Once again, Manchester City will finish the season as the team with the most Dream Team points among the 20 eligible clubs.
When analysing the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s side, the temptation is to focus solely on Erling Haaland’s (£10.1m) record-breaking exploits.
And that’s understandable given the Norwegian poacher’s tally of 52 goals in all competitions and his mountainous total of 432 Dream Team points.
However, while the Premier League Golden Boot winner has undoubtedly spearheaded City’s campaign, the extent of their midfield dominance can hardly be understated.
Sure, Bruno Fernandes (£7.2m) may be the leading asset in his position having amassed 283 points, thanks in no small part to a dozen Star Man awards.
But in terms of sheer quantity, City reign supreme with six representatives inside the top 16 midfielders.
MANCHESTER CITY’S TOP SIX MIDFIELDERS
- Kevin De Bruyne (£8.6m) – 252 points
- Riyad Mahrez (£6.3m) – 197 points
- Phil Foden (£5.6m) – 186 points
- Jack Grealish (£5.2m) – 145 points
- Ilkay Gundogan (£3.8m) – 144 points
- Rodri (£3.7m) – 134 points
It’s remarkable that City’s sixth-best midfielder has more points than Alexis Mac Allister (£3.8m), Eberechi Eze (£4.4m), James Ward-Prowse (£3.6m) and James Maddison (£5.5m) – a talented quartet of viable options.
Another measure of the double winners’ depth is the fact Gundogan, who has tapped into truly masterful form at the back end of the season, is just the Etihad’s fifth-best midfield asset in 2022/23.
Most read in Football
The German technician shocked Wembley with an instantly iconic volley within 15 seconds of kick-off in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
The 32-year-old then cemented his class with a left-footed volley (albeit not as cleanly executed) in the second half which proved to be the cup-winning goal.
Naturally, Gundogan claimed the Star Man award in north-west London to bank 18 points in one fell swoop.
He’s earned 56 points in his last six outings and has been a genuine difference-maker throughout the season’s final Game Weeks.
Pretty much every top Dream Team gaffer has Haaland in their XI so in essence, the striker’s returns haven’t affected mini-league standings in months but Gundogan appears in just 8.2% of teams – his owners have benefited hugely in recent weeks.
More broadly, gaffers who have juggled City’s numerous midfield stars effectively have reaped the rewards but those who stuck by Foden and Mahrez during their relatively inactive spells will have been immensely frustrated.
Dream Team managers will no doubt have to solve this problem again next season as the theme of multiple City midfielders at the top of the rankings has been consistent over the last three or four years now.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
