Dream Team

IT’S Groundhog Day for Dream Team managers.Once again we’re on the eve of a mouthwatering Gameweek debating whether to captain Erling Haaland (£7.5m) or Mohamed Salah (£6.7m).
The prolific pair are the top two points scorers in the game and each have two fixtures at their disposal.
Let’s analyse each of the standout options before throwing in some wildcard alternatives for the thrill-seekers out there…

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Cream of the cropCredit: Dream Team
The first thing to note is that Haaland has banked 45 points across his last three outings.
After a quieter period (by his standards) the Norwegian cyborg has scored five goals across the last two Gameweeks to restore normal order and retake his place at the top of rankings.
And it’s hard to envisage anything other than another deluge of points in Gameweek 11.
Manchester City welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad this weekend in what is statistically the most one-sided match-up in English football history.
The Cherries have never beaten the Eastlands club and things have only got worse since they reached the dizzying heights of the football pyramid – it’s 12 defeats from 12 in the Premier League.
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The reigning champions average over three goals scored per game against Bournemouth in the top flight and with Pep Guardiola’s men having produced arguably their best performance of the season at Old Trafford last week, all signs point to one-way traffic in favour of the hosts this Saturday.
Then in midweek, City host Young Boys in the Champions League.
They beat the same opponents 3-1 in Gameweek 9 and, truth be told, that result flattered the Swiss outfit.
In conclusion, an in-form Haaland has two extremely favourable fixtures both at Etihad this coming Gameweek.
Any Dream Team gaffer who bets against him in terms of the captain’s armband is either immensely brave or critically naive.
A force to be reckoned withCredit: Getty
It’s a measure of Salah’s Dream Team pedigree that he’s even a viable captaincy option in Gameweek 11 given Haaland’s situation.
Liverpool’s No11 has registered more Dream Team points than any other player since he landed back on English soil in 2017.
An ever-reliable performer, the Egyptian superstar has been particularly successful of late, amassing 47 points across the last three Gameweeks.
Having underwhelmed last season, the Reds have rediscovered something close to their best form this term and look incredibly strong in attack, where Salah remains the primary threat among several appealing options.
Jurgen Klopp’s troops face Luton and Toulouse in the coming days – another friendly double header on paper.
The Hatters have scraped together just five points from ten games since promotion while the Ligue 1 side lost 5-1 at Anfield last week.
A modern Dream Team legendCredit: Getty
However, both of Salah’s Gameweek 11 fixtures are set to take place on the road – a slight disadvantage compared to Haaland’s luxury of back-to-back home games.
Plus, there’s no guarantee the 31-year-old will even feature against Toulouse on Thursday night – he’s played 82 minutes across three Europa League fixtures in 2023/24.
Salah is always a strong option but justifying him over Haaland for captain this week is difficult – his time will come again.

Some quickfire alternatives for the adrenaline junkies:
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Jarrod Bowen (£4.9m) vs Brentford (a), Olympiakos (h)
Ollie Watkins (£4.7m) vs Nottingham Forest (a), AZ Alkmaar (h)
Bruno Fernandes (£5.6m) vs Fulham (a), Copenhagen (a)
Ederson (£3.5m) vs Bournemouth (h), Young Boys (h)
Kaoru Mitoma (£4m) vs Everton (a), Ajax (a)

Good luck to all Dream Team bosses ahead of Gameweek 11 – it should be a cracker!

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THERE’S more than one way to win money with Dream Team this season.And nothing highlights this more than Gameweek 10’s winner, Neil Wilkinson, who banked £100 through blind loyalty to his beloved Everton.

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A perfect week for EvertonCredit: Dream Team
Against all logic, Neil selected an XI made up exclusively of Sean Dyche’s troops ahead of fixtures against West Ham and Burnley.
The Toffees beat the Hammers 1-0 at the London Stadium before booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over the Clarets on Wednesday.
Incredibly, this meant Neil’s joke team – and let’s not beat around the bush, it is a joke team – racked up 199 points by the end of Gameweek 10!
There’s something brilliant about a partisan fan out-performing every other Dream Team manager in the world, many of whom spend hours digging through stats in hope of finding an edge, to win the weekly cash prize.
A work of artCredit: Dream Team
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£2.6m) scored his side’s winner in East London last weekend to bag nine points but it was Vitaliy Mykolenko (£2.4m) who was the big winner in that fixture.
The 0.1%-owned full-back registered six tackles and a bonus point on top of his clean sheet for an 11-point return – he added another eight against Vincent Kompany’s mob.
Everton’s No9 turned from scorer to creator in midweek with an assist against Burnley to finish with 14 points for the Gameweek – his best haul in a long while.
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Jack Harrison (£2.6m) and Dwight McNeil (£2.6m) provided an assist each across the two fixtures, pocketing nine and 13 points respectively.

Not that it matters now, but Neil actually made a mistake captaining Abdoulaye Doucoure (£3m) as the 30-year-old notched just four points, making him the second-worst performer in his XI.
As for Michael Keane (£1.9m), he didn’t play a single minute in Gameweek 10 – if only Neil had backed Ashley Young (£1.6m) as his fifth defender, who poached 16 points via a goal and clean sheet in midweek.
Back in the grooveCredit: Getty
Still, there no point focusing on wasted opportunities when the activation of the Park the Bus Booster meant James Tarkowski (£2.4m), Jarrad Branthwaite (£1.6m), Nathan Patterson (£1.5m) and Mykolenko combined for 132 points!
A pair of clean sheets also meant Jordan Pickford (£2.5m) registered almost a third of his total season points.
What else is there to say about this hilariously effective XI?
Neil’s strategy isn’t going to win him any Mini Leagues come the end of the season but he’s earned himself a £100 playing Dream Team – how many gaffers can say that?
A victory for class clowns everywhere!

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GAMEWEEK 11 is expected to be a high-scoring affair in the world of Dream Team.Premier League mismatches, friendly European games, in-form assets against beleaguered defences… it’s got it all.
With sky-high potential for substantial points, gaffers need to get their transfers right ahead of Saturday’s 11:30am deadline.

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The masterCredit: Dream Team
In the spirit of generosity, we’ve assembled some recommendations to consider…
Rodri (£4m)
Manchester City could hardly hope for a more favour double header this coming Gameweek.
The treble-winners welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad on Saturday in what is statistically the most one-sided fixture in Premier League history before another game on home soil against Young Boys in midweek.
Pep Guardiola’s side won 3-1 against the same opponent in Switzerland in Gameweek 9 and that result flattered the hosts if truth be told.
Our friends at talkSPORT Bet have City at 1/14 against the Cherries and 1/16 against Young Boys – simply put, it’s time to feast.
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Naturally, Erling Haaland (£7.5m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.7m) are best-placed to cash in but if ever there was a week to stock up on City players, this is it.
Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy is a potential blockade but Rodri is surely a banker.
City have lost every game without the metronomic midfielder this season and won every game he’s played – his recent red card gave him a little break so there’s no need for the decorated tactician to rest the Spain international in the coming days.
Rodri is primarily thought of a defensive midfielder but he ranks highly for chances created from open play and shots on target.
The 27-year-old may feel like a safe choice but he averages six points-per-game this term so even a pair of standard performances against weak opposition would result in 12 points in Gameweek 11.
See also: Ederson (£3.5m), Phil Foden (£4.5m), Kyle Walker (£3.4m), etc.

Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.8m)
Easy on the eyeCredit: AP
We don’t usually repeat a transfer recommendation two weeks in a row but Liverpool’s No8 notched 15 points in Gameweek 10 so we feel it’s worth underlining his viability.
The Hungarian playmaker is a natural footballer and he’s hit the ground running at Anfield – his tally of two goals and four assists doesn’t do justice to his efforts so far.
Szoboszlai’s overall total of 73 points paints a more accurate picture as that puts him just six points shy of Anthony Gordon (£3.5m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£3.6m), who are joint-sixth among midfielders.
The Reds travel to 18th-placed Luton on Sunday before a trip to Toulouse in the Europa League on Thursday – they beat the Ligue 1 side 5-1 last week.
Szoboszlai may not start in France but Gameweek 11 should be a fruitful one for him.
It goes without saying that Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) is Liverpool’s main man – the 62.7% of gaffers without him in their XI could be severely punished in the coming days.
Kaoru Mitoma (£4m)
Silky smoothCredit: Alamy
Brighton are without a win in their last four league games but that run featured tricky match-ups against Aston Villa (away), Liverpool and Man City.
Their next three top-flight opponents – Everton, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest – should yield greater returns for Roberto De Zerbi and Dream Team bosses.
The Seagulls are also due to play Ajax in Amsterdam this coming week, which would usually be a daunting task but not right now, the four-time European champions are currently bottom of the Eredivisie!
When weighing up Brighton players, Dream Team gaffers should look forward not backwards.
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15.6%-owned Mitoma has scored three goals and provided five assists in 2023/24 to date.
De Zerbi has been vocal about the need for rotation when juggling European commitments on top of the domestic schedule but he’s also lavished praise on his Japanese winger – it would be a huge shock if Mitoma didn’t start against both Everton and Ajax.

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ALL season long we’ve been telling Dream Team managers to save their Boosters for juicy double Gameweeks.Well, now is the perfect time to activate either Park the Bus, Max Captain or 12th Man in hope of bumper returns.
Gameweek 11 not only features a host of favourable Premier League fixtures, several clubs also have friendly European match-ups in midweek.

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Manchester City look set for plenty of points this coming GameweekCredit: Getty
Teams set to pull double duty in Gameweek 11:

Manchester City vs Bournemouth (h), Young Boys (h)
Arsenal vs Newcastle (a), Sevilla (h)
Liverpool vs Luton (a), Toulouse (a)
Newcastle vs Arsenal (h), Borussia Dortmund (a)
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest (a), AZ Alkmaar (h)
West Ham vs Brentford (a), Olympiakos (h)
Manchester United vs Fulham (a), Copenhagen (a)
Brighton vs Everton (a), Ajax (a)

On paper, it should be a high-scoring few days in the world of Dream Team.
All three Boosters are viable but which is best deployed in Gameweek 11?
Max Captain
This Booster removes the captaincy dilemma by ensuring the player who scores the most points throughout the Gameweek has their tally doubled.
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Activating Max Captain this week would virtually guarantee a prosperous Gameweek because the likelihood of at least one player among any given XI racking up a substantial haul is high given the upcoming fixtures.
Gaffers who can’t decide between Erling Haaland (£7.5m), Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and whomever else they consider a worthy option may feel now is the perfect time to play Max Captain.
The only concern with this Booster is that it could potentially go to waste.
Say you decide to captain Haaland, the default selection, but then activate Max Captain because you’re worried about Salah’s potential, only for Man City’s No9 to top score anyway.
Easy captaincy choiceCredit: Reuters
What’s become apparent is that Max Captain is probably best saved for a time when the Norwegian poacher isn’t well placed to rack up plentiful points.
And considering he’s produced 45 points across his last three outings, those who decide to simply captain Haaland normally would be absolutely justified.

Park the Bus
The most-powerful Booster doubles the points of all selected defenders for the duration of the Gameweek.
Man City’s home double against Bournemouth and Young Boys looks ripe for clean sheet points but predicting Pep Guardiola’s line-ups is a minefield, even at the back.
Newcastle and Arsenal both boast several successful defenders but the fact they’re playing each other this weekend is a spanner in the works – the hosts are the joint-top scorers in the league so a 0-0 draw seems unlikely.
Still, combining Kieran Trippier (£5.7m), Matty Cash (£3.3m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.4m) with the two City defenders most-likely to start both fixtures – Kyle Walker (£3.4m) and Ruben Dias (£4.4m)? – could be hugely beneficial.
12th Man
Fancy some extra firepower this Gameweek?Credit: Dream Team
All things considered, this is probably the best Booster to activate ahead of Gameweek 11.
Dream Team bosses are normally restricted to a maximum of three strikers but 12th Man would allow them to temporarily back four – a tempting proposition given the plethora of in-form goalscorers right now.
Haaland and Salah are must-have assets but Julian Alvarez (£4.7m), Darwin Nunez (£4.2m), Ollie Watkins (£4.7m), Son Heung-min (£4.8m) and Callum Wilson (£4.3m) are all in fine form as well.
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For the purposes of this discussion we can probably discard Son (only one fixture in Gameweek 11) and Wilson (tricky match-ups) but Alvarez, Nunez and Watkins would all make a worthy 12th Man.
Using the Booster in this way would allow for unprecedented firepower.

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Brentford’s confidence must still be high after their big win at Chelsea last weekend. They host West Ham.
While Brighton have had a midweek off and travel to take on Everton, who are in decent form themselves.
Man City should be a formality as they welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad.
They have the added incentive of being able to go top – for a short time at least – if picking up three points.
And Wolves can cap off this four fold in their away fixture at Sheffield United.
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ANOTHER Xbox Series X has to be won through Score Predictor in Matchweek 12!If you haven’t played Score Predictor yet this season, what are you waiting for?
It’s completely free to play, easy to understand, and heaps of fun – especially if you play in Mini Leagues against your mates.

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Manchester City beat Bournemouth, that’s just what they doCredit: Getty
Let’s run through the relevant fixtures for Matchweek 12…
Manchester City v Bournemouth
Pep Guardiola’s side are coming off the back of arguably their best performance of the season, albeit aided by Manchester United’s incompetence – we correctly predicted a 3-0 away win in last week’s Score Predictor article, by the way.
The Cherries registered their first league win of the campaign last weekend but it came against Burnley, one of the very few teams below them in the table.
The chances of Andoni Iraola’s men claiming another three points on Saturday are slim to none – our friends at talkSPORT BET have the hosts at 1/25!
Bournemouth have never beaten Man City in their 124-year history with the reigning champions having won every single Premier League meeting between the two clubs.
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This fixture ended 4-0 last season and we’re inclined to back a repeat.
Our Prediction: 4-0 to Man City
Eddie Howe will be hopeful of closing the gap on Arsenal this weekendCredit: Getty
Newcastle v Arsenal
Arguably the standout fixture of Matchweek 12, made even more intriguing by the two clubs’ contrasting fortunes in the Carabao Cup this week.
The Gunners produced their worst performance of the season at West Ham, suffering a 3-1 defeat, while Eddie Howe’s second-string XI breezed past a beleaguered Man United at Old Trafford.
The Premier League is a different story, however, and it should be noted that Mikel Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in the top flight.
Newcastle looked a tad leggy against Wolves last weekend but they are the joint-top scorers in the league at this stage, having scored 26 across their first ten games.
Home advantage is a massive boost for the Magpies but Arsenal will fondly remember their 2-0 win at St James’ Park back in May.
That fence looks comfortable, perhaps we’ll just rest our legs for a moment…
Our Prediction: 2-2 draw
How many goals for Villa this weekend?Credit: PA
Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
The Villains are level with Newcastle on league 26 goals but they’ve plundered 20 of them at home and just six on the road.
Perhaps it would be unreasonable to expect another goal glut from Unai Emery’s troops this weekend, although Forest have to be considered a favourable opponent on current form.
Steve Cooper’s side have slipped to 16th having taken just four points from their last six outings.
There’s actually not much difference between the two sides defensively – Villa have conceded 14 league goals, Forest have conceded 15 – but the latter have struggled in attack.
Forest average just one goal scored per league game, worlds away from Villa’s free-flowing attacking unit.
Our Prediction: 2-1 to Aston Villa

Three-goal Liverpool to strike again?Credit: PA
Luton v Liverpool
Another significant mismatch on paper.
18th-placed Luton are already 18 points behind the Reds in the table – the gap between the Premier League’s top four and bottom four has rarely been greater.
We mentioned in last week’s Score Predictor article how frequently Liverpool are scoring three goals this season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side then underlined the point with a 3-0 win over Forest last weekend but they settled for two away to Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in midweek – blame that slight under-performance on rotation.
Assuming Liverpool will be back to full strength on Sunday, well, you know what usually means…
Our Prediction: 3-0 to Liverpool
Spurs saviours old and newCredit: Dream Team
Tottenham v Chelsea
All eyes on the dugout for this one.
Mauricio Pochettino was once heralded as Spurs’ saviour but many of the fans who used to sing his name felt betrayed when he made Stamford Bridge his new home.
And besides, the North Londoners have a new messiah in the form of Ange Postecoglou, who has masterminded an mightily impressive start to the campaign – he’s taken 26 points from a possible 30 so far.
Chelsea’s resurgence was dramatically halted by a home defeat to Brentford last weekend, an annual event these days.
Only the top four have conceded fewer league goals than the Blues but they continue to be inefficient in the final third – only Marcus Rashford has under-performed against his xG more than Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez this season.
On paper, a home game for the league leaders against 11th should be cut and dry but Pochettino’s side clearly have considerable potential and the emotional elements around this fixture may interfere with the actual football.
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Our Prediction: 1-1 draw
You almost certainly know better than us so get involved with Score Predictor ahead of Matchweek 12 and you could be up an Xbox by Monday night!

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