Dream Team

ERLING HAALAND’S (£7.5m) mega haul ensured Gameweek 25 was a high-scoring affair but focus now turns to Gameweek 26.Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Aston Villa are the only five teams with two fixtures to fulfil and so Dream Team managers should probably shop around these clubs when weighing up their next transfers.Allow us to put forward some recommendations.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!A popular choice this weekCredit: Dream TeamOllie Watkins (£4.5m)It wasn’t that long ago gaffers were ditching the Aston Villa striker in their droves amid a downturn in form.But Watkins’ lean spell seems a lifetime ago now he’s banked 60 points across his last six games via five goals and four assists.The England international has gone to another level under Unai Emery and his season tally of 31 goal involvements is only bettered by Haaland after 25 Gameweeks.On Saturday, Watkins and company travel to Kenilworth Road where Luton shipped six goals to Man City last time out.Then on Thursday night, the Villains visit Ajax for the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 tie – the Dutch giants are without a win in their last four league games.Most read in FootballAt the time of writing, Watkins is the most-popular recruit ahead of Saturday’s deadline and justifiably so.Jarrod Bowen (£4.5m)Hat-trick heroCredit: PATipping a player who just scored hat-trick isn’t exactly a shrewd insight (might as well suggest Haaland!) but it’s worth underlining West Ham’s top scorer ahead of Gameweek 26.Chasing lost points can be a futile endeavour but the Hammers’ double header of Everton and Freiburg looks ripe for further returns.Monday night’s win over Brentford ended a miserable run for David Moyes’ side and while it’s probably sensible to remain somewhat unconvinced, it’s simply a fact that the East Londoners play so much better when they’re able to field their first-choice front three of Mohammed Kudus (£4.6m), Lucas Paqueta (£4.1m) and Bowen.The difference between the latter’s returns with and without his partners in crime is stark and it’s no coincidence that the Brazilian’s return from injury coincided with his side’s win over the Bees.Remember, Bowen is generously categorised as a midfielder in Dream Team despite the fact he’s predominately played as a centre-forward this season.This is a key factor in him being the top goalscorer (17 goals) in his position.Only Watkins has been transferred into more teams than Bowen so far this week.Pascal Gross (£4.5m)Change the record…Credit: APRegular readers of our content are probably sick to death of us tipping Brighton’s No13 so we’ll keep this brief.The German midfielder is simply one of Dream Team’s most in-form players (45 points across last four Gameweeks) and also one of the game’s most-passionate bonus point hoarders – only three players have earned more than his 40 this season.The Seagulls travel to Fulham at the weekend before flying to the Italian capital to face Roma in the Europa League.It’s worth noting here that Brighton, West Ham, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the only teams with FOUR fixtures across the next two Gameweeks due to the scheduling of the European competitions.Gross will play Nottingham Forest and Roma (both at home) in Gameweek 27.Caoimhin Kelleher (£2m)An excellent short-term solutionCredit: AFPLiverpool’s schedule is certainly one to target but injury concerns mean it’s not all that clear which specific players are best placed to take advantage.However, the Reds’ Irish goalkeeper is surely a guaranteed starter all the while Alisson (£3.4m) is sidelined – the Brazilian isn’t expected back until after the international break.The 25-year-old bagged 19 points in Gameweek 25 and will be hopeful of healthy returns against Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague in Gameweek 26.Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and Darwin Nunez’s (£4.5m) absences against Chelsea and Southampton mean both have to be considered major doubts.Barring an encouraging update from Jurgen Klopp, it’s probably best to stay clear of the forwards for now.At this juncture it’s worth repeating our tip from last week in Luis Diaz (£4.1m).READ MORE SUN STORIESIn defence, Virgil van Dijk (£3.9m) and Conor Bradley (£3.2m) appear the best options – both pocketed 18 points each in Gameweek 25.Lock in your transfers before Saturday’s 2pm deadline!talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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PRIOR to Manchester City’s trip to Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night, it was Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) who sat atop the Dream Team rankings.On 271 points after another impressive showing against Newcastle, the Arsenal winger held a slender lead over Phil Foden (£5.7m), who moved onto 267 points with his winner against Bournemouth.
Some gaffers may have even seen contest for top spot as a two-horse race between the England internationals as third-placed Erling Haaland (£7.5m) was a further 25 points adrift of his team-mate after the weekend’s action.

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It was only a matter of timeCredit: Dream Team
But Dream Team bosses should know by now that the Norwegian poacher is capable of extraordinary feats.
Selected to start against Luton in the FA Cup fifth round, he scored FIVE goals in a 6-2 win to bank 34 points and reclaim his place on the Dream Team throne.
Having scored his 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th goals of the season in all competitions, Haaland is now five points clear of Saka and nine ahead of Foden.
The prolific 23-year-old produced one of his best ever performances at the Hatters’ expense, an exhibition of movement, strength, pace, hold-up play and finishing.
Incredibly, four of his goals were assisted by Kevin De Bruyne (£6.2m).
The Belgian playmaker has registered 11 assists in ten appearances since returning from injury – that boils down further to one every 49 minutes!
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A powerful pairCredit: Getty
Tuesday night’s remarkable outcome is what happens when a generational goalscorer combines with a world-class creator under the watch of a master tactician.
Dream Team managers would have been well aware of De Bruyne and Haaland’s attributes but this latest display from the pair comes as a timely reminder of their combined pedigree.
City’s No9 features in 78.7% of teams and it goes without saying that the 21.3% of gaffers who missed out on his 40-point haul in Gameweek 25 (he notched six against the Cherries) are now firmly behind the eight ball.
Even those who have Haaland in their XI but didn’t captain him this Gameweek have been heavily punished.

“Just the five goals for me last night…”Credit: Getty
Haaland averages 9.9 points-per-game in 2023/24 – only two other players, the aforementioned Saka and the injury-prone Michael Olise (£4.1m), average more than eight points-per-game.
Joao Pedro (£4.3m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) are his closest rivals in terms of goals scored but the pair are now eight behind on 19 each.
He’s also in a league of his own for shots on target (worth one point each).
MOST SHOTS ON TARGET THIS SEASON (ALL COMPS):

Erling Haaland – 68
Darwin Nunez – 50
Mohamed Salah – 43
Phil Foden – 43
Julian Alvarez – 43
Ollie Watkins – 40
Matheus Cunha – 37
Cole Palmer – 37
Jarrod Bowen – 35
Bruno Fernandes – 34

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Man City face Manchester United and Copenhagen in Gameweek 26 and it will take a brave (foolish) gaffer to captain anyone other than Haaland.
He is inevitable.

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VERY few Dream Team managers would have predicted the extent of Douglas Luiz’s (£3.9m) success this season.In his latest outing, the Aston Villa midfielder took advantage of a Nottingham Forest defence in disarray to bag a first-half brace on home soil.
The hosts eventually registered a 4-2 win on Saturday to strengthen their position in fourth place and Luiz was the biggest beneficiary as he banked a whopping 18 points by the final whistle.
At the time of writing, only hat-trick hero Jarrod Bowen (£4.5m) has scored more points in Gameweek 25.

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An underrated gemCredit: Dream Team
Naturally, Luiz’s season-best haul has propelled him up the Dream Team rankings.
The Brazilian is now sixth in his position having racked up 192 points in total this campaign.
The list of midfielders who have scored fewer points to date includes Bruno Fernandes (£4.8m), Martin Odegaard (£4.4m), Luis Diaz (£4.1m) and a host of other popular individuals.
Luiz features in 4.5% of teams and is currently the fourth most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 26.
Some gaffers may view this as a snap reaction to his 18-point haul at the weekend – chasing lost points is often futile – but a quick look at the schedule suggests it may be a viable strategy.
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Unai Emery’s side face Luton and Ajax in Gameweek 26 in what has to be considered a favourable double header.
The Hatters fight tooth and nail but the reality is they’ve earned just 20 points from 25 league games since promotion while the Dutch giants have been way off it throughout 2023/24 – they’ve won ten of their 23 Eredivisie fixtures this term.
A popular man ahead of Gameweek 26Credit: Getty
Ollie Watkins (£4.5m) will justifiably be the first port of call for many gaffers who intend to target Villa’s upcoming fixtures but adding Luiz to the mix may also be worthwhile.
The 25-year-old used to be an out-and-out defensive midfielder but his role has changed in the last year.
Having scored seven goals in 122 appearances under Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard, he’s scored 15 goals in 64 games under Emery.

The former Manchester City youth player is now encouraged to arrive late in the penalty box in support of Watkins – as evidenced by his first goal against Forest.
And of course, his improved goal tally is also down the fact he’s been instated as Villa’s primary penalty taker.
Add in seven assists, 27 bonus points plus a heap of tackles and it’s no wonder Luiz is mixing it with Dream Team’s top midfielders right now.
Leon Bailey (£3m) and John McGinn (£3.7m) are also worth a mention ahead of Gameweek 26 – the former now has 20 goal involvements in 2023/24.

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WEST HAM registered their first win of 2024 at Brentford’s expense on Monday night.At the risk of oversimplifying things, it’s probably no coincidence that the Hammers scored four goals in front of their home fans at the London Stadium in the very game their first-choice front three was reunited.
Lucas Paqueta (£4.1m) returned to the starting line-up after a lengthy spell on the sidelines to join Mohammed Kudus (£4.6m) and Jarrod Bowen (£4.5m) in David Moyes’ preferred forward line.
The England international benefited most as he bagged a hat-trick in the 4-2 win against the Bees to bank 20 Dream Team points in one fell swoop.

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Hat-trick heroCredit: Dream Team
This represents a dramatic reversal of fortunes as Bowen had mustered just 13 points across his previous five outings.
Naturally, the 27-year-old’s ownership dropped during his fallow spell of form but Monday night’s performance has changed the outlook.
In fact, Bowen is currently the second most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 26, though it’s early days in that regard.
There can be little doubt that the Hammers are significantly more threatening when Bowen is flanked by Kudus and Paqueta, with the former now having scored 17 goals in all competitions this season.
Only Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Joao Pedro (£4.3m) and Erling Haaland (£7.5m) have scored more goals at the time of writing and they’re all forwards – Bowen is generously categorised as a midfielder.
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Paqueta is a key player for West HamCredit: Getty
Dream Team bosses might consider this a timely return to form as West Ham are among the select group of five clubs with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 26.
They travel to Everton on Saturday before flying to Freiburg for the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie on Thursday night.
Given the out-of-form German outfit are currently ninth in the Bundesliga, this has to be considered a favourable double header for Bowen, who now has 226 points to his name this season.
However, some gaffers will be understandably reluctant to back one of Moyes’ troops off the back of one win given how the last two months have played out.

Fourth in the Dream Team rankingsCredit: PA
Prior to Monday’s result, West Ham endured a miserable run that featured a 6-0 defeat to Arsenal, a draw against bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United, and a loss to Bristol City in the FA Cup.
Certainly, there will be no rush to recruit Alphonse Areola (£2.1m) or any of the defenders ahead of him but Paqueta, Kudus and particularly Bowen have provided boat-loads of points in combination with one another.
After his latest hat-trick, the latter averages 7.1 points-per-game in 2023/24.

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ONE particularly impressive aspect of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea was that they managed to get over the line without their three top scorers.Diogo Jota (£4.3m) was an expected absentee at Wembley as he’s facing at least two months on the sidelines following a knee injury.
But the absence of both Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) came as something of a surprise, despite the forwards being flagged as doubts in the days leading up to the fixture.
The injured trio have scored 46 goals between them this season – serious firepower missing from the Reds’ squad.
A popular man for Gameweek 25 but no appearance yetCredit: Dream Team
From a Dream Team perspective, the Egypt international’s omission was a particularly cruel blow.
Salah was by far and away the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 25 following his ten-point haul against Brentford upon his return to action.
The 31-year-old was subsequently absent from Liverpool’s win over Luton in midweek but with Jurgen Klopp citing “fatigue” as the reason, it was expected the prolific goalscorer would feature against the Blues in some capacity with a trophy on the line.
Evidently, it was not worth the risk to include either Salah or Nunez on the bench.
Many, many Dream Team managers have therefore been left to regret their latest transfers.
Salah was over twice as popular as next most-recruited player prior to the deadline and his ownership is now up to 24.5%.
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Salah watched his team-mates get the job done at WembleyCredit: Reuters
His price tag of £6.7m also makes him the second-most expensive asset in the game, meaning many gaffers would have comprised with downgrades elsewhere in order to facilitate the ill-judged transfer.
Liverpool’s FA Cup fifth round meeting with Luton on Wednesday might provide a lifeline of sorts.
It’s possible Salah may be deemed available in midweek and therefore could end up providing his owners with some points after all.
However, with the league very much a priority for Klopp, especially with the German tactician having now ticked off a domestic cup this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Salah was saved until the weekend for Liverpool’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
That visit to the City Ground will obviously take place after the Gameweek 26 deadline, meaning Dream Team bosses who opted to delay their recruitment of the 222-point forward can hop aboard having not been punished by their rivals who jumped the gun.
Darwin Nunez seemed sprightly enough during the celebrationsCredit: Getty
Klopp’s side also travel to Sparta Prague in Gameweek 26 for the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
Of course, there’s no guarantee Salah will be selected for either of those fixture at this stage either.
Thankfully, Dream Team bosses will be updated on the matter well in advance of the Gameweek 26 deadline.
It’s early days but Salah is currently the second most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 26 – transfers are able to be reversed prior to Saturday’s deadline.

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