The Scout delves into the data to help managers in Fantasy Premier League establish the best Arsenal options to invest in ahead of their very kind schedule.
Mikel Arteta’s side could barely ask for more favourable short-term fixtures, with back-to-back home matches against promoted pair Leicester City and Southampton followed by a visit to AFC Bournemouth in Gameweek 8.
Centre-back Gabriel (£6.1m) has emerged as their top target ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 BST deadline. The Brazilian has earned over 521,000 transfers in on the back of his goals at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City over the last two Gameweeks.
Gabriel's goal v Man City
Vintage Big Gabi ™️ pic.twitter.com/irnL1XBECp
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 23, 2024
Not only is Gabriel the top-scoring defender in Fantasy, his 36 points are more than any other Arsenal player. He has also amassed three clean sheets and blanked only once.
Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and David Raya (£5.6m) have also been standout performers so far this season.
Alongside Man City’s Erling Haaland (£15.3m), Saka is the only player in 2024/25 Fantasy who has produced attacking returns in each of the first five Gameweeks.
The winger has scored once and supplied five assists to collect 35 points, placing him fourth among midfielders.
Raya, meanwhile, is the top-scoring goalkeeper on 33 points. The Spaniard has combined three clean sheets with seven save points, while his six bonus points already matches his total from the previous campaign.
However, he is currently an injury doubt after missing Wednesday's EFL Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers with a thigh issue.
Arsenal's top-scoring players, GW1-5
| Player | G | A | CS | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | 2 | 0 | 3 | 36 |
| Saka | 1 | 5 | 3 | 35 |
| Raya | 0 | 0 | 3 | 33 |
| Havertz | 2 | 1 | N/A | 26 |
*Goalkeepers and defenders earn four points for a clean sheet, compared with one point for midfielders
Who is most likely to score?
Saka and Kai Havertz (£8.1m) have both offered similar potential for goals this season.
The pair have each produced 11 shots and 10 shots in the box, with the German's role as the lone forward at the start of the season giving him the edge overall - he's had five big chances (a situation where the player is expected to score), compared with the three of Saka.
Although he's blanked in three of his five outings, it's worth noting that Havertz has two goals and an assist in his two appearances at Emirates Stadium in 2024/25, averaging 10 points per home contest, ahead of back-to-back home fixtures.
Gabriel's huge threat from free-kicks and corners is very much in evidence here - all five of his shots in the box have been headers. His three big chances rank joint-second with Saka and further enhances the Brazilian's appeal when assessed against his fellow centre-back William Saliba (£6.0m).
Saliba remains the most-owned defender in Fantasy, found in 34 per cent of squads, compared with the 18 per cent of Gabriel. Yet the former has had NO SHOTS this season.
Arsenal players' goal threat, GW1-5
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Headed shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havertz | 11 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Saka | 11 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| Gabriel | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Trossard | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Who is most likely to get assists?
Saka's role as Arsenal's talisman is further highlighted by the creativity statistics.
The winger's 12 key passes and five big chances created are both more than any other Gunners' player - indeed, the latter total is more than TWICE that of any team-mate and shows his huge potential for assists.
Saka's dead-ball duties are also vital to his output, given his side's potency at free-kicks and corners.
Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m) leads the best of the rest, with nine key passes and two big chances created. Yet he has offered minimal goal threat, with a mere two shots so far.
Havertz again features in the creativity analysis, with four key passes just one behind injured playmaker Martin Odegaard (£8.2m).
Arsenal's top creators, GW1-5
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created | Corners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saka | 12 | 5 | 11 |
| Martinelli | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Odegaard | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Havertz | 4 | 1 | 0 |
So, who are the best Arsenal players to own?
Saka’s potential for both goals and assists shows just why he’s been so consistent in the opening stages of 2024/25.
That makes him the standout Arsenal attacker by some margin, while the case for investing in Gabriel at the back is every bit as convincing, particularly as Saliba has done nothing to justify his lofty popularity.
See which Arsenal players an expert has chosen on Wildcard
While Saka and Gabriel are clearly the priority picks, both Raya and Havertz certainly warrant consideration if you’re intent on owning three of Mikel Arteta’s key players.
Arsenal claimed 18 clean sheets last season, five more than any other side, which suggests that Raya would be more of a long-term acquisition to sit alongside Gabriel at the back, assuming the goalkeeper recovers quickly from his injury. Bring him in now and he’s a “set and forget” option between the posts.
Havertz does have more immediate upside, though, and those two home matches could easily help him to huge hauls.
There is, nonetheless, no shortage of competition for places in managers’ forward lines, and the German would be more of a short-term pick to help managers effectively target Arsenal's immediate fixtures.