Dream Team

THE end of the international break means the return of Score Predictor for Matchweek 8.As usual, it’s free to play and we’ll reward the winner with a prize in the form of a cool £250.Simply submit predictions for five selected Premier League games and earn points for accuracy – most points banks the cash.Play Score Predictor ahead of this weekend’s Premier League actionCredit: Dream TeamRemember, you don’t have to get all five scores exactly correct – that’s very rare – you just have to outperform everyone else.Check out our predictions below for Matchweek 8…Manchester United v BrentfordThe Bees have won ten points on home soil this season, the joint-highest tally among top flight sides alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, but they’ve lost every away game so far.Southampton are the only other team yet to earn a point on the road.That being said, the Red Devils are the joint-lowest scorers at home in the league in 2024/25 and so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Saturday’s match-up at Old Trafford was something of a damp squib.Both sides rank in the bottom half of the table for shots.Most read in FootballOur Prediction: 1-1 drawThe Old Trafford drama continues this weekendCredit: GettyBournemouth v ArsenalThe Gunners have won their last five meetings with the Cherries, including comfortable 4-0 (away) and 3-0 (home) victories last season.Mikel Arteta’s troops are one of just two teams yet to suffer defeat this term while Andoni Iraola’s side have lost three of their last four outings.Bournemouth’s defeat to Leicester just before the break suggests they’re not in the best shape to host Arsenal right now.There are availability question marks over Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli but we’re expecting a strong starting from the visitors on Saturday.Our Prediction: 2-0 to ArsenalSaka limped off while on England dutyCredit: GettyWolves v Manchester CityGary O’Neil’s side have endured a miserable start to the campaign and find themselves bottom of the table having conceded 21 goals in seven outings.They’ve had a tough run of fixtures and it doesn’t get any better this weekend when the reigning champions come to town.Wolves are the only top-flight side yet to earn a single point at home this season.On the plus side, they beat Man City at Molineux last time around but a 5-1 defeat at the Etihad earlier this year brought them back down to earth.Our Prediction: 4-1 to Man CityScore PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWLiverpool v ChelseaSunday’s late kick-off is the main event of Matchweek 8 as it pits the league leaders against the team currently in fourth.The Blues have won just one of their last 12 meetings with the Reds in all competitions; although they have achieved five draws in that time.Chelsea’s last visit to Anfield ended in a 4-1 defeat but they’ve improved considerably since then.Enzo Maresca’s mob have a 100% record on the road this season but they will have to produce something special to maintain that beyond this weekend.We’re predicting a tight contest, possibly decided by a penalty…Our Prediction: 2-1 to LiverpoolLiverpool have won six of their seven league games this seasonCredit: PANottingham Forest v Crystal PalaceThe hosts have proved themselves stubborn opposition this season having lost just once (to Fulham) but, from a neutral perspective, entertainment has been sparse.Forest’s league games have featured 13 goals in total, the fewest among all teams.Couple this with the Eagles’ problems in front of goal (only Southampton have scored fewer goals in the league) and Monday night’s match-up might be a slog.At the risk of oversimplifying things, Forest haven’t won at home and Palace are yet to win away…READ MORE SUN STORIESOur Prediction: 0-0 drawEnter your predictions for Matchweek 8 before Saturday’s 3pm deadline!BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

KAI HAVERTZ (£5.1m) is among the most transferred-out Dream Team players ahead of Gameweek 8.At the time of writing, only Luis Diaz (£4.9m) and Amadou Onana (£3m) have been ditched from more teams prior to Saturday’s deadline.Many gaffers have opted to replace Havertz during the international breakCredit: Dream TeamSince Arsenal’s No29 has been in excellent form at the start of this season, his popularity dip can only be because of doubts over his availability.When Havertz pulled out of Germany’s Nations League squad with a knee problem, it prompted a wave of concern among fans on social media.However, Goal journalist Charles Watts, who specialises in all things Arsenal, declared “the Havertz situation is not one to be overly concerned about” on X.At this stage, it seems the 25-year-old’s withdrawal from international duty was merely precautionary, rather than a decision forced by an injury that would prevent him playing.Havertz played to the end against Southampton in Gameweek 7 and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he was named in the Gunners’ starting line-up at Bournemouth this coming Saturday.Havertz produced an excellent finish against Saints before the breakCredit: GettyNeedless to say, many of the Dream Team managers who have ditched the in-form forward will regret their decision if he’s unleashed from the get-go against the Cherries.It’s worth reminding gaffers that transfers can be reversed at any time before the upcoming Gameweek deadline (11am this Saturday) and so if later this week Mikel Arteta reveals that Havertz is available, it’s possible to pivot to a different strategy.That being said, the Spanish tactician has a habit of keeping his cards close to his chest in regards to player availability, as is his right, and so Dream Team bosses may have to take a leap of faith one way or the other.Most read in FootballWhat’s undeniable is that Havertz has been among the game’s best assets across the first seven Gameweeks.He’s amassed 76 points at an average of 7.6 per outing via six goals and an assist.Havertz has picked up where he left off at the end of last seasonCredit: GettyErling Haaland (£9.1m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.6m) are the only players in his position with a higher points tally at this juncture with Manchester City’s No9 being the only man with more goals to his name in all competitions.Having been tasked with leading the line more often than not, Havertz also ranks fourth among all players for shots on target with 13 – over twice as many as Diogo Jota (£4.7m), for comparison.More broadly, he’s taken 33 points from his last three outings which technically makes him Dream Team’s most in-form striker.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWIf the former Chelsea player is raring to go in Gameweek 8 then he has to be considered a strong option as Arsenal are also due to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League as one of seven teams with two fixtures to fulfil.In fact, the Gunners will play seven games across the next four Gameweeks.Dream Team will endeavour to provide the latest news regarding Havertz’s availability in our next Injuries & Suspensions Update, due Friday.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

DREAM TEAM managers should be taking stock of their players during this international break.A flurry of fixtures will take place across the next four Gameweeks before another momentary pause for international commitments in November.It’s imperative gaffers ditch the dead weight and replace any under-performing assets with in-form stars if they are to make the most of this crucial period.Gordon has failed to replicate his 2023/24 form this seasonCredit: Dream TeamThis brings us onto the topic of Anthony Gordon (£4.5m), who has the unwanted distinction of being the most-popular outfield player in Dream Team yet to reach the 50-point mark.Emi Martinez (£3.7m) is the most-selected player overall still short of a half-century but the bar is lower for goalkeepers as they tend to earn fewer points across the board.The World Cup winner is currently fifth among assets in his position and just ten points behind leader David Raya (£5.1m) – he’s not a problem.The same can’t be said for Gordon, however, who is currently 24th among midfielders, behind the likes of Mario Lemina (£3.2m), Antoine Semenyo (£3.1m) and Christian Eriksen (£3.1m).Such are the fine margins, Newcastle’s No10 would have climbed into the top 15 midfielders had he converted his penalty against former club Everton in Gameweek 7.But we can only gauge him on his actual points total at this stage, which has to be considered underwhelming.One goal from open play represents an underwhelming return from nine outingsCredit: AlamyExpectations of Gordon were high prior to Gameweek 1 after his impressive 2023/24 campaign, as evidenced by the fact he was among the most-popular players in the game during pre-season.Most read in FootballHe’s still the seventh-most selected midfielder at the time of writing.The Magpies have enjoyed a relatively positive start to the season having lost just one of their nine games in all competitions so far but Gordon has contributed just two goals (one a penalty) – the 23-year-old is yet to provide an assist.It’s sometimes the case that a player has been a tad unlucky not to notch more goal involvements but Gordon’s underlying numbers are concerning.He’s registered five shots on target in nine outings this season and created just one big chance for his team-mates.For comparison, defenders Ola Aina (£2.7m), Tyrick Mitchell (£3.2m) and Micky van de Ven (£4m) are among the vast number of players to have created more big chances across the first seven Gameweeks.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWGordon’s missed penalty against Everton may be the last straw for some Dream Team bossesCredit: GettyThis is not to say Gordon has suddenly regressed into a bad player – his tally of 13 bonus points is only bettered by James Maddison (£4.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£4.9m) – but Dream Team bosses should acknowledge that his returns have fallen short of expectations.Newcastle’s fixture list suggests the England international may have a hard time of improving his form in the coming weeks.Eddie Howe’s side are due to face Brighton, Chelsea (x2) and Arsenal in their next four games.In terms of replacements, Tottenham midfielders Brennan Johnson (£3.8m) and the aforementioned Maddison are available at no additional cost – in fact the former is £0.7m cheaper than Gordon right now.READ MORE SUN STORIESMOST-POPULAR OUTFIELD PLAYERS YET TO ACHIEVE 50 POINTS THIS SEASONAnthony Gordon (14.1% ownership) – 45 ptsMarc Guehi (11.4%) – 40 ptsCristian Romero (10.8%) – 44 ptsPhil Foden (9.8%) – 30 ptsMicky van de Ven (9.5%) – 38 ptsAlexander Isak (9.1%) – 28 ptsMorgan Rogers (8.5%) – 43 ptsBruno Fernandes (7.6%) – 40 ptsEmile Smith Rowe (7.6%) – 35 ptsRiccardo Calafiori (6.8%) – 32 ptsBetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

THERE would be widespread outroar if Lee Carsley selected his latest England team based on Dream Team points.But it’s a fun hypothetical to wile away the international break hours.Justice for Dwight McNeil!Credit: Dream TeamBefore we get to the XI, a quick note to acknowledge a crucial limitation of our methodology.Since Dream Team only covers Premier League players, we’re forced to omit English players who ply their trade abroad, such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham – it’s only a bit of fun anyway.GOALKEEPERNewcastle’s custodian edges out Dean Henderson by nine points with a total of 42 to the Crystal Palace man’s 33.Pope ranks seventh overall among assets in his position but he’s fourth for saves with 32, just one behind joint-leaders Mark Flekken, Mads Hermansen and Robert Sanchez.His clean sheet away at Everton in Gameweek 7 was just his second of the campaign.England’s No1… for the purposes of this exerciseCredit: GettyDEFENDERSMost read in FootballTrent Alexander-ArnoldRico LewisTyrick MitchellNot only is Liverpool’s creative right-back the highest-scoring defender among his compatriots, he’s the outright top performer in his position overall with 72 points.Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are the only players to have contributed to six clean sheets (as per Dream Team’s definition) and the former leads the way in his position with six big chances created.It’s no surprise to see Manchester City’s teenage talent make the cut having plundered 64 points across the first seven Gameweeks via four assists.Carsley may well select Alexander-Arnold and Lewis as starting full-backs against Greece this evening – it’s an exciting prospect.Dream Team’s reigning king among defendersCredit: GettyWhile the aforementioned inclusions are first and third respectively among Dream Team defenders right now, Crystal Palace’s diligent left-back is down in joint-13th with 44 points to his name.Only three defenders have made more tackles than Mitchell this term.The 25-year-old is the first player mentioned who doesn’t feature in the Three Lions’ actual squad this break – he was capped twice back in 2022.Given the lack of specialist left-backs available to Carsley at present, Mitchell could count himself a tad unlucky.No need to spend not too much time wondering how a back three comprised exclusively of fairly attack-minded full-backs/faux midfielders would work in reality.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWMIDFIELDERSBukayo SakaCole PalmerEberechi EzeDwight McNeilJames MaddisonAgain, forget about balance and just enjoy the sheer fun of this combination.Arsenal’s ‘Star Boy’ and Chelsea’s blooming superstar have a whopping 22 goal involvements between them already this season.Saka is Dream Team’s top midfielder on 102 points with Palmer not far behind on 87.The latter was recently voted England’s Player of the Year for the 2023/24 season despite his relatively limited involvement.With every week that goes by, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the 22-year-old will be a pivotal figure for the Three Lions in the years to come.England’s Player of the YearCredit: GettyRemarkably, Eze completes an all-English podium of Dream Team midfielders.Crystal Palace’s talisman has squandered a few chances in the league this season but he fully capitalised against Championship opposition in the Carabao Cup, taking Norwich and QPR for a combined 31 points – he’s amassed 75 overall.McNeil has never played senior international football but the Dream Team Stats Centre suggests he should be starting at Wembley later today!Everton’s No7 has been the brightest source of optimism for the Goodison Park faithful having scored four goals and provided two assists for a return of 73 points in nine outings this season.The ex-Burnley midfielder has also earned 11 bonus points, mostly because he’s delivered 26 accurate crosses – only one other player (Andreas Pereira) has registered more than 16 at this stage.Should Maddison have played more for England in recent years?Credit: ReutersTottenham’s playmaker-in-chief completes our midfield quintet with 68 points.A few eyebrows were raised when Maddison was omitted from Carsley’s squad as he’s rediscovered something close to his best form at the start of this season – as evidenced by the fact he leads the way with 16 bonus points.Given the 27-year-old’s undeniable talent, it’s notable that he’s played just 374 minutes for England at senior level.FORWARDSJarrod BowenMarcus RashfordWith Kane out of the picture, the door is open for two players desperate to regain their place in real life – Dream Team have got your backs, lads!Bowen has been a consistent performer for a few years nowCredit: PAThe reliable Bowen (65 points) has quietly notched three goals and three assists despite West Ham’s largely underwhelming results.A 16-point haul against Ipswich last weekend helped him leapfrog several forwards to jump up to fourth in the rankings, including Ollie Watkins who consequently misses out.As for Manchester United’s long-serving No10, he’s still a way off his blistering form of 2022/23 but he looks much more threatening than he did last season when he lost his place in the England squad.READ MORE SUN STORIESRashford has mustered a respectable 64 points via four goals and two assists – although he was rather fortunate not to suffer some minus points last time out when he narrowly avoided a second yellow card against Aston Villa.A bonkers XI in reality but we’d happily have a look at it – over to you, Lee!BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

LIVERPOOL are expected to be without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson (£5m) for the next month at least.The Brazil international was substituted in the 79th minute against Crystal Palace last Saturday and it has since been confirmed he suffered yet another hamstring injury which is likely to sideline him until the November international break.Alisson is expected to miss Liverpool’s next seven gamesCredit: GettyAlisson is currently ranked second among Dream Team goalkeepers with 51 points to his name, just four shy of leader David Raya (£5.1m).But gaffers backing the 32-year-old will have to look elsewhere with the Reds set to fulfil seven fixtures between Gameweeks 8 and 11, before another set of international games.Vitezslav Jaros replaced Alisson at Selhurst Park in Gameweek 7 and the young Czech keeper made a vital save to preserve Liverpool’s clean sheet to ensure they left South London with three points.However, Caoimhin Kelleher (£2.3m), who was injured last weekend, is expected to be named as starting keeper for the next month or so.The Republic of Ireland international enjoyed an impressive run in the team last season when Alisson was sidelined and many Dream Team managers will be tempted to recruit him during the current international break with a view to acquiring some short-term gains.Time to shineCredit: Dream TeamThis strategy is particularly appealing because the 25-year-old is available at such a low price, on account of him being a second-string option ordinarily. Kelleher has earned 13 points from just two appearances so far in 2024/25, including an impressive ten-point haul against Bournemouth that featured seven saves and a clean sheet.Dream Team bosses would never wish injury on any player, of course, but there’s no doubt a second-choice keeper temporarily rising up the pecking order represents a significant opportunity.Most read in FootballThat being said, Arne Slot’s side face a relatively difficult run of fixtures across the next four Gameweeks.LIVERPOOL’S FIXTURES FROM GAMEWEEK 8 TO 11:Chelsea (h) – Premier LeagueRB Leipzig (a) – Champions LeagueArsenal (a) – Premier LeagueBrighton (a) – Carabao CupBrighton (h) – Premier LeagueBayer Leverkusen (h) – Champions LeagueAston Villa (h) – Premier LeagueAll the above domestic opponents currently reside in the top six of the table while RB Leipzig are level on points with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.Liverpool’s schedule takes a turn for the worse after the breakCredit: AlamyAs the only English side to have won six of their first seven league games, Liverpool have been a rich source of Dream Team points to this stage but they may find clean sheets harder to come after the break.However, at £2.3m many will deem Kelleher worthy of a punt and it’s hard to argue against such a ploy; it’s just that the difficulty of their upcoming schedule means it’s not a complete no-brainer.Gaffers who go down this route will also have to earmark a furture transfer to replace Kelleher when Alisson is available again at the end of November or early December.Still, he’s a tempting option for sure…BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

SCORE PREDICTOR is a free-to-play game brought to you by Dream Team that is as easy to understand as it is compelling.Each Matchweek you will be asked to predict the scores of five selected Premier League games.You will then earn points based on the accuracy of your forecast with a weekly prize of £250 going to the user who registers the highest score – it’s as simple as that!PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THE NEXT MATCHWEEK – YOU COULD WIN £250!Play Score Predictor now ahead of the next MatchweekCredit: Dream TeamYour entry for each Matchweek will not be valid until you submit predictions for all five fixtures prior to the first kick-off.However, you will be able edit each of your predictions before the matches in question get underway.For example, if you’ve already earned 16 points from three Saturday games and news breaks that the team you’ve backed to win 3-0 on Sunday afternoon have two key players out with injury, you have the option to amend your prediction before kick-off.If you’re truly stuck for inspiration then you can select one of the three Quick Picks for each fixture, giving you a choice of the most-popular predictions.You can also click on the ’24/25 Form Guide’ button for a quick look at some key statistics for each team.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWIn regards to scoring, maximum points are awarded for correctly predicting an exact score (e.g Manchester City 2 – 2 Arsenal) but points can also be gained by predicting the general outcome (home win, away win or draw), the number of goals scored by each team, and/or the difference between the two team’s scores (e.g home team wins by two goals).SCORE PREDICTOR POINTS BREAKDOWNCorrect Outcome (home win, draw, away win) +4 ptsCorrect Score Bonus +3 ptsCorrect Home Goals +1 ptCorrect Away Goals +1 ptCorrect Score Difference +1 ptThis means an entirely correct score prediction will bank the maximum of TEN points.Since there are five fixtures each Matchweek, the highest possible score is 50 points – something only one user user achieved throughout the whole 2023/24 season.Remember, you don’t have to get a perfect score to claim the cash prize, you just have to earn more points than anyone else – we promise to give away £250 every Matchweek!Turn your football knowledge into cash with Dream TeamCredit: Dream TeamThere are also major cash prizes for the three players who finish top of the overall season leaderboard, which runs from August 2024 to May 2025.SEASON LEADERBOARD PRIZES1st Place: £3,5002nd Place: £1,0003rd Place: £500As with our beloved fantasy game, you can also compete in Score Predictor Mini Leagues against family, friends and colleagues – battle it out for bragging rights!For more information on Score Predictor check out the game rules here.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR NOW AHEAD OF THE NEXT MATCHWEEK – YOU COULD WIN £250!BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More