Dream Team

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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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 26 in one easily digestible dose.Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) and Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.9m) are both in contention for Liverpool’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday having returned to training on Thursday.Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), however, has again been ruled out – key players Alisson (£3.4m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.1m) also remain sidelined.In more positive news, Andy Robertson (£3.5m) and Wataru Endo (£2.3m) participated in training today.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Not fit to returnCredit: AlamyNo timescale has been given for Jack Grealish’s (£3.2m) return after the Manchester City midfielder limped off against Luton in midweek.Josko Gvardiol (£3.3m) is Pep Guardiola’s only other doubt – Sunday’s Manchester derby will probably come too soon for the Croatia international.As for Erik ten Hag’s side, Bruno Fernandes (£4.8m) and Raphael Varane (£2.4m) successfully shrugged off niggles to feature in the FA Cup in midweek but no other players are expected to return.A late decision will be made on Dominic Solanke (£4m) following the Bournemouth striker’s absence in the FA Cup.”It’s true he has pain in the knee,” Andoni Iraola told journalists. “At least with the MRI, everything is clear. Tomorrow I find out if we have a chance with Dom. It’s a matter of [whether] he still feels the pain or if it’s improved.”Mikel Arteta revealed that Thomas Partey (£2.6m) is likely to be among Arsenal’s squad on Monday night while late decisions will be made on Takehiro Tomiyasu (£2.7m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£3.4m).A late decision will be made on SolankeCredit: Dream TeamKauro Mitoma (£3.5m) will unfortunately miss the remainder of the season with a back injury.In better news for Brighton fans, Evan Ferguson (£2.2m), Tariq Lamptey (£2m) and Joel Veltman (£2.3m) are all said to be available for Saturday’s trip to Craven Cottage.Roberto De Zerbi told reporters: “If you watch the game against Wolves, [Simon] Adingra didn’t play well… maybe he is tired. Facundo [Buonanotte] is the same, Pascal Gross suffered cramp at the end of the game. Lewis Dunk can’t play 90 minutes every three days.”First-choice defenders Ezri Konsa (£3.1m) and Pau Torres (£2.9m) will be included in Aston Villa’s squad to face Luton on Saturday but Unai Emery will judge the pair’s capacity to start closer to kick-off.Ben Mee (£2.4m) is the latest Brentford player to join the long-term injury list after he was forced off against West Ham on Monday night.The centre-back fractured his ankle against the Hammers and is therefore likely to be out for the rest of the campaign.Mitoma is out for the rest of the seasonCredit: AlamyRicharlison (£3.5m) won’t be available for “two to three weeks” after picking up a knee injury.Ange Postecoglou believes Destiny Udogie (£2.8m) has a chance to feature at home against Crystal Palace but Pedro Porro (£3.6m) will probably need another week of recovery.The Eagles will be boosted by the return of Eberechi Eze (£3.9m) to the matchday squad – Joachim Andersen (£2.2m) is also thought to be fine despite a minor concern earlier in the week.Hwang Hee-chan (£3.3m) tweaked his hamstring in midweek and will not travel with Wolves to Newcastle on Saturday.ARSENALInjuries: Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko (doubt), Takehiro Tomiyasu (doubt)Suspensions: NoneASTON VILLAInjuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Jhon Duran, Boubacar Kamara, Diego CarlosSuspensions: NoneBOURNEMOUTHInjuries: Ryan Fredericks, Tyler Adams, James Hill, Max Aarons, Enes Unal (doubt), Dominic Solanke (doubt), Lloyd Kelly (doubt)Suspensions: NoneBRENTFORDInjuries: Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo, Josh Dasilva, Ethan Pinnock, Ben MeeSuspensions: NoneBRIGHTONInjuries: Solly March, Joao Pedro, James Milner, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru MitomaSuspensions: Billy GilmourBURNLEYInjuries: Luka Koleosho, Jordan Beyer, Nathan Redmond, Lyle Foster, Aaron Ramsey, Jordan Beyer (doubt)Suspensions: Josh BrownhillCHELSEAInjuries: Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Marc Cucurella (doubt), Beniot Badashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, Thiago Silva (doubt), Christopher NkunkuSuspensions: NoneCRYSTAL PALACEInjuries: Cheick Doucoure, Rob Holding, Michael Olise, Marc Guehi, Jesurun Rak-SakyiSuspensions: NoneEVERTONInjuries: Dele Alli, Andre Gomes, Arnaut Danjuma, Amadou Onana (doubt), Lewis Dobbin (doubt), Idrissa Gueye (doubt)Suspensions: NoneFULHAMInjuries: Raul JimenezSuspensions: Joao PalhinhaLIVERPOOLInjuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Joel Matip, Dominik Szoboszlai (doubt), Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Curtis Jones (doubt), Mohamed Salah (doubt), Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez (doubt), Andy Robertson (doubt), Wataru Endo (doubt)Suspensions: NoneLUTONInjuries: Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba, Mads Juel Andersen, Elijah Adebayo, Jacob Brown, Gabriel Osho (doubt), Amari’i Bell (doubt), Dan Potts (doubt)Suspensions: NoneMANCHESTER CITYInjuries: Josko Gvardiol (doubt), Jack GrealishSuspensions: NoneMANCHESTER UNITEDInjuries: Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Maguire (doubt)Suspensions: NoneNEWCASTLEInjuries: Matt Targett, Nick Pope, Joelinton, Sven Botman (doubt), Callum WilsonSuspensions: Sandro TonaliNOTTINGHAM FORESTInjuries: Chris Wood, Ibrahim Sangare, Willy Boly, Ola Aina, Nuno TavaresSuspensions: NoneSHEFFIELD UNITEDInjuries: Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, George Baldock (doubt), Ben Brereton Diaz, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Max Lowe, Cameron Archer, Anis Ben SlimaneSuspensions: Mason HolgateTOTTENHAMInjuries: Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Fraser Forster, Destiny Udogie (doubt), Pedro Porro, RicharlisonSuspensions: NoneWEST HAMInjuries: Maxwel Cornet Suspensions: NoneWOLVESInjuries: Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-chanSuspensions: NonetalkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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DREAM TEAM managers have a lot to mull over ahead of Gameweek 26 but the captaincy debate is likely to be a short one.Erling Haaland (£7.5m) plundered 41 points in Gameweek 25, over twice as many as the next-best performer, via an emphatic five-goal exhibition at Luton’s expense.Next in the Norwegian poacher’s sights are Manchester United and Copenhagen, who both face the daunting task of a visit to the Etihad in the coming days.In-form players from Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton and Aston Villa all look set for profitable outings this coming Gameweek but it’s almost impossible to look past Haaland for the armband after what he produced at Kenilworth Road.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Bradley appears in 2.9% of teams at presentCredit: Dream TeamIf the captaincy conversation is cut-and-dried then what about Booster options?Many gaffers are yet to activate Park the Bus, the most-powerful Booster in the game, and Gameweek 26’s fixtures look rather appealing on paper.Liverpool face Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague in what has to be considered a favourable double header on current form.Conor Bradley (£3.2m) and Virgil van Dijk (£3.9m) racked up 18 points each in Gameweek 25 while Joe Gomez (£3.5m), Kostas Tsimikas (£3.4m), Ibrahima Konate (£2.8m) and Andy Robertson (£3.5m) also registered double-digit hauls.Jurgen Klopp’s side kept their sheets clean against Chelsea and Southampton in what was a high-scoring week for the Reds.Most read in Dream TeamThe only issue is that identifying Liverpool defenders who will definitely start both fixtures this coming Gameweek is deceptively difficult.A popular man ahead of Gameweek 26Credit: GettyVan Dijk is the safest bet but it’s worth noting the Dutchman has played just 90 minutes of European football this season – surely Klopp is likely to call upon his skipper in a knockout environment?Bradley is probably a double starter as well with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.1m) expected to be sidelined until after the international break – rotation is more likely at left-back.Elsewhere, Emerson (£2.8m) is a potentially shrewd option ahead of West Ham’s trips to Everton and Freiburg.Granted, the Hammers don’t keep all that many clean sheets but the industrious left-back has made more tackles (91) than any other defender in the game at this season.Add in four goal involvements plus 20 bonus points and Emerson boasts a respectable tally of 144 points in total – he’s certainly capable of a satisfying double-digit haul in Gameweek 26.Generally speaking, it’s best to target defenders with two fixtures when building a Park the Bus back line but with Arsenal up against Sheffield United this weekend, including one of Ben White (£3.6m), William Saliba (£3.4m) or Gabriel (£4.1m) could yield healthy returns.A couple of tempting optionsCredit: ReutersCombining Van Dijk, Bradley, Emerson, Gabriel and, say, Ruben Dias (£3.5m) would look pretty good as a Park the Bus back five.Ezri Konsa (£3.1m) is another defender to keep an eye on after he was pictured in training.The Villa man is a favourite of Unai Emery’s and a keen bonus point collector but it’s currently unclear whether he’s ready to start one game, let alone two.All that being said, it’s worth noting that Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton and Aston Villa all have back-to-back away games this Gameweek so waiting until Gameweek 27 to activate Park the Bus, when all four sides have two home fixtures, might be the smarter move.12th Man?Credit: APGaffers interested in playing a 12th Man this Gameweek would do well to peruse the players we recommended as transfer options.Ollie Watkins (£4.5m) has banked 60 points across his last six outings and therefore seems likely to thrive against Luton and Ajax, assuming he’s selected in the Europa Conference League round of 16 first leg in Amsterdam.Jarrod Bowen (£4.5m) bagged a hat-trick last time out and is once again a fantastic option now he’s been reunited with Lucas Paqueta (£4.1m) and Mohammed Kudus (£4.6m).READ MORE SUN STORIESKevin De Bruyne (£6.2m) is also a tempting 12th Man candidate for those gaffers who haven’t yet recruited him on a permanent basis.Remember to lock in your captaincy, transfers and any Boosters you wish to play before Saturday’s 2pm deadline.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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