FPL 2024/25 Lessons: Can Defenders Bounce Back from a Poor Season?
The 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season is done – but not quite dusted. We cover a question many will ponder ahead of the new campaign, can defenders bounce back from a poor season?
In a series of post-Gameweek 38 articles, we’re looking back at some of the main takeaways from the campaign just gone.
This time: another unremarkable year, in general, for FPL defenders.
You can also check out our FPL Team of the Season for 24/25.
LOWEST-SCORING TOP DEFENDER IN OVER 20 YEARS
Josko Gvardiol (£6.5m) leapfrogged Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) to reach the summit of the defenders’ points table on the final day.
A clean sheet for the Croatian took him to 153 points – but that was still the lowest FPL total for a top-scoring defender since the game’s first season in 2002/03.
TOP-SCORING DEFENDER PER SEASON
| Year | Player | Club | Points |
| 2024/25 | Gvardiol, Josko | MCI | 153 |
| 2023/24 | White, Ben | ARS | 182 |
| 2022/23 | Trippier, Kieran | NEW | 198 |
| 2021/22 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV | 208 |
| 2020/21 | Dallas, Stuart | LEE | 171 |
| 2019/20 | Alexander-Arnold, Trent | LIV | 210 |
| 2018/19 | Robertson, Andrew | LIV | 213 |
| 2017/18 | Azpilicueta, César | CHE | 175 |
| 2016/17 | Cahill, Gary | CHE | 178 |
| 2015/16 | Bellerín, Héctor | ARS | 172 |
| 2014/15 | Ivanovic, Branislav | CHE | 179 |
| 2013/14 | Coleman, Seamus | EVE | 180 |
| 2012/13 | Baines, Leighton | EVE | 177 |
| 2011/12 | Evra, Patrice | MUN | 159 |
| 2010/11 | Baines, Leighton | EVE | 178 |
| 2009/10 | Evra, Patrice | MUN | 168 |
| 2008/09 | Vidic, Nemanja | MUN | 187 |
| 2007/08 | Lescott, Joleon | EVE | 196 |
| 2006/07 | Lescott, Joleon Taylor, Matthew | EVE POR | 164 |
| 2005/06 | Terry, John | CHE | 184 |
| 2004/05 | Terry, John | CHE | 196 |
| 2003/04 | Hyypiä, Sami | LIV | 168 |
| 2002/03 | Hyypiä, Sami | LIV | 151 |
There have been 69 defensive spots filled in the 23 end-of-season FPL Dream Teams. Some players, like Alexander-Arnold, have made one than appearance.
Ranking each defender by points, the 2024/25 trio of Gvardiol, Alexander-Arnold and Nikola Milenkovic (£5.2m) rank way down the list in =56th, 63rd and =64th.
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