MANY Dream Team managers use the fixture list as a guide when making their transfers.
It’s simply true that certain teams tend to give up more points than others and there’s no more favourable opponent in the Premier League this season than Southampton.
Saints have mustered just nine points since their promotion to the top flight.
They have also scored the fewest league goals (19) and conceded the most (57) with the campaign now two thirds complete.
It’s therefore logical that Dream Team bosses in search of plentiful points should always consider which players are most likely to take advantage of Ivan Juric’s beleaguered troops in any given Gameweek.
Looking forward to Gameweek 25, Southampton are due to host Brighton at the weekend before travelling to Chelsea three days later.
Cole Palmer’s (£5.9m) owners will be expecting big things from that match-up at Stamford Bridge but might there be healthy returns on offer from the Seagulls this coming Gameweek?
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have bounced back from their 7-0 trouncing at the hands of Nottingham Forest with back-to-back wins over Chelsea, first in the FA Cup then in the league.
Kaoru Mitoma (£3.6m) scored in both victories over the Blues, his latest strike being a Goal of the Season contender because of a magnificent first touch that brought Bart Verbruggen’s (£2m) long ball forward under control.
The Japan international is probably the best option for gaffers tempted by the prospect of backing a Brighton asset against Southampton; he boasts the highest points tally (154) and points-per-game average (5.5) among his team-mates.
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However, it’s Georginio Rutter (£3.2m) who leads the way for goal involvements with seven goals and five assists to his name.
The 22-year-old features in just 0.2% of teams at the time of writing and has to be considered an appealing ultra differential ahead of Gameweek 25.
Alternatively, Yankuba Minteh (£2.5m) has tapped into some fine form of late.
The former Newcastle winger banked 19 points via a brace on Friday night – only Manchester City’s hat-trick hero Omar Marmoush (£4.4m) has earned more points in Gameweek 24 as it stands.
More broadly, Minteh has gained 45 points across five outings since the start of Gameweek 20.
All evidence suggests he is perfectly capable of bagging a double-digit haul at St Mary’s this coming Saturday.
Brighton’s second fixture in double Gameweek 25 is a home game against high-flying Bournemouth, a tough test at this point in time.
However, the Seagulls did beat the Cherries in the reverse fixture back in November and, besides, their midweek commitment could be seen as something of a free hit if Mitoma and company milk Southampton for plentiful returns at the weekend.
Gaffers really are spoiled for choice in Gameweek 25!
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
