Fantasy Premier League

Clubs to target in FPL: Liverpool

24 Jun 2023

The Scout assesses the best Reds stars to consider for their kind long-term run of matches

The Scout assesses the sides with the most favourable opening schedules in 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.

Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s side have an extended run of favourable opponents that can make their key players must-haves for the opening months of the campaign.

Liverpool will face only one of last season’s top-five sides in the first 12 Gameweeks, with that solitary match coming when they travel to Newcastle United in Gameweek 3.

Liverpool's first 12 fixtures

GW	Opp.	FDR*	GW	Opp.	FDR*
1	CHE (A)	3	7	TOT (A)	3
2	BOU (H)	2	8	BHA (A)	3
3	NEW (A)	4	9	EVE (H)	2
4	AVL (H)	3	10	NFO (H)	2
5	WOL (A)	2	11	LUT (A)	2
6	WHU (H)	3	12	BRE (H)	3

*Fixture Difficulty Rating (1= easy, 5= hard)

Here are three players who could thrive during that opening run of fixtures.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

A change of tactics towards the end of the last campaign helped Alexander-Arnold get back to his best.

Moved into central midfield, he scored once and supplied seven assists across the Reds’ final 10 matches.

His new position for both club and country could be reflected in Fantasy, with the England star possibly being reclassified as a midfielder instead of a defender in 2023/24.

While he would no longer earn points for clean sheets, Alexander-Arnold’s numbers in his new role still look very encouraging for attacking returns.

During the period when he was deployed in midfield, his 15 shots ranked fourth among team-mates, while his 23 key passes and nine big chances created both placed first.

Virgil van Dijk

The Dutchman could prove the best Liverpool pick at the back this season as a result of Klopp's tactical change.

Jurgen Klopp’s new 3-2-2-3 formation has dented the attacking potential of Andrew Robertson, with the Scot playing on the left side of a back three rather than in his customary left-back spot.

That can make Van Dijk the Merseysiders’ go-to defender for 2023/24.

The centre-back’s threat from set-pieces adds to his appeal. His 27 shots in the box and 22 headed shots both put him among the top four defenders in Fantasy last season.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool’s change of formation helped the Egyptian return to his very best.

Salah was the top-scoring player in Fantasy from Gameweek 30 onwards, earning 78 points thanks to seven goals and five assists.

Notably, his 40 shots and 38 shots in the box were both more than double the total of any team-mate, highlighting his role as the focal point of the Reds' attack.

Salah's potential for huge hauls, combined with Liverpool’s kind long-term schedule, suggests he will be a popular premium pick for managers’ opening squads in Fantasy.