IT may only be mid-November, but we’ve already entered the THIRD international break of the season…
Hugely frustrating for fans of Premier League football, but incredibly good news for Nations League Ultras. Both of them.
Anyway, we’ve taken this opportunity to bring you a fantasy football curveball by revealing who should be in England’s starting XI based on Dream Team points.
This is obviously the only true way of picking an England side and must be adhered to by interim manager Lee Carsley, Thomas Tuchel and Sam Allardyce when he inevitably returns to the dugout.
Before we get to the XI, a quick note to acknowledge a crucial limitation of our methodology.
Since Dream Team only covers Premier League players, we are forced to omit English players who ply their trade abroad, such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Sorry lads.
GOALKEEPER
Not a hugely competitive area of this squad given there’s only a handful of English goalkeepers starting regularly in the Premier League.
But Newcastle United stopper Nick Pope has edged out Jordan Pickford by 17 points to secure his spot between the sticks.
The 32-year-old has three clean sheets under his belt this season and ranks third for bonus points behind Guglielmo Vicario and Emiliano Martinez. He also boasts a save percentage only bettered by Alisson and Kelleher (80.8%).
DEFENDERS
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Rico Lewis
- Lewis Hall
We’ve evidently gone with the Garth Crooks approach for our defensive set-up.
It’s not a huge surprise to see Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold leading the standings with a bumper 101 points at an average of 6.7 points per game. He’s yet to score but does have eight clean sheets and two assists in 15 appearances in all competitions.
He’s joined by Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, who’s accumulated a sizeable 87 points thanks to his four assists.
Newcastle United full-back Lewis Hall completes the defensive trio after edging out Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa – although they might have been useful in this centre-back-less defence…
MIDFIELDERS
- Bukayo Saka
- Cole Palmer
- Eberechi Eze
- James Maddison
- Dwight McNeil
Again, not the most balanced midfield we’ve seen – but them’s the rules.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer walk into the starting XI courtesy of their combined 235 points this season. The pair also have a combined 23 goal involvements (11 goals, 12 assists).
Saka is Dream Team’s top midfielder on 125 points with Palmer not far behind on 110.
Yes, we’re aware the pair plus a host of others have withdrawn from the England squad through injury – but c’mon – have some imagination people!
Anyway, Eberechi Eze is the next highest-scoring midfielder with 99 points and a whopping 16 bonus points, bettered only by five players on Dream Team.
He’s struggled to replicate last season’s form in the Premier League having provided just one goal and one assist in nine for a struggling Crystal Palace
But he’s fully capitalised in the Carabao Cup with three goals and an assist.
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One of those five players with more bonus points also features in our England team is Tottenham’s James Maddison.
Despite having only completed 90 minutes ONCE for Ange Postecoglou’s side in 15 appearances, he’s still registered three goals and four assists – boasting an average of 6.6 points per game.
Maddison, 27, was not in Lee Carsley’s squad for this month’s games, and has not represented England since he was cut from the Euro 2024 squad by Gareth Southgate just before the summer tournament. In fact he’s only been capped seven times for the Three Lions!
But he’s not the least-capped inclusion in our fantasy XI, that prestigious honour belongs to Everton attacker Dwight McNeil.
Everton’s No.7 has plundered 90 points this season thanks to his four goals and three assists. He ranks FIFTH for chances created in the Premier League – behind Saka, Palmer, Andreas Pereira and Dejan Kulusevski.
FORWARDS
- Dominic Solanke
- Jarrod Bowen
With Harry Kane off in Germany, it falls to Dominic Solanke to spearhead this England attack alongside West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.
Solanke, 27, hasn’t exactly been prolific since his switch to Tottenham but he’s still managed to put 98 points on the board – a figure bettered only by Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.
Solanke has six goals and two assists in his 15 appearances in all competitions and, aside from Salah, has the highest average points tally over the last three game weeks (11.3) thanks to his assist in the Europa League and brace against Aston Villa.
West Ham captain Bowen has narrowly pipped Danny Welbeck and Ollie Watkins to secure the final spot in this experimental England XI. He’s not been prolific either but a steady four goals and two assists leave him with 92 points for the campaign.
Someone ring Lee Carsley and tell him we’ve solved his selection headache.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
