“This is the week where your ‘safe’ defender either strolls to a clean sheet or gifts a 94th-minute equaliser to ruin your weekend.”
GW4’s defensive landscape features stable fixtures, players who earn bonus points, and a few budget picks that could make you look like a genius or a masochist.
Top 5 Rankings
1. Calafiori – The Arsenal Lock
Arsenal at home to Forest is as close to a defensive cheat code as you can get. Calafiori’s ability to earn bonus points makes him the top choice this week. If you’re not picking him, you’re either chasing differentials or inviting trouble.
2. Guéhi – The Quiet Assassin
Palace at home to Sunderland suggests a low-scoring game. Guéhi won’t steal the spotlight, but he’ll collect points while your “attacking full-back” gets booked for wasting time.
3. Chalobah – The Chelsea Gamble
Chelsea’s defence is like a shaky Wi-Fi connection; it works one minute and drops out the next. However, Brentford away is a manageable match, and Chalobah’s numbers indicate he’s a good risk if you can handle it.
4. Timber – The Overlap Threat
Timber is back, fit, and charging forward, offering attacking potential alongside Arsenal’s clean sheet chances. Choosing two Arsenal defenders this week makes sense.
5. Senesi – The Set-Piece Sleeper
Bournemouth aren’t exactly solid defensively, but Senesi’s aerial ability against Brighton’s shaky defending makes him a budget pick with real upside.
Honourable Mentions
Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds Utd) – Cheap and off to a good start, playing away to Fulham isn’t the worst fixture possible.
Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace) – Another option from Palace if you want to double up.
Tino Livramento (Newcastle Utd) – Home fixture against Wolves is appealing, though it misses out on defensive contributions.
Fixture Watch – GW4 Defensive Landscape
Best Clean Sheet Odds: Arsenal (v Forest), Palace (v Sunderland), Chelsea (v Brentford)
Attacking Full-Back Potential: Timber, Livramento, Cucurella.
Avoid If You Can: Any defender in Man City v Man Utd; expect chaos, not clean sheets.
Final Word
GW4 is one of those rare weeks where fixture difficulty and player form actually match for a few top defenders. Arsenal combinations look strong, Palace are quietly consistent, and there’s good value in the mid-price range if you know where to look.
Agree with the rankings? Or is your £4.0m bench player about to outscore them all? Share your thoughts below, and remember, in FPL, the only thing worse than a 1-pointer is a 1-pointer from your captain.
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