FPL tips: Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber scores high as Riccardo Calafiori a top alternative
Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge is well underway after a huge 5-0 victory over Championship winners Leeds United.
Despite Swedish star Viktor Gyokeres bagging a brace, it was right-back Jurrien Timber who stole the headlines.
The Dutchman scored twice himself, got an assist and managed a clean sheet.
Here, Transfer News Blitz’s Joe Matthews takes a deep dive into some of the Gunners’ defensive fantasy capabilities.
Leeds United struggled to deal with Jurrien Timber
Timber enjoyed free rein down the right-hand side at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, from which he set up Bukayo Saka for the North Londoners’ second.
That said, it was actually Arsenal’s set-piece superiority that led to the 24-year-old netting twice.
First, a perfectly placed Declan Rice corner was headed swiftly on by the arriving former-Ajax man, before he added another in the second half, in a much less glamorous six-yard scramble, also from a corner.
Sweeping the bonus points, plus the two goals and assist, gave Timber a monster 24-point score, matching Trent Alexander-Arnold’s tally versus Leicester City in the 2019/20 season
Nevertheless, 27 points is the highest achieved in a single game by a defender, also scored on two occasions.
Once, by another Liverpool full-back, John Arne Riise, against West Bromwich Albion in the 2004/05 season, and the other from the previous season, when Everton defender Steve Watson scored a hat-trick against Leeds.
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Jurrien Timber should still be avoided
Timber will certainly see a price rise over the next few days, as a 24-point haul is, of course, nothing to frown at.
However, the defender is still not a player that many experts will move towards for several reasons.
Firstly, the Dutch international did not play a single minute in Arsenal’s opener against Manchester United, as Ben White started, meaning his minutes are unreliable.
Especially as the beginning of the Champions League edges closer, Mikel Arteta is highly likely to rotate his squad regularly.
The Gunners’ fixture run over the next few weeks is the hardest of their season, as Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United are up next.
In a campaign where high-priced forwards have started well and quality midfield options are in abundance, going without Arsenal defenders with unsecured minutes is certainly not the worst idea.
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Riccardo Calafiori is a strong alternative
If Timber’s GW2 haul was not enough to secure him the top spot of all Fantasy Premier League players so far this season, that accolade could be attributed to fellow full-back Riccardo Calafiori.
Having scored the winner against Manchester United, the Italian defender bagged a brace of assists against Leeds, leaving him with 26 points scored after the opening two games.
The 23-year-old played 71 minutes against the Red Devils, so early signs suggest that Arteta may view him as his preferred left-back.
That said, Calafiori faces the same fixture problem as Timber, and there is every chance that Arteta could decide to mix up his backline again.
It has been a historic week for FPL thanks to the Gunners’ huge win over the Whites, and many will be keen to squeeze the record breaker into their squads.
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