Manchester City’s most-popular Dream Team assets missed out against Bournemouth but Jeremy Doku went BIG

MANCHESTER CITY vs Bournemouth promised a wealth of Dream Team points and the most one-sided match-up in English football delivered.

But not in the way many Dream Team managers predicted.

Pep Guardiola’s side scored six goals at the Etihad but Erling Haaland (£7.6m) had to settle for just the one point as he was substituted at half-time with an ankle niggle after missing out on the fun in the first 45 minutes.

The next most-popular City assets in the world of Dream Team after the Norwegian poacher are Kyle Walker (£3.5m), Julian Alvarez (£4.6m) and Ederson (£3.6m) – all three registered just two points each.

It’s rare that a team’s four most-selected players all miss out when the side in question wins 6-1 but that’s exactly what happened on Saturday.

However, Haaland and Alvarez’s loss was Jeremy Doku’s (£3.9m) gain.

The tricky winger produced an exhibition in front of his home fans, directly contributing to FIVE of the six goals for 21-point return.

At the time of writing, he’s comfortably Gameweek 11’s top performer.

The Cherries held relatively firm for half an hour before Doku opened the scoring after a neat one-two with Rodri (£4.1m).

Once the floodgates were open, the 21-year-old toyed with Andoni Iraola’s beleaguered troops, showing off his quick feet and devastating acceleration.

He went on to register FOUR assists, setting up Manuel Akanji (£4.4m), Phil Foden (£4.5m) and Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) twice.

Doku made his name with his dribbling ability but, after the game, Guardiola made a point of highlighting his contribution to the team’s approach play.

The Belgium international’s acceleration and willingness to take on defenders is what makes him entertaining but it was his composed decision-making in the final third that made him so effective against Bournemouth at the weekend.

Doku’s 21-point haul has propelled him up to tenth in the Dream Team midfield rankings – he’s now above the likes of Kaoru Mitoma (£4m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£4m) and Declan Rice (£4m).

Juggling Man City assets is a huge aspect of Dream Team as the treble-winners produce so many points between them but Gameweek 11 has been another reminder of how difficult it can be to happen upon the optimum combination.

At the time of writing, Doku appears in just 5.2% of teams – a reflection of his uncertain status in the pecking order.

The ex-Rennes winger has impressed every time he’s taken to the pitch but Jack Grealish (£4.1m) was selected to start the Manchester derby in Gameweek 10 and the latter justified the decision with an accomplished display.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the England international start on the left wing against Young Boys in midweek.

Doku hoards points when he’s on the pitch but the reason for his relatively modest Dream Team ownership is because he’s played just 654 minutes – less than half available.

However, given the electric nature of his start to life on English soil, Doku will surely start more often in the coming weeks and months.

Rotation is inevitable with Guardiola, Dream Team gaffers know that better than anyone, but it’s generally worth the risk as forgoing City midfielders altogether means sacrificing a mountain of points.

It will be interesting to see how many managers recruit Doku ahead of Gameweek 12.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk