The 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season is done – but not quite dusted.
In a series of post-Gameweek 38 articles, we’re looking back at some of the main takeaways from the campaign just gone.
This time: another unremarkable year, in general, for FPL defenders.
LOWEST-SCORING TOP DEFENDER IN OVER 20 YEARS
Josko Gvardiol (£6.5m) leapfrogged Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) to reach the summit of the defenders’ points table on the final day.
A clean sheet for the Croatian took him to 153 points – but that was still the lowest FPL total for a top-scoring defender since the game’s first season in 2002/03.
TOP-SCORING DEFENDER PER SEASON
| Year | Player | Club | Points |
| 2024/25 | Gvardiol, Josko | MCI | 153 |
| 2023/24 | White, Ben | ARS | 182 |
| 2022/23 | Trippier, Kieran | NEW | 198 |
| 2021/22 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV | 208 |
| 2020/21 | Dallas, Stuart | LEE | 171 |
| 2019/20 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV | 210 |
| 2018/19 | Robertson, Andrew | LIV | 213 |
| 2017/18 | Azpilicueta, César | CHE | 175 |
| 2016/17 | Cahill, Gary | CHE | 178 |
| 2015/16 | BellerÃn, Héctor | ARS | 172 |
| 2014/15 | Ivanovic, Branislav | CHE | 179 |
| 2013/14 | Coleman, Seamus | EVE | 180 |
| 2012/13 | Baines, Leighton | EVE | 177 |
| 2011/12 | Evra, Patrice | MUN | 159 |
| 2010/11 | Baines, Leighton | EVE | 178 |
| 2009/10 | Evra, Patrice | MUN | 168 |
| 2008/09 | Vidic, Nemanja | MUN | 187 |
| 2007/08 | Lescott, Joleon | EVE | 196 |
| 2006/07 | Lescott, Joleon Taylor, Matthew | EVE POR | 164 |
| 2005/06 | Terry, John | CHE | 184 |
| 2004/05 | Terry, John | CHE | 196 |
| 2003/04 | Hyypiä, Sami | LIV | 168 |
| 2002/03 | Hyypiä, Sami | LIV | 151 |
There have been 69 defensive spots filled in the 23 end-of-season FPL Dream Teams. Some players, like Alexander-Arnold, have made one than appearance.
Ranking each defender by points, the 2024/25 trio of Gvardiol, Alexander-Arnold and Nikola Milenkovic (£5.2m) rank way down the list in =56th, 63rd and =64th.
THE DEFENDERS TO MAKE EVERY DREAM TEAM, SORTED BY POINTS
| Season | Points | Defender | Club | |
| 1 | 2018/19 | 213 | Robertson, Andrew | LIV |
| 2 | 2019/20 | 210 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV |
| 3= | 2021/22 | 208 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV |
| 3= | 2018/19 | 208 | van Dijk, Virgil | LIV |
| 5 | 2021/22 | 201 | Cancelo, Joao | MCI |
| 6 | 2022/23 | 198 | Trippier, Kieran | NEW |
| 7= | 2004/05 | 196 | Terry, John | CHE |
| 7= | 2007/08 | 196 | Lescott, Joleon | EVE |
| 9 | 2008/09 | 187 | Vidic, Nemanja | MUN |
| 10 | 2021/22 | 186 | Robertson, Andrew | LIV |
| 56= | 2024/25 | 153 | Gvardiol, Josko | MCI |
| 56= | 2015/16 | 153 | Koscielny, Laurent | ARS |
| 58 | 2012/13 | 152 | Evra, Patrice | MUN |
| 59 | 2002/03 | 151 | Hyypiä, Sami | LIV |
| 60= | 2009/10 | 150 | Terry, John | CHE |
| 60= | 2010/11 | 150 | Cole, Ashley | CHE |
| 62 | 2023/24 | 149 | Gabriel Magalhaes | ARS |
| 63 | 2024/25 | 148 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV |
| 64= | 2024/25 | 145 | Milenkovic, Nikola | NFO |
| 64= | 2011/12 | 145 | Kompany, Vincent | MCI |
| 66 | 2012/12 | 143 | Ivanovic, Branislav | CHE |
| 67 | 2014/15 | 142 | Jagielka, Phil | EVE |
| 68 | 2002/03 | 141 | Silvestre, Mikaël | MUN |
| 69 | 2011/12 | 140 | Walker, Kyle | TOT |
So, then, it wasn’t a vintage year for defenders, that much is clear. But why?
Let’s start with the obvious: clean sheet numbers.
CLEAN SHEETS UP ON LAST SEASON – BUT STILL LOW
While there was a rise from the season before, a total of 178 shut-outs was way down on the historic average.
This is the breakdown of clean sheets from each of the 14 seasons in our Premium Members Area:
We are living in goal-crazed times. In the 30 years of the Premier League being a 20-team league, the top three seasons for goals scored are… the last three seasons!
THE MOST GOALS PER SEASON IN A 20-TEAM PREMIER LEAGUE
- 2023/24: 1,246
- 2024/25: 1,115
- 2022/23: 1,084
- 2018/19: 1,072
- 2021/22: 1,071
BETTER FINISHING – OR BETTER CHANCES?
