With Double Gameweek 29 upon us, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are faced with a difficult decision when it comes to Arsenal. League leaders Arsenal will appear just once in Double Gameweek 29, but it’s at home to relegation-threatened Leeds United. Many FPL managers intend to use their Bench Boost chip, making it important to maximise the potential of having a dozen teams play twice.
Arsenal is currently the in-form team and has won six successive games with 19 goals, thanks to the attcking prowess of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard. These three players are three of this FPL season’s five top-scoring midfielders, and some one-match players will still outperform the doublers.
However, Arsenal has only kept three clean sheets at home this season, with nine on the road. This does not bode well for the visit of Leeds, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal can maintain their attacking form as the season progresses.
Some of the Pro Pundits have given their opinion on which Arsenal assets should stay or be removed. Zophar is inclined to keep Saka and suggests replacing him with Mohamed Salah as a calculated risk. Sam Bonfield thinks the holding on to Arsenal‘s attacking assets is going to be key, while Pras says that holding onto the players is fine for those who don’t have a Free Hit.
When it comes to defenders, Arsenal is not showing the defensive soundness of early season, as noted by Biggsy, who is willing to lose Gabriel. Oleksandr Zinchenko is a good choice for Leeds if there is a need to remove him, according to The Mentaculus.
Arsenal‘s upcoming fixtures are tricky, with tough away games at Liverpool, Man City, and Newcastle United, alongside tricky home games versus Chelsea and Brighton over the next seven gameweeks. However, Arsenal faces Leeds this week and, with the injury issues at Leeds, this is a game that screams points. Therefore, it would not be an issue to Bench Boost or have a starting XI that contains some Arsenal players in Double Gameweek 29.
To summarise, FPL managers may want to use their Bench Boost chip to maximise the potential of having a dozen teams play twice. Arsenal‘s one fixture may be more appealing than several teams’ doubles, but it’s important to take a calculated risk, considering the trips to Liverpool and Man City. For those who don’t have a Free Hit, holding onto the attacking assets of Martinelli and Saka may be key. However, it would be wise to consider removing the defensive assets of Arsenal for those offering multiple doubles.
