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Arsenal v Liverpool team news: Ekitike absent, Saka starts

8 January 2026 582 comments
FPL Marc FPL Marc
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Gameweek 21 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) concludes at the Emirates Stadium, where Liverpool must face Arsenal without Hugo Ekitike (£9.0m)

It’s a huge clash between the league’s leaders and reigning champions.

TEAM NEWS

For the second successive match, Ekitike hasn’t made Liverpool’s squad because of a hamstring issue. Get your autosubs ready!

Arne Slot’s only change from the weekend brings in Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m) for Curtis Jones (£5.4m), allowing Florian Wirtz (£8.2m) to keep starting.

Whereas tonight’s hosts have made two alterations to the victorious XI versus Bournemouth. Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) and Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) replace Noni Madueke (£6.8m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m), who join the likes of Eberechi Eze (£7.3m) and Mikel Merino (£5.7m) on a strong bench.

Arsenal are still without Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m), as the Reds don’t have Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) or Alexander Isak (£10.3m).

LINE-UPS

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Subs: Kepa, White, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Jesus, Martinelli  

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Wirtz, Gakpo

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Jones, Chiesa 

price change predictions

FPL Marc Broadcaster, writer and overthinker. Hoping that ‘differential potential’ will catch on.

582 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Bobkat
    • 3 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Another Wirtz 10 pointer please

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  2. suddenorgan
    • 15 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    any Ekitike keepers concerned that he starts in the cup/champions league and not the two juicy PL fixtures?

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 1 hour ago

      Very, might offload me if these nights even before Burnley. Just get back to Thiago, although given some of his upcoming fixtures maybe I’ll go down to Kroupi for now, and get back to 5 in midfield

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      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        2 days, 1 hour ago

        I still can’t get over the disaster it has been removing Thiago and Rice the past few weeks 😆

        I’ve never had such a shocker coupled with getting Gordon over BrunoG. Just can’t see a way of making it all back even with nearly half a season left

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        1. threeputt
          • 16 Years
          2 days, 1 hour ago

          I had the same problem with my first FH, had I stuck with my previous weeks team I would have been 50pts better off, this game hurts everyone

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          1. Fifa las vegas
            • 13 Years
            2 days, 1 hour ago

            Ouch, my FH19 was about on par with my shite original team for the week at least!

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        2. g40steve
          • 7 Years
          2 days, 52 mins ago

          That’s bad luck, I’ve got Foden & Palmer blanking weekly

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          1. Fifa las vegas
            • 13 Years
            2 days, 4 mins ago

            Yes Foden here too, becoming a nuisance now

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    2. Sir Michael Taker
      • 11 Years
      2 days, 1 hour ago

      The cup game against Barnsley?

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      1. suddenorgan
        • 15 Years
        1 day, 22 hours ago

        possibly? my point is more that they've got 6 games in 19 days and Slot has already spoken about protecting him

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  3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 14 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Second week in a row for jammy Wilson points in place of Ekitike, I’ll take it.

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  4. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Second week in a row for jammy Xhaka points in place of Ekitike, I’ll take it.

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 1 hour ago

      I’ll gladly accept Garners 5 as well. Good god I’d even take 3 at this point

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    2. Mr. O'Connell
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 58 mins ago

      I've got Thiago 17 and Collins 13. You make your own luck in this game.

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      1. WVA
        • 9 Years
        2 days, 54 mins ago

        Surely if you could make luck it wouldn’t be luck?

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        1. Mr. O'Connell
          • 13 Years
          2 days, 52 mins ago

          Exactly 😉

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        2. Jafooli
          • 13 Years
          2 days, 23 mins ago

          Or you would just make lots of it?

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  5. Sir Michael Taker
    • 11 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Second week in a row for Szobos 2 points instead of Ekitike. I'll take it thank you fpl models.

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  6. Fifa las vegas
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Sanchez
    Gabriel, VdV, Mukiele (O’Reilly , Keane)
    Saka, Foden, Rogers, Gordon (Garner)
    Haaland, DCL, Ekitike

    Thinking Ekitike & Foden/Gordon > Kroupi & Rice.

    Could add in Garner > Wilson/BrunoF for -4? Any words of wisdom?

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  7. Supersonic_
    • 4 Years
    2 days, 1 hour ago

    Getting murdered without Thiago. Plan to move to him after Burnley anyway.

    Should I

    A. Stick with Ekitike for Burnley
    B. Just move now

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    1. WVA
      • 9 Years
      2 days, 52 mins ago

      Move him two game weeks ago

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    2. FantasyClub
      • 5 Years
      2 days, 25 mins ago

      Im just gonna wait as close as possible to deadline, depending how many price swings you can tackle, and if theres no affimative news that Eki is fit then ill get rid. Either to Thiago or Mane.

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  8. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 days, 59 mins ago

    Jammy 2 pointer from Andersen who first time ever didn't get defcon but couldn't also keep cs against 10 men Chelsea. Although, to be honest, I was expecting roughly 2p before gw started.

    31 after aurosub, Gabriel and Raya left. Third over 8m rank gw here we go.

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  9. Stoic
    • 9 Years
    2 days, 58 mins ago

    Ekitike + KDH to Bruno G and Thiago for a hit worked out well. Was freefalling for 3 weeks and had to be aggressive
    Might WC 24 now

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    1. Supersonic_
      • 4 Years
      2 days, 54 mins ago

      Need Rice, Gabriel, Szob to save me.

      Need a blank from Saka.

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  10. Capocannonieri
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 57 mins ago

    Ekitiktok must really be injured.

    Not even on the bench. Poor lad needs some rest, back for Wolves?

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  11. Capocannonieri
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 55 mins ago

    Just going to say this first. Since I have too many Arsenal assets, Liverpool is going win 3-0 today.

    I never get a good final match.

    Been week were I have 91 Points with 3 cats in the Final Match! Then I end up with 90 points because of a Red Card, Goals Conceded, and Early Sub.

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  12. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    2 days, 49 mins ago

    I don't get why people say jammy bench points, like you strategically pick players that could very well score in the event you have missing players. Sometimes it's to save money, sometimes it's both. It's more skill than luck.

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    1. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      2 days, 47 mins ago

      Ofc ofc it's a lottery picking players but more often than not, the better positioned players will score higher. Stats game. So why am I not winning? Because to win you have to go differential and chance your luck. Pretty much the name of the game.

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    2. Stoic
      • 9 Years
      2 days, 37 mins ago

      Jammy in the sense that for that particular week when the starting player goes missing, in the same week first bench gets a double digit score. No one calling 2-5 points from the bench as jammy

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  13. Khalico
    • 10 Years
    2 days, 39 mins ago

    Hold Lacroix and VdV or move to Tark + 3.9m

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    1. Stoic
      • 9 Years
      2 days, 35 mins ago

      Hold
      Spurs next two fixtures are gold even for em plus palace showing some bite

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  14. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    2 days, 38 mins ago

    Need goals from Gabby Timber and Saka all assisting each other in a 3 0 win

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  15. CAP
    • 12 Years
    2 days, 32 mins ago

    It's been hilarious in my ML, where those at the bottom, who had other fires to put out the last few months, didn't offload Rice and Thiago.

    The whole table has shifted!

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    1. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      2 days, 29 mins ago

      Sometimes overthinking hurts you badly

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      1. Dubem_FC
        • 10 Years
        2 days, 14 mins ago

        Most times.

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  16. Captain Mal
    • 1 Year
    2 days, 26 mins ago

    If Saka scores today, he will become the first Arsenal player to score in 4 consecutive home Premier league games against Liverpool.

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    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      2 days, 23 mins ago

      Considering he's yet to score a goal for me, this will probably not happen.

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  17. Tinmen
    • 12 Years
    2 days, 25 mins ago

    Folks. 2ft

    Should I do Cunha and Cherki to
    Rice and Wilson

    Frees up money also. Don’t like Uniteds fixtures and concerned with Cherkis minutes

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    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 24 mins ago

      Yep

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  18. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 24 mins ago

    This fixture has the most goals, more than any other fixture, in the PL in the past two decades.

    0-0 @ FT then...

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  19. F4L
    • 11 Years
    2 days, 21 mins ago

    could really do with an early goal to open up the game

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  20. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    2 days, 21 mins ago

    Borefest so far

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  21. Pep Roulette
    • 8 Years
    2 days, 18 mins ago

    Timber+Gabriel & one of Saka/Rice is clearly the best option for Arsenal triple up

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    1. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      2 days, 17 mins ago

      Shhhhhh

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    2. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      2 days, 16 mins ago

      Still definitely prefer Gab + Saka + Rice

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  22. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 18 mins ago

    Tross YC

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    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      2 days, 17 mins ago

      Better get him off, can’t risk a second 😛

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      1. keefy59
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        2 days, 13 mins ago

        Anthony Taylor on 1 refcon already

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  23. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 17 mins ago

    Wonder how many people have visited Rwanda as a result of that Arsenal sponsorship. Reckon they've broken even on the deal yet?

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    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 16 mins ago

      Have Arsenal FC even visited for pre-season or anything?

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  24. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    2 days, 14 mins ago

    Liverpool parking the bus

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    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 13 mins ago

      Is that their start of the season victory parade bus?

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  25. JBG
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 14 mins ago

    What a snoozefest so far

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    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      2 days, 13 mins ago

      Saka lively

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      1. JBG
        • 7 Years
        2 days, 13 mins ago

        Finally

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  26. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 14 mins ago

    No body in the box

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  27. F4L
    • 11 Years
    2 days, 13 mins ago

    come on saka, need 2 attacking returns

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  28. JBG
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 13 mins ago

    Great clearance by Timber

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  29. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    2 days, 13 mins ago

    How was there nobody in the box for Saka then! Wtf

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  30. FantasyTony
    • 8 Years
    2 days, 13 mins ago

    Jammy Heaven points for Ekitke

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    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Each one was worth 12.5k ranks this Gw

      Most in my playing squad

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