5-4-1 the best FPL formation? Double Arsenal defence or attack?

Kenya 1

17 Oct 2025 — 4 min read

Current Team of the Season

⏰ Deadline: Saturday, 17th October, 13:00 EAT

📑 Table of Contents

🩺 News & Injury Updates
🔁 Keep – Buy – Sell – Avoid
🎯 Low-Owned Differentials
👑 Captaincy; + Which 3 Arsenal?
🃏Is 4-5-1 the best formation?
🎲 Stats and Data
📝 Best GW8 Wildcard Team

News & Injury Updates

Enzo Fernández missed Thursday’s training. His availability for GW8 will be based on Friday’s training session. Moises Caicedo is also a doubt.

Cole Palmer is set to be out for “six more weeks” - Enzo Maresca.

Martin Ødegaard is expected to be out until after the November international break.

Ollie Watkins, Ryan Gravenberch, Niclas Füllkrug and Omar Alderete also pick up injuries, varying in severity.

Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah were rested for the second of their international fixtures.

🔁 Keep – Buy – Sell – Avoid

✅ KEEP
- Gyokeres (£9.1m) — He plays Burnley (A), Sunderland (A) and Fulham (A) in 3 of his next 4 fixtures and he plays for the 2nd best attack in the league.
- Mo Salah (£14.4m) — This week is not the best exit-point as he hosts United (GW8) and plays Brentford (GW9). These 2 teams are in the bottom half of the table for defensive metrics (XGC & big chances conceded).
🛒 BUY/MONITOR
- Gabriel/Timber — Must-haves as they play for the best defence and are nailed for minutes. Timber is the highest scoring defender in the game.
- Eze/Saka — Great entry-point (vs Fulham) into 2 Arsenal attackers who are nailed, as Odegaard & Madueke are injured. Their next 4 fixtures are great.
❌ SELL
- Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) — Tough fixtures ahead, starting with Liverpool. You can pivot to the cheaper attackers above with better fixtures.

Watkins (£8.7m) - Very tough fixtures ahead (TOT, MCI, LIV, BOU). He also has a minor injury that he picked up over the international break.

⛔ AVOID
- Chelsea defenders — Though the fixtures are good; the injuries & suspensions & rotations are messing up their stability. Rather look at Newcastle or Crystal Palace defenders as cheaper alternatives.
- Cole Palmer (£10.3m) — Injured for at least 6 weeks.

🎯 Low-Owned Differentials

💎 Bowen 7.8% * Next 4 = (BRE, LEE, NEW, BUR); is talismanic.
⚡ Woltemade 11.4% * Good Fixtures ahead; Only fit Newcastle striker.
🛡️ Sarr 7.0% * Palace has posted the best XG data in the league after 7 weeks.
🔥 Estevao 2.1% * On hot form. Plays NFO. Pedro Neto is a doubt for the game.
🎩 Lacroix 4.1% * Palace = great defence; good fixtures; Guehi is highly owned.
⚙️ Rodon 5.6% * Cheap defender. Saves you money. Leeds next 2 =(BUR,WHU).
⚽ Pope 10.5% * NEW = 2nd best defensive team. Great fixtures ahead.

👑 Captaincy; + Which 3 Arsenal?

Often in FPL, the most obvious decisions are the best. Haaland at home to Everton is the best captain, simple. If you still have your Triple Captain, this is also a perfectly reasonable week to play it. Everton have conceded 5 of their 7 goals conceded in their three away games. They’re also the 5th-worst team for expected goals conceded.

As for Arsenal picks, I would pick 2 of their defenders then pick one of Eze or Saka. They are the best defence in the league by a mile; but are not quite a prolific team going forward. Testament to that is the fact that their 2 highest scoring players are Timber and Calafiori, defenders. Their 4 upcoming fixtures are 3 away games and a tough home fixture against Palace(great defence). These are more likely to be cagey 2-0 or 1-0 wins for Arsenal. As for Eze vs Saka, if you have the money, go for Saka as he is on pens and is more nailed for 90 mins.

⚖️ Verdict: Gabriel, Timber, Saka. Captain = Haaland

🃏 Is 4-5-1 now the best formation?

The current team of the season stands as a heavy evidence to the power of defensive contributions. Whilst they might not have the explosiveness of a Haaland hat-trick or an Antoine Semenyo brace, these consistent two-point contributions can steadily rack up.

Should you go five at the back?

It’s still early in the season. Sure, defenders are scoring well, but part of that is due to a lack of many prolific goalscorers so far. Only four players have scored 4 or more goals this season (Haaland (9), Semenyo (6), Anthony (4) and Thiago (4)).

The lack of goal scorers is making defenders look good, and we don’t expect the team of the season to look like this come Gameweek 38. The biggest lesson here is to give defensive contributions more value. Players like Marcos Senesi are hardly prolific goal contributors, but his consistency with DEFCON has added 12 points - equivalent of two goals - to his season’s tally.

Whilst rivals continue to give higher weighting to goals and assists, you consider a recruitment strategy that puts DEFCON top of your criteria.