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    Score Predictor Tips: Highly-anticipated North London derby headlines intriguing Matchweek – PlayStation 5 up for grabs!

    IT’S obvious which fixture headlines Score Predictor in Matchweek 6, Sunday’s highly-anticipated North London derby.The mouthwatering clash at the Emirates will go a long way to determining which user claims this week’s top prize of a PlayStation 5 but there are four other match-ups and each deserves careful consideration.

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    How many this week, Erling?Credit: Getty
    Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
    It’s difficult to envisage anything other than a routine win for Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable machine on Saturday, isn’t it?
    Steve Cooper’s side addressed their terrible away record with a win at Stamford Bridge prior to the international break but a trip to the Etihad is another challenge entirely – it’s arguably the most difficult fixture in world football at the moment.
    Erling Haaland and company continued their perfect start to the season with a sixth consecutive victory against Red Star Belgrade in midweek while Forest could only muster a draw at home to Burnley last time out.
    Sadists may be tempted to predict a cricket score but Forest have only conceded seven goals in five league outings – just five teams boast a better defensive record – so they have it in them to put up some resistance.
    Still, it’s City at home…
    Our Prediction: 3-0 to Man City
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    Erik ten Hag desperately needs a response from his team this weekendCredit: Getty
    Burnley v Manchester United
    All is not well with the Red Devils.
    There’s no disgrace losing 4-3 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena but Wednesday night’s Champions League encounter was yet another fixture in which Erik ten Hag’s men were outclassed.
    We accurately called Man United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in Matchweek 4 and came close to doing the same last time out when we tipped Brighton to win 2-1 at Old Trafford – a pair of predictions that earned 15 points in the world of Score Predictor.
    However, we’re backing them to earn a much-needed win this weekend at Turf Moor.
    The Clarets have one point from a possible 12 and have conceded more goals than any other team in the league – surely Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund will exploit such a fragile defence?
    Although, between Andre Onana’s (£3.7m) form and injury absentees in defence, clean sheets will be hard for Man United to come by for the foreseeable future.
    Our Prediction: 2-1 to Man United

    Must-see TVCredit: Dream Team
    Arsenal v Tottenham
    The big one.
    Both sides are undefeated in the Premier League this season having won four times and drawn once.
    The Gunners continue to impress having taken Man City to the distance last term while Spurs have been given a new lease on life by Ange Postecoglou.
    Arsenal have home advantage but they played against PSV in midweek while their rivals have had all week to prepare for Sunday’s main event.
    Only Brighton and City have scored more league goals than Spurs’ 13 at this stage and with both teams keen on sustaining attacks, it should be an enthralling contest conducive to goals at both ends.
    Score Predictor users are generally torn between a narrow home win and a draw with 40% opting for an entertaining 2-2 – we like the sound of that.
    Our Prediction: 2-2 draw
    Mohamed Salah has created the most big chances this seasonCredit: Alamy
    Liverpool v West Ham
    It’s a shame this one kicks off at the same time as the North London derby as it has the makings of an entertaining encounter.
    Jurgen Klopp’s side tend to start slowly (to put it mildly) before coming on strong in the second half but there’s a sense that teams could punish their sleepy openings to a greater extent.
    Despite some wobbles, the Reds are undefeated in 16 games and their firepower in attack provides a serious test of fortitude for any opponent.
    The Hammers have tasted defeat this season but only to Man City and they gave a good account of themselves in that one too.
    David Moyes has already overseen spirited wins against Chelsea and Brighton – his side had to dig deep in both those games and they’ll need to do the same to get something at Anfield.
    Liverpool play LASK in Austria this evening while West Ham have the benefit of a home Europa League fixture against Serbian outfit Backa Topola.
    Score Predictor users are confident of a home win but we can’t help but feel the visitors’ fighting spirit is being somewhat underestimated.
    Our Prediction: 2-2 draw
    Newcastle just about held firm in MilanCredit: Getty
    Sheffield United v Newcastle
    The Blades have conceded the most chances from set-pieces this season and so they may it difficult to deal with Kieran Trippier’s dead-ball deliveries with units like Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Alexander Isak lurking with intent.
    More generally, it’s been a tough start to the campaign for Paul Heckingbottom’s troops with just one point from a possible 15.
    They looked to have upset the odds in North London last weekend before Spurs broke their hearts with two late goals.
    The Magpies have registered two clean sheets in a row and while they were helped out by some wasteful Milan finishing, Eddie Howe will be pleased to see his defence tightening up – that was key feature of their 2022/23 campaign.
    Newcastle are more vulnerable away from home but a trip to Bramall Lane has to be considered a favourable match-up on current form.
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    Our Prediction: 2-0 to Newcastle

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    Which midfielders have registered the most shots on target so far this season?

    ONE of the main changes to Dream Team’s scoring system this season concerns shots on target.Players are now rewarded with one point every time they test (or beat) the opposition’s goalkeeper.
    While this will never be an asset’s primary method of earning points, it’s certainly something gaffers should bear in mind when devising their strategies.
    With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the midfielders who have registered the most shots on target so far this season.

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    Not shy of a shotCredit: Getty
    MOST SHOTS ON TARGET AMONG MIDFIELDERS:

    James Maddison (£4.3m) – 11
    Martin Odegaard (£5m) – 11
    Rodri (£4.2m) – 9
    Arnaut Danjuma (£2.4m) – 7
    Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) – 7
    Pascal Gross (£3.9m) – 7
    Bryan Mbeumo (£3.8m) – 7
    Pape Matar Sarr (£2.2m) – 7

    Fittingly ahead of the North London derby, Tottenham and Arsenal’s respective attacking midfielders lead the way.
    Spurs’ No10 has led the way pretty much from the off in this metric as the centrepiece around which Ange Postecoglou’s dynamic side now revolve.
    Whereas the Gunners’ captain upped his challenge this past Gameweek with five shots on target across his two fixtures – one of them resulted in a goal against PSV.
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    It’s interesting that Odegaard is leading Bukayo Saka (£6.2m) in this regard as many observers would name the England winger as the slightly superior goal threat – the stats suggest the reverse is true.
    That’s not to say Arsenal’s homegrown No7 is the neccessarily the worse Dream Team asset of two, he has 55 points to the Norway international’s 47 overal.
    However, some gaffers may be tempted to swap Saka for Odegaard to free up some extra cash to invest elsewhere while maintaining a strong goal threat from Arsenal’s ranks.
    Odegaard came to the fore in Gameweek 5Credit: Alamy
    Rodri’s podium position in this ranking is an intriguing development.
    The classy Spaniard is a holding midfielder on paper but, such is the extent of Manchester City’s superiority over most their opponents, he spends a lot of time in advanced positions.
    The 27-year-old is a composed shooter as well, best evidenced by his pinpoint Champions League final winner and most recently by his cool finish against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night.
    Rodri has scored three goals already this season and it’s clear he feels more comfortable trying his luck – he often takes up threatening positions on the edge of the box against teams that sit deep.
    Stat alert: Rodri has registered as many shots on target as Phil Foden (£4.3m), Jeremy Doku (£3.4m), Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) and Jack Grealish (£4.4m) combined after five Gameweeks.

    Danjuma is generously categorised as a midfielder as he’s actually playing as a forward for Everton – though Dream Team bosses are justifiably hesitant to back the Toffees on current form.
    Only Erling Haaland (£8.2m) has taken more shots in the Premier League than Eze this season.
    Given that remarkable fact, it’s rather surprising Crystal Palace’s No10 has only scored one goal – although it should be noted that he’s not afraid to try his luck from distance.
    The Eagles’ star has compensated for his inefficient shooting with a deluge of bonus points, 17 of them to be precise, more than any other player.
    A ‘midfielder’ in the loosest possible senseCredit: Dream Team
    Mbeumo’s presence in this list is predictable as much like Danjuma, he’s essentially a forward – he takes Brentford’s penalties too.
    Gross is an interesting inclusion as many Dream Team gaffers would probably assume Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m) and Solly March (£3.8m) are Brighton’s leading goal threats from midfield.
    That pair remain perfectly viable selections but the numbers suggest the Seagulls’ experienced German belongs in the same conversation.
    Lastly, it’s another byproduct of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics, the ever-developing Sarr.
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    The 21-year-old, who is very affordable, has scored one goal and provided an assist but he’s just Spurs’ fourth-best midfielder at this stage – Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski (£3m) and Yves Bissouma (£3m) have all got more points.

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    Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 6 – more returns expected for bonus point hoarder Eberechi Eze

    GAMEWEEK 6 is a deceptive one for Dream Team gaffers to negotiate.On the surface, 17 of the 20 Premier League teams are set to pull double duty, making it the busiest Gameweek of the season so far.
    However, heavy rotation is to be expected in the midweek Carabao Cup fixtures, especially among the eight clubs balancing European commitments on top of the domestic schedule.
    Generally, it’s probably best to ensure your XI is set up for the next allotment of continental fixtures in Gameweek 7, when the majority of key players will be expected to start two games.
    However, that’s not to say there won’t be substantial points up for grabs in the coming days.
    Allow us to suggest some transfer recommendations…

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    UnplayableCredit: Reuters
    Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)
    We mentioned the Argentine forward in last week’s transfer suggestions article but it’s worth repeating because he’s just plundered 29 points in Gameweek 5.
    While popular strikers like Alexander Isak (£3.9m) and Nicolas Jackson (£2.6m) continue to frustrate, Alvarez goes from strength to strength – he toyed with Red Star on Tuesday night.
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    Pep Guardiola described the World Cup winner as “almost undroppable” last weekend and with Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) the latest Manchester City star sidelined with injury, the treble-winners’ starting line-up is easier to predict than it has been in quite some time.
    Alvarez has four goals and five assists to his name from six outings and his overall tally of 59 points is only bettered by Erling Haaland (£8.2m) at the time of writing.
    Soaring EagleCredit: DREAM TEAM
    Eberechi Eze (£3.6m)
    Dream Team most passionate bonus point hoarder.
    Crystal Palace’s No10 has earned 17 bonus points in six outings, mostly because of his superb dribbling ability although he also ranks highly for accurate crosses and fouls won.
    Only three midfielders have registered more shots on target and just three midfielders have created more big chances.
    Eze is set to face Fulham at Selhurst Park in Gameweek 6 and while the Cottagers have tightened up in recent weeks, their underlying statistics still make for concerning reading – they give up plenty of chances.
    Not only that, the 25-year-old has a good chance of featuring against Manchester United in midweek – the Eagles don’t have European commitments to fulfil so they might as well give it a go in the domestic cups.
    The Red Devils have been wide open in midfield so far this season, something Eze is well equipped to exploit if given a run out.
    The England international may fall behind some of his rivals when the European games are on but he looks well placed to thrive again this Gameweek.

    Back-to-back clean sheets has catapulted Trippier up the rankingsCredit: Rex
    Kieran Trippier (£5.2m)
    Admittedly, this suggestion is powered by hindsight as it turns out last week was the perfect time to recruit last season’s outright best defender.
    The Newcastle full-back contributed to back-to-back clean sheets against Brentford and Milan – he made some crucial tackles in San Siro as his side were subjected to sustained pressure.
    Trippier banked 17 points to take his overall total to 32 – Cristian Romero (£4.1m) is the only defender with more points at this stage.
    This weekend, Eddie Howe’s men travel to Bramall Lane to face a Sheffield United outfit who have taken just one point from a possible 15 this season.
    Not only that, the Blades have looked vulnerable at set-pieces, one of Trippier’s specialities.
    The 33-year-old could make it three clean sheets in a row with some attacking returns to boot.
    It should be noted that Newcastle play Man City in midweek but that’s a less intimidating prospect in the environment of the Carabao Cup – both managers may opt to give some youngsters a run out.
    Looking slightly further ahead, Trippier starts Gameweek 7 with a home fixture against Burnley.
    SimmeringCredit: Reuters
    Bruno Fernandes (£6.1m)
    Lastly, a mention for the Portuguese playmaker.
    Sure, Man United have problems to solve right now but Fernandes is on the brink of some substantial returns.
    No midfielder has created more big chances and only five players in his position have registered more tackles.
    The Red Devils have lost four games already this season but, in fairness, those defeats have come against relatively strong opposition: Tottenham, Arsenal, Brighton and Bayern Munich.
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    With all due respect, their Gameweek 6 opponents, Burnley and Crystal Palace, aren’t on the same level.
    Plus, Erik ten Hag’s side have got their hardest European fixture (Bayern away) out of the way now.

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    Clock ticking for Alexander Isak as Dream Team’s third-most popular striker blanks again

    FEW Dream Team managers would doubt Alexander Isak’s (£3.9m) general quality but those who used a transfer to recruit the Newcastle striker after Gameweek 1 have been pitifully repaid.The 23-year-old was a relatively popular selection before the season got underway and a 15-point haul against Aston Villa on the opening weekend led to massive surge in popularity.
    He was the second-most popular transfer target ahead of Gameweek 2 but he’s been unable to add to his goal tally since that brace at St James’ Park.
    It’s all gone downhill since the opening weekend of the campaignCredit: DREAM TEAM
    In fact, Isak has mustered just nine points between Gameweeks 2 and 5 with eight of those coming as appearance points.
    Most concerning is the fact he’s registered just one shot on target in his last four games.
    This dip in form is particularly notable as the Sweden international remains the third-most popular striker Dream Team has to offer at the time of writing.
    His ownership of 18.1% is only bettered by cream-of-the-crop assets, Mohamed Salah (£6.6m) and Erling Haaland (£8.2m).
    Gameweek 5 felt like a breaking point of sorts for Isak owners.
    He didn’t feature at all at home to Brentford on Saturday with his direct replacement, Callum Wilson (£4.2m), scoring the Magpies’ winner.
    Picked to start at San Siro for Newcastle’s long-awaited return to the Champions League, Isak had little impact on the game as the visitors were put under sustained pressure by Milan for the majority of the game.
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    In a Gameweek when several key players will make the most of the additional European fixture, the Toon’s tall forward produced just two points.
    Isak was relatively anonymous against MilanCredit: AP
    Some of Isak’s backer’s may be tempted to give him one last shot at redemption in Gameweek 6 as Eddie Howe’s side travel to Sheffield United on Sunday (before hosting Manchester City in the Carabao Cup in midweek) but the clock is ticking at a deafening volume.
    To draw an unflattering comparison, Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) started the season at the same price as Newcastle’s No14 but the contest has swung dramatically in the Manchester City forward’s favour since Gameweek 1 concluded.
    The World Cup winner has plundered 59 points in total having taken Red Star Belgrade for 21 just moments after Isak had drawn a blank in Italy on Tuesday night.
    In total, 17 strikers have more points to their name than Isak at this stage, a list that includes the likes of: Zeki Amdouni (£2.3m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£2.5m), Matheus Cunha (£2.4m).
    It’s impossible to justify his popularity given the undeniable statistics.

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    Julian Alvarez joins Erling Haaland at Dream Team’s summit as Pep Guardiola dubs Argentine forward “almost undroppable”

    Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) played second fiddle to Erling Haaland (£8.2m) in his debut season for Manchester City.This campaign, the pair have dovetailed as a fruitful equals to take Dream Team by storm.

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    What a double actCredit: DREAM TEAM
    The prolific Norwegian has continued as the spearhead of Pep Guardiola’s winning machine and while he’s not been at his clinical best, he still has seven goals to his name after six outings.
    As for the Argentina international, he’s flourished in the No10 role, where he’s been able to flex his creative muscles while also providing an additional goal threat.
    And it was Alvarez who inspired City’s inevitable comeback victory against Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) on Tuesday night with a second-half brace.
    The 23-year-old bagged 21 points for his efforts to add to the eight he earned against West Ham at the weekend.
    This 29-point Gameweek haul has rocketed him up the rankings into second overall, fittingly tucked in just behind Haaland.
    Alvarez now has 59 points in total, nine fewer than Haaland, having scored four goals and provided five assists in six games.
    Alvarez has been in superb form so far this seasonCredit: Getty
    Having frequently been named as a substitute last season, few Dream Team bosses would have predicted that the World Cup winner would play every minute of every game across the first five Gameweeks (the Super Cup was not a Dream Team eligible fixture).
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    Kevin De Bruyne’s (£6.7m) injury has played into his hands to some degree and with Jack Grealish (£4.4m) and now Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) also sidelined, Alvarez’s minutes are all but assured for the foreseeable future.
    More than anything, it’s his form that has made him one of the first names on team sheet.
    Guardiola even went as far as to describe Alvarez as “almost undroppable” at the weekend – and that was before he produced the goods again in the Champions League.
    Say no more, PepCredit: Getty
    The general concern for Dream Team managers regarding City assets is that they might suddenly fall foul of Pep Roulette and find themselves on the bench so when the man himself describes one of his players as “almost undroppable” that’s as much of a green light as one could hope for.
    Right now, a front three of Haaland, Alvarez and Mohamed Salah (£6.6m) looks extremely appealing – although credit where it’s due to Odsonne Edouard (£2.8m).
    It’s rare that a Dream Team asset categorised as a striker is such a strong option when they’re playing in a deeper role and are clearly not their team’s primary goal threat but the nature of Man City’s supremacy creates such quirks.
    Where before it was Haaland or Alvarez, now it’s Haaland and Alvarez.

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    Underrated gem Pascal Gross now Dream Team’s most in-form midfielder – overlooked by 98% of managers

    WHAT will it take for Dream Team managers to acknowledge Pascal Gross’ (£3.9m) qualities?Brighton’s No13 currently features in just 1.8% of teams, making him considerably less popular than Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m) and Solly March (£3.8m).
    The latter appears in 10.2% of teams while the Japan international is the fifth-most selected asset in his position overall with an ownership of 19.3%.
    And yet it’s Gross who is the Seagulls’ leading midfielder having moved onto 38 points with another fine performance at the weekend.

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    Grossly underrated!Credit: Getty
    The 32-year-old extended his impressive record against Manchester United when he scored Brighton’s second goal at Old Trafford on Saturday, in some style too.
    A deft feint and shimmy completely foxed Lisandro Martinez (£3.2m) and opened up the necessary space to drill a shot into the net and cement the visitors’ superiority.
    Gross took the Red Devils for nine points when all was said and done to promote himself up to fifth in the overall midfield rankings, with a Europa League fixture against AEK Athens still to come before Gameweek 5 is complete.
    One could waste hours debating the subjective matter of underrated Premier League players but few individuals could mount as compelling a case for themselves as Gross.
    A neat technician and one of the league’s better set-piece takers, he is among several players who have taken their game to another level under Roberto De Zerbi.
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    Gross loves playing at Old TraffordCredit: Reuters
    Gross scored nine league goals last season and with two in five outings already this term he may well hit double figures for the first time in his career come May.
    Mitoma and March are both excellent options too but it’s Gross who leads the way among Brighton midfielders in terms of shots on target, tackles (joint), bonus points and total points.
    So why is being overlooked by 98.2% of Dream Team bosses?
    It may simply be because he isn’t perceived as being as fashionable as someone like the more youthful Mitoma, a relatively new revelation with a YouTube-friendly highlight reel – not to mention his degree in dribbling.
    Signed in 2017, Gross was a regular for the Brighton outfit that finished closer to the relegation zone than the European places and he wasn’t much of a goalscorer during that time either.
    He’s not particularly fast or athletic and he’s only just made his international debut for Germany – it’s rare for a player to earn their first cap for a top nation in their 30s.
    But Dream Team gaffers should discard a lot of this contextual information – his current numbers don’t lie.
    De Zerbi’s tactics ensure plenty of Dream Team points for Brighton’s best assetsCredit: Reuters
    In fact, Gross is technically the most in-form midfielder Dream Team has to offer right now having averaged 9.7 point-per-game across his last three outings – edging out the likes of Eberechi Eze (£3.6m), Bukayo Saka (£6.2m), James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m) and James Maddison (£4.3m).
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    And the list of midfielders with fewer points than Gross at this stage includes Martin Odegaard (£5m), Rodri (£4.2m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6.1m) – who are all at least ten times as popular as De Zerbi’s reliable lieutenant.
    Gross may play in a deeper role than Mitoma and March but he’s still a key cog in Brighton’s dynamic attacking unit and with Europa League fixtures to bolster his schedule this season, there’s no reason to shy away from the undervalued German.

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    Nicolas Jackson perennially threatening but reality is undeniable – Chelsea striker has only delivered against Luton

    IT’S time for some home truths about Nicolas Jackson (£2.6m).Prior to Gameweek 1, the 22-year-old was hugely popular among Dream Team gaffers because of his affordable price and the cruel twist of fate that sidelined Christopher Nkunku (£4m).
    With the Frenchman ruled out until at least November, Jackson was suddenly seen as Chelsea’s primary attacking threat for the first few months of the season.

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    Jackson has only produced the goods at home to LutonCredit: DREAM TEAM
    However, while the Senegal international has showed considerable potential, he’s largely cast a frustrating figure across the first five Gameweeks.
    Only Erling Haaland (£8.2m) has missed more big chances than Jackson in the Premier League in 2023/24 but the key difference is that Manchester City’s No9 always gets his goal in the end.
    Despite some wasteful outings, the Norwegian poacher has started the defence of his Golden Boot with seven goals in five games whereas the Blues’ No15 has just one goal to show for his efforts.
    Haaland and Bryan Mbeumo (£3.8m) are the only Premier League players with more xG (expected goals) than Jackson so far this season but whereas the former pair have generally converted their chances in line with what the statisticians consider average, the latter has dramatically underperformed.
    In fact, Ollie Watkins (£4.2m) is the only player who has performed worse against his xG than the ex-Villarreal forward at this stage – the Aston Villa man has at least compensated with four assists.
    Too many squandered chancesCredit: Getty
    The data suggests Jackson would only need to improve his finishing ability from wasteful to average to produce healthy returns but Dream Team bosses may feel they can’t afford to wait around for such a progression.
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    Jackson’s backers who have watched Chelsea’s games will know that he poses a constant threat.
    He’s taken up dangerous positions and has been fed favourable chances by the likes of Raheem Sterling (£3.8m) and Enzo Fernandez (£3.3m), giving the impression he’s constantly on the cusp of scoring.
    The reality, however, is undeniable; Jackson has only delivered in one fixture, at home to Luton.
    He took the Hatters for eleven points in Gameweek 3 but he’s mustered just 12 points from his other five appearances.
    Not only that, he’s already incurred four yellow cards and is therefore on the brink of a one-match suspension.
    With an ownership of 8% Jackson remains the eighth-most popular striker in Dream Team but the clock is ticking.
    If he doesn’t provide substantial returns in Gameweek 6 against Aston Villa and/or Brighton then surely his remaining owners will lose patience.

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    No midfielder scored more Dream Team points than “proper winger” Jeremy Doku this weekend

    MANCHESTER CITY maintained their faultless start to the Premier League season with a 3-1 comeback win over West Ham on Saturday.And it was Jeremy Doku (£3.4m) who provided the catalyst for the turnaround in the second half with a wonderful individual goal within a minute of the restart.
    The 21-year-old produced an eye-catching performance that exhibited why the treble-winners forked out £55.5million for him at the back end of the summer transfer window.
    A fearless performanceCredit: DREAM TEAM
    Speaking on the matter after the final whistle, Pep Guardiola said: “It was an unbelievable game. He was a proper winger, have the ball, have the ability to go 1v1. Not just that, he has the quality to read when to make the pass for the next player. I was very happy.”
    It was interesting that the decorated tactician made a point of highlighting Doku as a “proper winger” and his willingness to take on Vladimir Coufal (£2.5m) on both sides.
    This is something that has largely gone out of Jack Grealish’s (£4.4m) game with many fans believing the England international doesn’t take enough risks in possession since his switch to the Etihad.
    It’s worth noting that while Grealish’s developed understanding of Guardiola’s requirements may have limited his individual highlight reel, the 28-year-old was a key contributor to City’s greatest ever season as a collective in 2022/23.
    Still, Doku showed on Saturday how a quick, confident dribbler who excels in one-v-one situations can help Guardiola’s team break down a disciplined defence.
    Sophisticated passing patterns are all well and good but sometimes it’s worth testing out an opposition’s full-back ability to defend in isolated scenarios and the Belgium international is well-equipped to administer such a test.
    He’s still very much a raw talent but inexperience can actually be a benefit for players in his position, fearlessness is a useful byproduct.
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    Man City’s latest playthingCredit: Getty
    On Saturday, Doku attempted eight dribbles with five of them being successful – no other player on either side attempted more than three.
    Naturally, Doku’s electric display against the Hammers translated to Dream Team success as he pouched 12 points when all was said and done.
    At the time of writing, he’s the joint-top scoring midfielder in Gameweek 5, alongside Douglas Luiz (£2.6m) and James Ward-Prowse (£3.8m).
    The ex-Rennes winger would have been outright top had Erling Haaland (£8.2m) not denied him a deserved assist – the Norwegian poacher squandered several good opportunities before finally getting his customary goal.
    Both Doku and Guardiola admitted that the former’s debut against Fulham prior to the international break was “shy” but his most recent display was brimming with confidence and Dream Team managers would have taken note.
    Alvarez has been brilliant for City so far this seasonCredit: Getty
    Gaffers should know to go with the flow where City assets are concerned by now.
    Take Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) for example; previously unfeasible because of the time he spent sitting on the bench as Haaland’s understudy, the World Cup winner has come to the fore this term as one of his side’s most influential players in the No10 role – with 38 points to show for his efforts.
    Similarly, if Doku is to get a run of games on the left wing (Grealish is sidelined with injury for now) then he may well prove to be a smart selection.
    The exciting midfielder features in just 0.8% of teams right now – definitely one to watch!

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