Liverpool after five gameweeks
Andoni Iraola, who arrived from Bournemouth in the summer, has Liverpool unbeaten after Gameweek 5: wins at Ipswich and Bournemouth, draws at Newcastle and at home to Nottingham Forest and Fulham. Seven goals scored, four conceded, three clean sheets — the last three games without conceding.
This is the first Liverpool season in FPL without Mohamed Salah, who has left the Premier League, and without Trent Alexander-Arnold, now at Real Madrid. The premium points he took from one player are now spread across several, and the most reliable of them are at the back.
Wirtz and Szoboszlai, with Isak and Gakpo out
Alexander Isak was Liverpool’s top FPL scorer with four goals and is second on penalties, but a thigh injury has him out with no return date. Cody Gakpo, who had a goal and three assists, is out too, with an ankle injury.
That leaves Florian Wirtz, who has started every game with two assists and is second on corners, as the fit attacking pick. Dominik Szoboszlai is the most-owned Liverpool player and first on penalties, corners and direct free kicks, but has one goal in five; his ownership has run ahead of his points.
The defence is the value
Liverpool have kept three clean sheets in five, and their defenders are priced below the points they are earning. Virgil van Dijk has played every minute and is the safest pick. Jeremy Jacquet has started every game beside him at £5.0m, and Alisson has played every minute in goal.
Ronald Araujo has started three games at centre-back and Milos Kerkez four at left-back; Jeremie Frimpong has started two and scored little. Of the defenders, Van Dijk and Jacquet are the ones whose starts are not in question.
Liverpool’s next five
After the international break Liverpool play Manchester City (H), Brentford (A), Brighton (H), Arsenal (H) and Crystal Palace (A). The FPL difficulty ratings put City and Arsenal at 4 and the rest at 3, so the run is harder than the opening five.
That changes the exposure more than the picks. One defender — Van Dijk or Jacquet — and one attacker is enough through this stretch: Wirtz while Isak and Gakpo are out. The live table on this page carries each player’s price, ownership and flag.