Calling all stataholics – it’s time for our Gameweek 8 ‘Big Numbers’ article, reflecting on the opening seven rounds of 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) action.
Poring through all of the Opta and StatsBomb data available in our Premium Members Area, we’ll discuss the most eye-catching stats from the season so far.
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GOALKEEPERS
5 clean sheets is an area where Newcastle United’s Nick Pope (£5.1m) is ahead of the rest. While low on save points (four), he’s also the only goalkeeper with an assist, putting him on a leading tally of 41.
7 save points are joint-most, shared by Robin Roefs (£4.6m) and Martin Dubravka (£4.0m). By collecting six bonus points and two double-digit hauls, Roefs sits alongside Pope on 41.
82.8% is the joint-second proportion of shots on target saved by those who’ve played more than once. Roefs and Guglielmo Vicario (£5.1m) can both boast this, plus the Tottenham Hotspur stopper is also second for expected goals (xG) prevented (+2.80).
DEFENDERS
48 overall points put Jurrien Timber (£5.9m) ahead of all other defenders. On four attacking returns, just like El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.4m), the Arsenal full-back is the position’s outright leader for shots on target (five), going beyond Gameweek 2’s huge 24-pointer versus Leeds United.
Not only do the Gunners have the best backline – more on that later – but both Timber and teammate Riccardo Calafiori (£5.7m) dominate many defensive stats. The Italian is number one for shots (14), as the pair are far ahead of the rest for xG, share the most returns (seven) and are the only two with multiple double-digit outings.
Calafiori is the second-biggest xG underachiever (-0.83).
9 penalty area shots belong to these two and Daniel Munoz (£5.6m), where no other defender exceeds six.
Seven of the Colombian’s total have taken place in his latest three matches, where the recent goal at Everton rewarded him for being ranked second for attempts (10) and shots on target (four). He and Calafiori are the best for touches inside the box (26).
0.76 xG is pretty good for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ladislav Krejci (£4.5m), knowing he’s only been around since Gameweek 4. Used as both a defensive midfielder and centre-back, the 26-year-old already has a goal to his name and is near the top for efforts on target (three).
We singled him out in the latest fixture frisk because Sunderland (a) and Burnley (h) are up next. New colleague Hugo Bueno (£4.4m) sets the pace for this position’s successful crosses (13).
11 – Pipped by Bueno in that area, at least Kieran Trippier (£5.0m) beats him for the number of chances created. That’s impressive, considering how low his minutes have been. Perhaps the injuries to Tino Livramento (£5.0m) and Lewis Hall (£5.3m) will lock this set-piece taker into Newcastle’s backline for a bit – one which is watertight.
88 defensive contribution (DefCon) actions have been racked up by Marcos Senesi (£5.0m). This edges out Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) and James Tarkowski (£5.5m), though they’re together in collecting 12 points from FPL’s new rule.
Typically, the Gameweek in which many bought Senesi was the one where his 100% record of rewards ended.
MIDFIELDERS
