Eight top-flight teams are due to play twice in Double Gameweek 26 and we’ll be running down a position-by-position guide to the pick of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) options in each position, whether you’re using a Free Hit or even just free transfers.
Just over 10% of Fantasy Football Scout users have said they are planning to activate their Free Hit, making it the second-most popular chip option.
Having taken a look at the pick of the goalkeepers, we now switch our attention to the defenders.
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TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD / ANDREW ROBERTSON
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) sits top of the defender standings, having returned two goals, 10 assists, 28 bonus points and 12 clean sheets across the season so far. As a result, the 23-year-old is averaging an impressive 7.1 points match, more than any other backline option bar Ben Chilwell (£5.6m), who has made just six Premier League appearances to date.
Andrew Robertson (£7.1m), meanwhile, presents an exciting opportunity to double-up on the Reds’ defence, having delivered a whopping 36 points in his last four starts. During that time, the Scot has produced three assists, seven bonus points and three clean sheets, highlighting his ability to rack up points at both ends of the pitch.
Above: Defenders ranked by expected assists (xA) 2021/22, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson both featuring in the top three
Liverpool – the first of two teams who have two fixtures in Double Gameweek 26 before blanking the following weekend – face appealing back-to-back home matches against Norwich City and Leeds United, which are surely the best pair of fixtures on offer.
Imminent UEFA Champions League last-16 and EFL Cup final clashes sandwiching their double-header is a slight concern, but it is worth noting Robertson was handed a rest recently in the FA Cup fourth round.
Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk (£6.7m) might also be worth consideration given that he hasn’t had a single Premier League benching in any of the last four seasons.
KIERAN TIERNEY
Kieran Tierney (£5.1m) is averaging an eye-catching 5.5 points per match in 2021/22, having registered a goal, three assists, 11 bonus points and nine clean sheets from 16 Premier League appearances.
Now, the Scottish full-back will be keen to build on that in back-to-back home games against Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Notably, the Bees have scored just five goals in their last nine matches and have also conceded more crosses from their right-flank than any other side on their travels this season, while Bruno Lage’s troops have the division’s third-lowest goals tally, although they have perked up recently with eight goals in their last five.
Above: Brentford have conceded more crosses from their right-flank than any other side in away matches this season
Gabriel (£5.3m) and budget option Ben White (£4.5m) are alternative options on the back, with the former carrying a bit of goal threat from set plays, as evidenced in his last appearance against Wolves when he grabbed the winner from a corner.
ROMAIN SAISS
Having missed a couple of Premier League matches due to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Romain Saiss (£5.0m) is now back in the first-team fold at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wolves’ double-header is far from straightforward, with fixtures against Leicester City and Arsenal, who rank sixth and seventh respectively for actual goals scored.
However, their standout strength under Bruno Lage has been their watertight defence. Across the season so far, their 17 goals conceded is bettered only by Manchester City, while no other side in the division has conceded fewer goals from open play.
It’s also worth noting how vulnerable the Foxes have looked defending set-pieces this season, which could be good news for Saiss, one of Wolves’ main aerial threats.
Elsewhere, wing-back Nelson Semedo (£4.8m) has racked up six shots and seven created chances in his last half-dozen appearances, whilst Conor Coady (£4.7m) and Max Kilman (£4.6m) offer security of starts and the odd bonus point. Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.4m), meanwhile, is the cheapest route into their backline, but an unexpected benching in Gameweek 24 is a little off-putting.
JAMES TARKOWSKI
After a shaky start to the campaign, Burnley have shown signs of their old defensive resilience of late, with four clean sheets in their last nine Premier League matches. During that time, they have also restricted Liverpool and Manchester United to just one goal apiece.
Notably, James Tarkowski (£4.9m) has also impressed, averaging 4.5 points per match across his last four appearances.
Admittedly, the fixtures against Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur aren’t ideal, though there is potential for a clean sheet against the Seagulls, given that they managed just 10 goals at the Amex all season.
Elsewhere, Erik Pieters (£4.2m) is a cheaper possibility if Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) is ruled out again.
THE OTHER CANDIDATES
Faith in Tottenham Hotspur players is shaken a little by three successive defeats and some poor performances, the last two of which were home games against Wolves and Southampton. Added to that, Manchester City make this double far from straightforward, whilst the rotation risk of Sergio Reguilon (£5.4m) will surely be too much for some. However, there are cheaper options available, including Davinson Sanchez (£4.6m), Cristian Romero (£4.8m) and Ben Davies (£4.5m), though their appeal perhaps depends on the availability of Eric Dier (£4.6m), who has missed the last two matches with a thigh injury.
There are big reservations about Watford’s defenders too, with just one clean sheet across the season so far, although that shut-out did arrive in Roy Hodgson’s first match in charge. However, their two fixtures do carry some clean sheet potential, with Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side looking well off the pace of late and Crystal Palace managing just two goals across their last six away trips. The main concern is that Hodgson turns to a more attacking shape in a bid to produce some goals, though his comments from the weekend that he and his side were too “gung-ho” in their attempts to peg Brighton and Hove Albion back, suggests otherwise. Under their new boss, Kiko Femenia (£4.3m) has created five chances, whilst attempting an impressive 26 crosses.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s Double Gameweek 26 prospects are dampened a little by the first of their fixtures against Chelsea, given that Thomas Tuchel’s side have scored in all but two of their 12 Premier League away matches this term. Despite that, there is potential for a clean sheet against Watford, with the Hornets failing to score in any of their three matches under Hodgson. Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m) has created seven chances across his last six appearances, a team-leading total, whilst Marc Guehi (£4.5m) tends to do well for bonus, and has already managed a couple of goals this season.
Finally, we also shouldn’t forget the cluster of single Gameweek options in the running, like Lucas Digne (£5.1m), Marc Cucurella (£5.1m), plus more expensive options like Joao Cancelo (£7.2m) and Antonio Rudiger (£6.1m), though it is admittedly harder to put them ahead of some of those listed above who play twice.
