FPL Challenge: Expert reveals their Gameweek 20 team

Sam Bonfield selects her 6-a-side team as all clean sheets earn DOUBLE points

With the Premier League's Festive Fixtures continuing in Gameweek 20, the FPL Challenge for the weekend matches is called "Clean Start", as all clean sheets earn DOUBLE points.

There is a limit of one player per club for your 6-a-side team, but there is an unlimited budget. Here, FPL expert Sam Bonfield from FPLFamily reveals her team and explains her thinking, to help you pick your own line-up.

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With clean sheets the key focus of this week's FPL Challenge, I have opted to select three defenders. This maximises the potential for the clean-sheet points getting doubled. However, I have also opted for defenders who provide an attacking threat or the upside of defensive contribution points in an attempt to get as many points as possible from outside of the challenge rules.

Goalkeeper
Bart Verbruggen (Brighton)

Brighton & Hove Albion host Burnley in Gameweek 20. The Clarets have scored just 20 goals this season, with only Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring fewer.

They have also had the second-fewest attempts on goal with 175, better than only the 167 of Wolves. For context, Manchester United have had the most shots this season with 306 - that's 131 more than Burnley have managed in the opening 19 matches.

Verbruggen also provides plenty of upside. The Brighton goalkeeper has made 56 saves this season, sitting fourth among 'keepers, while he has picked up 11 save points. Therefore, if Burnley do wipe out the clean sheet, there is still good potential for Verbruggen to pick up some points.

Defenders
Gabriel (Arsenal)

Arsenal's centre-back returned to the starting line-up in Gameweek 19 and immediately returned to his goalscoring ways. Gabriel registered 15 points as a result of his goal, clean sheet and maximum bonus.

Despite missing six games through injury, the Brazilian is once again the top-scoring defender in the game. Gabriel faces a Bournemouth side who have conceded 11 goals across their last four matches, and in that time have conceded 12 attempts from headers, which is the second-most in the league.

Gabriel therefore has the potential for another clean sheet, which would be doubled from four points to eight points, as well as attacking returns at the other end of the pitch. 

James Tarkowski (Everton) 

Tarkowski has now registered defensive contribution points on 13 occasions this season, trailing only the 15 of AFC Bournemouth's Macros Senesi (£4.9m), and in his last two matches has returned back-to-back eight pointers.

The Toffees have kept four clean sheets at home this season, second to only the five of Arsenal and Man City.

Meanwhile, visitors Brentford have struggled for goals on the road, with only eight.

Tarkowski therefore has good potential for the clean sheet bonus as well as the upside from defensive contribution points. 

Pedro Porro (Spurs) 

Tottenham Hotspur are at home to Sunderland, who are a very different side on their travels. The Black Cats have been outstanding in their first season back in the Premier League, but they have only scored four goals on the road.

Choosing between Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence came down to Sunderland's underlying numbers. Regis Le Bris's side have conceded more crosses down their left than any other team in the league, as well as the third-most key passes from that flank. This is something that attacking right-back Porro could exploit on Sunday afternoon. 

Watch another FPL expert reveal their Challenge line-up
Midfielder
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) 

Villa and Rogers will be looking to bounce back from the disappointment of their 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday night. They host a Nottingham Forest side who have failed to score in two of their last three league matches, so Rogers will see his clean-sheet point doubled if the visitors fail to score again.

However, the Rogers pick is more about the potential upside in attack. The England international has created 19 chances this season, second to only John McGinn among Villa players. Of these chances, six have been classed as big chances - situations where a player is expected to score - which is more than any team-mate.

Rogers also provides a strong goal threat, having produced 35 shots over the opening 19 Gameweeks.

Forward
Erling Haaland (Man City)

Despite blanking over each of the last two Gameweeks, Haaland still feels important to own.

Forwards do not benefit from this week's challenge, but with Manchester City coming off the back of a disappointing goalless draw at Sunderland and set to face a managerless Chelsea after they parted company with head coach Enzo Maresca on Sunday, I'm backing Pep Guardiola's side and Haaland to bounce back.

City created five big chances against the Black Cats and were unfortunate not to score, while they are averaging an impressive 2.8 goals per home match.