Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 23 – gaffers to go all-in on Manchester City’s double header

RARELY has Dream Team been as one-dimensional as Gameweek 23.

Customarily, there are all sorts of factors to consider when making transfers with several viable options from multiple clubs but this week it’s all eyes on Manchester City.

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Pep Guardiola’s side are the only team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23 by virtue of their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

Before that, the defending champions host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime and so it may even be the case that some gaffers are able to sniff out team news before the 11:30am deadline.

The extra fixture combined with City’s ominous form essentially leaves Dream Team bosses with little option but to go all-in on Guardiola’s troops in Gameweek 23.

And this isn’t a short-term strategy either as City are set for FOUR consecutive double Gameweeks.

It should go without saying that Erling Haaland (£7.6m), Phil Foden (£5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) are the must-have assets.

But three is probably the absolute minimum number of City players required this coming Gameweek so let’s analyse the other most-viable candidates.

Kyle Walker (£3.1m)

City have found clean sheets curiously hard to come this season but it’s surely worth backing the experienced right-back to produce the goods across two fixtures.

The Toffees keep it relatively tight at the back but only Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer league goals this campaign.

City are also 1/4 to beat Copenhagen in midweek and those odds suggest heavy one-way traffic in the visitors’ favour.

Is it too greedy to hope for two clean sheets in Gameweek 23?

Walker is the defender most immune to rotation but even he’s not fully nailed to start both games, such is Guardiola’s nature.

However, the England international is City’s top-performing defender having earned 115 points to date.

Josko Gvardiol (£3.3m) is close behind on 108 points and is logically the next-best option although some gaffers may feel Ruben Dias (£3.1m) is a safer bet to start both fixtures.

Ederson (£2.6m)

If the threat of Pep Roulette creates too much uncertainty in defence then City’s goalkeeper offers a guaranteed route into any potential clean sheets, barring any late injuries of course.

Ederson has underwhelmed in Dream Team this season having only mustered 81 points, a tally bettered by no fewer than nine other players in his position.

But again, if ever there was a Gameweek to back him…

Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)

Monday night’s game between Brentford and City showed that Guardiola is prepared to name Foden, Haaland, De Bruyne and Alvarez is the same starting XI.

The World Cup winner’s minutes are likely to dip going forward but it seems the days of him playing understudy to the Norwegian goal machine are over.

Having scored 13 goals and provided ten assists (not to mention 197 Dream Team points) Alvarez is now firmly a key player at the Etihad and he’s virtually guaranteed substantial minutes across two fixtures this coming Gameweek.

It’s therefore perfectly reasonable for Dream Team managers to pair him with Haaland.

Later down the line it may be the case that there’s only room for one City striker in a competitive XI but the current schedule encourages greed.

Rodri (£3.6m)

There’s no point targeting a double header half-heartedly – it’s all about those extra minutes.

The likes of Jeremy Doku (£3.8m) and Jack Grealish (£3.3m) are awfully tempting, with the former particularly exciting in full flow, but both wingers spend plenty of time sitting on the bench.

Whereas Rodri is an essential cog in Guardiola’s machine – City’s comparatively dismal record without him in the team has been well documented.

Many Dream Team gaffers may still be hesitant to select defensive midfielders but the Spain international has notched six goals and six assists in all competitions this season – a respectable tally.

In fact, only Foden has registered more shots on target than Rodri among City’s midfielders at this stage and of course the latter is comfortably ahead of his team-mates in tackles (worth one point for every two).

Rodri averages 5.5 points-per-game this season so it’s reasonable to expect a double-digit haul from him in Gameweek 23.

The stats suggest the 27-year-old is a superior option to Bernardo Silva (£3.9m) too.

That being said, the temptation to back Doku alongside De Bruyne and Foden in hope of an explosive haul is an understandable one – the Belgium international has previously shown he doesn’t need much time on the pitch to make an impact.

Most Dream Team bosses will be going hard on Man City this Gameweek but there are multiple player combinations available.

Strike the right balance and you’ll zoom up the rankings!

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk