Dream Team

DREAM TEAM gaffers have a lot to contemplate when mulling over potential transfers.One specific aspect to consider is chance creation.
Players who create lots of chances tend to register plenty of assists and earn regular 7+ ratings – and sometimes creativity alone is enough to win a Star Man award.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which individuals have created the most chances for their team-mates in the Premier League so far this season.
No prizes for guessing who leads the wayCredit: GETTY
PREMIER LEAGUE CHANCES CREATED:

Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) – 73
Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) – 70
Bruno Fernandes (£6m) – 66
Andreas Pereira (£2.9m) – 53
Martin Odegaard (£3.2m) – 51
Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) – 50
James Ward-Prowse (£3.5m) – 49
Pascal Gross (£2.9m) – 45
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5m) – 41
Harry Kane (£8m) – 41

It’s no surprise to see Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief at the top of pile.
De Bruyne is known for his fizzed crosses and clever throughballs and given he’s got 12 league assists to his name this term (four more than his closest rival) it makes sense that he’s the league’s leading creator in every possible sense.
Many Dream Team bosses will have been wondering exactly why Newcastle’s right-back has been so successful this season and this stat goes a long way to providing an answer.
Not only is Trippier a mainstay of the league’s best defence – the Magpies have conceded just 15 goals – but he’s a top-tier creative force too.
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Trippier’s dual purpose has made him an elite Dream Team asset this season
Naturally, the England international’s probing set-pieces make up a sizeable chunk of his chances created but that’s all the more reason to stick by him despite a lack of clean sheets in recent fixtures.
Interestingly, Trippier has generated 7.4 expected assists (xA) in the top flight this season, the second-most among all players, which suggest his team-mates have not made the most of his output as he’s only got four actual assists.
Manchester United’s Portuguese playmaker completes the podium amid an impressive Dream Team surge.
Feeding the clinical Marcus Rashford (£6.4m), Fernandes has amassed 75 points across the last five and a half Game Weeks!
Look at Fulham’s No18 mixing it with the big boys.
Pereira’s six assists have helped Marco Silva’s side to a position where they are heading into the final third of the campaign thinking not of survival but of European qualification.
It’s interesting to note that the Brazilian’s chances have been of comparatively low value compared to most the other names on this list – his 53 chances amount to just 3.5xA.
A smart signing
By way of a comparison, Arsenal’s captain, the next name down on the list, has generated 5.3xA from two fewer chances.
The Gunners’ homegrown winger is De Bruyne’s closest rival for the Playmaker of the Season award with eight assists to his name.
Saka is one of those loveable Dream Team assets who provides more than his fair share in terms of both goals and assists – he’s got 18 goal involvements this term already.
Liverpool’s right-back is an intriguing inclusion.
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Fans have become accustomed to Alexander-Arnold’s attacking output in recent years but the general perception is that, like the Reds as a whole, he’s been below par this season.
The fact that the 24-year-old is still among the league’s top creators, and the second-best in his position, perhaps explains why he’s 12th among Dream Team defenders despite Liverpool’s problems. More

It’s not so clear which defenders Dream Team bosses should back right now.Newcastle assets have generally been the best over the course of the whole season but, as we detailed yesterday, four games without a clean sheet has slowed their progress dramatically – they play the two Manchester clubs next as well.
Manchester City have conceded their fair share of goals and Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy means it’s hard to pin down a regular anyway – one week Rico Lewis (£3m) appears to be the standout bargain in the game and the next he’s totally inactive.
Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool all have their much-documented problems.
Even league-leaders Arsenal are averaging one conceded goal per game in the top flight.
All things considered, it’s a tricky position to master at the moment.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best seven defenders currently priced at £4million or cheaper.
Kenny Tete
An underrated gemCredit: GETTY

Fulham
£3m
71 points
0.3% ownership
Ranked 16th in his position

Very much an unsung hero outside of Craven Cottage, as evidenced by his minuscule ownership.
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The Dutchman has chipped in with four assists from right-back and, while he’s prone to a yellow card, he’s been a key contributor to Fulham’s impressive showing upon their return to the Premier League.
In terms of Dream Team viability he’s not banging down the door but if Marco Silva’s side hold on for European qualification then he could be one to monitor next season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Manchester United
£3.7m
73 points
1.7% ownership
Ranked 15th in his position

Old Trafford’s resident spider averages 4.6 points-per-game, putting him above the likes of Dan Burn (£4.9m), Thiago Silva (£6m) and Ruben Dias (£5.7m) in the same metric.
Limited in attack but among the best one-on-on defenders in Europe, Wan-Bissaka did very well when tasked with filling in for Diogo Dalot (4m) while the Portugal international was injured.
Having impressed Erik ten Hag, he may be given a decent allotment of minutes in the final third of the season but Dream Team managers should be aware that Dalot is Man United’s first-choice right-back.
Nathan Ake
Not Guardiola-proof

Manchester City
£4m
76 points
5.6% ownership
Ranked 13th in his position

The Netherlands international is the best-performing defender for the defending champions this term (now that Joao Cancelo has exited) and he was a relatively safe pick when deployed at left-back.
However, Guardiola has been getting funky recently with Bernardo Silva (£2.7m) occupying the role vacated by Cancelo with mixed results.
Ake’s owners may have to ride out this current wave of tactical quirkiness.
Ben Mee

Brentford
£3.9m
92 points
2.8% ownership
Ranked 12th in his position

A centre-back you can set your watch to.
The 33-year-old has improved Brentford’s defence since signing from Burnley in the summer and would be one of the first names mentioned when discussing the Bees’ ongoing unbeaten streak of eleven league games.
Mee’s total is boosted by three goals, an assist, and three fully deserved Star Man awards.
Gabriel
Ever presentCredit: GETTY

Arsenal
£3.8m
98 points
17.8% ownership
Ranked 9th in his position

It’s interesting that William Saliba (£2.9m) is more popular (22.5% ownership) than his centre-back partner because he’s 32 points shy of the Brazilian’s total.
Mikel Arteta has remained loyal to his starting XI and Gabriel has played every minute of every league game in 2022/23.
It’s worth noting that the Gunners’ No6 has earned just one point from his last seven games but the fact he’s still a top-ten asset among defenders speaks volumes for his overall consistency – he needs to stop the rot sharpish though.
Diogo Dalot

Manchester United
£4m
108 points
5.4% ownership
Ranked joint-4th in his position

One wonders what tally the Portuguese full-back would be on had he not missed 11 games through injury.
Dalot is one of just eight defenders to have achieved 100+ points at this stage of the campaign having produced four double-digit single-game hauls.
If Man United can edge out Barcelona on Thursday night and go deep in the Europa League then there could be plenty of Dream Team points on offer for the 23-year-old.
Luke Shaw
A Shaw thing

Manchester United
£3.8m
108 points
11.2% ownership
Ranked joint-4th in his position

It’s a similar story for the Red Devils’ No3 who has the exact same points total as Dalot at the time of writing.
Shaw has admirably filled in at centre-back a few times in recent weeks but it’s at left-back, his natural position, where he truly excels.
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The England regular has contributed to 14 clean sheets so far this season and with 29 points across the last three and half Game Weeks, he’s on the charge.
It’s not unthinkable he could finish the campaign on the defenders’ podium. More

HORDES of excitable Geordies will descend upon London this coming Sunday as Newcastle hope to end their trophy drought by defeating Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final.The big talking point in the build-up to the clash at Wembley has been Nick Pope’s (£4.9m) absence.
Suffering a momentary brain fade against Liverpool, the England international was sent off for handling the ball outside the box to deny Mohamed Salah (£8m) a scoring opportunity.
Loris Karius will therefore be the unlikely starting goalkeeper for the Magpies in what is one of their biggest games in modern times, with Pope resigned to a seat in the stands.
A costly moment
The England international’s sending off sent tremors through the world of Dream Team too.
Even accounting for the minus four points he incurred at the weekend, Pope remains comfortably the best asset in his position with 122 points to his name, 20 more than his closest rival, David de Gea (£3.8m).
However, some gaffers may be concerned that he is running out of steam, and he may not be alone among St James’ Park residents.
Newcastle’s seven most popular assets – Pope, Kieran Trippier (£6.6m), Fabian Schar (£4.5m), Miguel Almiron (£3.7m), Sven Botman (£4.4m), Dan Burn (£4.9m) and Bruno Guimaraes (£3m) – have combined for just 30 points across the last four fixtures.
That underwhelming collective tally contains two red cards, Pope and Guimaraes, but the primary reason for the drop-off in returns is a lack of clean sheets.
A minor blip or something more serious?Credit: GETTY
Trippier and his fellow first-choice defenders reached the top of the rankings in their position as a quartet through a steady stream of clean sheets but having now conceded in four consecutive games, some Dream Team managers may be wondering if the gravy train has been derailed.
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Their chances of repelling the Red Devils this weekend are slim given Pope’s absence and the form of Marcus Rashford (£6.4m) but there’s always a chance the contest might be a cagey one, as can happen when there’s a trophy on the line.
Whatever the outcome at Wembley, Eddie Howe’s side will then have to prepare for a visit to the Etihad the following weekend, another unenviable match-up.
Newcastle assets have performed well above expectations this season but gaffers can’t afford to be sentimental – if their points are drying up then action must be taken.
Stick or twist?
Of course, this current lean patch may only prove to be a temporary blip rather than the start of a significant regression.
Certainly the likes of Trippier and Pope have enough credit in the bank as the outright best performers in their respective positions but it may be wise to start earmarking replacements for the likes of Schar, Burn and Botman.
The Toon have conceded just 15 goals in 23 league games and boast by far and away the best defensive record but if the tide is indeed on the turn then there is nothing to gain from pig-headed stubbornness.
If Newcastle’s defensive assets rekindle their supreme form later in the season then Dream Team bosses can always use transfers to get the band back together. More