover all 20.
An absolute FPL Fanatic, with a strong background in sports Journalism and statistics, Ahsan is one of the key writers here at ingenuity. Ahsan’s content stretches from How-to guides right up to analytical deep dives on players, making his content appealing for both the serious fantasy player and newbie alike.
