Arsenal kept a very solid clean sheet in their first game of the season, conceding only 0.2 xG to newly promoted side Coventry City.
It looks as if we can count on their defensive reliability once again this year, although nothing is ever certain in FPL. But with Gabriel priced up at £8m and being heavily outscored by the cheaper Calafiori and White, the question is, who is the best Arsenal defender for FPL?
If you’re looking to buy an Arsenal defender, either for GW2 or GW3, the choices are certainly there – there are three prominent players to choose from. In this article, we compare all three and ultimately find who the best defender is and why.
Fixtures
Given that Arsenal are so good defensively, there is no ‘bad time’ to jump on their defence. If you don’t have any of their defenders, you are going to be losing points every time they keep a clean sheet. If you decide to wait till you Wildcard, that’s fine – it’s not normally worth it to make a transfer in GW2. But you will be losing some points in the meantime.
Given Aston Villa’s 4-0 loss to Brighton, and Sunderland crumbling late on to Ipswich, it’s safe to assume that Gameweeks 2 and 4 will not be a major threat to Arsenal’s defence. Chelsea visit the Emirates in GW3. You could play a Free Hit if you have Arsenal defence, but if you don’t have any, this might be a good week to hide behind the sofa. They could, of course, still get a clean sheet quite easily.
Gabriel – £8.0m
Gabriel’s performances against Coventry and in the Community Shield left a lot to be desired for his price tag. He had 11 defensive contributions across both games (4 against Coventry, 7 in the other) and didn’t have much goal threat or assist potential.
He doesn’t seem to be as good an option this year, considering last season his main benefits were defensive contribution threat and goal threat. Last year he grabbed 8 goal involements from 4.69 xGI, showing that attacking returns are expected to dry up, especially as the PGMOL tighten rules regarding corners.
If someone were to ask ‘White, Calafiori or Gabriel?’ then the only case for Gabriel is that he is first choice, and nailed on 90 for Arsenal. But then, White is pretty nailed too while Timber is out, and Calafiori is first choice anyway (although his minutes are not as secure).
Overall, Gabriel is the worst out of the three – overpriced, not likely to get attacking returns, and struggling for defensive contributions. Calafiori and White could cover his clean sheet potential while providing far more points through attacking returns and in White’s case, DEFCON.
Calafiori or White?
So with Gabriel somewhat out of the picture, the question becomes – Calafiori or White, who is constantly playing 90 in Timber’s absence?
Riccardo Calafiori – £5.6m
Calafiori is the first of the three players to rise in price, despite having been outscored by Ben White.
Calafiori is the highest owned player in Arsenal’s defence. The Italian is owned by 41.7% of all FPL managers. He has attacking prominence in Arsenal’s front line as an advanced fullback, but his crucial problem is his minutes guarantee. He has only played 90 minutes for Arsenal TWICE in 2026, which is a real dampener to his goal and assist potential as well as his defensive contribution potential. Indeed, he could even lose out on a clean sheet if he is hooked before 60. It’s why Ben White may be a better option, as he plays 90, gets more DEFCON, and recorded 0.39 xGI to Calafiori’s 0.13.
Ben White – £5.5m
Ben White, then, becomes Arsenal’s best option. He played 90, against both City and Coventry, is first choice with no threat (Calafiori has Hincapie), and hit 11 defensive contributions against City.
Calafiori or Gabriel?
If you already have have White and you want another Arsenal defender, the choice of ‘Calafiori or Gabriel?’ is quite simple – just go for the former. 2.5m cheaper is only one of his benefits we have already covered.
But in conclusion, here is the order of Arsenal defenders’ value and why you should pick them:
- Ben White – nailed for 90, best for attacking returns, and has solid defensive contributions too. Better than Calafiori or Gabriel.
- Riccardo Calafiori – not nailed for 90 or as good for defcon, but is alright. Only concern is minutes, making White a better option.
- Gabriel – unlikely to see last year’s heights again. Overpriced and not worth it.
- FPL chip strategy – Why Wildcarding in Gameweek 6 could be a trap in FPL – and which other week stands out
- A detailed look at Coventry City in FPL
- 9 of the BEST FPL cheap players and bargains for the new 26/27 season!
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