Liverpool players are in high-demand for GW1, with Salah, Wirtz, Frimpong and Virgil all selected in over 24% of teams each. As bookies favourites to win the league, many are backing the Reds to have another great season and therefore backing their FPL assets to provide points all season round. In this article, I’ll provide an overview of the system, the fixtures and the players to help you decide which Liverpool player will make your final GW1 draft.

The System

The majority of the time, we can expect to see Liverpool line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Whilst Arne Slot was praised for his ability to change tactics from game to game and even within games last season, the starting formation rarely changes. If there were to be no more signings, this is the way I’d expect Liverpool to line up for the first few weeks of the season:

There are a few things to note. Firstly, Ryan Gravenberch is suspended and out of the GW1 side against Bournemouth, but will definitely come back into the starting XI when he is available again. Conor Bradley’s slight injury issues kept him out of the Community Shield final, but when he returns he will definitely challenge Frimpong for a starting spot, and I think we could see them rotate quite often. The front three is likely to remain first choice unless Liverpool sign Isak, and then there will be some midfield rotation with the likes of Szoboszlai, Elliott and Jones competing for a starting spot. 

The Fixtures

Bournemouth (H) – GW1 – 15^th August

Newcastle (A) – GW2 – 25^th August

Arsenal (H) – GW3 – 31st August

Burnley (A) – GW4 – 14^th September

Everton (H) – GW5 – 20^th September 

Crystal Palace (A) – GW6 – 27^th September 

Liverpool face some tricky games in their first six, with away fixtures at Newcastle and Crystal Palace, and a game against fellow title contenders Arsenal at Anfield at the end of August. I would expect Liverpool to concede in 4/6 of these games, but still expect a couple of goals a game going forward, even against some tougher opposition. Bournemouth and Burnley both have relatively weak defences, and they are the two games I see as the highest potential for hauls for Liverpool players.

The Players

I’m going to break down the starting XI, position by position, assessing their value as an FPL option and how I expect them to do in the early period of the season.

Alisson – £5.5m 

The Brazilian shot-stopper has hardly been mentioned amongst FPL managers in pre-season, but I think he might actually provide good value. Despite the (big) presence of Giorgio Mamardashvili, Alisson is absolutely nailed and will play every Premier League game he is fit and available for. If you have the cash for a premium goalkeeper, Alisson is a good pick and offers a slightly cheaper route into the champions’ defence without taking up a highly competitive defender spot.

Jeremie Frimpong – £6.0m

Following his goal in the Community Shield, Frimpong is growing in popularity as an FPL asset. While Bradley is injured, Frimpong is guaranteed to start and provides the most attacking threat of the Liverpool backline. He will undoubtedly have a couple of 15+ point hauls this season, and that high ceiling is why he is so popular. In my opinion, he will lose minutes as soon as Bradley is back and is not worth the extra risk over Virgil at the same price.

Virgil Van Dijk – £6.0m

The Liverpool Captain is locked in the starting XI, a threat in the box and Liverpool’s best defender for Defensive Contributions (DEFCON). That is why he has been so popular, and why he is my preferred choice among Liverpool’s defensive options. That said, I do question whether a Liverpool defender is truly essential given the early fixtures and shaky pre-season defensive form, but if I was going for one, it’d be Virgil.

Ibrahima Konate – £5.5m

Also likely to be an ever-present starter, Konate offers a slightly cheaper option than Virgil. He has slightly less attacking threat, and appears to be slightly worse on DEFCON as well, hence the price gap between him and the Skipper. If you were desperate for a Liverpool defender and only had £5.5m, he is a decent pick! I think he is underrated as an asset, and there will be times in the season where he offers real value.

Milos Kerkez – £6.0m

Kerkez is definitely going into the season as first-choice left-back ahead of Andy Robertson. He will start the majority of games, and offers good clean sheet potential. However, he is not playing in the same heavily attacking role as he did for Bournemouth last season, and appears to be less likely to get attacking returns than his full-back partner on the opposite flank. A decent pick in his own right, but a weaker one when compared with his teammates at the back.

Ryan Gravenberch – £5.5m

Gravenberch will play an important role on the pitch for Liverpool, but is not valuable as an FPL asset. He will likely get DEFCON quite often, but aside from that he has very little to offer.

Alexis Mac Allister – £6.5m

The Argentine has more appeal than his Dutch midfield partner, but is still a non-option at £6.5m. He has lost some of his set-piece responsibilities, and there are far better options at £6.5m across the rest of the game.

Florian Wirtz – £8.5m

Wirtz is currently owned by 34% of FPL managers, and for good reason. The German playmaker impressed during the Community Shield, involved in a lot of Liverpool’s attacks and showing off his impressive technical level. He looks likely to be a 90 minute man in Arne Slot’s side, and I expect he will be a revelation in the Premier League this season. On corners, likely on some free-kicks and carrying brilliant threat for both goals and assists – and I think he will be good for DEFCON points too – he picked up 10 DEFCON in the Community Shield. Wirtz is an excellent pick at £8.5m and is my second favourite pick from the Reds…

Mohammed Salah – £14.5m

Unsurprisingly, Salah is my favourite Liverpool player going into the season. He had a bad day out at the Community Shield, and has missed two penalties in a row – but there is no way I’d consider going without the Egyptian. Liverpool are going to score goals, and their best player and most prolific goal-scorer for the last eight seasons is going to be heavily involved. Salah will be in my side, and will be my captain at home to Bournemouth on Friday.

Hugo Ekitike – £8.5m

Ekitike looked incredibly sharp in the Community Shield, scoring a low xG chance from outside the area. He later missed a couple of easier chances – but the fact he is getting them is the important part. I won’t be starting the season with Ekitike, but once the window closes he could become a very good pick if the move for Isak does not materialise. Either way, he looks a good signing for Liverpool and will be heavily involved this season.

Cody Gakpo – £7.5m

Gakpo looks nailed on Liverpool’s left, following the recent exits of both Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. At £7.5m, he represents excellent value and a cheaper way into the champions frontline. I expect Liverpool to do more business in attacking areas before the window closes, but if they don’t then he becomes a fantastic pick. Much like Ekitike, I’m happy to wait early on and see how things shape up after GW3 when the window is closed and Liverpool have two tougher fixtures out the way.

Anyone Else?

There aren’t any other assets that are an option to start the season, but players like Bradley (£5.0m) and Mamardashvilli (£4.5m) could be great options later in the season if they end up with prolonged runs in the team due to either injury or preference.

Concluding Thoughts

I will likely start the campaign with only Salah in my side, as I’m happy to wait a couple of weeks and attack any Liverpool opportunities that open up ahead of Burnley (A) in GW4. If I was going for more options, my second choice would be Wirtz, and then Virgil, who I think are both capable of starting the season well.

Hopefully this breakdown gave you some food for thought ahead of GW1 and helped clarify which Liverpool assets are worth backing for the start of the 25/26 FPL season.