In-Form Arsenal Trio Included In FPL Banger’s Best Picks And Tips For Gameweek 7

FPL Banger provides his captaincy pick for Gameweek 7, as well as some must-have picks for your teams, including an Arsenal trio that doesn’t involve Bukayo Saka.

Welcome to a new series for the 2024/25 season, provided by Siva & Sam, the twisted minds behind the weekly FPL Banger Podcast. Below we take you through our FPL Gameweek 7 tips.

Best Captain For FPL GW7

Erling Haaland (£15.3m) – Fulham (H)

Last week I said that Haaland would be my captain every week until GW38. After a thoroughly insipid performance by Manchester City at Newcastle, will I perform an immediate about turn? Not a chance.

Haaland returned to scoring ways midweek in the Champions League (courtesy of a lovely Rico Lewis assist), and while Fulham have put in some impressive performances, they are yet to play a team from last season’s top four.

That’s about to change, and I fully expect Haaland to haul at the Etihad. 73 goals in 68 Premier League games – I’m not about to bet against those numbers.

Top Picks For FPL GW7

David Raya (£5.6m) – Southampton (H)

FPL managers spent most of last week fretting about whether David Raya would be available for GW6, so after his dramatic inclusion in the starting XI, a one-pointer was inevitable.

Two fluke goals from James Justin should not put you off Arsenal defence, though. PSG couldn’t lay a glove on the Gunners midweek.

With Mikel Merino fit, allowing Declan Rice to focus on defensive duties, Arsenal should have little difficulty keeping a clean sheet against a Southampton side who had so little faith in their forward line that Russell Martin opted to bench all of his five strikers against Bournemouth. Spoiler alert, it didn’t help.

Leif Davis (£4.5m) – West Ham (A)

West Ham are winless at home this season and it would take someone braver than me to predict a turnaround. The injury to Niclas Fullkrug has hurt an already weak front line, and Julen Lopetegui’s decision to sub Mo Kudus off at halftime was apparently not well received by the midfielder – understandably so given that this team is struggling to score goals and Kudus, well, can score goals.

All this adds up to a great matchup for Leif Davis, who managed a bonus point in GW6 despite Ipswich conceding twice. Davis is due a big haul whenever Ipswich record their first clean sheet, and after a tough start that has seen them play Man City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa, I’m backing Ed Sheeran’s boys to pile on the misery for West Ham.

Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) – Southampton (H)

A dubious decision to credit Arsenal’s third goal against Leicester last week as an own goal by Wilfried Ndidi denied Trossard of scoring a brace.

Undeterred, Trossard followed up midweek with a perfectly placed assist for Kai Havertz against PSG in the Champions League.

With Martin Ødegaard out, Trossard has fully stepped up to the plate and delivered when needed most. Southampton’s insistence on playing out from the back bodes well for more returns this week.

Kai Havertz (£8.2m) – Southampton (H)

Havertz was my forward pick last week. No reason to change something which is working.

The German made it six goals in six games at home with his header against PSG, and he is primed to continue his fine form against a leaky Southampton.

If I didn’t own Haaland, I would be very happy to slap the captaincy on Havertz – he is the main man in this team now, and for almost £2m less than Saka, I would go so far as to say that he is the best value Arsenal attacker in FPL.

Thanks for reading the article in this new series for SportsCasting. Be sure to follow @FPL_Banger for more FPL tips and hints, including their weekly podcast and team reveals.