THE international break allows Dream Team managers time to pause and take stock of the season.
With the FA Cup semi-finals confirmed and the European competitions deep into knockout territory, only a handful of teams boast a busier schedule than those purely focused on Premier League commitments.
Gaffers should target these additional fixtures but they should also be aware of which players boast high points-per-game averages with the schedule set to level out in April.
With that in mind, allow us to present the strikers with the best points-per-game ratios in 2022/23…
8. Darwin Nunez (£5.2m)
- 3.9 points-per-game
- 125 total points
The Uruguay international has copped more than his fair share of stick in recent months and, truthfully, most the complaints about his wastefulness in front of goal throughout the first half campaign were justified.
However, it’s probably fair to say that the 23-year-old was also misunderstood at first – he certainly wasn’t given enough credit for the constant threat he posed.
Even accounting for a host of squandered chances, Nunez averages a goal or assist every 118.9 minutes for Liverpool to date – that’s good going for a raw player expected to improve over the next year or two.
The Reds’ defence has been more vulnerable that usual this term but they still pack a punch going forward – only three teams have scored more Premier League goals and they netted 19 in the Champions League as well, before they were eliminated by Real Madrid.
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Jurgen Klopp’s side face a tough little run after the break (Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal) but once that’s done they play five relegation candidates in their last eight games – Nunez could run amok to finish on a high.
=6. Evan Ferguson (£3m)
- 4 points-per-game
- 64 total points
We waxed lyrical about Brighton’s promising wonderkid in an just article yesterday so we won’t delve too deep into the details again.
The headline news is that the 18-year-old has blended style and substance in his breakout season having registered ten goal involvements in 16 appearances since he became a first team regular in December.
The Seagulls play enterprising football that produces plentiful chances and if Ferguson can lock down a starting spot next season, with some European fixtures to pad out his schedule, he could be a smart value-for-money option.
Keep an eye on his returns next month too.
=6. Rodrigo (£3.8m)
- 4 points-per-game
- 96 total points
An injury setback evidently didn’t cause the Spaniard to lose his goalscoring touch as he provided the final blow of Leeds’ 4-2 win over Wolves at the weekend in just his second substitute appearance since January.
Given that the 32-year-old has scored 13 goals at a rate of one every 113.2 minutes in 2022/23, Javi Gracia will surely reinstall him in the starting line-up for the next game.
No self-respecting Dream Team gaffer would put their faith in Leeds’ defence but they’ve scored plenty more goals than all their relegation rivals bar Leicester.
It’s worth noting that Rodrigo averages more points-per-game than Leandro Trossard (£3.9m), Gabriel Martinelli (£3.6m) and the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic (£3.8m) this season.
5. Harry Kane (£7.8m)
- 5.3 points-per-game
- 205 total points
A massive jump here as we’re introduced to the elite bracket by Tottenham’s all-time top scorer.
The north London club’s season may have crumbled to pieces in the last month but nobody can accuse Kane of slacking – he’s the Premier League’s second-top scorer with 21 goals at this stage.
A tried-and-tested Dream Team asset, gaffers now take for granted that the England skipper will trundle along at a rate of five points-per-game despite representing a team who, if anything, are drifting further away from a trophy lift.
4. Mohamed Salah (£8.7m)
- 5.5 points-per-game
- 208 total points
Similarly, Liverpool have been well under par this season but their prolific No11 has plundered a double century of points all the same.
Salah made hay in Europe while the sun shined (before Real Madrid derailed the gravy train) with eight goals and two assists in eight continental outings.
A lot of what applied to Nunez is also relevant here although whereas the ex-Benfica forward is a somewhat unpredictable asset, Anfield’s Egyptian King couldn’t be more established – no player has racked up more Dream Team points since Salah’s debut for the Reds six years ago.
3. Ivan Toney (£6.3m)
- 5.7 points-per-game
- 155 total points
What an effort from Brentford’s main man!
This suggests that Toney is likely to outscore Kane and Salah at the back end of the campaign now that Spurs and Liverpool have been eliminated from all cup and European competitions.
That’s assuming all three players maintain their current rate of course, which is far from guaranteed.
But this stat does highlight the 27-year-old’s pedigree and proves his lofty ranking in last season’s game was no fluke.
17 goals and five assists in 27 appearances speaks for itself.
2. Marcus Rashford (£6.7m)
- 5.8 points-per-game
- 256 total points
The Old Trafford hero’s average is hindered by a comparatively pedestrian spell just prior to the World Cup when he mustered 27 points from 11 outings.
However, having flipped a switch in Qatar, Rashford has been on a tear since, amassing 174 points across the last 13 Game Weeks – incredible!
Simply put, Manchester United’s No10 is one of the most in-form players of 2023 on a global scale and with Erik ten Hag’s side hunting further honours in the FA Cup and Europa League, Dream Team bosses will be expecting him to finish the campaign as a triple centurion.
1. Erling Haaland (£9m)
- 9.6 points-per-game
- 344 total points
What you can you? A total outlier, a freak outcome.
The calendar is about to flip over to April and the Etihad’s resident marksman is averaging a shade under TEN points-per-game- obscene.
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Rashford’s aforementioned rampage appeared to put some pressure on Haaland’s status as Dream Team’s top dog for a while but the Norwegian poacher responded with eight goals in four days (an effort that resulted in an influx of 61 points) to remind everyone of his supremacy.
There’s a reason fans and pundits alike were only half-joking when they predicted that Haaland would score 50 goals a season for Pep Guardiola’s side – he’s on 42 with with a possible 18 games still to play if Man City make it to the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
