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      Captaincy & Booster options for Gameweek 21 – Liverpool forward or Manchester City ace?

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      THOSE who followed our advice in terms of captaincy for the Gameweek just past would have been handsomely rewarded.We tipped Cole Palmer (£3.9m) and Darwin Nunez (£4.2m) as strong options and both finished as the top two performers of Gameweek 20.
      While our rogue differential punt of Matheus Cunha (£3.6m) delivered 15 points (doubled to 30 with the armband).
      But that’s enough trumpet blowing, let’s analyse the best captains for Gameweek 21.

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      Haaland’s not ready?Credit: Dream Team
      Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)
      We were reluctant to big up the World Cup winner earlier in the week as pictures of an energetic Erling Haaland (£7.9m) in training somewhat muddied the waters.
      However, Pep Guardiola’s Thursday press conference, in which he declared that the Norwegian poacher would not play against Tottenham but may get “some minutes” against Burnley, acted as a green light for those keen on Alvarez.
      With the Argentina international’s minutes seemingly assured for one more Gameweek at least, Manchester City’s double header looks inviting and who better to capitalise than their centre forward?
      Granted, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a place of frustration and defeat for the treble winners in recent years but a home fixture against the Clarets in midweek should yield healthy returns.
      Most read in Football
      Phil Foden (£5.3m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m) are appealing for similar reasons with the latter “ready to start” according to his manager, although Guardiola said the same prior to Gameweek 20 when the Belgian was benched – he pocketed ten points as an impact substitute.
      A man in formCredit: Reuters
      Diogo Jota (£3.9m)/Darwin Nunez (£4.2m)
      The Liverpool pair banked 19 points each in Gameweek 20 via two goals a piece against Bournemouth.
      And there’s every reason to strap the armband to either of them again this time around with the Reds set for back-to-back home games – their record at Anfield this season is immense.
      Jurgen Klopp’s side welcome Norwich to Merseyside in the FA Cup fourth round and while the Canaries are one of the better Championship outfits, their defence has leaked plenty of goals on the road this season.
      In-form Chelsea will provide a sterner test in midweek but top-of-the-table Liverpool are the team to be feared right now.
      Jota played just over 20 minutes as a substitute against Fulham last time out which suggests he’s in line to start against Norwich – it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Nunez was given at least a partial rest on Sunday.
      A popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 21Credit: AP
      Joao Pedro (£3.8m)
      Betting against the favourites from Man City and Liverpool is fraught with risk but Brighton’s top scorer is expected to continue his impressive campaign in Gameweek 21.
      The Seagulls play Sheffield United and Luton in what is a friendly double header on paper and given Haaland and Mohamed Salah (£6.4m) are the only players to have scored more goals than Pedro in 2023/24, this option ticks a lot of boxes.
      The Brazilian has been helped by a stream of penalties but his mighty points total of 176 is all that really matters.
      Pedro averages 8.3 points-per-game across his last three outings.

      Booster Strategies
      Gaffers with two or three Man City players, a Liverpool forward and a Brighton differential in their XI should consider activating Max Captain if they still have the Booster in hand.
      With Haaland close to a return, the captaincy conversation is likely to be simplified soon – Max Captain would ensure the optimum selection this Gameweek amid a relatively open field.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Elsewhere, Dream Team bosses without Jota or Pedro in their XI might adjudge either forward a decent 12th Man for some short-term gains.
      Lock in your strategy before today’s 6:45pm deadline.

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      Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 21 – Brighton and Manchester City stars to cash in

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      ALL but six of the Premier League clubs are set to pull double duty in Gameweek 21 so there should be plentiful Dream Team points on offer.Gaffers will need to lock in their transfers before Friday’s 6:45pm deadline.
      Allow us to suggest some potentially productive recruits.

      PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF FA CUP WEEKEND – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON VOUCHER BY SUNDAY NIGHT!

      Magic manCredit: Getty
      Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m)
      Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief is comfortably the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 21 having taken Newcastle for ten points in just half an hour last time out.
      De Bruyne has had almost two weeks to continue his recovery since that impactful cameo and while it’s possible his playing time will still be regulated to some degree, he’ll surely get his fair share of minutes against Tottenham (FA Cup) and Burnley (Premier League) this coming Gameweek.
      Pep Guardiola’s side have struggled away to Spurs in recent years but that bogey fixture is offset with what could be points-fest at the Etihad in midweek against the Clarets.
      The advantage of bringing the Belgium international in now is that £6.4m may be the cheapest he’ll be for a while, especially with City set for a busy few weeks.
      De Bruyne and friends are just two Gameweeks away from their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Copenhagen and three Gameweeks away from a league double-header to accommodate the rearranged meeting with Brentford (initially postponed because of the Club World Cup).
      Most read in Football
      Joao Pedro (£3.8m) and/or Pervis Estupinan (£3.2m)
      Brighton’s fixture are set fairCredit: Dream Team
      Brighton’s favourable run of fixtures starts in Gameweek 21 with consecutive away days to Sheffield United and Luton.
      Their 22-year-old Brazilian forward is a very popular transfer having jumped up to third in the rankings among strikers after a seven-point return against Wolves.
      Only Erling Haaland (£7.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) have scored more goals than Pedro in all competitions this season – the latter owing his tally to a steady stream of penalties.
      Alternatively (or additionally), the Seagulls’ Ecuadoran left-back may fit the bill.
      Estupinan has produced 36 points in four outings since his comeback from injury with ten of those coming at the expense of Gary O’Neil’s side last time out.
      He’s contributed to two clean sheets recently but it’s his attacking verve that makes him a tempting option.
      Estupinan is the joint-top goalscorer among Dream Team defenders and he ranks in the top five in his position for shots on target and big chances created.
      All that despite being sidelined for 15 games this season!

      Diogo Jota (£3.9m)
      Liverpool’s main man in Salah’s absence?Credit: Rex
      Chasing lost returns is often foolish but the Portugal international’s 19-point return in Gameweek 20 suggested there may be more to come.
      Jota was superb at Bournemouth, scoring twice and assisting another, and the fact he was restricted to just 23 minutes at Fulham in midweek sets him up for potentially back-to-back starts against Norwich and Chelsea in Gameweek 21.
      The 27-year-old averages a goal or assist approximately every 90 minutes in 2023/24 and the prospect of him being unleashed upon a Championship defence that have conceded a lot of goals on the road is a mouthwatering one.
      Liverpool have the luxury of two home fixtures this coming Gameweek and their record at Anfield is immense – they remain unbeaten this campaign having only drawn twice.
      Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.5m)
      Tackle machineCredit: Reuters
      Lastly, an obligatory mention for a Dream Team darling.
      The Ukraine left-back’s ownership of 2.8% remains criminally low – he’s the fifth-best asset in his position!
      Only the current top four have conceded fewer league goals than Everton this season and Mykolenko supplements his regular clean sheets with plenty of tackle points.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Having pouched 15 points in Gameweek 20, the Toffees’ defender will be hopeful of more substantial returns against Luton and Fulham in his next two outings.
      Everton’s fixtures turn nasty in Gameweek 22 but Mykolenko should do well in the short term at least.

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      Score Predictor tips for Matchweek 24 – somebody must win £500 Amazon voucher this FA Cup weekend!

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      WE’RE once again giving away a £500 Amazon voucher to whomever performs best in Score Predictor this weekend.Remember, you don’t have to get all five predictions bang on to win the top prize, you just have to earn more points (based on accuracy) than anyone else.
      Score Predictor remains free to play and, if you opt for sheer gut instinct, it takes just seconds to enter your predictions and put yourself in contention for the top prize.

      PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF FA CUP WEEKEND – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON VOUCHER BY SUNDAY NIGHT!

      Play now!Credit: Dream Team
      Matchweek 24 is an FA Cup special – here are our predictions…
      Chelsea v Aston Villa
      One of two appealing all-Premier League Friday night match-ups and one that is dividing Score Predictor users at present.
      A 2-1 home win is the most-popular prediction, followed by a 2-1 away win, followed by a 2-2 draw.
      Unai Emery’s men have unquestionably been the better side this season – they’re currently level on points with Arsenal and Manchester City in the league – but the Blues have been in good form of late.
      In fact, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have won five of their last six games in all competitions.
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      Villa won the last two meetings between these teams but they have massively under-performed in the FA Cup in recent years.
      The combination of home advantage and form edges it for Chelsea in our opinion.
      Our Prediction: 2-1 to Chelsea
      Not fond of Spurs away…Credit: Getty
      Tottenham v Manchester City
      A mouthwatering clash that should offer entertainment and goals in abundance.
      This is Pep Guardiola’s ultimate bogey fixture as he’s seen his side lose all five games at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
      Spurs’ brand of enterprising, attacking football has the potential to carve through the treble-winners’ defence – City have found clean sheets curiously hard to come by this season.
      The visitors will pack a punch and any team that contains Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and possibly Erling Haaland is obviously capable of running riot if everything clicks.
      Ange Postecoglou is able to focus purely on the league and FA Cup while Guardiola will also have one eye on the Champions League knockouts at the start of what is a very busy period for the defending champions.
      It’s hard to look past the recent history of this fixture.
      Our Prediction: 3-2 to Tottenham

      Ipswich are flying high in the ChampionshipCredit: Alamy
      Ipswich v Maidstone
      The visitors are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, currently fourth in the National League South, the sixth-tier of the pyramid.
      As for the Tractor Boys, they’re hyper focused on their quest for back-to-back promotions and currently reside second in the Championship having lost just three league games in 2023/24.
      Kieran McKenna will probably name a second-string starting XI in hope of easing the workload of his key players but even so, the gulf between these two teams should result in one-way traffic.
      Everyone loves an upset but we just can’t see it here.
      Our Prediction: 3-0 to Ipswich
      Close to a comebackCredit: Getty
      Liverpool v Norwich
      The Canaries are one of the better second-tier sides but a trip to Anfield is a daunting prospect.
      Worryingly for Norwich, their defence has not held up well on the road – only bottom-of-the-table Rotherham have conceded more league goals away from home in the Championship this term.
      Couple this with the Reds’ undefeated home record this season and their average of nearly three goals per game and it could get messy for the visitors on Sunday.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold is said to be in contention to return from injury too.
      Our Prediction: 4-0 to Liverpool
      Surely Man United won’t fall victim to a bottom-half League Two club?Credit: Getty
      Newport v Manchester United
      The Welsh club are set to bank a welcome payday from this fixture and a run of seven games unbeaten will have stirred some hopes of a fairytale result.
      Out of the all Premier League giants, many neutrals would say this current iteration of the Red Devils are most likely to come unstuck in an old-fashioned cup upset but cold logic still favours the top-flight outfit.
      For all their imperfections, Man United actually boast a relatively solid defensive record in domestic football this season.
      The hosts will be seeking magic but the fact remains they’re currently 14th in League Two against a side able to call upon the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Our Prediction: 2-0 to Manchester United
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      Dream Team bosses should revert to familiar Manchester City favourites amid busy schedule

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      DREAM TEAM managers don’t need much encouragement to back Manchester City to the hilt.Pep Guardiola’s side have generally provided tidal waves of points as a collective since the decorated tactician settled on English shores and their monumental treble last season only underlined their pedigree.
      Truth be told, there is rarely a bad time to jam-pack your XI with Etihad residents but we’re on the brink of what should be a particularly fruitful spell due to a scheduling quirk (or two).

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      “Where did that lead you? Back to me…”Credit: Dream Team
      Firstly, Man City are among the 14 top flight clubs in FA Cup action prior to their regular Premier League commitments in Gameweek 21.
      They travel to Tottenham on Friday night (admittedly something of a bogey fixture in recent years) before what is expected to be a comfortable home game against Burnley in midweek.
      They will then visit Brentford in Gameweek 22 – nothing audacious so far.
      But here’s where things really pick up.
      In Gameweek 23, City will host Everton on the Saturday before flying to Copenhagen for their Champions League round of 16 first leg.
      At the time of writing, City are the only team scheduled to play twice in Gameweek 23 and it’s likely to remain that way.
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      That alone should pique your interest but wait, there’s more.
      City also have two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 24 when they’re scheduled to face Chelsea and Brentford in back-to-back home games – the latter being a rearranged fixture initially disrupted by the Club World Cup.
      The Bees and Arsenal (due to face Porto) are the only other clubs set to play twice in Gameweek 24.
      Dream Team’s most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 21Credit: Getty
      To clarify, City are currently scheduled to play SEVEN fixtures between Gameweeks 21 and 24.
      To put that into perspective, the majority of Premier League clubs will only fulfil five fixtures in the same time frame, with some teams down to four.
      FA Cup fourth round replays would change the outlook somewhat but that works both ways – if City draw at Spurs this Friday they’ll end up playing eight games across the next four Gameweeks!
      And the congestion doesn’t stop there.
      If Guardiola’s men get past Spurs and book themselves in the FA Cup fifth round, they’ll double up in Gameweek 25 (and Gameweek 26, when Copenhagen visit the Etihad).
      City’s rearranged away day to the Bees falling so close to the start of their Champions League knockout campaign has given them a hectic schedule and while that may cause fatigue, from a Dream Team perspective it’s a gift-wrapped present of sizeable proportions.
      You can expect many of the top teams to feature five, six, seven or even eight City players at various points across the next few weeks if budget allows.
      Haaland is evidently close to a returnCredit: Instagram/Man City
      Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m) is already by far and away the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 21, with Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) also among the top five.
      One potential game-change is the possible return of Erling Haaland (£7.9m) with the prolific poacher having been pictured in team training this week.
      Phil Foden (£5.3m) is actually the best performer among his team-mates at this stage having racked up 198 points via ten goals and nine assists.
      And that’s before we analyse the respective merits of Bernardo Silva (£4.1m), Rodri (£3.5m), Jeremy Doku (£4.1m) and Kyle Walker (£3.1m), all of whom have 100+ points to their name.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES

      Defeat at Spurs on Friday would temper expectations somewhat but even so, the double headers in Gameweeks 23 and 24 promise very healthy returns.
      Make sure you have suitable City representation at the opportune moments.

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      Tottenham vs Man City: Get £30 in free bets for the FA Cup when you stake £10 with talkSPORT BET

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      MANCHESTER CITY travel to Tottenham on Friday night as the FA Cup pairs two of the competition’s favourites in the 4th round.Bookmakers talkSPORT BET are offering brand new customers an excellent £30 in free bets when they stake just £10 on any of the football this week – including Friday’s tie!
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      Pre-tournament favourites Manchester City are odds-on to progress beyond this round, though it’s fair to say it’s a tie they’d have rather avoided.
      Not only have City failed to beat Tottenham in five meetings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they haven’t SCORED in any of the five games – losing every single one of them.
      Spurs will also take heart from the performance in the league at the start of last month, which saw them come from behind twice to claim a dramatic 3-3 draw.
      They’re quite big odds for FA Cup glory but those odds will be slashed considerably if they get through this one.
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      Newport vs Man Utd tips and free bets for FA Cup 4th round clash with talkSPORT BET

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      NEWPORT COUNTY are aiming to claim a mammoth FA Cup scalp on Sunday when they welcome Manchester United to Rodney Parade.We’ve picked out our top tip for the 4th round clash with talkSPORT BET – who are offering brand new customers an incredible £30 in free bets when they stake just £10 on football!
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      League Two Newport have lost just once in their last 10 games in all competitions – at promotion-chasing Wrexham – though find themselves in midtable at this stage.
      Their latest win actually came against Wrexham last weekend before attention turns to United’s visit.
      They’re a huge 22/1 with talkSPORT BET to beat Erik ten Hag’s side.
      United progressed beyond lower league opposition in the last round, winning away at Wigan.
      That win helped end a run that saw United win just once in their last games prior, and they’ve only won three games since the end of November.
      They’re a short price to progress here – 1/16 to win the game in fact!
      TIP
      Manchester United should win this. Should, being the main word here.
      And we think they will get over the line eventually but maybe not quite as easily as they should.
      Newport have conceded just four times in the last six games and the home backing could make for a stuffy start to the game for the visitors.
      Class and quality should prevail in the end, however.

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      Cole Palmer & Raheem Sterling enter Dream Team’s top eight midfielders after Middlesbrough massacre

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      HAVING lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough at the Riverside in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, Chelsea registered a comfortable 6-1 win over the Championship side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to get the job done.The Blues ultimately booked their place at Wembley in fine style and while Boro’s late consolation goal wiped out their clean sheet, many Dream Team managers were satisfied thanks to Cole Palmer’s (£3.9m) latest exhibition.

      PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF FA CUP WEEKEND – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON VOUCHER BY SUNDAY NIGHT!

      ‘Cold Palmer’ more like…Credit: Dream Team
      The 21-year-old bagged a brace to add another 16 points to the eight he earned against Fulham two weekends ago to return 24 points in total for Gameweek 20.
      Palmer was a widely-selected captain among gaffers in the absence of Erling Haaland (£7.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and he certainly justified his popularity with three goals across his two fixtures.
      At the time of writing, he’s comfortably the top performer of the Gameweek although Darwin Nunez (£4.2m) and/or Diogo Jota (£3.9m) may yet usurp him this evening.
      The former Manchester City starlet has become an essential player for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in rapid time.
      Whether playing from the right, as a No10, or as centre-forward, Palmer has shouldered the responsibility of scoring the goals – helped by him jumping the queue to become first-choice penalty taker.
      He’s now scored 11 goals in all competitions on top of nine assists.
      His combined tally of 20 goal involvements is only bettered by Bukayo Saka (£5.9m) among assets in his position.
      Most read in Football
      Chelsea eased past Middlesbrough at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Naturally, a 24-point haul has catapulted Palmer up the rankings so that he’s now level with Anthony Gordon (£3.8m) in joint-fifth among midfielders on 161 points, just one point off James Ward-Prowse (£3.9m) in fourth.
      And he’s got a team-mate for company at the top end of the rankings.
      Raheem Sterling (£3.9m) didn’t exploit Boro’s frailty to the full extent but he did notch seven points when all was said and done, taking his Gameweek haul to 11.
      The England international has 149 points in total, putting him eighth in his position, though he’s just one point away from catching Pascal Gross (£4.2m) in seventh.
      As long as Chelsea remain closer to mid-table obscurity than the Champions League places they will be viewed as under-achievers but there’s no denying results have picked up of late.
      They’ve won five of their last six games in all competitions and are now just one point off Manchester United (8th) and Brighton (7th) in the Premier League table – not to mention they’re one game away from silverware in the Carabao Cup.
      Sterling is quietly enjoying a productive Dream Team campaignCredit: Getty
      Dream Team bosses don’t even need to give Chelsea’s overall form all that much thought, Palmer and Sterling’s returns are all that really matters.
      The former is the fourth-most popular asset in his position with an ownership of 21.6% while the latter is tenth on 13.6%.
      However, a quick look at the fixtures suggests doubling up on Chelsea’s star midfielders might be overkill.
      Gameweek 21 features a difficult double header in the form of Aston Villa (FA Cup) and Liverpool (Premier League).

      Subsequent fixtures against Wolves and Crystal Palace may yield healthy returns but Pochettino’s men then finish February with a trip to Manchester City and what is likely to be another meeting with Liverpool at Wembley.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      No gaffer should be thinking of ditching Palmer any time soon but Sterling’s backers should probably be more flexible.
      Retaining the 29-year-old is perfectly reasonable but given he’s the exact same price as Palmer right now, it’s an easy switch on paper to the superior option.

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      Trent Alexander-Arnold most transferred-out player ahead of GW21 but Liverpool star set for early return from injury

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      THOUSANDS of Dream Team managers are on the brink of a clanging error.At the time of writing, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) is the most transferred-out player ahead of Gameweek 21.

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      Dream Team’s reigning king of defendersCredit: Dream Team
      This is a delayed reaction to the Liverpool star’s injury, which resulted in him being the most-ditched asset prior to the Gameweek 20.
      However, Pep Lijnders, assistant manager to Jurgen Klopp, has revealed that the 25-year-old is in contention to play against Norwich in the FA Cup fourth round this coming Sunday.
      As published on the club’s official website, the Dutchman said: “Trent is progressing well through his rehab, working hard. He will back in the end of the week for team training, so hopefully he will be available for the FA Cup.”
      The visit of the Canaries to Anfield is the first of two fixtures in Gameweek 21 for the Reds.
      Chelsea are also due in Merseyside on Wednesday night as arguably the standout match-up of the midweek Premier League action.
      Safely assuming Lijnders is well informed on the matter, it seems likely that Alexander-Arnold will return in some capacity this coming Gameweek.
      Surely plenty of gaffers will need to reverse their most recent transfers and think again.
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      11 assists and counting this seasonCredit: Getty
      Having to stick by Liverpool’s No66 throughout Gameweek 20 while he was sidelined only to then transfer him out just before his comeback would a bitter pill to swallow.
      And this is Dream Team’s outright top defender we’re discussing.
      Alexander-Arnold has 169 points to his name, seven more than his closest rival, Kieran Trippier (£5m).
      He plundered 48 points across four Gameweeks prior to his injury and was fast becoming a must-have asset, if he wasn’t already.
      The England international has been playing a hybrid role for the better part of the last year, part full-back, part deep-lying playmaker.
      This freedom, combined with his natural creative talents, have resulted in 11 assists this season (all comps) – the highest tally among defenders by a comfortable margin.
      He’s also created 14 big chances, again the most among players in his position.
      And of course Alexander-Arnold benefits from any clean sheets kept by Jurgen Klopp’s table-toppers, so long as he contributes 60+ minutes.
      He’s registered nine clean sheets this campaign so far, only four defenders boast a greater tally: William Saliba (£3.4m), Gabriel (£3.9m), Ben White (£3.5m) and James Tarkowski (£3m).
      Alexander-Arnold is pretty much a ‘must-have’ when on songCredit: AP

      It’s likely there will soon be a scramble among Dream Team’s top gaffers to get Alexander-Arnold back into the mix as soon as possible.
      Those who suffered through Gameweek 20 with him in their XI have the chance to gain some compensation by retaining him now, saving a transfer that those who replaced him may have to use now he’s seemingly available again.
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      Needless to say, that compensation goes up in smoke if he’s replaced ahead of Friday’s deadline only to then swagger about Anfield against Norwich on Sunday.
      Dream Team bosses may be offered a further update on his condition closer to the Gameweek 21 deadline – we’ll endeavour to include it in Friday’s Injures & Suspensions article if that’s the case.

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