Dream Team

LEON BAILEY (£3.1m) has ascended to another level this season.The Jamaica international’s first season at Aston Villa was blighted by injuries while his second campaign was an underwhelming one punctuated by inconsistent performances.So far in 2023/24, however, fans of the Villains have finally seen the player who made waves in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.In fact, he’s statistically one of the Premier League’s most effective attacking talents this term.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!One of the Premier League’s most-exciting players this seasonCredit: Dream TeamUsing Dream Team definitions, Bailey is averaging a goal or assist every 78.6 minutes in the top flight!This alone suggests he deserves to be more popular among gaffers as his current ownership of 2.6% means he features in fewer teams than Nicolas Jackson (£3.3m).The 26-year-old has scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions this season.Only four midfielders have registered more goal involvements at the time of writing: Bukayo Saka (£5.9m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.7m), Phil Foden (£5.7m) and Cole Palmer (£4.3m).All members of that quartet are significantly more popular than Bailey – Palmer is the least-selected of the four and his ownership of 16.6% is enough to make him the seventh most-popular asset in his position.Most read in FootballSurely Bailey deserves to be more popular among Dream Team managers?Credit: GettyThe fact Bailey rarely completes 90 minutes may be the reason his ownership doesn’t reflect the quality of his output.While that’s an understandable inclination, the only thing that should matter to gaffers is a player’s capacity to returns plentiful points.And Bailey has done just that in his last two outings having taken Nottingham Forest and Luton for 19 points via one goal and two assists.Dream Team bosses warming to the idea of transferring Bailey into their XI may be tempted to enact such a ploy prior to Gameweek 27.Unai Emery’s side one of seven teams with two fixtures to fulfil this coming Gameweek and both games are due to played at Villa Park, where they have an excellent record.Granted, Tottenham and Ajax are hardly the most favourable opponents but both sides have conceded their fair share of goals this season.Watkins and Bailey have dovetailed superblyCredit: GettyDream Team gaffers will (correctly) been drawn to Ollie Watkins (£4.6m) first when targeting Villa’s attack but doubling up is a perfectly viable strategy.The England striker has developed a strong understanding with Bailey in recent months.Looking forward, Villa have a fixture in Gameweek 28, unlike Arsenal and Brighton.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn fact, Villa, Liverpool, West Ham and Luton are the only clubs with three fixtures across Gameweeks 27 and 28.All things considered, Bailey appears to be a smart option up until the international break.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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NO Dream Team manager wants to be in a position that forces them to bet against Kevin De Bruyne (£6.3m).But that’s exactly how Gameweek 27 is shaping up for a sizeable chunk of gaffers.With the deadline still three days away there’s still time for the outlook to change but, as it stands, Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief is the fourth most transferred-out player this week.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Not a player you want to bet againstCredit: Dream TeamDe Bruyne mustered just four points against Manchester United last time out but it was only a week ago he produced FOUR assists against Luton for a 15-point return in what was a truly brilliant display.Some Dream Team bosses are perhaps still frustrated by the fact he played just six minutes against Bournemouth and didn’t feature at all at home to Brentford.But again, prior to that he took Copenhagen and Chelsea for 24 points via one goal, two assists and five bonus points.Realistically, De Bruyne’s ability is not under scrutiny, he’s proven himself a world-class talent several times over at this stage of his career.The reason swathes of gaffers have ditched him this week is because Pep Guardiola’s side face an unfavourable Gameweek 27.A formidable combinationCredit: ReutersFor first time in over a month, the defending champions will only have one fixture to fulfil and that being a trip to Liverpool – the toughest match-up possible for them in the Premier League.Most read in FootballAnfield has not been a happy hunting ground for City during Jurgen Klopp’s reign, although De Bruyne did score in Merseyside the season before last.Many gaffers will feel they have to sacrifice the Belgium international in order to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth, replacing him with an attacking asset likely to start two fixtures in Gameweek 27.Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Luton are all set to pull double duty.The logic is relatively sound but the risk of being punished by De Bruyne is not easy to stomach, such is his pedigree.He only returned from a long-term injury on January 7th and yet he’s already registered 12 assists in all competitions, a tally bettered by just five players.More broadly, the 32-year-old is averaging 6.5 points-per-game this season.De Bruyne may feature against Copenhagen this eveningCredit: PAIn fairness, Phil Foden (£5.7m) and Erling Haaland (£7.7m) are the two top point-scorers in the game right now and so it’s understandable why some gaffers are turning towards De Bruyne for their City sacrifice.And yet still it feels counter-intuitive; De Bruyne is one of very few players who could justifiably be described as “fixture-proof”. There’s no downplaying the significance of this weekend’s headline showdown, both in terms of the title race and in relation to Dream Team.11 of the top 20 most-selected players in the game represent either Liverpool or Man City at present.READ MORE SUN STORIESWith so many popular players in direct opposition, Sunday’s game will go a long way to determining Mini Leagues all over the world. Those who have ditched De Bruyne may find it a stressful watch…talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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AT this stage of the season, many Dream Team managers will be searching for smart differential options.This is to say, players who are overlooked by the vast majority of gaffers but have the ability to rack up plentiful points.The likes of Erling Haaland (£7.7m), Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) and Phil Foden (£5.7m) are obviously fantastic assets but they’re so popular that their points are unlikely to change the outlook of most Mini Leagues.This is why somebody like Mohammed Kudus (£4.6m) has the potential to be a difference-maker.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!All the talent in the worldCredit: Dream TeamThe West Ham winger features in just 1.1% of teams and is therefore a massive differential.His low ownership is a result of his recent Africa Cup of Nations commitments and the Hammers’ poor form.David Moyes’ side started the year with eight games in a row without a win but they’ve addressed that dip with two consecutive wins most recently.It’s no coincidence that results have picked up since the first-choice front three were reunited with the return of Lucas Paqueta (£4m) from injury.West Ham have scored seven goals in two games since the Brazilian rejoined Kudus and Jarrod Bowen (£4.7m) in the starting line-up.Most read in FootballWith his side’s worst form seemingly over and AFCON no longer a factor, the ex-Ajax midfielder deserves to be more popular in the realm of Dream Team.Bowen, Kudus and Paqueta is a fantastic forward lineCredit: GettyKudus produced 68 points across four Gameweeks before he joined up with Ghana in January.And he’s earned 41 points in six outings since returning.In fact, the 23-year-old’s average of 6.1 points-per-game in 2023/24 is only bettered by eight midfielders.Kudus has scored nine goals and provided six assists but it’s his ability to rack up bonus points that makes him such an appealing option.Only four players have registered more than his 38 bonus points at this stage which is remarkable considering Kudus didn’t start his first game until late September and missed all of January while away at AFCON.As if to illustrate this point, he earned six bonus points across West Ham’s recent wins over Brentford and Everton.West Ham’s results have picked up latelyCredit: PAThose stats alone would be enough to justify a transfer for Kudus but this strategy becomes even more tempting when the schedule is also taken into account.West Ham have the luxury of back-to-back home games in Gameweek 27 against Burnley and Freiburg.The second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie promises to be competitive but the Clarets have been easy pickings in the Premier League.Suddenly Kudus’ ownership of 1.1% looks very, very low indeed.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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NEWCASTLE are the only team with two midfielders on 200+ Dream Team points at the time of writing.Given that the Magpies are currently eighth in the Premier League table and were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, this may come as a surprise to many gaffers.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!415 Dream Team points between themCredit: Dream TeamAnthony Gordon (£3.9m) scored his tenth goal of the season in his side’s 3-0 win over Wolves on Saturday for a nine-point return.The ex-Everton winger has also provided nine assists in all competitions.His overall tally of 209 points puts him fifth among assets in his position, one point ahead of Bruno Fernandes (£5m) and four points shy of Cole Palmer (£4.3m).Bruno Guimaraes (£4.4m) isn’t far behind as the seventh-best midfielder on 206 points.The Brazilian is a unique Dream Team asset as his style lends itself perfectly to the bonus system.In fact, just over 30% of the 26-year-old’s total is made up of bonus points.He’s amassed 63 bonus points to date, 17 more than his closest rival in the metric, Phil Foden (£5.7m).Most read in FootballBonus point kingCredit: GettyGaffers are able to view the breakdown of Guimaraes’ player performance marks (which determine bonus points) in the Stats Centre.In short, he wins a huge number of fouls and also ranks highly in his position for successful dribbles, blocks and interceptions.Add in 83 tackles, a tally only bettered by five other players, plus ten goal involvements and the numbers reflect what the St James’ Park faithful have observed, Guimaraes is a tremendously effective all-action midfielder.He too banked nine points at Wolves’ expense via an assist, three bonus points and a big chance created.Newcastle have not been at their best this season, mainly because they have been severely hampered by injuries, by Gordon and Guimaraes have emerged as top-tier midfield options for Dream Team managers.That being said, a quick glance at the schedule suggests gaffers might be wise to wait until the international break if they are tempted to recruit either (or both) of Eddie Howe’s favourites.19 goal involvements in 2023/24Credit: GettyNewcastle are not among the seven teams with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 27 and their only game, a trip to Chelsea, isn’t one that demands to be targeted.Then in Gameweek 28, they face Manchester City in the FA Cup.Once that difficult match-up is out of the way and the international break is complete, that’s when Gordon and Guimaraes will look like smart transfer options.Gameweek 29 consists of back-to-back home games against West Ham and Everton.One thing to be wary of, however, is Guimaraes’ disciplinary record.He’s racked 13 yellow cards already this season and is perhaps a tad fortunate not to have seen red at least once.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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APPROXIMATELY half of all Dream Team managers are yet to play a Booster this season.Holding all three back with a view to maximising returns as the campaign reaches a dramatic crescendo is a viable tactic but that doesn’t mean you should naively turn a blind eye to opportune moments.Remember, you can only play each of your three Boosters once and so it’s wise to target the best possible Gameweek in each instance if you want to rack up enough points to propel you up the leaderboard.At the time of writing, just over 66,000 gaffers have played all three of their Boosters which means the vast majority still have at least one to activate between now and the season’s end.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Dream Team bosses need to channel their inner Premier League gafferCredit: Dream TeamWith that in mind, allow us to remind you of each Booster’s unique effect.Park the BusThis is the most-powerful Booster of the three as it essentially allows you to select multiple captains for the duration of one Gameweek, albeit with some limitations.Park the Bus doubles the points of all your defenders and so it’s best to take full advantage of this by adopting a 5-3-2 formation.Ideally, all five of your defenders would have two fixtures to fulfil as well.Most read in FootballAs the season has progressed, it’s become clear that Arsenal and Liverpool boast the best collective defences – these clubs currently provide six of the top eight defenders in the game.It should go without saying that you’re searching for clean sheets from your five-man Park the Bus defence but you should also consider which individuals provide the most attacking threat from the back.The likes of Virgil van Dijk (£4.1m), Gabriel (£4m) and Fabian Schar (£3.3m) have posed a persistent threat at set-pieces while Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.1m), Kieran Trippier (£4.5m) and Pedro Porro (£3.6m) have provided boat-loads of assists – annoyingly, all three creative full-backs are currently flagged as injured.Looking forward, every single Premier League club will play twice in Gameweek 29 so that may be the time for you to activate Park the Bus if you still have it available.Play your Boosters before the season finishesCredit: Dream Team12th ManAs the name suggests, this Booster allows you to select an additional player from any position to score points for you for one Gameweek only.You don’t have to worry about formation or budgetary constrictions, simply select a player with (ideally) two favourable fixtures and enjoy the bumper points.For example, say you haven’t been able to afford Kevin De Bruyne (£6.3m) as a permanent recruit; ahead of a friendly Manchester City double header worth targeting, you could use your 12th Man Booster to temporarily benefit from the Belgian’s returns.Another popular strategy involves selecting a 12th Man who has excellent short-term fixtures but limited long-term viability.Take Dominic Solanke (£3.9m) in Gameweek 27 as an example.Bournemouth host Sheffield United and Luton in quick succession and so it’s reasonable to expect big things from their No9 given he’s scored 16 goals and provided five assists already this season.Transferring the Cherries’ top scorer into your XI is a reasonable tactic but you’ll have to use another transfer to replace him before Gameweek 28 as Bournemouth don’t have a single fixture to fulfil.Instead of using multiple transfers to facilitate Solanke’s favourable double in Gameweek 27, it’s much simpler to nominate him as 12th Man.Solanke might be a smart 12th Man in Gameweek 27Credit: RexMaximum CaptainThis Booster simplifies the captaincy debate by guaranteeing the armband ends up on the player within your XI who scores the most points over the course of the Gameweek.Imagine Erling Haaland (£7.7m), Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) are all set to for juicy double Gameweeks against favourable opposition; chances are at least one of them will go seriously big.Activating Max Captain in such a scenario would ensure the optimum outcome.However, if all your rivals were to captain the Norwegian poacher in this situation and he outscored Saka and Salah, then you would have essentially wasted your Max Captain Booster.If the armband ends up on the player you were going to give it to anyway then that’s obviously a frustrating outcome. That’s why some gaffers prefer to activate Max Captain when all the familiar favourites are either unavailable or facing difficult fixtures.READ MORE SUN STORIESOr it may be that Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City all have one fixture at a time when several other clubs have two, blowing the captaincy conversation wide open.Lastly, be aware Boosters can’t be used them in conjunction with each other, only one at a time.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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LIVERPOOL scored a dramatic 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest on Saturday to maintain their lead in the Premier League.That Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) was the Reds’ hero at the City Ground came as a mocking twist of fate in the world of Dream Team as the Uruguayan striker was the most transferred-out player ahead of Gameweek 26.Outside of the last-gasp goal, the most notable aspect of the game was the visitors’ latest clean sheet.Just one of several in-form Liverpool defendersCredit: Dream TeamJurgen Klopp’s side prevented their opponents from scoring for the third game in succession – a streak that has greatly benefited Caoimhin Kelleher (£2.3m) and his defenders.The Irish goalkeeper is comfortably the most in-form asset in his position having taken 27 points from his last three outings.While FIVE Liverpool players are currently among among the top eight most in-form defenders.Conor Bradley (£3.5m) tops the list having amassed 28 points across his last three outings with Virgil van Dijk (£4.1m) not far behind on 25 points – the Dutchman is up to third in his position overall.With 21 points from his last three appearances, Joe Gomez (£3.6m) has quietly climbed up to joint-sixth among defenders for the season.The adaptable 26-year-old has played at centre-back, left-back, right-back and even in defensive midfield en route to 158 points.He features in just 3.1% of teams and is currently above William Saliba (£3.3m) in the rankings – although possibly only fleetingly with Arsenal due to face Sheffield United this evening.Most read in FootballGomez has contributed to 11 clean sheets this term – only Saliba, Ben White (£3.5m) and Gabriel (£4m) have registered more.Third among Dream Team defenders at the time of writingCredit: GettyIbrahima Konate (£2.9m) and Andy Robertson (£3.6m) are also among the most in-form defenders having pocketed 21 and 20 points respectively during their side’s clean sheet run.The latter came ever so close to missing out on his share of the clean sheet points against Forest as he was substituted in the 60th minute, fulfilling the necessary requirement by just a few seconds.Liverpool’s best defender, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.1m), missed out on the clean sheets against Forest, Southampton and Chelsea through injury but remains second in his position having racked up 179 points via 12 assists.It will be interesting to see if Klopp continues to give plenty of minutes to the impressive Bradley when Alexander-Arnold is available again.Bradley has deputised for Alexander-Arnold in recent weeksCredit: ReutersThe fact remains that half of the top six defenders in Dream Team right now are Anfield residents and more clean sheets will only improve the outlook.Klopp’s side face Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday night before next weekend’s mouthwatering clash against Manchester City.Needless to say, clean sheets against Pep Guardiola’s troops are exceedingly rare.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut the pattern has seemingly been set for Dream Team bosses.In terms of block-picking multiple defenders from a single team – Liverpool and Arsenal assets are head and shoulders above the rest.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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MANCHESTER CITY reasserted their dominance over their neighbours thanks to another inspired display from Phil Foden (£5.7m) on Sunday.Manchester United took an unexpected lead at the Etihad through Marcus Rashford’s (£3.5m) long-range piledriver but the defending champions dominated the game and eventually ran out 3-1 winners.It was the hosts homegrown talent who emerged as the hero with a brilliant brace that prompted Pep Guardiola to hail Foden as “the best player in the Premier League right now” in his post-match interview.A world-class talentCredit: Dream TeamThe decorated tactician’s claim triggered a widespread debate among football fans on social media but it’s an opinion substantiated by the Dream Team rankings.Foden banked 20 points when all was said and done on derby day to take his overall tally for the season to 287, two more than his nearest rival, team-mate Erling Haaland (£7.7m).The Norwegian poacher missed an open goal when his team were 1-0 down but he later scored his obligatory goal to the seal the win in stoppage time.However, the striker’s eight-point haul wasn’t enough to preserve his number one ranking in Dream Team, such was the impressive nature of Foden’s outing.Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) previously held top spot and Arsenal’s No7 will have the chance to usurp his international team-mate this evening when he faces Sheffield United – he’ll need 17 points to jump above Foden.Foden dethroned Haaland in Dream TeamCredit: GETTYDespite the scintillating form of Ollie Watkins (£4.6m), the top three have started to pull away from the chasing pack of late.DREAM TEAM’S TOP PERFORMERS 2023/24Most read in Football
Phil Foden (£5.7m) – 287 points
Erling Haaland (£7.7m) – 285 points
Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) – 271 points
Ollie Watkins (£4.6m) – 234 points
Jarrod Bowen (£4.7m) – 231 points
Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) – 222 points
Joao Pedro (£4.3m) – 216 points
Julian Alvarez (£4.2m) – 216 points
Cole Palmer (£4.3m) – 213 points
Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) – 211 points
Foden’s attacking output has been nothing short of extraordinary this season.After Sunday’s brace, he’s now scored 17 goals in all competitions – the joint-most among midfield assets.The 23-year-old has also registered 47 shots on target, comfortably the most among players in his position.287 points and countingCredit: PAHe ranks highly in the playmaking department too having created 14 big chances (third among midfielders) and provided 11 assists (joint-seventh).As if that wasn’t enough, only Bruno Guimaraes (£4.4m) has produced more bonus points than Foden at this stage of the campaign.Best in the Premier League, best in Dream Team… Foden has the world at his feet right now.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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