Captain Fernandes and triple Arsenal defence – FPL team of the week

With Arsenal, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Wolves blanking next week, this is an FPL gameweek to hold your transfers if you can.

Listen to the FPL Podcast from BBC Sport at the top of this page where Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave discuss their plans for tackling Gameweek 31.

In the meantime, this week’s team has trusty Bruno Fernandes as captain and a measured gamble on Arsenal’s defence.

The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

After a big score in gameweek 28 it was back down to earth a little with just 58 points (the FPL average was 54).

Caoimhin Kelleher, Brentford, keeper, £4.7m – Wolves (h)

Still only five away goals for Wolves all season. That makes picking Kelleher a no brainer.

Gabriel (£7.2m), Jurrien Timber (£6.4m) and Piero Hincapie (£5.1m), Arsenal – Everton (h)

Everton’s away stats – and the might of Arsenal’s defence – make this triple-up enticing.

The Toffees have had the fewest shots on target (40) on the road in the Premier League and their expected goals (xG) is the seventh worst.

Gabriel’s FPL qualities need no explaining while Timber has the most shots (24), shots in the box (24), big chances (8) and chances created (27) of any Arsenal defender.

But Hincapie has also emerged as an intriguing option. He’s been flying up and down that left flank since moving to full-back and has created 11 chances, nine of those since week 20.

Daniel Ballard, Sunderland, £4.6m – Brighton (h)

Brighton have only scored 16 away goals in 14 games. Sunderland’s home defensive record is bettered only by Arsenal and Manchester City.

Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City, £8.3m – West Ham (a)

FPL managers will have some tough decisions to make next week when Arsenal and City blank – it is likely a lot of teams have Semenyo, Erling Haaland and a couple of Gunners, at least.

Semenyo is City’s most productive player at the moment, especially as Haaland’s goals have dried up.

Pick him with confidence every week.

Bruno Fernandes (captain), Manchester United, £10.1m – Aston Villa (h)

Ditto.

Fernandes is United’s best player (and FPL asset). He picked up another assist and more bonus points at Newcastle last time out, even in a defeat.

I’ve already talked before about most of his incredible stats since returning from injury in gameweek 21. Now a new one – 14 bonus points in that time which is, you guessed it, the most of any player.

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, £14m – Tottenham (h)

Watching Salah as an FPL owner isn’t a great experience at the moment – he just doesn’t look like his old self or seem to carry a huge threat.

But, he has scored in consecutive games now in all competitions, so could he be rolling into a patch of form? He had a big chance and an xG of 0.28 against Wolves last time out, which isn’t too bad.

And, Spurs are in dire straits at the moment. Missing their two main centre-backs, losing five in a row – it feels like Liverpool could run wild here.

Salah got three goals and two assists in two league meetings against Tottenham last season.

Ismaila Sarr, Crystal Palace, £6.3m – Leeds (h)

FPL managers who kept faith in Sarr were rewarded last time out with a two-goal haul – and it was coming.

Sarr is an underlying stats king. Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in gameweek 23, he has the most big chances – tied with Cole Palmer – of any midfielder (7).

And those numbers have been consistent all season.

He has 0.68 big chances per appearance – only Bryan Mbeumo has a higher number.

And the Senegal midfielder’s xG of 0.42 per appearance is bettered only by Palmer (0.46).

Marcus Tavernier, Bournemouth, £5.3m – Burnley (a)

Tavernier was in this team for the previous gameweek and hit the post twice, recording an xG of 1.37.

Unlucky, but all signs of what a bargain gem he could be for the rest of the season, especially as he is likely on penalties for Bournemouth.

Igor Thiago, Brentford, £7.2m – Wolves (h)

Thiago has only scored twice in the league since gameweek 22 and his underlying numbers in that time are all trending down compared to the first 21 weeks of the season.

But sometimes you have to play the fixtures in FPL as well as the data.

Thiago has nine goals in 14 games at home and Brentford are the joint-sixth highest home scorers in the Premier League.

Matz Sels, Nottingham Forest, keeper, £4.6m – Fulham (h)

Igor Jesus, Nottingham Forest, striker, £5.8m – Fulham (h)

Chris Richards, Crystal Palace, defender, £4.4m – Leeds (h)

Eliezer Mayenda, Sunderland, striker, £5.2m – Brighton (h)