Dream Team

SEVERAL widely-owned defenders justified their popularity in Gameweek 1.Josko Gvardiol (£4.5m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) and Pedro Porro (£4m) all banked double-digit hauls to pick up where they left off last season but gaffers should also take note of the surprise names floating near the top of the rankings at this exceedingly early stage.Rico Lewis (£3m) being a prime example.Mature beyond his yearsCredit: Dream TeamThe 19-year-old was listed at right-back for Manchester City’s opening game against Chelsea but, as is common these days, he was deployed as an inverted full-back and spent a lot of time in midfield.After a typically mature yet tenacious performance, Lewis earned nine points via a clean sheet, bonus point, two tackles and appearance points as Pep Guardiola’s side won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.The England one-cap wonder was expected to start for the champions in Gameweek 1 as Kyle Walker (£4m) returned to training late following his involvement with the Three Lions at Euro 2024.After an impressive performance and healthy returns to show for it, many Dream Team managers will now be wondering how long Lewis will maintain his status as a starter for the defending champions.Walker was an unused substitute at Stamford BridgeCredit: GettyIn the short-term, he appears to be a strong option for Gameweek 2 with Man City set to host Ipswich.They will then travel to West Ham in Gameweek 3 before Gameweek 4 brings a home game against Brentford as well as their first Champions League fixture of 2024/25.At £3m, Lewis is comfortably the cheapest City defender and should be considered a tremendously generous bargain if guaranteed substantial minutes.Most read in FootballBut at this stage it remains unclear if and when Walker will reclaim his place as first-choice right-back.The 34-year-old was an unused substitute on Sunday, as was John Stones (£4.5m), but Phil Foden (£6.5m) was given 45 minutes – perhaps an indication that the England contingent will be reintegrated sooner rather than later.Lewis contributed to City’s win in West LondonCredit: EPAOf course, there’s a chance Walker may have been permanently usurped.His performance levels have been declining of late, as is natural with age, while Lewis’ role at the club grows in prominence every day.Guardiola cares not for egos and reputations, he will always select the team he believes best capable of getting a result and it may be this results in fewer minutes for Walker going forward.Alternatively, Lewis may be given increased playing time in specialist midfield roles – a possibility that would certainly increase his Dream Team viability. At the very least, this is a situation for Dream Team bosses to monitor closely.Jack Grealish sneaks out of Bernardo Silva’s birthday party in underground tunnel as Man City stars hit town with Wags (1) More

KAORU MITOMA (£3.5m) sent out a reminder of his talents to Dream Team managers everywhere at the weekend.Having missed the last three months of the 2023/24 season with a back injury, Brighton’s No22 marked his return to competitive action with a goal against Everton on Saturday.Mitoma’s return to action is a huge boost for BrightonCredit: Dream TeamMitoma was on hand at the back post to finish off an incisive move and put the Seagulls ahead in what was ultimately a comfortable 3-0 victory for the visitors at Goodison Park.His goal was one of three shots on target, the joint-most in the Premier League at this embryonic stage of the campaign, while only two players completed more successful dribbles – a key factor in him earning a bonus point against the Toffees.Add in three tackles (one point) plus 89 minutes (two points) and the Japan international left Merseyside with a 13-point haul.Only top-tier assets Mohamed Salah (£7m) and Bukayo Saka (£6m) banked more points (15 each) in Gameweek 1.Mitoma’s reminder has already been widely heeded as he’s currently the most transferred-in player in Dream Team ahead of Gameweek 2.Ashley Young failed to deal with Mitoma on SaturdayCredit: GettyThere’s still plenty of time for that to change with the deadline falling at 11am on Saturday morning but the 27-year-old is certainly a popular recruit.This is understandable as Fabian Hurzeler’s side registered the biggest win of the first round of Premier League fixtures.Overreacting to the opening weekend can lead gaffers astray but Mitoma is a player who has punched above his weight in Dream Team previously – he was one of the game’s best value-for-money gems back in 2022/23.Most read in FootballAt £3.5m he’s certainly affordable right now, particularly if he’s going to rediscover his best form now he’s fully recovered from injury, as his first outing of the new campaign suggests.Brighton are due to face Manchester United and Crawley in Gameweek 2 with the latter being a Carabao Cup fixture.All 13 top flight clubs not set to participate in Europe this season will be in action in midweek after a full round of league games across Saturday and Sunday.Hurzeler couldn’t have asked for a better start to life in the Premier LeagueCredit: ReutersWhether Mitoma will start both fixtures remains to be seen as a certain degree of rotation is expected across the board in the early rounds of the domestic cups but he does appear to be decent option in the mid-range.Gaffers keen on Mitoma should be aware that Brighton travel to Arsenal in Gameweek 3 – one of the toughest match-ups for an attack-minded asset given the Gunners’ defensive solidity in recent times.Home games against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest in Gameweeks 4 and 5 seem much more favourable but Dream Team bosses should be targeting the midweek European fixtures at that time.Of course, it’s entirely possible to recruit Mitoma on a temporary basis until the time comes to replace him with a player active in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League (if Chelsea win their play-off). More

THE opening weekend of the new season ticked a lot of Dream Team boxes.Erling Haaland (£7.5m) scored, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) created big chances, and last season’s top three sides all kept clean sheets.Leicester and Tottenham players will have the final word but as it stands, two familiar superstars will top the rankings after Gameweek 1 in Mohamed Salah (£7m) and Bukayo Saka (£6m).Salah and Saka are on top ahead of Gameweek 2Credit: Dream TeamThe former scored and assisted as Liverpool beat Ipswich 2-0 on Saturday.The Tractor Boys did well to restrict the visitors for an hour at Portman Road but the Reds’ attacking quality shone through in final half hour.Liverpool’s Egyptian hero, in his 350th game for the club, put it on a plate for Diogo Jota (£4.5m) before bagging his customary opening weekend goal five minutes later.No player registered more shots on target (three) over the weekend and so Salah banked 15 points by the final whistle – doubled to 30 for those who captained him.Quick out the blocksCredit: GettyNot long after, Arsenal’s No7 also registered a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win to underline his status as one of Dream Team’s top-tier assets.Saka provided an inviting cross for Kai Havertz (£4.5m) midway through the first half and scored a trademark finish in the second half with a powerful left-footed effort past Jose Sa (£2.5m).The England international also registered three shots on target and would have been the outright top performer had he not been booked, which dropped him down a point to 15 from 16.Most read in FootballSalah and Saka’s status as early joint-leaders is a reminder to all Dream Team bosses of the need for premium options.Finding value-for-money difference-makers is an important aspect of the game but so is recognising which of the expensive stars are worth the investment.Salah against Ipswich always looked like a match-up to targetCredit: EPAOnly Haaland started the campaign with a higher price than Salah while Saka is the joint-third most-costly midfielder alongside Cole Palmer (£6m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6m).Their combined cost added to Haaland’s price equals £21.5million – 43% of each gaffer’s starting budget.Committing this much cash to three players means having to make sacrifices elsewhere but the trio’s return of 39 points in Gameweek 1 speaks for itself.A familiar sightCredit: PASalah’s form dropped away at the back end of last season but the broader point is that he has finished among the top point-scorers in Dream Team for seven consecutive campaigns, having averaged 30 goals (all comps) per season during that time.Combine his historical pedigree with a fast start and Liverpool’s relatively favourable fixtures until October and it already seems curious that approximately three quarters of gaffers decided to go without him from the get-go.It will be interesting to see to what degree his ownership rises before Brentford’s visit to Anfield in Gameweek 2.’Ben Brereton Diaz is a disgrace and should face charge with Schar’ | The Whistleblower, Mark Halsey More

DREAM TEAM managers who took a punt on Diogo Jota (£4.5m) in Gameweek 1 were handsomely rewarded.All the pre-season hints suggested that the Portugal international would start the campaign as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward and that proved to be the case against Ipswich on Saturday.Jota justified his selection with a goal at Portman RoadCredit: Dream TeamThe Tractor Boys gave a good account of themselves upon their return to the top flight but there’s no denying the fixture computer dealt them a rough hand and the quality of Arne Slot’s side ultimately prevailed in the second half.Jota opened the scoring with a typically precise finish on the hour-mark to cap off a classy move.The 27-year-old was replaced by Cody Gakpo (£4.5m) with just over ten minutes of normal time remaining but his job was done with nine Dream Team points to show for his efforts.In fact, greedy gaffers may have wanted more from him as he also missed a header from close range just prior to his goal for what would have been a thoroughly deserved assist for Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m).Salah was also on target for the Reds in Gameweek 1Credit: EPAJota’s owners should be satisfied with a nine-point return, especially as it’s likely to cement his status as starting striker, for the time being at least.Liverpool’s fixtures appear relatively favourable until mid-October and so the player tasked with occupying the space between the posts in the opposition’s box clearly has huge potential.Jota is statistically one of the most efficient finishers in the Premier League and he averages a goal every 139 minutes in the top flight since his switch to Anfield.The problem is that injuries have limited his game time across the last two years.Most read in FootballIf he can stay fit and Slot is willing to give him a consistent run of starts, he could quickly make a mockery of his £4.5m starting price.Nunez was an unused substitute on SaturdayOf course, this would be bad news for Dream Team bosses keen on Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) and the aforementioned Gakpo.With Mohamed Salah (£7m) a lock on the right flank, there’s stiff competition for the other two places in the front three, with Luis Diaz (£4.5m) also in the mix.A sustained run of starts for Jota would inevitably mean reduced minutes for the other options capable of leading the line.It’s telling that both Nunez and Gakpo are already among the most transferred-out players ahead of Gameweek 2.Dream Team bosses will have to learn Slot’s preferences quicklyCredit: ReutersPredicting starting line-ups for Gameweek 1 is difficult – this is particularly true for teams with new managers – and so many gaffers will be using their two transfers to correct any errors in judgement prior to Gameweek 2.This is no time to be stubborn, holding onto a non-starter throughout August will only compound the problem. Gary Neville reveals mega-money bet with Jamie Carragher on Man Utd v Liverpool in title race as Keane picks his winner More