As the new Premier League season appears over the horizon, Gunners fans will be doing what most football fans do, making their Fantasy Premier League team.
A brief look through the teams chosen by fans up and down the country will show you one, if not both, of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.
With those points scorers prevalent in virtually every team, you need a differential to bag you those bonus points as you seek to climb up the table.
What better way to find the differential than to use players from the Arsenal contingent, as Mikel Arteta’s men chase a top-four finish?
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Defenders: William Saliba or Ben White (£4.5m each)
The Gunners are blessed with multiple cheap defensive options this FPL season.
Both Saliba and White are priced at a tiny £4.5 million for the coming season, a snip compared to some of their counterparts from other ‘big six’ sides.
As the Gunners head for their curtain raiser against Crystal Palace this Friday, the two are nailed-on certainties to start, particularly with the doubtful fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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Blessed with nimble feet and incisive ball-playing abilities, the two formed a defensive wall on the right-hand side of the Arsenal defence in pre-season.
If the two continue their pre-season form into the league campaign, they could be nailed on starters by the time Tomiyasu returns to full fitness.
Midfielders: Bukayo Saka (£8m) or Gabriel Martinelli (£6m)
The wingers in Arteta’s system are core tenets of the attacking philosophy, contributing heavily to the offensive output of the side.
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Priced at £8 million, Saka is the most expensive Arsenal player this FPL season (alongside Gabriel Jesus), but his potential warrants the price.
With 11 goals and 7 assists in the league last season, the 20-year-old will be looking to push his game up another level as he seeks to return his boyhood club to Europe’s top table.
Additionally, the Englishman looks set to be Arsenal’s designated penalty taker this season, and since he took on the role at the back-end of last season, he is yet to miss one.
Brazilian starlet Gabriel Martinelli is a bit more of a wildcard. The risk of having him in your team is the rotation risk with Emile Smith Rowe.
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However, the connection he has developed with Seleção Canarinho counterpart Jesus in pre-season has been electric.
Confidently whipping deliveries in off both feet, Martinelli was an assist-machine throughout pre-season, developing an increasingly devastating relationship with the Gunners no.9.
If the Arsenal no.11 can also rekindle his goal scoring touch in the coming weeks, then at £6 million, the Brazilian appears a wise purchase.
Attackers: Gabriel Jesus (£8m)
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There was only ever one answer to the attacking position, the scintillating Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian has started his Gunners career ruthlessly, culminating in a hat trick against Sevilla at the Emirates on the weekend.
Jesus will undoubtedly be Arteta’s main man this season, pre-season has left that in no doubt.
Combining the trifecta of relentless pressing, elite level interplay and killer finishing, the 25-year-old has looked every bit the player he was imagined to be moving to England from Palmeiras as a youngster.
However, the scariest part is, the Brazilian still has levels he is yet to reach, there is room for improvement.
In being the bonafide starman of a Gunners side that will create ample chances for him, you can’t go wrong with this £8m purchase, the no.9 guarantees points for your FPL side.
Keep an eye on afcstuff socials today to enter our FPL league, with prizes to be won.
FPL Code: 1f3o88
Topics: Fantasy Premier League, Arsenal
Jake Lennard