DREAM TEAM managers are spoiled for choice at this time of year.
Come Friday morning, there will only be one relevant European fixture (Chelsea v Shamrock Rovers in Gameweek 15) to consider until mid-January.
A pause to the continental competitions evens out Dream Team’s fixture list, boosting the viability of dozens of players from clubs not active in Europe this season.
Take Eberechi Eze (£5m) for example.
It’s difficult for gaffers to justify selecting Crystal Palace’s No10 when he’s got just one game a week in which to strut his stuff while midfielders from Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United are regularly in action twice because of European commitments.
We haven’t included Chelsea in that list because Enzo Maresca has tended to rotate almost his entire team for Conference League match-ups, minimising double headers for his players.
However, no team has more fixtures to fulfil than the Eagles between Gameweeks 15 and 19 as it stands.
For that to still be the case after Gameweek 15, Oliver Glasner will have to mastermind an unlikely upset against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals but the point is that Eze is not hindered by the same fixture deficit as he has been lately.
The England international’s return of four goals and four assists might look modest compared to the numbers posted by the likes of Cole Palmer (£6m) and Bukayo Saka (£6.7m) but the key stat to focus on is his average of 7.6 points-per-game.
Only three midfielders boast superior averages at the time of writing and the long list of those below Eze in the metric includes Bruno Fernandes (£6.2m), Brennan Johnson (£3.9m), Luis Diaz (£4.1m) and many other popular selections.
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Despite being limited to 15 appearances in 2024/25, Eze has earned 19 bonus points, a tally bettered by only seven other players in his position – he racked up plenty last season too.
His play style virtually guarantees successful dribbles, accurate crosses and fouls won, a reliable recipe for bonus points.
The 26-year-old mustered just two points against Manchester City last time out but he notched 13 points in Gameweek 13 upon his return from injury.
Looking ahead, it would be a stretch to say Palace’s fixtures are favourable, especially with a double header against the Gunners coming up, but Eze should at least be considered among the potential options for the next month or so.
CRYSTAL PALACE FIXTURES FROM GAMEWEEK 15 TO GAMEWEEK 19:
- Brighton (a) – Premier League
- Arsenal (a) – Carabao Cup
- Arsenal (h) – Premier League
- Bournemouth (a) – Premier League
- Southampton (h) – Premier League
- Chelsea (h) – Premier League
- Stoke (h) – FA Cup
- Leicester (a) – Premier League
Encouragingly, Glasner has started his star man in the domestic cup competitions this season, whereas many of the top-tier midfielders are rested, so minutes should not be an issue.
Even if Eze doesn’t appeal, Dream Team bosses should note the schedule pivot and how it opens up other avenues to points across the festive period.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
