Dream Team

LEICESTER won the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 2021 but the club’s fortunes have steadily declined since that impressive achievement.The Foxes finished outside of the European places last season and they’re on track for a bottom-half finish this term having lost 12 of their 21 league fixtures – only Southampton have suffered more defeats.
Brendan Rodgers’ side may have let their standards drop in the last two years but James Maddison (£5.4m) has pulled twice his weight from an individual perspective.
A formidable Dream Team assetCredit: GETTY
Having recently returned from an injury lay-off, the 26-year-old scored upon his first Premier League start since mid-November when he netted against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Leicester’s No10 has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 15 league appearances this season – an immense effort in a struggling team.
Naturally, Maddison’s performances have translated to Dream Team success.
An eight-point haul at Villa Park took his overall total to 76 which puts him 14th among midfielders but the stat to focus on is his average points-per-game of 4.5.
Among midfielders to have played at least three games, Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) is the only asset with a better average than Maddison at the time of writing.
If he can avoid further injury setbacks and enjoy a long run in the team, there should be plenty of points on offer.
Leicester fans will be hoping their No10 can stay fit for the rest of the season
Dream Team managers should always be on the hunt for midfielders who specialise in goal involvements and Maddison fits the bill perfectly.
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The England international (just the one cap to date) scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions last season – there are plenty of out-and-out strikers who looked upon that return with envy.
And the season before that he reached double figures in both metrics too.
Because of his recent injury, Maddison’s ownership currently sits at a very modest 3% so gaffers in need of differential players in hope of gaining ground in their mini-leagues would be wise to consider him.
That being said, Leicester face a tough run of fixtures this month with Spurs, Man United and Arsenal to come in their next three games – although Maddison has a good record against the so-called big six. More

THE maximum amount of strikers you’re allowed in your Dream Team is three… or is it?You have the choice of three formations – 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-4-3 – but there are plenty of players who are not easily categorised when it comes to fixed positions.
These days it’s hard to differentiate between traditional wingers and wide/inside forwards and so some wide players are categorised as midfielders whereas others are lumped into the same bracket as out–and-out strikers such as Erling Haaland (£9.1m), Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.6m), etc.
It’s generally a good idea to take advantage of this grey area by stacking your midfield with the most attack-minded players possible: Riyad Mahrez (£5.9m), Bukayo Saka (£4.2m) and the like.
And sometimes, a particular set of circumstances allows gaffers to perform a neat trick that allows them to select four genuine strikers, if that’s what they desire.
Enter stage rightCredit: GETTY
At the start of the season, Brennan Johnson (£2.3m) was generously categorised as a midfielder.
The Welshman generally played just off a traditional centre-forward during Nottingham Forest’s promotion campaign and so he was deemed to be a No10 and therefore an attacking midfielder.
In reality, Johnson are predominantly been Forest’s most advanced player this season having either led the line solo or acted as one half of an easily identifiable strike partnership.
In simple terms, Johnson is categorised as a midfielder but he’s very much a forward.
Occasional positional quirks are inevitable; Dream Team bosses may remember when Stuart Dallas switched from left-back to centre-midfield during Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League.
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The Northern Ireland international scored eight league goals for Marcelo Bielsa’s enterprising side that campaign, more than Mason Mount, Kevin De Bruyne and Raphinha, all while categorised as a defender.
Halcyon days
Previously, Johnson’s position didn’t really matter because Steve Cooper’s side struggled to string many positive performances together during the first third of the campaign.
However, things are looking up for the two-time European Cup winners.
Forest are undefeated in their last five Premier League games and have fought their way up to 13th in the table, level on points with 12th-placed Crystal Palace.
And Johnson’s improved form has been a key feature of the upsurge.
The 21-year-old has scored five goals and provided two assists in his last 11 games.
On Sunday, his perfectly-executed volley proved to be the difference between Forest and Leeds at City Ground, despite the visitors dominating possession and creating more chances.
Johnson has registered 49 points across the last seven Game Weeks, making him one of Dream Team’s most in-form “midfielders”.
A valid optionCredit: GETTY
Forest’s No20 has struck up a telepathic understanding with Morgan Gibbs-White (£2.5m) with the pair essentially responsible for the team’s entire attacking thrust.
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Dream Team gaffers desperate to pack their XI with as much attacking intent as possible could give themselves a bonus striker by transferring Johnson (0.8% ownership) into their midfield.
At £2.3m he’s cheap as chips too. More

MOST Dream Team gaffers will know that our match ratings are provided by WhoScored.Our data-loving pals use a sophisticated stats-based algorithm to determine which players earn bonus points from 7+ ratings and which individual claims the Star Man award in any given fixture.
Naturally, it makes sense to check in with WhoScored every now and then to see which players are ranking highly.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at their Premier League Team of the Season so far…
GOALKEEPER: Kepa Arrizabalaga (£3.4m)
He’s a keeperCredit: GETTY
Nick Pope (£5.3m) has one finger in the Golden Glove having kept 12 clean sheets, three more than his nearest rival, and with 126 points to his name he’s by far and away Dream Team’s best goalkeeper.
However, it’s Chelsea’s custodian who has the highest average rating (7.22).
Arrizabalaga has impressed since replacing Edouard Mendy (£3.2m), who is as prone to errors as injuries this season, and a run of three consecutive clean sheets has propelled him up to third in the rankings among keepers.
The Spaniard was signed for an enormous transfer fee in 2018 and has largely disappointed but he’s finally showing the kind of form that put him on the map at Athletic Bilbao.
DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£6.6m), Fabian Schar (£4.8m), Ben Mee (£3.4m), Joao Cancelo
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Pope may have missed out on this XI but Newcastle make up half of the back four.
Trippier’s average rating of 7.68 is the second-highest among all players and no asset has claimed more Star Man awards than the England international’s seven at the time of writing.
Schar is second only to his vice-captain among defenders in terms of Dream Team points and so his presence won’t come as much of a surprise – although few if any would have predicted the extent of the Swiss centre-back’s success prior to Game Week 1.
New year, new Mee!Credit: GETTY
We wrote an entire article full of overdue appreciation for Mee’s efforts earlier this week.
The 33-year-old’s appearance in WhoScored’s XI is yet further confirmation of how effectively the ex-Burnley captain has improved Brentford’s defence.
With the Bees pushing for European qualification, Mee has chipped in with three useful goals on top of his reliable performances at the back.
Well, well, well, look who it is at left-back, Manchester City’s recent exile.
Cancelo’s form dropped off a cliff following his return from the World Cup but his average rating of 7.03 underlines how good he was during the first third of the campaign.
The Portugal international earned 99 points before he was loaned to Bayern Munich.
For those who feel Cancelo’s inclusion doesn’t wash, Fulham’s Kenny Tete (£2.7m) has the next-best average rating (7.01) among full-backs.
MIDFIELDERS: Bukayo Saka (£4.2m), Kevin De Bruyne (£7m), Martin Odegaard (£3.4m), Joelinton (£3.7m)
Team of the Year candidate?
League leaders Arsenal provide 50% of the midfield.
Saka and Odegaard have 27 goal involvements between them in the league this season and both have been key contributors to the Gunners’ title charge so far.
The pair’s efforts have translated to Dream Team success without any friction as both are among the exclusive group of just five midfielders with 100+ points to their name at this stage.
De Bruyne leads the way in that regard with a tally of 135 points and his average rating of 7.58 is only bettered by three players.
The Belgian may have slacked off a tad in recent weeks but he’s still the leading assist provider by a comfortable margin – he has 11 in 20 league outings.
Joelinton completes the midfield and while the St James’ Park faithful will say he’s fully deserving of his place for his wholehearted displays, it’s interesting that his consistent performances aren’t reflected in the Dream Team rankings.
72 points represents a decent return for the Brazilian but he’s currently outside the top 15 assets in his position.
It’s worth noting here that had WhoScored not been so strict on positioning, Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) would have filled the final spot in midfield.
FORWARDS: Erling Haaland (£9.1m), Gabriel Jesus (£5.3m)
Injured but not forgotten
Man City’s prolific poacher has the highest average rating (7.7) in the Premier League this season, a fair reflection of his mountainous goal tally.
Haaland has scored 25 goals in 20 league appearances since his move from Borussia Dortmund and probably already has a place on his mantelpiece cleared for the Golden Boot.
His tally of 256 Dream Team points is also ludicrous.
Arsenal’s No9 has been injured for a few weeks now and some Dream Team bosses may have forgotten how influential he was during his side’s flying start.
Jesus scored five goals and assisted five others in his first 14 games but it was the way he linked the attacking unit together that ensured a string of lofty ratings.
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Trippier and Haaland are the only players with a higher average rating than the Brazilian’s 7.6.
Harry Kane (£7.9m) and Ivan Toney (£5.5m) narrowly miss out. More

FEBRUARY sees the return of the European competitions, the continuation of the FA Cup, and the culmination of the Carabao Cup, not to mention the bread and butter of the Premier League.More than ever, Dream Team gaffers need to make sure their XIs are in tip-top shape.
With that in mind, allow us to humbly propose three transfer recommendations.
OUT: Andy Robertson (£4.2m), IN: Luke Shaw (£3.9m)
Liverpool are going through a rough patchCredit: getty
Liverpool are in a right pickle at the moment, so much so that their 3-0 defeat to Wolves at the weekend didn’t come as much of a surprise.
The Reds’ first-choice left-back has provided more than his fair share of points in recent years but he’s mustered just 42 this season.
The extensive list of defenders with more points than Robertson this term includes: Lewis Dunk (£2m), Ryan Sessegnon (£2.3m), Tim Ream (£2.2m), Serge Aurier (£2.6m) and Ben Johnson (£3.4m).
Scotland’s captain remains more popular than Dan Burn (£4.8m) even though Newcastle’s big man is the third-best asset in his position!
Chances are Robertson will come strong again in the future but he’s one of several Liverpool players who simply aren’t worth sticking by during this funk.
In contrast, Manchester United’s results have been categorically encouraging in recent months.
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Currently third in the league and set to recommence European commitments against Barcelona in the Europa League, there are plenty of points to be had backing the Red Devils.
After a flurry of minus points at the start of the campaign, Shaw has amassed 94 across the last 13 Game Weeks.
Lisandro Martinez (£4.6m) may also appeal for those keen on this tactic.
OUT: Miguel Almiron (£3.4m), IN: Martin Odegaard (£3.4m)
The gravy train is off the tracksCredit: getty
Almiron’s brief transformation into a Gareth Bale/Thierry Henry hybrid was fun while it lasted but the Paraguayan winger has seemingly returned to normality.
Having scored seven goals in as many games earlier in the season, he’s now without a goal in his last nine appearances and his underlying numbers have dropped off a cliff too.
The 28-year-old has produced 12 points in his last nine games whereas Odegaard has amassed 52 in the same time frame.
Admittedly, Arsenal’s skipper has blanked three times in a row recently but with eight goals and five assists to his name he’s been one of the standout Premier League players this season.
The Gunners don’t recommence their European campaign until next month but they’ve got four fixtures still to fulfil this month which means their assets are busy enough.
Eddie Howe’s side play three times before the start of March and one of those is the Carabao Cup final against Man United.
OUT: Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.6m), IN: Son Heung-min (£5.1m)
Hear us out…Credit: getty
A big call here.
On the surface, Fulham’s No9 is enjoying a fantastic season while the South Korean superstar is enduring perhaps his worst time in English football.
While that’s true to a certain extent, every Dream Team manager knows that form can be painfully fleeting.
Since the start of Game Week 16, Mitrovic has mustered just one point while Son has pouched 27.
There have been signs in the last two or three outings that Tottenham’s No7 is shaking off his slump which should put gaffers on alert.
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Son is a Dream Team phenomenon when at his best and it’s telling that he’s the sixth-best forward in the game currently despite having been mostly below par.
If the 30-year-old is truly on the rise then this transfer could be extremely well timed but gaffers will need a little extra cash in the bank to make it work. More

THE Premier League have accused Manchester City of breaching over 100 financial regulations.The scale of the charges is unprecedented and so if the reigning champions of English football are ultimately found guilty then the club are likely to face severe punishment.
Some fans of other clubs believe City should be stripped of the titles they won during the given time period, which in this case ranges from before Sergio Aguero’s dramatic winner against QPR to Pep Guardiola’s reign.
However, at this stage it seems more likely that the club would face a significant points deduction, or possibly even expulsion from the Premier League.
No doubt there will be the mother of legal disputes before any action is taken but it’s clear the ramifications of this story could be huge.
Incoming asterisks?Credit: getty
Putting our Dream Team hat back on, City’s expulsion from the top flight would dramatically change the landscape of the game.
Assets under Guardiola’s watch have provided more points than players from any other club in recent years.
Their standards have dropped a tad this season but still there is plenty of City representation at the top of the rankings.
As a thought experiment, let’s take a look into an alternate reality in which the Etihad residents have been removed from Dream Team.
The headline news in this parallel universe is that Marcus Rashford (£5.8m) is the outright top performer this term.
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Man United’s No10 has 190 points to his name, 66 fewer than Erling Haaland (£9.1m) but the prolific Norwegian’s 31 goals have been wiped from the record for the purposes of this article.
Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) has been promoted to second in the rankings, just three behind Rashford on 187 points, and Harry Kane (£7.9m) completes the podium on 166 points.
Don’t look now, Erling…Credit: getty
In the real world, Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) is Dream Team’s leading midfielder.
The brilliant Belgian is the Premier League’s top assist provider by a huge margin (his tally of 11 is four more than his closest rival has mustered) but let’s wave goodbye to his 135 points for now.
Suddenly, Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) is top dog with 133 points – the Portuguese may well claim that status for real relatively soon as he’s in sensational form.
With Riyad Mahrez’s (£5.9m) 103 points eviscerated from existence, Bukayo Saka (£4.2m) has been bumped up to second in the midfield rankings and team-mate Martin Odegaard (£3.4m) takes the bronze medal.
The Arsenal pair have 103 and 101 points respectively.
To really ram home the surreal nature of this alternate reality, consider a world in which Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£3.3m) is the fourth-best asset in his position!
Almost certainly too good for the National LeagueCredit: getty
CURRENT DREAM TEAM MIDFIELD RANKINGS:

Kevin De Bruyne
Bruno Fernandes
Riyad Mahrez
Bukayo Saka
Martin Odegaard
Phil Foden

DREAM TEAM MIDFIELD RANKINGS WITHOUT MAN CITY PLAYERS:
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Bruno Fernandes
Bukayo Saka
Martin Odegaard
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Casemiro
Miguel Almiron

Dream Team bosses should enjoy Man City points while they can! More

THIS article should have been written earlier.We have been aware of Ben Mee’s (£3.4m) healthy Dream Team returns for a while now and probably should have highlighted his viability already but as the old saying goes: better late than never.
The 33-year-old has proved to be a smart recruit for Brentford, adding experience, leadership and reliability to their defence.
He’s also chipped in with three goals in 20 appearances for the Bees so far, his latest coming in the form of a brave header to open the scoring against Southampton on Saturday.
Thomas Frank’s side scored three unanswered goals to register a comfortable victory and move up to seventh in the table.
Mee scooped the Star Man award on top of his goal, clean sheet and 7+ rating to bank 18 points when all was said and done – his best Game Week haul this season.
Buzzing Bee!
The former Burnley centre-back has amassed 34 points in his last three games having contributed to a trio of consecutive clean sheets.
This prosperous run has propelled Mee up the rankings and he’s now the ninth-best defender in Dream Team.
Given that one of the assets above him is Joao Cancelo, who will spend the rest of the campaign on loan with Bayern Munich, Brentford’s No16 is effectively eighth in his position.
At £3.4m, Mee is the cheapest defender currently in the top 15 and his ownership of 2.5% is also the lowest among the same group.
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The slim minority of Dream Team bosses who have backed him (which probably features plenty of Brentford supporters) have been handsomely rewarded for relatively little investment.
Mee deserves huge amounts of credit for his efforts to date, the other names at the top of the defensive rankings include Thiago Silva (£5.8m) and multiple representatives from the top four clubs: Newcastle, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal.
Credit where it’s dueCredit: getty
Whether Mee can maintain his lofty position remains to be seen.
Brentford have no European commitments and were eliminated from the FA Cup by West Ham in the third round, meaning their Premier League games will be their only fixtures for the remainder of the campaign.
Having a singular focus may well help them achieve an impressive league position but, generally speaking, successful Dream Team assets will be active in more than one competition during the second half of the season.
Mee will have to be immense to keep pace with the likes of Lisandro Martinez (£4.6m), Nathan Ake (£4m) and Ben White (£4.8m) if the Manchester clubs and the Gunners go deep in Europe.
At the risk of wishing time away, if the Bees continue their good form and end up qualifying for a European competition then Mee may well be a smart selection in 2023/24. More

JUST one Dream Team gaffer achieved three figures in Game Week 20.Simon Jebson earned 101 points (also known as a Dalmatian) thanks to an extensive array of Manchester United assets.
Let’s see take a closer look at how the Sheffield United fan topped the pile.
No fewer than eight Old Trafford residentsCredit: dream team
David de Gea (£3.9m) was the only one of the eight Red Devils present not to contribute as he missed out on what probably should have been a clean sheet at home to Reading in the FA Cup.
Tom Heaton was given the gloves for the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Lisandro Martinez (£4.6m), Luke Shaw (£3.9m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£3.8m) combined for 21 points, all taken from Steve Cooper’s side in midweek.
Given that Man United are one of just three teams pulling double duty in Game Week 21, Simon could well be in for back-to-back bumper weeks.
Old Trafford hosted the most successful assets in Game Week 20
You would have got incredible odds on Casemiro (£3.8m) and Fred (£2.5m) combining for 42 points in a Game Week this term.
The Brazil internationals generally let their team-mates enjoy the attacking side of the game while they run the hard yards in midfield.
But that all changed this past week as the former Real Madrid favourite scored a brace against the Royals while Fred registered two goals and an assist across the two fixtures.
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Impressively, Casemiro pocketed two Star Man awards to bank 25 points, his highest Game Week haul yet!
In comparison, Bruno Fernandes’ (£5.8m) eight points seem somehow underwhelming but an assist and a pair of 7+ match ratings continued his prosperous form.
Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) joined his cross-town rivals in Simon’s midfield but the brilliant Belgian blanked at home to Arsenal.
Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief remains Dream Team’s top midfielder but a run of 15 points in his last seven games represents a notable drop-off from his usual high standards.
Spurs could really do with Son at his best in the coming monthsCredit: getty
Up front, Mohamed Salah (£8m) assisted Harvey Elliott’s (£2.6m) goal against Brighton but the Egyptian forward missed out on a 7+ match rating so he had to settle for just the two points.
Marcus Rashford (£5.8m) continued his fruitful spell with a ten-point haul despite the fact he failed to score – VAR saw to that.
Man United’s No10 received two 7+ ratings and provided a brace of assists to bank ten points.
Last but not least, a frankly inspired selection from Simon in the form of Son Heung-min (£5.1m).
The South Korean superstar has not been at his best this season but took full advantage of Tottenham’s FA Cup match-up with Preston, scoring twice to claim the Star Man award and an 18-point haul.
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No forward scored more points than the 30-year-old in Game Week 20.
Superb work, Simon, good luck to you and all gaffers ahead of Game Week 21! More