The Scout looks at the Fantasy Premier League potential of summer signings ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Willian (ARS) £8.0m
The Brazilian arrives at Arsenal on the back of his best-ever FPL season.
Willian scored nine goals and also supplied nine Fantasy assists to total 168 points for Chelsea.
However, four of those goals came from penalties, and it seems very likely that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.0m) will remain the Gunners’ first-choice for spot-kicks.
Instead, it is Willian’s creativity that can make the difference for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Assist potential
His total of 76 key passes was the seventh-highest in FPL last term.
By comparison, Arsenal’s top creator Nicolas Pepe (£8.0m) managed just 39 key passes.
Willian’s quality of crosses can help him claim set-piece duties for the north London side.
His 32 successful corners were bettered by only six other players in 2019/20 FPL.
That can boost the Gunners’ threat at free-kicks and corners. They managed only 111 shots from such situations in the previous campaign, the fifth-worst record in the Premier League.
Pepe and Willian compared
| 2019/20 | Pepe | Willian |
|---|---|---|
| Mins/shot | 40.3 | 36.6 |
| Mins/key pass | 50.4 | 34.2 |
| Mins/goal or assist | 183.2 | 144.5 |
| Mins/succ. tackle or interception | 80.6 | 55.3 |
Willian is expected to compete with Pepe for the role on the right of Arsenal’s front three.
His defensive work looks well-suited to Arteta’s pressing style of play and further suggests he can secure a regular role.
Willian won 27 tackles and made 20 interceptions last season.
Pepe, on the other hand, managed just over half that total, winning 17 tackles and making eight interceptions.
Combined with his creative output, that points to Willian being a major influence this season.
See: The Scout on new arrivals
Don't get caught out. GW1 deadline: 11:00 BST on 12 September. Register your team now at fantasy.premierleague.com.
