Arsenal after five gameweeks
Mikel Arteta’s champions are second after Gameweek 5: four wins, three clean sheets, and one bad afternoon — a 3-0 defeat at Brighton in GW5. Before that they had beaten Coventry, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland, conceding once.
They have done it without William Saliba, who has not played this season with a back injury and has no return date. The defence has held anyway, which is the strongest evidence that Arsenal clean sheets are a system property rather than a single player’s. For FPL managers that is the headline: Arsenal remain the most reliable source of defensive points in the game, and the champions’ template is still built from the back.
Saka is injured — Rice and Ødegaard carry the attack
As of 24 October 2026, Bukayo Saka is out with a thigh injury and FPL lists no return date (0% chance of playing). This section used to recommend him as the armband alternative to Haaland; while he is out, sell or bench him, and do not captain him.
Declan Rice is the Arsenal attacking pick in the meantime: first on corners and direct free kicks, four assists, and a start in every game. Martin Ødegaard is the cheaper route and moves up the penalty order with Saka out — Viktor Gyökeres is next on penalties but has barely played. Kai Havertz has started up front. Check the live table on this page for flags before each deadline.
The defence: Raya, Calafiori, then Gabriel
David Raya has played every minute and kept three clean sheets — the premium goalkeeper you pick once and stop thinking about. Riccardo Calafiori is the defender the market has settled on, and the numbers back it: he costs £2.2m less than Gabriel and has outscored him, adding two assists to the clean sheets.
Gabriel is still the set-piece threat — a centre-back who scores from corners — but he has not scored yet, and at £8.0m you are paying for goals he has not delivered. Ben White has started four games but carries a fitness doubt. Jurriën Timber is fit again after the groin injury that kept him out of the opening weeks, with one start so far; wait for a run of starts before buying. Ezri Konsa, signed from Aston Villa, has started three games.
Arsenal’s next five and how many to own
After the international break Arsenal play Leeds (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Everton (H), Liverpool (A) and Hull (H). The FPL fixture difficulty ratings put four of the five at 3 or easier, with only the trip to Anfield in GW9 rated a 4.
FPL allows three players from one club, and Arsenal are the one club where using all three is easy to defend: Rice or Ødegaard for the attack while Saka is out, Raya or Calafiori for the clean sheets, and a third slot on Gabriel if your budget allows. The live table on this page carries each player’s price, ownership and injury flag — check Rice and Havertz there before the GW6 deadline on Saturday 10 October.