A new FPL season is here! And it is more interesting than ever, with a new mystery chip and the ability to save up to five transfers. Here is the team that I will most likely be using for Gameweek 1. It will be a 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeepers
Mark Flekken (Brentford)
Mark Flekken (4.5m) is my starting goalkeeper for this Premier League season. Flekken is one of the handful of 4.5m goalkeepers in FPL who starts for their club. Brentford have a mixed run of fixtures in terms of difficulty and I’ll be hoping for a mixture of clean sheets and save points.
Hákon Valdimarsson (Brentford)
Hákon Valdimarsson (4.0m) is my back-up goalkeeper if Flekken is unavailable to play. Valdimarsson is Brentford’s second choice goalkeeper, therefore he is a safe replacement for Flekken.
Defenders
Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City)
Joško Gvardiol (6.0m) ended the season really well for Manchester City by displaying his attacking capabilities. With a favourable run to begin the season, I expect the Croatian to continue his form and contribute in attack and defence.
Lewis Hall (Newcastle United)
Lewis Hall (4.5m) is an exciting differential with an ownership of just 1.4%. Hall has played a lot of minutes at left-back for Newcastle in pre-season, registering a goal and an assist. Although there is a possibility that Dan Burn (4.5m) may start at left-back at the beginning of the season, I believe that Hall has impressed enough to start in that position and have a breakthrough season.
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
After a trip to Old Trafford to start the season, Fulham have an encouraging run of fixtures where Antonee Robinson (4.5m) can thrive. Robinson has registered two assists in pre-season for the Cottagers, displaying potential at both ends of the pitch.
Valentín Barco (Brighton & Hove Albion)
With Pervis Estupinan (5.0m) injured until further notice, Valentín Barco (4.0m) has been filling in during pre-season and even been taking set-pieces for Brighton. Barco could prove to be a great budget enabler.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton)
Another budget enabler, Taylor Harwood-Bellis (4.0m) featured regularly for the Saints in the Championship and after making his move to the club permanent from Manchester City, Harwood-Bellis will continue to feature for the club.
Midfielders
Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
The Belgian has been very impressive in pre-season, linking up well with the likes of Kai Havertz (8.0m) and Gabriel Jesus (7.0m). This move is a risk considering the competition from Gabriel Martinelli (7.0m) for Arsenal’s left-wing spot. However, I believe that Trossard’s performance against Bayer Leverkusen has convinced Mikel Arteta to start him for Gameweek 1.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
I am still deciding which attacking player to have in Manchester United. At the moment, I have Marcus Rashford (7.0m) who has had a full pre-season under his belt and will be looking to recapture his form from the 2022/23 season. Amad Diallo (5.0m) has impressed in pre-season but I’m unsure about his minutes this season.
Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea)
I feel that Christopher Nkunku (6.5m) is a bargain. The Frenchman has looked sharp in pre-season, recording three goals and an assist for Chelsea. Nkunku has also been taking penalties for Chelsea in the absence of Cole Palmer (10.5m), offering another potential route for points.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah (12.5m) feels like a must-have for me. Liverpool have one of the easiest fixture runs to start the season so I expect the Egyptian to start strongly with a full pre-season under his belt.
Harry Winks (Leicester City)
While Harry Winks (4.5m) is mainly a budget enabler for my team, he is also one of the few midfielders that plays regularly for their club.
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (15.0m) is the most expensive player in FPL history, but this will not prevent me from having him in my team. I feel that there are many exciting cheaper options this year in FPL, meaning I am comfortable with having the Norwegian.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
Alexander Isak (8.5m) was my first pick in this team. I had the Swede in my team for the majority of last season, and he’s now proven to be one of the best goal scorers in the Premier League. Newcastle have a favourable run of fixtures to start the season, where Isak can make a significant impact.
Dominic Solanke (Spurs)
Dominic Solanke (7.5m) is a late addition to my team after hearing about his move to Spurs. After having his best scoring performance last season, I feel that Solanke will thrive in a very attacking side.
