Dream Team

MORE than a few eyebrows were raised when Chelsea forked out £42.5million for Cole Palmer at the end of the summer transfer window.The 21-year-old had played fewer than 500 minutes in the Premier League for Manchester City prior to the big-money move.
Clearly a talented youngster, there can be little doubt he remains unproven in the top flight.
However, since Palmer became a starter for the Blues, the club’s fortunes have reversed for the better.

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Chelsea are winning games with Palmer as a starterCredit: Dream Team
Maurico Pochettino oversaw a frustrating start to the season, during which time his side squandered far too much chances, ultimately costing them precious points.
But three consecutive victories prior to the international break have given the Argentine tactician a reason to be hopeful for the months ahead.
It’s too simplistic to say Palmer’s appearance in the starting line-up has been the sole factor in Chelsea’s recent turnaround but the England Under-21 star has made certainly contributed.
His first start came in the Carabao Cup when he provided the assist for Nicolas Jackson’s (£2.6m) winner against Brighton.
The right winger kept his place for Chelsea’s league win over West London rivals Fulham and again for his side’s most-recent victory at Burnley, where he scored his first goal for his new club.
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Palmer bagged 11 points at Turf MoorCredit: Reuters
What was particularly interesting about Palmer’s debut goal from a Dream Team perspective is that it came from the penalty spot.
Generally, an inexperienced new arrival would be well down the pecking order for such a duty but Palmer justified the faith shown in him by converting from 12 yards.
Pochettino’s side won 4-1 at Turf Moor but the score was 1-1 at the time the spot-kick was awarded so there was a considerable degree of pressure – hardly a freebie to simply get him up and running.
It remains to be seen whether Palmer will continue as Chelsea’s first-choice penalty taker but he can’t have done much more to keep hold of the title for now.

It goes without saying that Dream Team managers should be aware of the regular penalty-takers knocking around – cheap goals count just the same as 30-yard wonderstrikes.
Palmer’s broader returns since he became a starter have been impressive – he’s banked 24 points across the three outings.
And his points have come at excellent value given he’s currently available for just £2.1m.
New beginningsCredit: Getty
Whether the 0.5%-owned midfielder would be a wise recruit ahead of Gameweek 9 is another conversation entirely.
Eight teams are set to pull double duty this coming Gameweek but Chelsea are not among that crop and their lone fixture (Arsenal at home) has to be considered one of the more difficult match-ups.
In fact, the Blues will also play Tottenham, Manchester City and Newcastle before the end of November – it’s possibly not the best time to back Stamford Bridge residents generally.
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That being stated, Palmer is somebody to monitor closely.
If he’s still Chelsea’s starting right winger and first-choice penalty-taker by mid-December when their fixtures turn then he could be a very smart, value-for-money differential option.

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IT is with a heavy heart that we must confirm there are just four Gameweeks between this international break and the next one.The 2023/24 Dream Team campaign will pause again in mid-November for the last of the Euro 2024 qualifying group fixtures.
However, European fixtures and the continuation of the Carabao Cup means this little period will be action packed.
As always, gaffers should consider the schedule when formulating their plans for the upcoming weeks so let’s take a look at which teams have the most favourable fixtures from now until the next international break.

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Liverpool and Aston Villa appear to have favourable fixture across the next few weeksCredit: Dream Team
TOTTENHAM

Fulham (h)
Crystal Palace (a)
Chelsea (h)
Wolves (a)

The fact Ange Postecoglou’s men play just four times before the next international break is a key thing for Dream Team bosses to note.
Having already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup and without European commitments, Spurs assets will do very well to keep pace with their busier rivals in the coming weeks.
In James Maddison (£4.3m), Son Heung-min (£4.8m) and Cristian Romero (£3.5m) they have in-form individuals capable of double-digit hauls every time they step onto a pitch and with ninth-placed Palace their hardest opponent according to the league table, Spurs have a decent chance of holding onto top spot over the next month or so.
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However, stocking up on too many of Postecoglou’s stars in the relam of Dream Team risks failing to make proper use of the schedule.
ARSENAL

Chelsea (a)
Sevilla (a)
Sheffield United (h)
West Ham (a)
Newcastle (a)
Sevilla (h)
Burnley (h)

In contrast to their North London rivals, the Gunners will be very active in the coming weeks.
A trip to the London Stadium in the Carabao Cup is likely to be low priority while away days to Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park represent tricky league match-ups – there are signs the Blues have sorted themselves out.
A Champions League double header against Sevilla should be profitable as the Spanish outfit are currently 14th in La Liga – although Arsenal did lose to Lens who are also struggling domestically this season.
Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) and company should also enjoy themselves at home to the Blades and the Clarets – much has been made of the newly-promoted clubs’ problems this term.
All eyes on Bukayo Saka’s (£6.4m) fitness once the action resumes.
Dream Team’s top midfielder in 2023/24Credit: Getty
MANCHESTER CITY

Brighton (h)
Young Boys (a)
Manchester United (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Young Boys (h)
Chelsea (a)

The Cherries aside, it could be a relatively testing domestic run for the reigning champions, although the Old Trafford faithful may be fearing another derby day humbling.
Naturally, Pep Guardiola’s side will be heavy favourites in their two fixtures against the Swiss champions in Champions League Group G but the biggest boost post-break will be Rodri’s (£3.9m) return from suspension.
City have won every game in which the Spaniard has featured this season and lost every game without him.
LIVERPOOL

Everton (h)
Toulouse (h)
Nottingham Forest (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Luton (a)
Toulouse (a)
Brentford (h)

Now here’s a set of fixtures that should tempt most right-thinking Dream Team gaffers.
Granted, the Reds have rotated in the Europa League but with all five of their domestic opponents comfortably in the bottom half of the league table right now, it should be fun few weeks for Mohamed Salah (£6.5m) and friends.
A slight quirk in schedule means Jurgen Klopp’s men will play three consecutive home games immediately after the break followed by three away days in a row but visits to Bournemouth and Luton (19th and 17th respectively) have to be considered favourable match-ups on current form.
Plenty of points up for grabsCredit: Alamy
ASTON VILLA

West Ham (h)
AZ Alkmaar (a)
Luton (h)
Nottingham Forest (a)
AZ Alkmaar (h)
Fulham (h)

Another friendly batch of games here for Dream Team bosses to potentially target.
The Hammers are no pushovers by any means but home advantage should serve the Villains well this coming weekend – they smashed Brighton 6-1 in their last league fixture at Villa Park.
The Europa Conference League hasn’t been a platform of much joy as of yet for Villa assets – they lost 3-2 to Legia Warsaw before leaving it late to beat Zrinjski Mostar 1-0 – and AZ Alkmaar are their most difficult group stage opponents on paper.
Still, the likes of Matty Cash (£3.1m), Ollie Watkins (£4.3m) and Moussa Diaby (£3.5m) should provide healthy returns in the coming weeks.
BRIGHTON

Manchester City (a)
Ajax (h)
Fulham (h)
Everton (a)
Ajax (a)
Sheffield United (h)

The first thing to note is that while a double header against Ajax would usually be a stiff European challenge, the famous Dutch giants are in disarray this season.
The four-time European champions are currently third from bottom in the Eredivisie having mustered just five points from six outings.
A trip to the Etihad is always a daunting task although City’s recent losses to Wolves and Arsenal mean it’s a relatively good time to play the treble-winners – if such a concept exists.
We know what to expect from Brighton by now – plenty of goals at both ends.
Entertainment guaranteedCredit: PA
WEST HAM

Aston Villa (a)
Olympiakos (a)
Everton (h)
Arsenal (h)
Brentford (a)
Olympiakos (h)
Nottingham Forest (h)

A busy schedule only boosts the viability of James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m) and Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m) further, Dream Team’s fourth and fifth best midfielders at the time of writing.
Things are going swimmingly for David Moyes’ mob on the continent once again as they’re currently top of their Europa League group with six points from a possible six – Olympiakos have just one point to their name.
NEWCASTLE

Crystal Palace (h)
Borussia Dortmund (h)
Wolves (a)
Manchester United (a)
Arsenal (h)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Bournemouth (a)

The good news is that the Magpies are another team with seven fixtures to fulfil between international breaks but the bad news is four of them are potentially tough match-ups.
Borussia Dortmund are undefeated in the Bundesliga this term but they did lose to PSG in the Champions League, who Eddie Howe’s side mauled in the same competition.
Newcastle’s meeting with the Red Devils is a Carabao Cup game so rotation is to be expected from both sides but there’s no doubt a meeting with Arsenal the following weekend will be a stern test.
Nick Pope (£4.3m) and Kieran Trippier (£5.6m) will be hopeful of clean sheets against the likes of Palace, Wolves and Bournemouth to maintain their places at the top of their respective positional rankings.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Newcastle (a)
Tottenham (h)
Burnley (a)
Everton (h)

Just the four games for the Eagles and two of them are against difficult opponents.
With Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) sidelined, it’s probably best to stay clear of Roy Hodgson’s lads during this upcoming period – though they’ve proved their doubters wrong so far in 2023/24.
No Eze, no partyCredit: Reuters
MANCHESTER UNITED

Sheffield United (a)
Copenhagen (h)
Manchester City (h)
Newcastle (h)
Fulham (a)
Copenhagen (a)
Luton (h)

A record of won four, lost four from eight league games sums up Erik ten Hag’s troops so far this season.
Surely they’ll leave Bramall Lane with three points on Saturday night – Sheffield United have just a single point to their name since promotion – but a double header against Danish opposition in the Champions League represents another potential banana skin following their capitulation against Galatasaray.
A tricky set of fixtures to read given Man United’s own inconsistencies.
CHELSEA

Arsenal (h)
Brentford (h)
Blackburn (h)
Tottenham (a)
Manchester City (h)

The Blues only play one away game before the next international break – what a luxury.
Saying that, playing Arsenal, Spurs and City in quick succession will give gaffers a true indication of just how resolute Chelsea’s defensive assets are this season – they boast the joint-third best record in the league currently.
After a frustrating start to the campaign, consecutive wins over Brighton, Fulham and Burnley have given Mauricio Pochettino a reason to be optimistic.
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We’ll cut it off there as, by very definition, it’s hard to argue any of teams from 12th down in the Premier League have fixtures favourable enough for Dream Team managers to target.

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YOU know what it’s like.You’ve kept patience with certain players and expect to be rewarded for your limitless patience.
But you’re not alone. There are thousands of Dream Team gaffers who have stuck to their guns in anticipation of an explosive haul – but who are the main culprits?
We at Dream Team HQ take a closer look at the FIVE most popular fantasy football assets with fewer than 30 points and evaluate whether managers should stick or twist.
Is it time to sell Aaron Ramsdale?Credit: GETTY
Aaron Ramsdale (£3.6m)
First up is Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who boasts a still considerable 8.1% ownership despite accumulating just 21 points this season.
Ramsdale started the campaign in good enough fashion, taking home 10 points from his opening two fixtures but it went south… quickly.
The Englishman, 25, has been ousted by summer arrival David Raya with the 1-0 win over Brentford in the Carabao Cup his only appearance in the last seven matches in all competitions.

Our verdict: Sell. Raya has the No.1 jersey and doesn’t look like relinquishing it anytime soon.

Virgil van Dijk (£4.1m)
Usually Mr Consistent for points, it’s been a very sluggish start from Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
Just over 7% of bosses have kept faith with the towering centre-back despite a lowly return of 27 points and an average points tally of 3.9 from seven appearances.
Liverpool have managed just two clean sheets in their 11 competitive matches this season, while Van Dijk was absent for three of those having been red carded against Newcastle back in August.

Our verdict: Hold. Liverpool are in good form and the clean sheets are bound to arrive soon. They also have some great fixtures on the horizon against Everton, Toulouse, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton on the horizon.

We think Jack Grealish is poised for a revivalCredit: GETTY
Lewis Dunk (£2.3m)
Just the 21 points on the board for Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.
There’s very little to complain about in terms of the 5.8% owned defender’s performances, but Roberto Di Zerbi’s attacking philosophy means the Seagulls often concede.
In fact, only Bournemouth, Luton and Sheffield United have shipped more goals in the Premier League this season, while they’ve not managed a clean sheet in any competition since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.

Our verdict: Sell. Clean sheets don’t look forthcoming and his potential attacking returns simply don’t offer enough value for money compared with other defenders.

Jack Grealish (£4m)
A very stop-start season this far for our Jack. The Manchester City attacker missed six matches with a hamstring injury and has only just returned to the starting XI.
He’s chalked up 19 points for his 5.8% of owners, who will have expected better for a £4m asset – especially when you consider that Phil Foden (£4.6m) has 65 points this term.
His injury paired with the loss of influential midfielder Rodri has seen Manchester City stutter, losing all three and scoring just once in the last three top-flight matches.

Our verdict: Hold. Jack’s back to full fitness and Rodri has completed his three-game suspension. Pep Guardiola’s side are somewhat slow starters and are likely to return firing on all cylinders after the international break.

Easy one. Hold.Credit: GETTY
Gabriel Martinelli (£4m)
Nice and simple this one. Hold. The Arsenal winger suffered an unfortunate injury against Everton having gathered 19 points in his opening four matches.
The Brazilian missed three games with an ankle injury, but returned with a BANG against Manchester City and proved just how essential he is to Mikel Arteta and CO.
He still has a 5.4% ownership, but that perhaps makes him an exciting differential with games against Chelsea, Sevilla and Sheffield United coming up in the next three.

Our verdict: Hold. He’s going to amass some serious points.

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We all know Dream Team is the centre of the universe, right?And with that in mind, we’ve decided England manager Gareth Southgate might like to consider picking his best starting XI based entirely on this season’s Dream Team points.
Here’s what we’ve conjured up. Fans of the current Three Lions team might want to look away now…
Spoiler alertCredit: GETTY
GOALKEEPER: Nick Pope (£4.3m)
Newcastle’s Nick Pope isn’t just England’s top-scoring goalkeeper — he’s the highest scoring stopper among ALL Dream Team keepers!
The 31-year-old, who didn’t make Southgate’s squad, has accumulated 55 points this season, meaning he’s comfortably ahead of England rivals Jordan Pickford (27 points) and Aaron Ramsdale (21 points).
Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone (£1.7m) is our back-up option.
DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£5.6m), Ben White (£4.5m), Dan Burn (£3.9m), Levi Colwill (£2.9m)
An interesting back four, granted. But we MUST stick to the data to preserve the legitimacy of our experiment. Southgate is counting on us…
Newcastle’s in-form Kieran Trippier gets priority at right-back considering he’s gathered a colossal 75 points this season.
He’s provided a whopping six assists in ten appearances and only five players in the entire game have outscored him.
The versatile Ben White slots in at centre-back having played 207 of his 286 senior appearances there.
White has 66 points this season but – much like his England career – is being overlooked by managers just a lowly 8.8% ownership.
Levi Colwill makes the cut at centre-back.
The Chelsea defender has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, which has seen him rise to sixth in the overall defender standings with 52 points – averaging eight in his last three games.
And finally – man, myth, legend Dan Burn joins his Newcastle colleague on the opposite flank.
The Geordie gladiator (and surprisingly good dancer) has developed an appetite for goals having scored against both Sheffield United and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ignored by Gareth Southgate, not by usCredit: GETTY
MIDFIELDERS: James Maddison (£4.3m), James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m), Phil Foden (£4.6m), James Garner (£2m)
Alas, we’ll NOT be going with Mike Bassett’s traditional 4-4-2 formation here. However, there are shades of Bassett’s Christmas Tree formation. Is this the ultimate hipster quintet?
Anyway, Tottenham’s James Maddison is an obvious inclusion having registered 76 points this season including a massive 18 bonus points to boot. He’s not exactly going under the radar with 41.% of gaffers picking him for their squads.
Phil Foden is another chosen by Southgate for the games against Australia and Italy, and rightly so given he’s relished the opportunity to step into Kevin De Bruyne’s boots at Manchester City.
Jarrod Bowen completes our attacking trio on the right flank. He’s the fifth highest-scoring midfielder in Dream Team right now after scoring five goals and providing an assist in nine matches.
Now this is where it gets interesting.
Maddison is pushing hard for a place in England’s starting line-upCredit: Rex
The most under-appreciated player in the English game James Ward-Prowse is absent from England’s squad – and nobody can quite understand why.
The 28-year-old has hit the ground running at West Ham with two goals and seven assists, while accumulating 72 points at an average of 6.8 per game.
Martin Odegaard is the only midfielder with more points in Dream Team and has double the ownership. JWP is the seventh-highest scorer in the game and has more bonus points than quite literally anyone.
Sneaking in alongside him is Everton’s James Garner, who’s quietly been going about his business on the way to 61 points. Just 1.4% of managers have selected Garner, leaving Southgate is in the clear majority by not picking him for England.
It would be remiss not to mention Jude Bellingham, who would clearly make this XI if Real Madrid fell under Dream Team’s jurisdiction. We’ve also omitted Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, who are both injured.
STRIKER: Ollie Watkins (£4.3m)
With Harry Kane unavailable for selection, Aston Villa hitman Ollie Watkins will be spearheading our attack.
Watkins is the top-scoring English forward in Dream Team with 65 points and a fairly modest 10.2% ownership. Only attackers Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak have outscored him but nobody has a higher average points than Watkins’ 10.7 over the last three game weeks.
Dominic Solanke is our back-up option, and would get in ahead of Marcus Rashford on points.
Here’s what our XI would look like…
It’s… interesting
In conclusion, we don’t hate it. Kind of.

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THREE of the four top points scorers so far this season are three of the four most expensive players available.So to score big and include the likes of Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka and/or Mohamed Salah in your side, you need to spend wisely elsewhere.
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Only Trippier and White have more points as a defender than Andersen
That’s where your bargain buys come in. But it’s important you don’t just fill spots with no-hopers, just because they’re cheap.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 points scorers under £4million, to give you plenty of food for thought this international break.
Top 5 points scorers that cost less than £4m

Eberechi Eze – £3.6m – 63 points
Joao Pedro – £2.8m – 63 points
James Garner – £2m – 61 points
Mathias Jensen – £3.3m – 60 points
Joachim Andersen – £3.1m – 60 points

Crystal Palace star Eze really hit the ground running at the start of the season.
The added pressure of having no Wilfried Zaha in the line-up seems to have done him wonders and he looks to take on that extra responsiblity.
He came out the blocks flying with 44 points by the end of Game Week 4 and has slowed down slightly but a great option at the price.
Eberechi seems an Eze optionCredit: Reuters
Joao Pedro being as high up this list is a testament to him, given he’s played the full 90 minutes just once this season.
Has registered five goals across all competitions for the Seagulls and has matched the points return of Eze, despite costing less than £3m.
No surprise to see his price increasing recently and his ownership numbers will likely follow suit.
James Garner will surprise a few managers in Dream Team, given Everton have flown under the radar despite their recent uplift in form.
At just £2m, Garner is one of the best value-for-money purchases available, which only 1.3% of managers are currently benefitting from.
Has two goals in his last three Toffess appearances and will be hoping this international break doesn’t halt his progress.
Mathias Jensen has surpassed both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa in the Brentford rankings for points – both of whom were considered shrewd business earlier in the campaign – and is now the top Bees scorer.
Mathias JensenCredit: Getty
Brentford’s results have tailed off recently, but Jensen has still chipped in with two goals in his last five outings and his position in the midfield sees him able to accumulate plenty of points for managers.
Only Kieran Trippier and Ben White have more points as a defender at this stage than Joachim Andersen.
Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two clubs to have conceded less goals than Palace in the league so far this season (7 goals in 8 games).
Andersen has scored twice himself this season too. Word of caution though – Palace have Newcastle and Tottenham in their next two.
Special shout out to Alexander Isak who ranks as eighth best in the game so far with 72 points and sits bang on the £4m mark.
He’s a much cheaper option than the likes of Haaland (£7.7m) and Salah (£6.5m) who currently sit ahead of him in the charts.
But he’s surprisingly cheaper than Ollie Watkins (£4.3m) and Son (£4.8m) who he’s outscored so far.
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