Recommended setup: 3-4-3. This squad projects best by leaning into the premium forwards and high-floor Arsenal coverage, while still carrying enough defensive upside to bench comfortably in GW38. The headline issue is price. At £112.1m, this draft sits £12.1m over budget, so you will need to trim aggressively depending on team value.
The starting XI I would use is Raya, Gabriel, Senesi, Virgil, Semenyo, B.Fernandes, Rice, Saka, Haaland, Thiago, Bowen. That shape gives you the strongest xP concentration, led by Haaland at 7.69 xP, then Gabriel at 5.38 and Thiago at 4.91.
Goalkeepers
Raya is the clear starter. His 4.82 xP, 5.0 form and Arsenal clean sheet potential away to Crystal Palace make him one of the safest keepers in the pool. Dúbravka is a strong second keeper at just £4.0m with 4.50 xP, which is excellent backup value. If you are cutting cost, this is one area where you can simply keep Dúbravka and downgrade Raya to a cheaper starter in your own build.
Defenders
Gabriel is the standout defender in the squad, with 5.38 xP and massive 45.4% selection. He is the Arsenal defender to own on wildcard. Senesi is next, posting 4.37 xP and a sharp 7.0 form, which gives him both clean sheet and attacking routes. Virgil at £6.1m and 4.26 xP is the steady Liverpool home pick.
Guéhi and Tarkowski are viable bench defenders, with 4.45 xP and 4.25 xP respectively. If you need savings, Tarkowski to a budget defender is one of the easier compromises, and Virgil can also become a cheaper Liverpool or non Liverpool defender depending on funds.
Midfielders
This midfield is built on security over explosiveness. Semenyo leads the unit on 4.58 xP and carries huge ownership at 46.2%. B.Fernandes brings the best recent output here, with 7.8 form and 4.23 xP away to Brighton. Rice and Saka give double Arsenal midfield coverage, although Saka’s projection is only 3.83 xP, so he is one of the first premium cuts if you need cash. Szoboszlai at £7.1m is a perfectly good first sub and another place to save if required.
Forwards
Haaland is non-negotiable. He has the best projection in the squad by distance at 7.69 xP, and the home fixture pushes him to the top of the captaincy list. Thiago offers excellent value at 4.91 xP for £7.2m. Bowen, listed here as a forward, rounds things out nicely with 4.63 xP and a strong home matchup.
Captaincy
Captain Haaland. The gap to the rest of the squad is simply too big. Gabriel is a sensible vice-captain if you want to back Arsenal clean sheet odds, with Raya also in that conversation.
Bench order
- 1st sub: Szoboszlai
- 2nd sub: Guéhi
- 3rd sub: Tarkowski
- Bench GK: Dúbravka
Budget reality: this is an xP-optimised wildcard, not a legal £100m draft. The most obvious downgrades are Saka, Virgil, Tarkowski, and even Raya. Keep Haaland, Gabriel and the core value picks, then trim the expensive secondary slots to make the numbers work.