This week’s FPL Challenge is called Zero to Hero. It marks the fourth Gameweek of Coca-Cola and FPL Challenge teaming up for the “Beat The Icon” event. Every week there is a different challenge set by football legends, pundits and top creators - and Fantasy managers being invited to try to beat them, continuing with Paris Saint-Germain and former England women’s goalkeeper Mary Earps.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, managers will be able to go head-to-head with Mary by scanning the QR code on any bottle or can of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and be in with a chance to win prizes.
Managers outside the UK will still be able to take part in the weekly challenges as usual, but will not be eligible to enter the head-to-head element and win prizes.
This time around, all points registered for a goalkeeper, defender or midfielder keeping a clean sheet will be DOUBLED. There is a limit of one player per club, with managers selecting a 6-a-side team using an unlimited budget.
Here, FPL expert Sam Bonfield reveals her team and explains his thinking, to help managers pick their own line-ups.
Deciding on a formation this week was one of the more difficult parts of the challenge. Over the last two Gameweeks we have seen a massive decline in the number of clean sheets registered.
Total clean sheets per Gamweeek, 25/26
| GW | No. of clean sheets |
| 1 | 9 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 2 |
| 6 | 1 |
With points being doubled for clean sheets, it feels important to try and target the defenders, as they earn four points for their clean sheets, compared to one for midfielders. However, with the decline in clean sheets over the last two Gameweeks, different routes to points will be vital.
Goalkeeper
Last week, Nick Pope was on for a monster haul against Arsenal before the Gunners scored twice late on.
Pope and Newcastle are the second-best team in the league for Expected Goals Against, with a total of 4.59 over the opening six Gameweeks. This is only bettered by Arsenal.
Pope has a good fixture at home to Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Forest have only scored one goal in the league since Ange Postecoglou took over as head coach in Gameweek 4. That came against Burnley, who have the lowest Expected Goals in the league this season.
With a lack of goal threat from Forest, there is a good opportunity for Newcastle to registered their fifth clean sheet of the season.
David Raya was also under consideration given Arsenal's strong defensive numbers.
However, the one-player-per-club rule means that I don't have an Arsenal spot available. By picking an Arsenal defender, I have the added upside of potential defensive contribution points and attacking threat.
Crystal Palace have also been solid defensively this season, so Dean Henderson was another option that I considered. However, the Eagles played in Poland in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night, and travel on Sunday to an Everton side who have been performing well in front of goal.
So it's Pope who gets the nod from me this week.
Defenders
Owning an Arsenal defender ahead of a match at home against West Ham seems essential. Gabriel is the Gunners' top-scoring player this season, with 38 points.
The defender showcased his attacking threat by scoring the late winner against Newcastle last weekend. Only three defenders have registered more points than Gabriel and only two, Tino Livramento and Dan Burn, have more clean sheets.
The double points for a clean sheet mean it's Gabriel who will be my captain. The Brazilian is a slight injury concern after being substituted in the midweek UEFA Champions League win over Olympiacos, so if he isn't in the named in the starting line-up, I will replace him with another Arsenal defender.
I have opted for another defender given the nature of this week's challenge.
Aston Villa and Manchester United both have good potential for clean sheets, with home matches against Burnley and Sunderland respectively. However, while Villa have kept two clean sheets this season, Burnley have impressively scored against Manchester City, Man Utd, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. Meanwhile, Man Utd are yet to register a clean sheet.
Therefore, I have opted to pair Gabriel with Marcos Senesi. Bournemouth are at home to a Fulham side who will be without injured forward Rodrigo Muniz, while fellow striker Raul Jimenez is an injury doubt.
It looks a good opportunity for the Cherries to claim a fourth clean sheet of the season, then, while Senesi boasts plenty of upside through defensive contributions, which he has registered in every Gameweek, and attacking threat, as we saw with his assist in Gameweek 6.
Midfielders
As with the defenders, I have also opted for two midfielders.
Despite Man Utd's lack of clean sheets this season, I have gone with Bruno Fernandes. The United captain missed a penalty in Gameweek 6, but he has registered defensive contributions twice this season and has plenty of routes to points.
Alongside Fernandes I have Spurs winger Mohammed Kudus. The Ghanaian was unfortunate not to score his first goal for Spurs last weekend when he had one saved on to the crossbar and another ruled out for offside. Thomas Frank's side have kept three clean sheets this season and have an attractive fixture on paper at Leeds.
If I could have picked more than one player from each team Bukayo Saka would have made my team. On his return to the Premier League starting line-up for Arsenal in Gameweek 6, Saka had two shots, both from inside the box. He also supplied five crosses and took four corners.
Likewise, if I hadn't already invested in Newcastle, Anthony Gordon looks a good option.
Other candidates that I considered were Yankuba Minteh and Mohamed Salah. Minteh and Brighton face a Wolves side who have struggled in front of goal this season, scoring just four goals the joint-fewest in the league. Meanwhile, Minteh has produced returns in each of the last four Gameweeks, totalling 24 points.
Likewise, despite a disappointing start to the season for Salah in terms of FPL points, the midfielder faces a Chelsea team with a lot of defensive injuries.
Forwards
Up top without the benefit of double points, there is only one pick. Erling Haaland registered two goals and an assist in Gameweek 6 and now faces a Brentford side who have conceded 11 goals so far this season; only Burnley, West Ham and Wolves have let in more.