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 Who are the best Fantasy Premier League defenders to own for Gameweek 8? 4-time top 1k finisher <a href="https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah">Abdul Rehman</a> uses the Hub's <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/">OPTA</a>, <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions/">Prediction</a>, <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-player-comparision-tool/">Comparison</a> and <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker/">Fixture</a> tools to find the best FPL budget and premium defenders for our FPL teams.
Check out our <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-gw8-the-ultimate-guide/">Ultimate Guide to FPL Gameweek 8</a> for all the key information, stats and tips you need going into the weekend's action.
Gameweek 8 is upon us and we are almost one-quarter into the season already. It's been an unpredictable season thus far in terms of clean sheets and defender points. So much so that not one Liverpool or Manchester City defender are in the top 10 for points. Instead, it consists of the likes of Kurt Zouma (£5.2m), Roman Saiss (£5.3m), Tyrone Mings (£5.2m), and Jannik Vestergaard (£4.6m) to name a few. As always I will look to pick the top five defenders for the current Gameweek based on fixtures, form, and stats.
<div id="attachment_28788" style="width: 813px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28788" class="wp-image-28788 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Gameweek-8-Fixtures.jpg" alt="FPL GW8" width="803" height="647" />
Gameweek 8 Fixtures
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<h3>Kurt Zouma (£5.2m) – Chelsea</h3>
Fixture: Sheffield United (H)
Chelsea have the second most clean sheets in the league (3) whilst two of them have come in the last two games with Burnley (a) and Manchester United (a) and they have kept four on the bounce in all competitions. He is currently the highest-scoring defender (46 points) and has already notched three goals. He poses the highest goal threat out of all Chelsea defenders with six Shots, five Shots on Target and six Shots in the Box and even supersedes the likes of Jorginho (£5.3m) and Kai Havertz (£8.4m) for Shots on Target and Shots in the Box.
The Blues seemed to have tightened up since the 3-3 draw with Southampton but even since the start of the season their defensive number have been among the best in the league. They have conceded 41 Shots in the Box (5th), 22 Shots on Target (3rd) and nine Big Chances (2nd). They also have the least xGC (7.12) and most xCS (2.84) so clean sheets are sure to come not only in Gameweek 8 but in the fixtures to come as they have a decent run coming up also.
They face Sheffield United who have one of the worst attacking stats in the league. They have 18 Shots on Target (20th), 38 Shots in the Box (17th) have an xG of 7.58 (17th), and have also scored the least amount of goals (3). They don’t exactly have a proven goal scorer in the team so I don’t see this trend changing.
Chelsea have the highest chance of keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 8 (45%) according to the bookmakers and looking at their defensive numbers and the Blades offensive numbers it's clear to see why. Zouma is a menace at set-pieces and has chances for points at both ends of the pitch. Furthermore, his price of £5.2m is an absolute bargain.
<div id="attachment_28789" style="width: 597px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28789" class="wp-image-28789 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kurt-Zouma-Stats.jpg" alt="Best defenders for GW8" width="587" height="605" />
Kurt Zouma Stats
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<h3>Aaron Cresswell (£5.1m) – West Ham United</h3>
Fixture: Fulham (H)
The Hammers have been the surprise package this season so far. Despite their set of extremely tough fixtures which included games against Arsenal (a), Wolves (H), Leicester City (a), Spurs (a), Manchester City (H) and Liverpool (a) they have managed an impressive eight points and amazingly have one of the best defensive numbers in the league. They have only conceded 39 Shots in the Box (4th), 25 Shots on Target (4th) and conceded 10 Big Chances (3rd). Their xGC is 8.33 and their xCS is 2.25 which is fifth-best in the league. Again looking at the games they have played these are very impressive numbers.
Cresswell sits as the eighth-highest scoring defender with 39 points. He has picked up two clean sheets and three assists. He has also created the most Chances in that West Ham team (13) and most Big Chances Created (2). They come against one of the promoted sides, Fulham who have scored seven goals (18th), 28 Shots on Target (13th), had nine Big Chances (17th) and created only five Big Chances (18th).
With the form, West Ham are in and looking at their underlying defensive numbers a clean sheet here does seem likely. Cresswell not only poses assist threat from open play but he is also on direct and indirect free-kicks and sometimes corners so that’s a plus for him too.
<div id="attachment_28790" style="width: 593px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28790" class="wp-image-28790 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Aaron-Cresswell-Stats.jpg" alt="FPL Tips for Gameweek 8." width="583" height="613" />
Aaron Cresswell Stats
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<h3>Tariq Lamptey (£4.7m) – Brighton</h3>
Fixture: Burnley (H)
Lamptey has the most attacking returns out of all defenders in the league so far with one goal and three assists. He has been a constant menace down that right-hand side and at £4.7m is a great value option. He poses both goal and assist threat with has four Shots, two Shots on Target and four Shots in the Box. He has also created six Chances and one Big Chance.
Brighton face Burnley at home in Gameweek 8 who sit rock bottom of the league with one point and also the least amount of goals scored (3). I have mentioned this in my previous articles but the Seagulls still have one of the best defensive stats in the league. They have conceded 53 Shots (2nd), 31 Shots in the Box (1st) and 21 Shots on Target (1st). They do however sit eighth for both xGC (8.61) and xCS (2.04) while conceding 14 goals and keeping only one clean sheet. This shows that they have been unfortunate to concede as many goals as they have and also not to have kept more clean sheets. Something to bear in mind also is that in their first seven games they have played Chelsea (H), Manchester United (H), Everton (a) and Spurs (a), and not surprisingly these are the fixtures in which they conceded the most goals. I do feel their clean sheets will come and Lamptey is great value at £4.7m not only for Gameweek 8 but in the long term also.
Burnley’s attacking stats don’t look too pretty either. They have had 19 Shots on Target (20th), 32 Shots in the Box (19th), and had six Big Chances (19th). There xG is also only 5.40 (19th) and created only five Big Chances (18th). Everything points towards a Brighton clean sheet here and Tariq Lamptey has a plum fixture to get both defensive and attacking returns.
<div id="attachment_28791" style="width: 592px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28791" class="wp-image-28791 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Tariq-Lamptey-Stats.jpg" alt="Top five best players for GW8." width="582" height="601" />
Tariq Lamptey Stats
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<h3>Hector Bellerin (£5.0m) – Arsenal</h3>
Fixture: Aston Villa (H)
Hector Bellerin has always been an attacking full-back with goal and assist threat but unfortunately his last two seasons have been plagued with injuries. This season though so far he has managed to stay fully fit and he has played every minute of every game and racked up two clean sheets and three assists. Furthermore, Arsenal seemed to have improved defensively since the appointment of Mikel Arteta. This season they have only conceded 35 Shots in the Box (3rd), 24 Shots on Target (3rd) and they have the second best xGC (8.26) and xCS (2.61) in the league too.
The Gunners face an Aston Villa side who have had a great start to the season but have derailed a bit in their last two games with defeats against Leeds United and Southampton albeit their attacking stats still remain high and they are still scoring goals. In the last two games, they have had 14 Shots in the Box (2nd), 21 Shots on Target (2nd) and have created seven Big Chances (1st). They haven’t suddenly become a poor team but I feel an away fixture against a solid Arsenal team may prove too difficult for them. The fact they kept a clean sheet last Gameweek against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a very organised and solid performance shows how much they have improved and the signing of Thomas Partey (£5.0m) seems to have improved them further.
Bellerin is, as usual, getting forward and is one of the most advanced Arsenal defenders with 70 final third passes and 14 crosses into the box. He has also created four Chances and one Big Chance.
<div id="attachment_28792" style="width: 584px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28792" class="wp-image-28792 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Hectror-Bellerin-Stats.jpg" alt="FPL Gameweek 8" width="574" height="601" />
Hector Bellerin Stats
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<h3>Jannik Vestergaard (£4.6m) – Southampton</h3>
Fixture: Newcastle (H)
The Southampton centre-back currently sits on 34 points as the fifth-highest scoring defender despite only playing five full games. He has kept three clean sheets and scored two goals in that time and has had three Shots, three Shots on Target and three Shots in the Box. He has also created one Chance and one Big Chance and is a clear goal threat from set-pieces especially with the quality of delivery that his teammate James Ward-Prowse (£5.8m) provides.
The Saints three clean sheets have all come after their 5-2 defeat at Spurs in Gameweek 2 so it's evident Ralph Hassenhutl has shored up them up at the back. Since then they have conceded 36 Shots in the Box (8th), 21 Shots on Target (6th), and only conceded six Big Chances (2nd).
They face Newcastle United in Gameweek 8 who have only managed 18 Shots on Target (20th), 25 Shots in the Box (18th), and have an xG of 7.87 (16th). Of the 10 goals, they have scored six have come via Callum Wilson (£6.5m) so they do seem to rely a lot on him and that is never good for a team in the long run. I feel this will be a tough game for Newcastle and would not be a surprise to see Vestergaard score another header via a Ward-Prowse set piece.
<div id="attachment_28793" style="width: 704px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28793" class="wp-image-28793 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Jannik-Vestergaard-Stats.jpg" alt="FPL Tips GW8" width="694" height="594" />
Jannik Vestergaard Stats
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In conclusion, I will rank these Gameweek 8 defenders in accordance to our Power Rankings for Hub members!
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