We’re resurrecting an old favourite for the September international break: the Line-up Lessons return as we look back at Gameweeks 1-3 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
The aim here is to assess the team selections of all 20 clubs in the opening three Gameweeks and ponder what we might see when domestic football resumes in Gameweek 4.
It’s A to I in part one, as we cover the first 10 sides alphabetically.
GAMEWEEKS 1-3: CLUB-BY-CLUB SUMMARY
| Ever-present starters | No. of starting XI changes | Unenforced starting XI changes | |
| Arsenal | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| Aston Villa | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Bournemouth | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Brentford | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| Brighton | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| Chelsea | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| Crystal Palace | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| Everton | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| Fulham | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Ipswich | 7 | 5 | 4 |
ARSENAL
EVER-PRESENT STARTERS
- Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz
WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR
It’s been pretty much as we expected from Mikel Arteta so far. The 4-3-3 of last season has been in operation again, with Declan Rice (£6.4m) given more attacking license as an ‘eight’ and Kai Havertz (£8.1m) in turn pushed up front – as was the case for the final third of 2023/24.
Havertz is one of only two FPL forwards to play every minute of every game to date this season.
The only two areas of change have been on the left flank.
The more creative Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.0m) was preferred at left-back in Gameweek 1, with Jurrien Timber (£5.5m) shoring things up against stiffer opposition in the following two matches. Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) still awaits his full debut but was brought on at left-back in Gameweek 2 and then at left wing-back when Arsenal were reduced to 10 men last weekend.
On the left wing, Leandro Trossard‘s (£6.9m) goal off the bench at Villa Park was rewarded with a start against Brighton. The disappointing Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m) made way.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL BREAK
As with Aston Villa below, the fixtures start piling up now that the UEFA Champions League is here.
Atalanta are up first but we can forget about Arteta rotating on either side of that: it’s the north London derby in Gameweek 4 and Manchester City in Gameweek 5.
The clash with Paris Saint-Germain is sandwiched by home fixtures against Leicester City and Southampton, however. Might Arteta rest a few key players for at least one of those matches?
He didn’t really do that last season, preferring to run his regulars into the ground. Ben White (£6.5m), Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) and Martin Odegaard (£8.4m) started 35 league matches apiece. The three fixtures they didn’t start were all because of injury, rather than rest. Rice’s first and only Premier League breather didn’t come until April. William Saliba (£6.0m) didn’t get one, starting every league match.
Arteta has hinted recently, however, that he’d maybe be more prepared to rest one or two bodies. Saliba’s 2023/24 minutes, for instance, were mentioned when Calafiori signed. Gabriel Magalhaes‘ (£6.0m) 14-match run for club and country was cited as a reason for the Brazilian’s Gameweek 10 benching last season.
Having already lost one recruit in Mikel Merino (£6.0m) to a freak injury, Arteta will be hoping that lightning hasn’t struck twice with Calafiori on Friday.
ASTON VILLA
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6 months, 28 days agoWc4 decision
A) get havertz straight away
B) wait to gw6 and get diaz instead?