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            <p>How should those on Wildcard in FPL Gameweek 6 be setting up their defence - and should <strong>Trent Alexander-Arnold </strong>be a part of it?</p>
<p>With many managers playing their Wildcard this week, we're publishing a series of articles looking at common dilemmas.</p>
<p>After covering <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-gameweek-6-wildcard-dilemmas-goalkeepers"><strong>David Raya </strong>versus the cheaper goalkeepers</a> yesterday, today we take a look at the question marks in defence.</p>
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<h2>Premium defenders: The fixtures</h2>
<p>Before exploring the premium defenders in detail, let's look at the fixtures for Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.</p>
<p>Those on Wildcard are likely to triple up on Arsenal players based on their next two games.</p>
<p>Leicester and Southampton - both at home - is the league's easiest fixture pairing from both an overall and defensive perspective.</p>
<p>But up to Gameweek 11, there's little between the three teams.</p>
<p>City's fixtures are the 10th easiest overall, according to our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker">ticker</a>, Arsenal's 11th and Liverpool's 14th.</p>
<p>Filtering by defensive ease, City's rank seventh best, Liverpool's 13th and Arsenal's 14th.</p>
<p>The second Wildcard will not be available until Gameweek 20 - and Liverpool's run looks less favourable long-term.</p>
<p>Between Gameweek 6 and 20, Arsenal rank fourth best overall, City fifth and Liverpool 16th</p>
<p>Liverpool defenders may therefore be more reliant on attacking returns up to the new year.</p>
<div id="attachment_67198" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67198" class="size-large wp-image-67198" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Selected-overall-fixtures-GW6-11-1024x143.jpg" alt="Overall fixture ease between Gameweek 6 and 11a" width="1024" height="143" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-67198" class="wp-caption-text">Overall fixture ease between Gameweek 6 and 11 for Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool</p>
</div>
<h2>AI predicted points: Gabriel leads the way</h2>
<p>Hub AI sees <strong>Gabriel </strong>as the best defender from Gameweek 6.</p>
<p>As well as covering the Gunners' defence, the centre-back is the main target from set-pieces, an area Mikel Arteta's men excel in.</p>
<p>The Brazilian has scored two goals in his last two games and next opponent Leicester struggle to defend set-pieces. Our fixtures analyst Chris Tan noted Gabriel could get on the scoresheet once again.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-gameweek-6-fixtures-analysis-teams-and-players-to-target"><strong>Gameweek 6 fixtures analysis: Teams and players to target</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Gabriel's central defensive partner <strong>William Saliba </strong>scored twice last season but has yet to have a shot on goal this season.</p>
<p>His clean-sheet prospects will still make him a popular pick alongside Gabriel but for many managers, it's likely to be a case of picking Gabriel plus one of Saliba or Raya.</p>
<p>This may leave room for <strong>Josko Gvardiol</strong>, <strong>Andrew Robertson </strong>or <strong>Trent Alexander-Arnold</strong>, so the rest of our article will focus on this trio.</p>
<p>They are all closely matched when it comes to predicted points, despite Liverpool's fixtures, with just 0.5 separating them.</p>
<div id="attachment_67199" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67199" class="size-large wp-image-67199" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Defender-predicted-points-GW6-11-1024x601.jpg" alt="Predicted points for defenders - top 10" width="1024" height="601" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-67199" class="wp-caption-text">Predicted points for defenders - top 10</p>
</div>
<h2>The stats: Alexander-Arnold v Robertson v Gvardiol</h2>
<p>All three defenders carry attacking threat, although a change in system has impacted Gvardiol.</p>
<p>The Croatian went on a blistering run at the end of last season, scoring 68 points over the last seven matches.</p>
<p>Operating effectively as a left-winger, Gvardiol scored four and assisted two on top of four clean sheets.</p>
<p>But he has not been given as much attacking freedom so far this season, with <strong>Rico Lewis </strong>generally the more advanced City full-back.</p>
<p>Despite this, he has had the most shots of the trio (six), two more than Alexander-Arnold and three more than Robertson.</p>
<div id="attachment_67204" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67204" class="size-full wp-image-67204" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Alexander-Arnold-v-Gvardiol.jpg" alt="Trent Alexander-Arnold v Josko Gvardiol" width="900" height="731" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-67204" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Alexander-Arnold v Josko Gvardiol</p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>All of these efforts have come inside the box, while all but one of Alexander-Arnold's attempts have come from further out.</p>
<p>Robertson has the best expected goals (xG), largely courtesy of him being the only one to register a big chance.</p>
<p>On the creative side, Alexander-Arnold is the clear leader.</p>
<p>The England international has set up four big chances and 13 regular chances (key passes), picking up an assist and an expected assists (xA) tally of 2.0.</p>
<p>Gvardiol and Robertson have each created one big chance, while the latter has managed eight key passes.</p>
<p>No defender has a better expected goal involvements (xGI) than Alexander-Arnold, with his 2.2 total double that of his nearest rivals.</p>
<h2>Can Robertson cover Alexander-Arnold?</h2>
<p>The answer from Hub AI's perspective is yes, despite Alexander-Arnold's better xGI.</p>
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FPL Gameweek 6 Wildcard dilemmas: Premium defenders analysed

FPL Gameweek 6 Wildcard dilemmas: Premium defenders analysed

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