Deja vu as Newcastle defenders soar up Dream Team rankings following demolition of Sheffield United

WE love it when a plan comes together here at Dream Team HQ.

Last week, we tipped Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) as a smart recruit in our weekly transfer recommendations article and even gave him a mention as a captaincy candidate for Gameweek 6.

And how did the 33-year-old repay our faith at the weekend? With an emphatic 17-point haul!

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The primary reason we singled out the Newcastle right-back as such a promising option for Gameweek 6 was his favourable match-up against Sheffield United.

Prior to Sunday’s fixture at Bramall Lane, Paul Heckingbottom’s side had conceded the most xG from set-pieces having allowed their opponents more headed shots from dead-ball situations than any other team in the Premier League.

This was a strong indication that a player of Trippier’s attributes had a relatively strong chance of notching an assist.

As it turned out, he provided THREE assists as the Magpies racked up an astonishing 8-0 victory.

Sure enough, two of the England full-back’s assists came from set-pieces as Dan Burn (£3.6m) and Sven Botman (£3.9m) each nodded home a set-piece delivery within four minutes of each other.

Trippier’s attacking contribution was the headline news but the Blades’ inability to grab a consolation goal was also a factor in his success.

Newcastle have now kept three clean sheets in a row to leave many Dream Team managers experiencing deja vu.

Eddie Howe’s troops dominated the defensive rankings for much of last season and Botman, Burn and Trippier now occupy three of the top four spots in their position this term.

The latter is once again the leading defender in the game having outscored all other assets in his position at the weekend – he’s now one point short of a half-century for the season.

Burn is level with Matty Cash (£2.8m) in joint-second on 40 points with Botman one point behind on 39.

One of the reasons Trippier has carved out a bracket of his own is his tally of 11 bonus points – the most among defenders at this stage.

As you would expect, he’s provided more accurate crosses than any other player in his position and he also ranks highly for successful dribbles and blocks.

And only Pervis Estupinan (£3.4m) has created more big chances than Trippier among defenders.

Newcastle face Manchester City on Wednesday night but that fixture isn’t as intimidating in the environment of the Carabao Cup – both teams are likely to rotate to some extent.

Looking further ahead, Trippier and company will feel confident of adding another clean sheet to their collection in their next league game, a meeting with Burnley at St James’ Park.

Even accounting for PSG’s visit to Tyneside in Gameweek 7, Newcastle defenders look well placed to hold their positions at the top of the rankings until the next international break.

With an ownership of 19.6%, Trippier is currently the fourth-most popular defender in Dream Team but both Botman and Burn, who are considerably more affordable, appear in just 3.9% of teams.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk