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    Dream Team’s April Monthly competition starts this weekend – winner takes home a PlayStation 5!

    DREAM TEAM’S April monthly competition kicks off this weekend, getting underway with Saturday’s early kick-off: Manchester United v Everton.With transfers refreshed before Game Week 29’s fixtures begin, managers should be able to get their XIs in good shape for the month ahead.
    A reminder that the gaffer who racks up the most points between April 7th and May 4th will take home a brand new PlayStation 5, worth £449 RRP!
    Remember, you can check the monthly leaderboard anytime HERE.
    April’s winner takes home a PS5!Credit: DREAM TEAM
    If your XI is struggling in the classic Season game, fear not, a fruitful few weeks could land you a PS5 as only points gained during the given scoring period are taken into account for our monthly competitions.
    With that in mind, you could tailor your team specifically to April’s remaining fixtures once transfers are refreshed, ignoring long-term viability, with a view to scooping the monthly prize.
    Alternatively, you can create a new team and fill it full of players with favourable fixtures for the month in question – each Dream Team gaffer is allowed a maximum of ten teams per season.
    And of course, if you’re happy with your progress in the classic Season game and believe your best XI is also likely to rack up plentiful points in the coming weeks then you don’t need to alter your strategy at all.
    You can even get involved if you didn’t sign-up for Dream Team at the start of the season.
    Fancy a PS5? Of course you do…
    Want to know what it feels like to win a Dream Team competition?
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    We recently caught up with Miriam Chisholm, who performed brilliantly to win January’s monthly competition!
    “I’m not sure I can quite believe it, to be honest. It’s a huge surprise because, although I knew I was close, I thought it ended when January ended! I think it just goes to show it’s good to keep going with all your teams – the monthly prize is a nice touch.
    “I think most people had brought in the Newcastle defence along with the Kane/Haaland/Rashford combo up top, so it was just midfield I concentrated on. I picked three of the usual names and tried to go with a flyer as the fourth – James Ward-Prowse then Casemiro. Guess my luck was in!”
    Good luck! More

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    5 players who could thrive throughout April ahead of this week’s Dream Team transfer refresh

    DREAM TEAM gaffers will get their hands on five box-fresh transfers this Friday.With European knockout ties, FA Cup semi-finals and Premier League double Game Weeks to come in the following weeks, April will undoubtedly prove to be a pivotal month.
    Here we’ve identified five players (outside the blindingly obvious candidates) we think could thrive throughout the rest of the month.
    Jack Grealish (£4.1m)
    Grealish has adjusted to life under Guardiola
    Man City’s No10 had one of his best games in a blue shirt at the weekend as he played a significant role in Liverpool’s capitulation at the Etihad.
    Grealish scored one goal and assisted another as Pep Guardiola’s side came from behind to win 4-1.
    He was great value for his ten points – his second double-digit haul of the season – having given Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.3m) and company a torrid time with his silky dribbling.
    The England international’s club form has been noticeably better in recent months and with Phil Foden (£5.1m) sidelined while he recovers from having his appendix removed, Grealish is essentially a guaranteed starter on the left flank for the next three weeks.
    He has registered 50 points across the last nine Game Weeks and with City set to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals on top of four more league games before the end of the month, there’s plenty of time for the 5.2%-owned midfielder to add to his tally further.
    Luke Shaw (£4.6m)
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    It’s a marathon, not a sprintCredit: GETTY
    Man United looked pretty flat against Newcastle and were comprehensively outplayed from start to finish.
    However, the Red Devils busy schedule looks ripe for points even if their general functionality as a team is reduced all the while Casemiro (£3.4m) is suspended.
    For example, Shaw gained a lot of ground in the rankings last month despite the fact it started with him incurring minus six points at Anfield.
    Erik ten Hag’s side host Brentford in midweek before favourable league match-ups against Everton and Nottingham Forest around two Europa League legs against Sevilla.
    All in all, Shaw potentially has a further EIGHT fixtures to fulfil before the start of May.
    In comparison, Ben White (£4.5m), who nine points ahead of his compatriot after the weekend’s results, has a maximum of five more games in the same time frame – which includes away trips to Liverpool and Man City.
    Dan Burn (£4.1m)
    Back among the clean sheets
    Sunday’s performance would have come as a massive reassurance for the many gaffers who have put their faith in a Newcastle-heavy defence.
    Not only did the Magpies keep their first clean sheet since January, Kieran Trippier (£5.7m) rolled back the months to provide an assist and claim the Star Man award – though the right-back very much falls under the category of ‘blindingly obvious’ in terms of Dream Team recommendations.
    However, if clean sheets are back on the menu then the Toon’s giant left-back may be worth a whirl as well.
    Burn’s upcoming fixtures certainly aren’t anything to balk at: West Ham, Brentford, Aston Villa, Spurs, Everton, Southampton.
    With 120 points to his name, the 6ft 7in defender is Dream Team seventh-best asset in his position at the time of writing.
    Jarrod Bowen (£3.9m)
    You haven’t forgotten about the Europa Conference League, have you?Credit: GETTY
    Many Dream Team bosses will instinctively want to keep West Ham assets are arm’s length given their form as a collective this season.
    But the Europa Conference League quarter-finals should not be underestimated (okay, they should, but not totally).
    Bowen has thoroughly enjoyed himself in the continent’s tertiary competition this term, bagging 44 points in six outings – that record suggests the Hammers’ two legs against Gent may be worth targeting.
    With ten goals and six assists in all competitions to his name at this stage, the ex-Hull wingers boasts a respectable total of goal involvements even his tally doesn’t quite compare to his efforts in 2021/22.
    It’s worth noting that he’s earned six Star Man awards and only four players have claimed more at this juncture.
    West Ham also have eight more fixtures in the diary this month.
    John Stones (£5.6m)
    Capable of playing virtually anywhereCredit: GETTY
    We finish by reverting back to Man City and their adaptable centre-back-turned-defensive-midfielder.
    Against Liverpool, Stones played brilliantly alongside Rodri in Guardiola’s favoured system of late and so it’s likely he’ll reprise the role in the coming weeks.
    The England international is slightly more likely to contribute goal involvements in his new role but his viability depends on his schedule, which looks promising.
    Read More on The Sun
    Granted, Bayern could inflict minus points over two quarter-final legs with all their attacking power but City’s fixtures around those games look like strong clean sheet possibilities: Southampton, Leicester, Sheffield United.
    Arsenal’s visit to the Etihad on the 26th is clearly gigantic in the context of the Premier League title race but it’s worth remembering that City beat the Gunners 3-1 in north London. More

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    Gabriel Jesus reminds Dream Team gaffers of his pedigree with 13-point haul against Leeds

    SOME of Arsenal’s more pessimistic supporters feared that the knee injury Gabriel Jesus (£4.8m) suffered at the World Cup would derail their title challenge.As it happens, the Gunners compensated for the Brazilian’s absence impressively with Eddie Nketiah (£3.4m) and Leandro Trossard (£4m) stepping up at different times to ensure the wins kept coming.
    Still, there’s no doubt the four-time Premier League winner’s return to action has given Mikel Arteta’s side a boost ahead of the run-in.
    As if to underline this point, Jesus scored a brace at home to Leeds on Saturday to ensure Arsenal matched Man City’s 4-1 win earlier in the day to therefore maintain their advantage in the title race.
    A subtle message of confidence
    The 26-year-old scored a penalty to open the scoring with usual spot-kick taker Bukayo Saka (£5.6m) on the bench because of an minor injury niggle.
    Then in the second half he was on hand to convert Trossard’s smart pullback, just as a No9 should.
    Naturally, his performance would have been noted by Dream Team bosses.
    Gabriel Martinelli (£3.9m) claimed the Star Man award but Jesus’ haul of 13 points was the biggest of the game and the joint-best registered by a forward at the weekend among all fixtures.
    Having been the second-most popular player in the game prior to Game Week 1, the former Man City striker provided healthy returns for a sizeable chunk of gaffers before the World Cup break.
    He was transferred out of tens of thousands of teams when news of his three-month lay-off broke but a double-digit haul upon his first league start back gives Arteta and Dream Team managers a nice selection headache.
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    Jesus enjoyed himself against LeedsCredit: GETTY
    There’s only space for three starters in the front line but Martinelli, Trossard, Saka and Jesus would all be justifiably aggrieved if named on the bench when fully fit.
    Rotation is inevitable and sensible in a real world context but potentially problematic in the realm of Dream Team.
    Will Jesus start every game at centre-forward between now and the end of the campaign?
    If so he would clearly be a brilliant Dream Team option.
    However, if he’s to share duties with Trossard and/or Martinelli (Saka is a lock on the right when fit) then he may not be given the necessary minutes to provide plentiful returns.
    With transfers set to be refreshed on Friday, there must be a few Dream Team bosses tempted to bring Jesus back into the fold… it is Easter weekend after all. More

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    Newcastle end clean sheet drought as Kieran Trippier becomes first Dream Team defender to reach 200 points this season

    LIGHT the beacons!Newcastle ended their clean sheet drought with a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday as Kieran Trippier (£5.7m) became the first defender to pass 200 points in Dream Team this season.
    The reliable right-back provided his eighth assist of the campaign as Eddie Howe’s side comprehensively outplayed the Red Devils at St James’ Park.
    Erik ten Hag’s men mustered just one shot on target in the game and by the second half it felt inevitable that the Magpies would register their first clean sheet in all competitions since January.
    Back on trackCredit: GETTY
    The mini drought was a painful one for a sizeable chunk of Dream Team managers as Nick Pope (£4m) and Newcastle’s first-choice defenders are among the most popular assets in the game.
    The England goalkeeper banked a much-needed five points having failed to notch any positive returns in the previous eight Game Weeks.
    In fact, Pope has reclaimed his place at the top of the goalkeeper rankings from David de Gea (£4.1m) as there was just one point between them prior to Game Week 28 – the Spaniard incurred a minus point in the north east.
    Fabian Schar (£3.6m), Dan Burn (£4.1m) and Sven Botman (£3.3m) all added eight points to their respective tallies at the weekend.
    The latter is the only one of Howe’s preferred back four not inside Dream Team’s top ten defenders right now – he’s one point adrift in 11th.
    But there’s no doubt Trippier was the big winner of the fixture.
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    A league of his ownCredit: GETTY
    The 32-year-old claimed his eighth Star Man award of 2022/21 to swoop 15 points when all was said and done – only Kevin De Bruyne (£7.7m) has more Star Man awards (nine) at this stage.
    At the time of writing, no player has scored more points than the England defender this Game Week.
    Having moved onto 210 points overall, Trippier now holds a whopping 74-point lead at the top of the rankings among defenders – Ben White (£4.5m) is the new name in second place.
    Not only is Trippier the first double centurion in his position, he may well finish the season as the only defender on 200+ points.
    Now that Newcastle’s clean sheet drought is over, gaffers will be wondering how many more they can register in the coming weeks.
    Howe’s side face West Ham, Brentford, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Everton and Southampton before the end of April – a relatively favourable run all things considered. More

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    This season’s best possible Dream Team XI features twice as many Manchester United players as Arsenal stars

    IT’S been a while since we checked in with the best possible Dream Team XI.For the purposes of this exercise, all we care about is total points, nothing else matters.
    GOALKEEPER: David de Gea (£4.1m) – 122 points
    Best in classCredit: GETTY
    Nick Pope (£4m) led the way in his position for a long, long time but Newcastle’s clean sheets have evaporated in the last two months.
    The England international’s red card against Liverpool didn’t help his case either.
    Manchester United’s European exploits and their run to the FA Cup semi-finals have kept De Gea busy and all the additional fixtures have allowed him to claim top spot.
    It’s as tight as it can be though as the Spaniard is just one point ahead of Pope so a resurgence from the Magpies could bring the latter back into contention.
    De Gea (16.1% ownership) is also now the second-most popular asset among keepers having overtaken Pope (15.5%) in recent weeks though Aaron Ramsdale (£3.6m, 19.7%) remains the most selected.
    DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£5.7m), Luke Shaw (£4.6m), Gabriel (£3.7m)
    A Shaw thingCredit: GETTY
    Nothing more needs to be said about Newcastle’s right-back, even accounting for a mini drought of clean sheets he’s on 195 points, 67 more than the other two names featured here.
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    Trippier is in a league of his own among defenders and only Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.7m) have claimed more Star Man awards overall.
    For the longest time Fabian Schar (£3.6m) played second fiddle to his team-mate and he’s still within touching distance on 126 points but both Shaw and Gabriel have poked their noses ahead of the Swiss centre-back on 128 each.
    Again, the Red Devils’ busy schedule has boosted Shaw as it has De Gea while Arsenal’s omnipresent centre-back has made his way to the podium through impeccable consistency.
    The Gunners have kept the joint-most clean sheets in the league this term so Gabriel backers can expect more returns in the final two months of the season.
    MIDFIELDERS: Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m), Kevin De Bruyne (£7.7m), Bukayo Saka (£5.6m), Phil Foden (£5.1m)
    StarboyCredit: GETTY
    Foden’s injury means he could slip out of this hypothetical XI soon but he’s deserving of his place currently having racked up 53 points in four Game Weeks before the international break.
    Manchester City’s wonderkid has 152 total points to his name, 20 shy of Saka who is the only Premier League player into double figures for goals and assists this season.
    Arsenal’s No7 is a Player of the Year candidate and is probably more assured of his place in Team of the Year than any other midfielder.
    But it’s Man United’s Portuguese playmaker who leads the way among Dream Team midfielders with 200 points having registered 80 in the last seven Game Weeks.
    Fernandes has 12 assists, ten goals and eight Star Man awards and yet he’s less than half as popular as De Bruyne, who is 20 points behind at this stage.
    It’s interesting that just two Arsenal players feature in this team given the state of the Premier League table but it’s possible Martin Odegaard (£3.7m) will take Foden’s place in the coming weeks.
    FORWARDS: Erling Haaland (£9.3m), Marcus Rashford (£6.5m), Mohamed Salah (£8.7m)
    A consistent superstarCredit: GETTY
    A powerhouse front line led by Man City’s prolific poacher who is on course to breach 400 points in his first Dream Team campaign.
    Haaland has had one hand on the Golden Boot since August and it’s not unthinkable he could notch half a century of goals in 2022/23 – ridiculous numbers.
    Man United’s No10 may have pushed the Norway international close had he not been merely average during the opening weeks of the campaign.
    Rashford has been on a tear since the World Cup the likes of which Dream Team gaffers have rarely seen – 174 points in 13 Game Weeks is obscene by any measure.
    Read More on The Sun
    And no best Dream Team XI of the season would be complete without Salah who has been a permanent fixture for five years now.
    Some gaffers are undoubtedly guilty of taking the Egyptian’s brilliance for granted but the fact he’s on 208 points despite Liverpool enduring an underwhelming campaign more generally is testament to the forward’s quality. More

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    3 players who could run amok in Game Week 28 – a dozen teams set to pull double duty!

    THE calendar has conspired to frustrate to Dream Team managers desperate for fresh transfers.Transfers are replenished on the first Friday of the month which means April’s batch won’t be available until Game Week 29.
    However, some clever gaffers will have planned for this very moment and may have kept some of March’s allotment back so they can makes changes suited to Game Week 28.
    With a dozen teams set to play twice this coming week, we’ve identified three players who could run amok (in a good way).
    James Maddison (£5.6m)
    A Dream Team gemCredit: GETTY
    Fresh off what felt like his second England debut, the 26-year-old travels to a Crystal Palace side without a win since November on Saturday before welcoming Aston Villa to the King Power in midweek.
    Leicester’s No10 averages 4.3 points-per-game this season, only four midfielders boast a better average at this stage (minimum three appearances).
    This suggests that even an average week would mean a return of eight or nine points but given the relative favourability of his match-ups in the form of two bottom-half clubs, a double-digit haul could be on the cards.
    Despite being limited to 20 league appearances this term, Maddison has registered nine goals and six assists in the top flight.
    Dream Team bosses should always seek midfielders who provide regular goal involvements and the Foxes’ star has been in the top bracket for the last three years in that regard.
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    Kaoru Mitoma (£4.5m)
    Brighton’s new fan favourite
    The Japan international is one of the very few midfielders to average more points-per-game (4.5) than Maddison in 2022/23.
    Brighton’s enterprising style of football has produced enough points for their midfield to share around liberally but Mitoma leads the way with 122 at this juncture.
    The skilful winger, who was initially added to Dream Team at just £1.5m, has claimed three Star Man awards in the last nine Game Weeks.
    In Game Week 28, he’ll play Brentford at the Amex (the Bees are generally less threatening away from home) before a trip to Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
    The Cherries have conceded more goals (54) than any other Premier League outfit this season so Mitoma owners should be licking their lips.
    Jarrod Bowen (£3.9m)
    A rogue optionCredit: GETTY
    West Ham have endured a season to forget so far and the fact they will start Game Week 28 in the relegation zone hardly screams: viable Dream Team assets.
    But their No20 has been somewhat immune to the mediocrity around him this campaign.
    In fact, plenty of Dream Team gaffers will be surprised to learn that only four players – Erling Haaland (£9.3m), Kieran Trippier (£5.7m), Kevin De Bruyne (£7.7m), Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) – have earned more Star Man awards than Bowen’s six.
    Read More on The Sun
    The Hammers host 20th-placed Southampton in a must-win game this Sunday before welcoming Newcastle to the London Stadium on Wednesday.
    Granted, things could turn toxic if Bowen and company can’t vanquish Saints first up but the England international has a decent double Game Week on paper with both fixtures coming at home – even Eddie Howe’s side have conceded a few goals recently. More

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    Manchester clubs hold keys to plentiful returns for Dream Team managers after international break

    THE international break provided reasonable entertainment all things considered but attention now turns to the resumption of the Premier League, FA Cup and continental competitions.April promises to be a decisive month in the world of Dream Team with fixtures coming thick and fast in the coming weeks.
    And Gaffers intent on banking plentiful points would do well to put their faith in the Manchester clubs for the foreseeable future.
    Arsenal may be deserving favourites for the league title and the fact they’re no longer active in any other competition may help them focus on their primary objective but Dream Team bosses should always be looking to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth.
    For example, whereas the Gunners have six league games to fulfil in April, Manchester United will be in action NINE times throughout the course of the month.
    Fernandes is the only midfielder to have reached the 200-point mark this seasonCredit: GETTY
    The Red Devils’ meeting with Brighton at Wembley and a two-legged Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla ensure their most-popular assets will be incredibly busy.
    Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m), Luke Shaw (£4.6m), David de Gea (£4.1m), Lisandro Martinez (£4.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£6.5m) all look to be excellent options after the international break – the latter’s injury is not thought to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
    It’s not that Erik ten Hag’s side have a massively favourable run of match-ups, it’s just the sheer volume of fixtures that should put gaffers on alert.
    Fernandes and Rashford actually combined to outscore the trio of Mohamed Salah (£8.7m), Darwin Nunez (£5.7m) and Cody Gakpo (£3.7m) in March despite the month starting with that 7-0 result at Anfield.
    Man United’s extra games and Liverpool’s comparatively relaxed schedule meant the former’s two best attacking assets registered a net gain over their rivals’ first-choice front three in March despite the Reds’ forwards getting a massive head start.
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    The lesson: squeeze the schedule.
    Dream Team’s top goalkeeper right nowCredit: GETTY
    United aren’t the only Manchester club with an FA Cup semi-final and a European quarter-final in the diary.
    Pep Guardiola’s troops will be desperate to get past Bayern Munich, now with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, in the Champions League last eight to once again put themselves in serious contention to win the trophy they desire most.
    Manchester City were also handed a favourable FA Cup draw in the form of Sheffield United, who will be prioritising automatic promotion from the Championship and may name a second-string XI, as they did against Spurs – though of course they won that game.
    The defending English champions have eight games to fulfil in April and while half of them are likely to be tough tests – Liverpool, Bayern (x2), Arsenal – there’s rarely a bad time to back City players.
    Phil Foden’s (£5.1m) owners will have to find a replacement while the England international recovers from having his appendix removed – some players have returned a fortnight later from similar surgery while others have been sidelined for almost two months.
    Both Jack Grealish (£4.1m) and Riyad Mahrez (£6.1m) should get plenty of minutes next month.
    Probably making Dream Team transfers…
    Hypothetically, if a Dream Team gaffers were to transfer five Arsenal/Tottenham players for five City/United assets right now they’d potentially gain 15-20 appearances across April – that’s a huge swing!
    The volume of fixtures isn’t everything of course, it wouldn’t be wholly surprising if Manchester-based defenders suffered minus points in multiple given the match-ups, but it’s generally something gaffers should take into account when devising their strategy. More

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    Which teams have the most favourable fixtures in April? Essential information for Dream Team gaffers…

    THE fixtures will come thick and fast once the international break is done and dusted.FA Cup semi-finals, European knockout ties and some Premier League double game weeks make for an April ripe with Dream Team points.
    In the spirit of helping gaffers devise an optimised strategy, we’ve laid out next month’s fixtures for each team in the top half in one convenient location.
    ARSENAL

    Leeds (h)
    Liverpool (a)
    West Ham (a)
    Southampton (h)
    Manchester City (a)
    Chelsea (h)

    Man City vs Arsenal is undoubtedly April’s standout Premier League fixtureCredit: GETTY
    At the risk of oversimplifying things, the Gunners’ six fixtures can be divided in two: three favourable match-ups, three tough tests.
    Leeds, West Ham and Southampton are all threatened by relegation and while they’ll be scrapping for points, the gulf in class should benefit Mikel Arteta’s troops.
    Elsewhere, the trips to Anfield and the Etihad look massive in the context of the title race with the latter likely to be an emotionally and physically taxing game – getting back up for a London derby against the Blues three days later will be a challenge.
    MANCHESTER CITY

    Liverpool (h)
    Southampton (a)
    Bayern Munich (h)
    Leicester (h)
    Bayern Munich (a)
    Sheffield United (n)
    Arsenal (h)
    Fulham (a)

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    Pep Guardiola’s side remain active in the FA Cup and the Champions League so, unlike Arsenal, they won’t be able to focus solely on the league run-in.
    Naturally, the two legs against the Bundesliga giants stick out like a sore thumb but at least they have the luxury of relatively favourable fixtures around the quarter-final tie: rotated teams will still be heavy favourites over Saints, Leicester and Sheffield United.
    The fact City’s two biggest domestic fixtures, Liverpool and Arsenal, are home games will be seen as a positive and, generally speaking, it once again looks like a good time to back Kevin De Bruyne (£7.7m).
    MANCHESTER UNITED
    A busy month ahead

    Newcastle (a)
    Brentford (h)
    Everton (h)
    Sevilla (h)
    Nottingham Forest (a)
    Sevilla (a)
    Brighton (n)
    Spurs (a)
    Aston Villa (h)

    The Red Devils have no fewer than NINE fixtures to fulfil next month and that alone should make their players immensely popular in the world of Dream Team.
    At the time of writing, Erik ten Hag’s side are the bookies’ favourites to win the Europa League but in Sevilla they will come up against the modern masters of the competition in the quarter-finals.
    Away days to Newcastle and Spurs will go some way to determining who finishes third and fourth this season and they’ll feel confident of positive results at home throughout the month.
    Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m), Marcus Rashford (£6.5m), Luke Shaw (£4.6m) and David de Gea (£4.1m) are all either first or second in the their respective positions in the Dream Team rankings currently and a busy April should help them solidify their placings.
    TOTTENHAM

    Everton (a)
    Brighton (h)
    Bournemouth (h)
    Newcastle (a)
    Man United (h)
    Liverpool (a)

    It’s hard to know what to make of the north Londoners now that Antonio Conte has officially departed.
    Will the players feels as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders or will they simply be thinking of getting to the end of the campaign and a summer reset?
    Harry Kane (£8.1m) can be relied upon at least, England’s all-time top scorer seems to bang in the goals no matter how bleak the outlook at Spurs – he’s on 205 points currently.
    If things aren’t going well then the second half of April could be rough.
    A Dream Team double centurion once again
    NEWCASTLE

    Man United (h)
    West Ham (a)
    Brentford (a)
    Aston Villa (a)
    Spurs (h)
    Everton (a)
    Southampton (h)

    Four away days, including three in a row, will ask questions of the Magpies’ endurance at the back end of this unique season.
    However, the St James’ Park faithful will surely play their part when Man United and Spurs come to town as part of the top four merry-go-round.
    The main thing Dream Team bosses are interested in is whether Eddie Howe’s side can rediscover their clean sheet habit – they haven’t kept one since January having provided bucket-loads throughout the first two thirds of the campaign.
    LIVERPOOL

    Man City (a)
    Chelsea (a)
    Arsenal (h)
    Leeds (a)
    Nottingham Forest (h)
    West Ham (a)
    Spurs (h)

    Which version of the Reds will turn up in April?
    If they’re at their swashbuckling best then they could have a major say in who wins the title but if their defensive problems persist then City and Arsenal could inflict defeats similar to those suffered at the hands of Real Madrid, Wolves and Bournemouth in recent weeks.
    In fairness, Jurgen Klopp’s men have scored their fair share of goals despite their struggles so Mohamed Salah (£8.7m) and Darwin Nunez (£5.2m) are likely to provide more returns for their backers but the first half of the month could mean minus points for the likes of Virgil van Dijk (£5.1m) and Andy Robertson (£3.9m).
    BRIGHTON

    Brentford (h)
    Bournemouth (a)
    Spurs (a)
    Chelsea (a)
    Man United (n)
    Nottingham Forest (a)
    Wolves (h)

    Brighton’s mastermind
    Such is the enterprising nature of the Seagulls under Roberto De Zerbi that fans and neutrals alike will expect them to be ultra competitive in every game for the remainder of the campaign.
    The FA Cup semi-final against Man United represents a massive opportunity for a club that wouldn’t have even dreamed of domestic glory just a few years ago.
    When everything clicks there’s usually enough points to share around between Kaoru Mitoma (£4.5m), Solly March (£4.1m), Alexis Mac Allister (£3.5m) and Evan Ferguson (£3.3m).
    BRENTFORD

    Brighton (a)
    Man United (a)
    Newcastle (h)
    Wolves (a)
    Aston Villa (h)
    Chelsea (a)
    Nottingham Forest (h)

    The Bees have only lost one Premier League game since the start of November so it’s taken for granted that they’ll give any opponent a stiff game.
    Once again it’s seemingly a month of two halves as their first three opponents are all above them in the table while the latter quartet are all comfortably below them.
    Ivan Toney (£6.2m) averages 5.7 points-per-game this term so expect more returns from him after the international break so long as he’s not slapped with a lengthy suspension.
    FULHAM

    Bournemouth (a)
    West Ham (h)
    Everton (a)
    Leeds (h)
    Aston Villa (a)
    Man City (h)

    Dream Team bosses need to find a replacement for the suspended MitrovicCredit: GETTY
    Marco Silva’s side have run out of steam somewhat in recent weeks and Aleksandar Mitrovic’s (£3.8m) suspension means their assets aren’t as viable as they were.
    Saying that, barring City’s visit to Craven Cottage, it’s a relatively favourable run for Fulham that starts with four consecutive match-ups against teams in the relegation dogfight.
    CHELSEA

    Aston Villa (h)
    Liverpool (h)
    Wolves (a)
    Real Madrid (a)
    Brighton (h)
    Real Madrid (h)
    Brentford (h)
    Arsenal (a)

    A busy month for the Blues but a testing one that features two legs against Champions League specialists Real Madrid and a trip to the league leaders.
    In fact, Wolves are the only one of Chelsea’s opponents with fewer points at the time of writing.
    Graham Potter’s side improved considerably in March, registering three wins and a draw, including an impressive 2-0 victory over Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.
    Chelsea are on a mini undefeated streakCredit: GETTY
    That’s your lot for the top half but we feel it’s worth including one more team because of their jam-packed schedule…
    WEST HAM

    Southampton (h)
    Newcastle (h)
    Fulham (a)
    Gent (a)
    Arsenal (h)
    Gent (h)
    Bournemouth (a)
    Liverpool (h)
    Crystal Palace (a)

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    The Hammers play nine games in the space of 27 days in April and while they’ve underwhelmed this season, this flurry of fixtures is ripe with potential.
    Take Jarrod Bowen (£3.9m) for example, a top ten midfielder with so many double Game Weeks is surely worthy of consideration? More