Dream Team

IT’S always worth keeping track of the differential options available to Dream Team managers.With that in mind, let’s highlight the seven best players (based on total points) with a current ownership below 3%.

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Midfield generalCredit: Getty
Joao Palhinha (£3.5m)

Midfielder
139 points
0.4% ownership

The Premier League’s resident tackle-machine is an absolute animal in the middle of the park.
Fulham’s No26 has racked up 120 tackles while only two other players have made more than 80!
It’s probably unfair to dub Palhinha a one-trick pony – he pockets more than his fair share of bonus points too – but the fact he’s banked over 40% of his points through tackles alone is truly remarkable.
Enzo Fernandez (£3.5m)

Midfielder
140 points
1.5% ownership

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The World Cup winner’s low ownership is understandable because Dream Team bosses with the inclination to back a Chelsea midfielder have Cole Palmer (£4.2m) and Raheem Sterling (£3.9m) at the front of the queue.
Fernandez has scored five goals this season and the underlying stats suggest he’s desperate for more as his tally of 23 shots on target is only bettered by six other players in his position.
He also earns plenty of bonus points but truth be told it’s difficult to justify his place in a worthy Dream Team right now.
Key to Everton’s solid defence this seasonCredit: Reuters
Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.8m)

Defender
141 points
2.4% ownership

Everton’s left-back has been an underrated Dream Team gem for quite a while now.
The Ukraine international has contributed to ten clean sheets – only two players have notched more – and is currently the fourth-best player in his position!
Mykolenko has out-performed Kyle Walker (£3.1m), Virgil van Dijk (£3.9m), Ben White (£3.4m) and several other popular defenders to date.
The minority of Dream Team bosses who have taken a punt on him have generally been well rewarded.
James Garner (£3.3m)

Midfielder
155 points
1.8% ownership

Mykolenko’s team-mate has punched above his weight in a similar fashion among midfielders.
Only five assets in his position have earned more bonus points than Garner at this stage and the aforementioned Palhinha is the only player to have made more tackles.
Class actCredit: Dream Team
Mohammed Kudus (£4.9m)

Midfielder
161 points
0.7% ownership

In fairness, the Ghana star’s scandalously low ownership is likely a knock-on effect of his recent departure to AFCON.
West Ham were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United at the weekend but Kudus reintroduced himself to the world of Dream Team with a ten-point return via a maximum haul of five bonus points.
The ex-Ajax winger has scored nine goals, provided four assists, and only Jeremy Doku (£3.8m) has stacked up more successful dribbles, hence his substantial bonus point total of 31.

Pascal Gross (£4.1m)

Midfielder
172 points
2.4% ownership

The Brighton stalwart always crops up in these lists.
A set-piece specialist and an accomplished technician, Gross has provided 11 assists in all competitions – only Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) and Pedro Neto (£3.2m) have created more goals among midfielders.
Like most the other names on this list, the German’s impressive all-round performances have resulted in a very respectable bonus point tally (30) this season.
Tackles, big chances created, shots on target… Gross does it all.
Hat-trick heroCredit: Reuters
Matheus Cunha (£4m)

Striker
192 points
2.5% ownership

Best for last, Wolves’ No12 is the eighth-best player in Dream Team at the time of writing!
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The Brazilian forward has catapulted himself up the rankings with 76 points in his last seven fixtures, including a 25-point haul via a hat-trick against Chelsea last time out.
With Gary O’Neil’s side among the Premier League’s most in-form teams (only Manchester City have taken more points from their last six games) Cunha’s popularity will surely increase sharply?

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WHISPER it quietly but things are looking up for Manchester United in 2024.The Red Devils remain unbeaten since the turn of the year having won four of their five fixtures in all competitions with the 2-2 draw against Tottenham their only minor blemish.
Erik ten Hag’s desperately side struggled to score goals throughout the first half of the season – even now they’ve scored fewer league goals than Wolves, Brentford and Luton – but things have improved in attack of late.

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Youthful exuberanceCredit: Dream Team
Man United have scored 19 goals in their last seven games with Rasmus Hojlund (£3.6m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£3.1m) shining brightest.
In fact, it may be time more Dream Team managers gave the pair due consideration.
The 21-year-old Danish striker enjoyed himself in the Champions League group stages but it took him a while to get going in domestic football under Ten Hag.
However, his goal against West Ham on Sunday made it four consecutive games in which he’s scored.
Going back a little further to the start of Gameweek 17 – when Man United came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on Boxing Day – Hojlund has scored five goals in his last six appearances.
This fruitful spell also includes two assists.
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Ten goal involvements this season and countingCredit: Rex
As for Garnacho, he’s not been as regular a goalscorer but his strikes seem to come in pairs.
The Argentine winger bagged a brace in that comeback win over the Villains and he did the same against the Hammers last time out.
The teenager has also ticked over nicely in the games in which he hasn’t scored.
He picked up four six-point hauls in a row between Gameweeks 19 and 21 via bonus points, shots on target and big chances created – he was very unlucky not to have registered at least one assist having created SIX big chances across those four fixtures.
Add everything together and the duo of Garnacho and Hojlund have combined for a whopping 109 points since the start of Gameweek 17.
This breaks down to 7.1 points-per-game for Hojlund and 7.4 points-per-game for Garnacho across United’s last eight fixtures.
Needless to say, this is the kind of form that should pique the interest of Dream Team gaffers at the very least.
A glimpse into the future?Credit: Getty
The main blockade to Old Trafford’s young talents is the schedule.
Man United are due to play five fixtures between now and the end of Gameweek 26: Aston Villa (a), Luton (a), Fulham (h), Nottingham Forest/Bristol City (a) and Manchester City (a).
For comparison, Pep Guardiola’s side will fulfil EIGHT fixtures in the same time frame: Everton (h), Copenhagen (a), Chelsea (h), Brentford (h), Bournemouth (a), Luton (a), Man United (h) and Copenhagen (h).
It’s therefore hard to campaign for Hojlund and Garnacho over the likes of Julian Alvarez (£4.3m), Rodri (£3.6m), etc.
Although City assets generally don’t come cheap and it may be the case that many gaffers can only afford so many Etihad residents in the name of squeezing the schedule.
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United’s progression to the FA Cup fifth round with a relatively favourable match (Forest or Bristol City) means they’re busier than the likes of Spurs and West Ham this month.
Keep an eye on Hojlund and Garnacho’s returns – they’re bubbling up nicely.

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BRUNO GUIMARAES (£3.8m) reached a personal milestone amid the chaos at St James’ Park on Saturday.Newcastle’s all-action midfielder earned five bonus points (the maximum available) for the second time this season to make it 50 for the season.

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King of bonus pointsCredit: Dream Team
The Brazilian is the first Dream Team player to reach a half century of bonus points in 2023/24 and now holds an 11-point lead in the metric over James Ward-Prowse (£4.1m).
Guimaraes was one of four players involved in the entertaining 4-4 draw between the Magpies and Luton to bank a double-digit haul – he pocketed 11 when all was said and done via an assist and two big chances created on top of the aforementioned bonus points.
As a result, he’s the joint-ninth best midfielder in Dream Team at the time of writing having racked up 161 points in total.
A quick bit of maths reveals that almost a third (31.1%) of his points have come through the bonus system.
So how has Guimaraes racked up so many bonus points?
Guimaraes thrived amid the chaos of Newcastle’s 4-4 draw with LutonCredit: Getty
Firstly, it’s worth remembering that bonus points are designed to recognise players who positively impact games outside of the aspects already covered by Dream Team’s scoring process.
Actions such as goals, assists and clean sheets directly result in points, hence why they don’t impact bonus points.
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Bonus points are determined by Player Performance Marks (PPM) which are impacted by the following stats:

Successful dribbles +1
Accurate crosses +1
Pass completion rate (70-79%) +1
Pass completion rate (80-89%) +2
Pass completion rate (90%+) +3
Interceptions +1
Blocks +1
Fouls won +1
Goals scored from outside penalty box +1
Offsides -1
Fouls conceded -1
Errors leading to goal -2

If a player accumulates between 5-7 PPM, they earn one bonus points, while 8-11 PPM results in three bonus points, with 12+ PPM leading to a rare maximum of five bonus points.
Against the Hatters, Guimaraes registered a pass completion rate of 80% (+2 PPM), three accurate crosses (+3 PPM), two successful dribbles (+2 PPM), one block (+1 PPM), one interception (+1 PPM) and four fouls won (+4 PPM) among his other contributions for a total of 13 PPM and therefore five bonus points.
The 26-year-old is suitably equipped to earn plentiful bonus points because he’s a well-rounded midfielder who contributes both defensively and in possession.
James Ward-Prowse has the second-most bonus points at this stageCredit: Rex
He also wins A LOT of free-kicks for Newcastle – a useful trait with a set-piece taker like Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) as a team-mate.
In fact, Guimaraes leads the way for fouls won among Premier League players this season by a comfortable margin.
Additionally, he ranks highly in his position for blocks, interceptions and successful dribbles – another illustration of his well-rounded nature.
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Dream Team bosses can check all the relevant stats relating to PPM and bonus points in the Stats Centre at any time.
Gaffers are also now able to toggle between total points and PPM in the Match Centre for each fixture that’s either completed or in-progress.

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MANY pundits thought Luton would be easy pickings in the Premier League this season.And for while it seemed that may be the case as the Hatters found life in the top flight very difficult throughout the first three months of the campaign.
But then they drew with Liverpool at Kenilworth Road on Bonfire Night.

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Ross Barkley has been talismanic for Luton latelyCredit: Dream Team
That spirited result against Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) and company instilled a sense of belief in Rob Edwards’ underdogs.
Not long after, Luton went toe-to-toe with Arsenal and Manchester City in consecutive games, although narrow defeats failed to improve their league position.
Since then, however, they’ve beaten Newcastle, Sheffield United, Everton and Brighton.
Most recently, they drew 4-4 with the Magpies at St James’ Park – accounting for almost 29% of the league goals Eddie Howe’s men have conceded at home this season – in one of the most-entertaining games in Premier League history.
Add in some FA Cup results and Edwards’ side are now at the point where they’ve lost just one of their last nine fixtures.
Luton have greatly improved their chances of avoiding relegation in recent weeksCredit: PA
Their tally of 20 points from 22 league games remains modest but they’ve already leapfrogged the Toffees (hampered by a points deduction) and they’re within striking distance of Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Crystal Palace.
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Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, Luton have already proved plenty of people wrong.
From a Dream Team perspective, several players are overdue proper appreciation.
Eijah Adebayo (£2.2m) was the star of the show in the 4-0 triumph over the Seagulls, comfortably the Hatters best result of the season.
The 26-year-old, who was playing in League Two with Walsall as recently as the 2020/21 campaign, bagged a hat-trick against Roberto De Zerbi’s men to bank 20 points in one fell swoop.
He followed that up with a goal amid the chaos at St James’ Park to add another eight points to his total.
A moment to savourCredit: Getty
Elsewhere, Carlton Morris (£2.7m) has notched two goals and three assists in his last five outings.
The ex-Barnsley striker was his side’s top-scorer during their historic promotion campaign last term.
And he’s averaging a goal or assist every 141.8 minutes in 2023/24 – an impressive effort.
Then there’s the rejuvenated Ross Barkley (£2.8m), who has been nothing short of talismanic in recent weeks.
Many thought the former England international’s time in the spotlight on these shores was at an end when he signed for Nice but he’s been one of the better players in his position since rediscovering his best form in Bedfordshire.
Barkley pouched 16 points against Newcastle in an all-action display: one goal, one assist, four tackles, three bonus points.
Generally operating in a deeper midfield role than he did in his youth, the 30-year-old has been an influential figure in Luton’s spirited performances against teams with far greater resources.
He pocketed ten points in the victory over Brighton as well.
Luton fans have had plenty of cheer recentlyCredit: GETTY

Add it all up and Barkley, Adebayo and Morris have combined for 99 points across the last three Gameweeks!
Congratulations to the slim minority of Dream Team bosses (presumably partisan Luton fans) who have benefited from this trio’s healthy returns in some capacity.
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Barkley is the most-popular player among his team-mates and yet his ownership sits at just 0.4%.
To put this into context, Barkley averages the same number of points-per-game across his last three outings as 44.2%-owned Phil Foden (£5m), hat-trick included.

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If you focus too much on one Manchester City superstar then another will inevitably make you pay.With the spotlight on Erling Haaland (£7.6m) amid his first start since recovering from a foot injury, it was Phil Foden (£5m) who came to the fore against Brentford on Monday night with a classy hat-trick.

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Searching for somebody with more Dream Team points this season…Credit: Dream Team
The Bees took the lead on home soil via a route one Neal Maupay (£2.6m) goal but Pep Guardiola’s side rallied to extend their current winning streak to nine games in all competitions.
City’s No47 was undoubtedly the star of the show; he was on hand at the end of the first half with an opportunistic equaliser to breach a resolute Mark Flekken (£1.7m).
Foden then connected with a typically inviting Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) cross to head home from close range before he bagged the match ball with a slotted finish after a neat lay-off from Haaland.
Naturally, this accomplished performance translated to Dream Team success.
The hat-trick hero banked a whopping 21 points when all was said and done.
And his haul proved to be important as it was the exact number of points Foden needed to draw level with Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) at the top of the overall rankings!
Like Gareth Southgate, Dream Team bosses have the luxury of selecting bothCredit: Getty
DREAM TEAM TOP PLAYERS THIS SEASON:
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Phil Foden – 226 pts
Bukayo Saka – 226 pts
Joao Pedro – 216 pts
Mohamed Salah – 212 pts
Erling Haaland – 202 pts
Jarrod Bowen – 200 pts
Julian Alvarez – 197 pts
Matheus Cunha – 192 pts
Darwin Nunez – 187 pts
Kieran Trippier – 186 pts

Needless to say, hanging onto Foden should prove very profitable across the next few Gameweeks.
Man City are the only Premier League team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23: Everton (h) and Copenhagen (a).
Then in Gameweek 24, the defending champions are one of just three teams to pull double duty when they face Chelsea and Brentford (again).
Simply put, Foden will among the busiest players in the game this month and is therefore likely to break free of Saka and pull clear at the top of the rankings outright.
The 23-year-old, who features in 44.2% of teams, has now scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, not to mention ten assists, and he ranks first among midfielders for shots on target with 34.
A truly fantastic player and a top-tier Dream Team asset!

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WHAT a roller coaster Dream Team managers have been on with Joao Pedro (£4m) in the last few days.In Gameweek 21, Brighton’s No9 bagged an FA Cup hat-trick against Sheffield United and his greedy backers were hopeful of another significant haul against Luton in midweek.
However, the Hatters upset the Seagulls with an incredible 4-0 win and while Pedro mustered five points by way of compensation, things soured when he was forced off midway through the second half with an injury.
In his Friday press conference, Roberto De Zerbi told reporters that a late decision would be made on the Brazilian ahead of their next game against Crystal Palace but at that stage the Italian tactician didn’t seem all that hopeful.
A true Dream Team gemCredit: Getty
As a result, Pedro was the most transferred-out player in all of Dream Team ahead of Gameweek 22, despite having bagged 29 points in Gameweek 21.
Imagine the reaction of the gaffers in question when the 22-year-old was subsequently named in the starting line-up against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Immediately it looked a match-up ripe for returns as the Eagles were without Eberechi Eze (£3.9m) and Michael Olise (£4.1m) in their starting XI.
And so it proved to be as Brighton swept aside their rivals with Pedro scoring the last goal in a 4-1 win.
Add in three bonus points and the ex-Watford banked 11 points in total to leapfrog Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and become Dream Team’s outright best striker!
Salah who? Haaland who?Credit: Dream Team
Pedro’s tally of 216 points is only bettered by Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) among all assets.
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Evidently, his injury was no more than a minor concern easily traversed.
Pedro’s pinpoint strike against Palace was a decisive goal for another reason.
It was his 19th of the campaign in all competitions, drawing him level with Erling Haaland (£7.6m) among Premier League players.
MOST GOALS AMONG PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS THIS SEASON (ALL COMPS):

19 – Joao Pedro, Erling Haaland
18 – Mohamed Salah
15 – Dominic Solanke
14 – Jarrod Bowen, Alexander Isak
13 – Diogo Jota, Ollie Watkins, Julian Alvarez

It’s early days but Pedro is currently the third-most popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 23 and it’s probably fair to assume that includes plenty of gaffers who ditched him because of the injury scare.
Brighton have relatively favourable fixturesCredit: Reuters

Brighton face Tottenham, Sheffield United, Everton and Wolves before the end of the month.
De Zerbi’s side will also resume their Europa League campaign soon after in Gameweek 26.
Whatever happens from this point onwards, Pedro’s efforts this season will live long in the memory.
JOAO PEDRO’S 2023/24 STATS:
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19 goals (=1st rank among forwards)
216 points (1st)
29 tackles (=3rd)
19 bonus points (=3rd)
8 big chances created (=4th)
22 shots on target (6th)
6.8 average points-per-game (=6th)
10.8% ownership (6th)

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MATHEUS CUNHA (£4m) is fast becoming one of the stories of the Dream Team season.At the time of writing, he’s comfortably Gameweek 22’s top performer having banked a whopping 25 points against Chelsea on Sunday.
The Wolves forward scored a hat-trick as his side beat the Blues 4-2 at Stamford Bridge to jump into the top half of the table.
Happy days!Credit: Dream Team
There was an element of good fortune for Cunha’s first goal via a substantial deflection that totally wrong-footed Dorde Petrovic (£3m) but the Molineux faithful would say he’s earned his luck through impressive performances this season.
His second goal came courtesy of a typically excellent Pedro Neto (£3.2m) assist while the third came from the penalty spot – although it’s worth noting Cunha won the spot-kick himself with a penetrating dribble that rendered Malo Gusto (£2.5m) critically desperate.
Add in three bonus points plus a big chance created and it’s no wonder the Brazilian has made such giant strides in the Dream Team rankings off the back of his showing in West London.
He’s leapfrogged Ollie Watkins (£4m), Darwin Nunez (£4.6m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) to go fourth among assets in his position.
In fact, Cunha’s overall total of 192 points puts him just four points behind Erling Haaland (£7.6m) although of course the outlook is likely to be different once Manchester City have played Brentford tonight.
Wolves are improving as the season progressesCredit: Reuters
Sunday’s hat-trick is the culmination of a spectacular run of form.
Cunha is statistically Dream Team’s joint-most in-form player right now alongside Joao Pedro (£4m) – both have averaged 13.3 points-per-game across their last three outings.
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And if that sample size is too small then his return of 84 points in his last eight appearances is equally emphatic.
The 24-year-old has now scored 11 goals in all competitions this season but he’s not an out-and-out striker in the traditional sense.
He’s exhibited a keen eye for goal in recent weeks but he specialises in link-up play and carrying the ball forward – his dribbling stats put most other players in his position to shame.
And it’s his overall contribution to every aspect of Wolves’ attacking play that has earned him 26 bonus points in 2023/24 – the highest tally among all forwards.
Furthermore, Cunha works hard out of possession and often occupies deeper positions where he’s able to recover the ball in midfield.
In fact, only Jordan Ayew (£3.1m) has made more tackles among assets in his position.
Hat-trick heroCredit: Getty
Add in seven assists plus eight big chances created and the former Atletico Madrid man looks more and more the complete package.
Sadly though, only a slim minority of Dream Team bosses have benefited from his efforts of late.
Even now, his ownership remains at a modest 2.1% – meaning almost 98% of gaffers are overlooking him.
In fairness, the main reason for this is that there are several appealing options up front at present.
The aforementioned Watkins, Nunez, Pedro and Alvarez have all satisfied their backers in recent outings, as have the likes of Diogo Jota (£4.3m), Dominic Solanke (£4m), Alexander Isak (£4.4m), Richarlison (£3.3m) and Rasmus Hojlund (£3.6m).
Factor in Haaland’s comeback from injury and the imminent returns of Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) and Dream Team managers will be thoroughly spoiled for choice.
Dream Team bosses were spoiled for choice up front even before Haaland’s returnCredit: Getty

But while it’s partially understandable that Wolves’ No12 has been overlooked by so many, the raw numbers are undeniable – he deserves due appreciation.
With all that being said, it may the case that the best time to own Cunha is almost at an end.
O’Neil’s side obviously don’t have European fixtures to bolster their schedule and if they fall to Brighton in the FA Cup at the end of this month then they’ll be left with just Premier League commitments.
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With Manchester City and Arsenal set to resume their Champions League campaigns this month and Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Aston Villa to follow with their respective European knockout games in March, it may be the case that Cunha struggles to keep pace with his comparatively relaxed fixture list.
His owners should be able to enjoy his form for a little while yet though.

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WE love it when a plan comes together here at Dream Team HQ.Prior to Gameweek 22, we included Ollie Watkins (£4m) in our weekly transfer suggestions and captaincy options.
Plenty of gaffers felt similarly enthused as Aston Villa’s No11 was both the second most-recruited player before the deadline and the second most-selected captain.
On Saturday night, he justified his popularity with a 16-point return against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Never in doubt!Credit: Dream Team
Watkins was directly involved in FOUR goals as Unai Emery’s men strolled to a 5-0 victory, scoring once and registering three assists.
The favourable match-up against the Blades – who will need a miracle to avoid relegation this season – was one of two main reasons the 28-year-old appealed as a Dream Team asset this Gameweek.
Chelsea visit Villa Park on Wednesday night for an FA Cup fourth round replay, meaning Watkins is among a select number of players with two fixtures to fulfil.
Having already plundered 16 points at the weekend (doubled to 32 for those who captained him) he’s already delivered satisfying returns – anything he earns against the Blues will be a nice bonus.
Watkins was among the most transferred-out players for much of last week but he dropped out of the top five on Friday night and those Dream Team bosses who changed their mind will be mightily relieved.
Truth be told, Darwin Nunez’s (£4.6m) doubtful fitness played a huge role in the turning of the tide.
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Nunez’s minor injury helped Dream Team bosses retain WatkinsCredit: Getty
Liverpool’s chaotic striker was only fit enough to play the last half an hour against Arsenal, in which time he was booked for dissent.
The Uruguay international therefore returned a big, fat goose egg and gaffers who opted to sacrifice him, instead of Watkins, for Erling Haaland (£7.6m) will be feeling rather smug.
Watkins has done his duty in Gameweek 22 with another fixture still to come but what about his long-term viability?
Had the England international failed to provide suitable return this Gameweek, many Dream Team managers would have been quick to ship him out but 26 points from his last two outings represents a timely return to form.
And a quick look at the schedule suggests Villa assets will do well in the coming weeks.
In Gameweek 23 they host a Manchester United side now unbeaten in their last five games but then it’s Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Luton – all in the bottom eight at the time of writing.
Villa players enjoyed themselves against Sheffield UnitedCredit: Reuters

That will take the Villains up to the first leg of their Europa Conference round of 16 tie – West Ham assets produced plenty of points in the same competition last season.
Plus, Villa may be in the hat for the FA Cup fifth round if they can get past Chelsea this week.
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A fortnight ago it seemed as if Watkins had ran out of steam but he’s once again among the most appealing options.
He’s now scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in 2023/24!

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