Dream Team

CRYSTAL PALACE fans have been increasingly vocal in their frustration as this season has progressed.Currently 14th with 24 points from 22 Premier League games, the Eagles are set for yet another unremarkable campaign – seemingly safe from relegation but still firmly in the bottom half.
The South London club have been in the top flight for 11 straight seasons now and only once have they finished in the top half (10th in 2014/15).

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Hodgson has been under pressure latelyCredit: Getty
They have often been among the league’s lowest scorers too with the current campaign no exception – only Manchester United, Everton, Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer goals at this stage with the Red Devils and Clarets having a game in hand.
While supporters appreciate survival in the world’s most-watched league is not taken for granted, the growing sense of stagnation is understandable.
Amid the frustration, however, Palace boast one of the most joyous double acts in European football.
Eberechi Eze (£3.7m) and Michael Olise (£3.9m) blend style with substance, as evidenced by the pair’s inspired showings to help Roy Hodgson’s side to victory over Sheffield United on Tuesday night, despite the Blades having taken the lead in the first minute.
Olise assisted Eze twice before scoring a fantastic goal of his own as the hosts bagged a much-needed three points at Selhurst Park with a 3-2 win over the team currently rooted to the bottom of the table.
A formidable partnershipCredit: Dream Team
Naturally, the pair’s heroics translated to Dream Team success.
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Both banked 16 points for their respective efforts and are therefore Gameweek 21’s joint-best midfielders at the time of writing.
The problem is that Palace fans so rarely get to enjoy the two midfielders in tandem.
Tuesday night’s fixture was just seventh time this season that Eze and Olise started together.
Both have been blighted by injuries in recent years and, as if to underline the issue, Hodgson was forced to replace each of them in the final 25 minutes with the game on a knife-edge.
Speaking after the final whistle, the England international said: “I’m okay, it was just a precaution, it should be fine. [Michael Olise] is also fine. He’s good.”
Eze’s comments will be warmly welcomed by the Selhurst Park faithful but both players remain availability concerns ahead of Saturday’s game against rivals Brighton.

Both Olise and Eze were withdrawn against Sheffield UnitedCredit: PA
Many Dream Team managers will be just as frustrated as Hogdson.
Olise in particularly has exhibited immense pedigree when fit.
In fact, the 22-year-old averages ten points-per-game this season, the best rate among all assets – Erling Haaland (£7.9m) is second on 9.8 points-per-game.
He’s notched a whopping 68 points across his last five outings!
The France youth international has also racked up 26 bonus points in just ten appearances.
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Eze is a keen bonus point hoarder as well, his tally of 32 is only bettered by four players in his position and that with the ex-QPR playmaker having been sidelined for half a dozen games this term.
Here’s hoping the talented duo are able to play together for the remainder of the campaign – Dream Team and the Premier League are better off for it.

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WHEN Erling Haaland’s (£7.9m) foot injury coincided with Mohamed Salah’s (£6.7m) departure to the Africa Cup of Nations, the door was left ajar for Bukayo Saka (£5.6m) to sit the Dream Team throne.And Arsenal’s No7 did just that last night when he leapfrogged the Egyptian superstar at the top of the overall rankings.

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Top GunCredit: Dream Team
Saka scored the Gunners’ second goal, ultimately a decisive one, against Nottingham Forest to bank nine points when all was said and done.
His efforts at the City Ground pushed his season tally to 218 points, six more than Salah at this stage.
The England winger now has ten goals and 12 assists to his name in 2023/24 but his impressive haul of 35 bonus points is also a key factor in his success – only four players boast superior tallies.
DREAM TEAM’S TOP SCORERS THIS SEASON:

Bukayo Saka – 218 pts
Mohamed Salah – 212 pts
Joao Pedro – 204 pts
Phil Foden – 201 pts
Erling Haaland – 195 pts
Jarrod Bowen – 195 pts
Darwin Nunez – 181 pts
Kieran Trippier – 179 pts
Julian Alvarez – 175 pts
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 172 pts

Saka’s ownership of 50.5% is evidence of the fact Dream Team managers have largely kept the faith despite some criticisms of the 22-year-old’s performances of late.
It’s fair to say he looked a tad fatigued before the winter break but the short rest seems to have done him good.
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Plus, it’s a measure of Saka’s pedigree that his returns remained relatively healthy during his so-called ‘bad patch’.
Between Gameweeks 17 and 19, he registered a perfectly respectable 23 points across four fixtures at a time when Mikel Arteta’s side lost to West Ham, Fulham and Liverpool.
Simply put, Saka is a top-tier Dream Team asset.
22 goal involvements for the seasonCredit: Getty
But how long will be able to retain the crown?
Haaland is expected to return to action in some capacity against Burnley this evening.
Manchester City’s No9 has missed his side’s last nine fixtures and yet the gap to Saka is just 23 points – the Norwegian is capable of such a haul in one outing.
Haaland averages 9.8 points-per-game this season, a rate bettered only by Michael Olise (£3.9m).
HIGHEST POINTS-PER-GAME AVERAGE THIS SEASON (MINIMUM FIVE APPEARANCES):

Michael Olise – 10
Erling Haaland – 9.8
Mohamed Salah – 7.9
Bukayo Saka – 7.8
Son Heung-min – 7.4
James Maddison – 7.3
Jarrod Bowen – 7.2
Phil Foden – 7.2
Pedro Porro – 6.9
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.6

A home game against the Clarets has to be considered a favourable match-up for Haaland’s return fixture although he may be eased back in with a short cameo as a second-half substitute.
Haaland looms largeCredit: Getty

Looking forward, Pep Guardiola’s face Brentford, Everton and Copenhagen across Gameweeks 22 and 23 while Arsenal take on Liverpool and West Ham in the same time.
Not only is Saka at a numerical disadvantage in terms of the fixtures, the difficulty of his match-ups compared to Haaland’s also work against him – Liverpool are top of the Premier League table while West Ham currently sit sixth.
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Plus, Salah is expected to be available again at some point in the coming weeks.
The battle for Dream Team supremacy this season is set to be very competitive throughout the second half of the campaign, although the smart money is on the imperious Haaland if he avoids another spell on the sidelines.

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KIERAN TRIPPIER (£4.8m) has reclaimed top spot among Dream Team defenders following Newcastle’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night.The experienced right-back provided his ninth assist of the season for the game’s opening goal with a typically threatening corner.
Ollie Watkins (£4m) scored a consolation goal for the hosts midway through the second half to vanquish Trippier and company’s clean sheet but the latter earned three bonus points by way of compensation to bank eight in total from what was a tricky fixture on paper – it was Villa’s first defeat at home in the league for almost a year.

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King of defenders once moreCredit: Dream Team
The former Atletico Madrid defender took Fulham for nine points in the FA Cup on Saturday so his combined haul for Gameweek 21 totalled an impressive 17.
This effort moved him onto 179 points for the season, seven more Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m), Dream Team’s next-best defender at the time of writing.
Trippier also became the first player in his position to reach 40 bonus points.
In fact, only team-mate Bruno Guimaraes (£3.7m) has claimed more bonus points (45) among all players at this stage of the campaign.
This should serve as a timely reminder to Dream Team bosses of the England international’s pedigree.
Trippier recently suffered a significant dip in popularity although his ownership of 26% still makes him the ninth-most selected asset in the game.
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A lean spell of seven points in four games (either side of a one-game suspension) in December prompted plenty of gaffers to ditch him but he’s struck back with 45 points across six fixtures since the start of Gameweek 17.
Alan Shearer, is that you?Credit: Getty
Trippier was far from the only Newcastle defender to come out of Gameweek 21 with their reputation enhanced.
Fabian Schar (£3.2m) catapulted himself into Dream Team’s top ten defenders with a 22-point return, 14 of them coming via a rare brace against the Villains.
The Swiss centre-back exhibited poacher-like instincts to score twice in four minutes for his best haul of the season so far.
Schar is now just above William Saliba (£3.3m) in the rankings which is notable given the Arsenal fan favourite features in 40.6% of teams!

Earlier this week, we flagged Dan Burn’s (£3.3m) impressive returns of late while Sven Botman (£3.5m) also added 14 points to his tally this Gameweek.
All in all, Newcastle’s first-choice back four combined for 72 points in Gameweek 21 and with Luton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth to come in their next three league games, there’s every chance of more healthy returns.

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ANY Dream Team gaffer worth their salt knows to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth.Aston Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest are the only teams set to fulfil two fixtures in Gameweek 22 and so their best assets should be given due consideration.
The Villains will host the Blues next Wednesday (February 7th) in a FA Cup fourth round replay to determine which side will face the winners of Plymouth v Leeds in the next stage of the competition.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are scheduled to meet Bristol City on the same night with the victor due to meet Manchester United in the fifth round.

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Must-have assets for Gameweek 22?Credit: Dream Team
GAMEWEEK 22 DOUBLE FIXTURES:

Aston Villa: vs Sheffield United (a), Chelsea (h)
Chelsea: vs Wolves (h), Aston Villa (a)
Nottingham Forest: vs Bournemouth (a), Bristol City (h)

Forest’s double header is inviting but they may not be in a position to take full advantage.
Results have improved since Steve Cooper was dismissed but defeat to out-of-form Brentford followed by a 0-0 draw to the Robins has come as something of a reality check for the team currently 16th in the Premier League table.
The good news is that Morgan Gibbs-White (£3.1m) returned from injury in the second half against Bristol City – the 24-year-old midfielder is his side’s best Dream Team performer this season having earned 110 points.
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Forest’s No10 would be the man to own for Dream Team gaffers who want to target the club’s Gameweek 22 fixtures but such a ploy would likely be nothing more than a hopeful, short-term punt.
Gibbs-White and company are due to face Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brighton between Gameweeks 23 and 27 – a run that includes four of the current top seven.
Forest’s best Dream Team player this seasonCredit: Getty
Backing Chelsea and Villa assets seems to be a wiser strategy.
Gaffers losing patience with Ollie Watkins (£4m) amid a downturn in form would probably do well to retain him for Gameweek 22 – if he fails to deliver the goods across two fixtures then that would surely be the final straw.
Ezri Konsa (£3.2m) is a decent pick as he’s level with Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) on 37 bonus points this season, the joint-most among defenders.
And the midfield options of John McGinn (£3.6m), Douglas Luiz (£3.5m), Leon Bailey (£2.9m) and Moussa Diaby (£3m) all have their merits – all four have 100+ points to their name.
As for Mauricio Pochettino’s troops, Cole Palmer (£4.1m) is evidently the standout candidate.
With 11 goals and nine assists this season, the 21-year-old may also be the optimum captain for Gameweek 22.
151 Dream Team points and countingCredit: Getty

That being said, Wolves are unbeaten in their last seven games while a trip to Villa Park is statistically among the most difficult fixtures this season.
However, Chelsea are in good form themselves having lost just one of their last seven fixtures, scoring 16 goals in that time.
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Doubling up on Chelsea midfielders in Gameweek 22 with Palmer and Raheem Sterling (£4m) is certainly a viable tactic.
Dream Team managers shouldn’t alter their entire strategy because of three FA Cup replays but some representation in the next round of midweek fixtures could go a long way.

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DREAM TEAM managers should be keeping track of which players rank highly for shots on target and big chances created this season.Not only do assets earn one point for each of these acts as defined by stats gurus Opta, these metrics give a good indication of which individuals are likely to be among the most prolific goalscorers and assist providers in the long run.
Not every gaffer has the time or patience to trawl through the Stats Centre so here we’ve collated the top midfielders in regards to shots on target and big chances created.
Surprisingly productiveCredit: Dream Team
Most shots on target and big chances created among Dream Team midfielders 2023/24:

41 – Phil Foden (30 shots, 11 chances)
41 – Bruno Fernandes (26 shots, 15 chances)
39 – Jarrod Bowen (30 shots, 9 chances)
39 – Cole Palmer (29 shots, 10 chances)
36 – Bukayo Saka (23 shots, 13 chances)
32 – Anthony Gordon (21 shots, 11 chances)
30 – Martin Odegaard (22 shots, 8 chances)
28 – Moussa Diaby (21 shots, 7 chances)
27 – Raheem Sterling (17 shots, 10 chances)
26 – Enzo Fernandez (22 shots, 4 chances)

The first thing to note is that, when ranking players with equal combined totals, we’ve prioritised shots on target as goals are worth more points than assists.
Foden leads the way having been among Manchester City’s most-threatening players this season.
Interestingly, the England international has played predominantly as the most-advanced midfielder, the role usually occupied by Kevin De Bruyne (£6.2m).
Now that the Belgian superstar is fit and available again, will Foden’s minutes dip or will he simply revert to a wide forward role?
Surely Pep Guardiola will recognise that the 23-year-old is too good to leave out on current form?
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19 goal involvements and counting this seasonCredit: Getty
It will come as a surprise to many Dream Team bosses that no midfielder has registered more shots on target plus big chances created than Fernandes this season.
In the key creative metric, only Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) boasts a higher tally among all players than Manchester United’s captain.
It may not seem as if the Portuguese midfielder is among the best players in his position this season but the stats don’t lie – his team-mates simply aren’t making the most of his creative output.
For comparison, Fernandes has five assists from 15 big chances created while Pedro Neto (£3m) has ten assists from just five big chances created.
When everything clicks for Fernandes, he truly is a top-tier Dream Team asset.
It’s no surprise to see Bowen rank so highly, particularly for shots on target, as he’s essentially played as a centre-forward more often than not this term.
He’s followed closely by Palmer, who has emerged as an excellent value-for-money option over the last two months or so.
‘Cold Palmer’Credit: Rex
There is a perception among some onlookers that the Chelsea youngster is overly dependant on penalties but 29 shots on target suggests he offers plenty of threat from open play as well.
Looking further down the list, Diaby and Fernandez are intriguing inclusions as they’ve both scored just five goals from 21 and 22 shots on target respectively, indicating their finishing hasn’t been precise enough in key moments.
Compare that to Mohammed Kudus (£4.9m), who has scored nine goals from 13 shots on target this campaign.

Sterling makes it three Chelsea representatives in this list, more than any other club.
The Blues have created more than their fair share of chances this season but for a long while they were blighted by wastefulness.
However, just one defeat in their last seven fixtures and 16 goals scored in that time represents a significant uplift – they’re now just one point off the European places.
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Gaffers certainly shouldn’t underestimate Chelsea assets but it’s clear Palmer is the optimum selection among them.
Keep track of shots on target and big chances created as the season progresses.

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HERE at Dream Team headquarters it’s our duty to flag up thriving players who may be flying under the radar.Dan Burn (£3.3m) very much fits that description.
Fulham fans’ worst nightmareCredit: Dream Team
The gigantic defender, who features in just 3.5% of teams, has produced 48 points across the last six Gameweeks with another fixture to come before the current Gameweek is complete.
Newcastle’s No33 notched 15 points against Fulham on Saturday, his joint-best haul of the season, via a clean sheet, goal and five tackles.
He was on hand to slam home from point-blank range just after the hour-mark to give the Magpies a comfortable lead, which they maintained until the final whistle to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round.
Add in an assist against Manchester City plus a clean sheet against rivals Sunderland and Burn has pocketed 26 points across his last three outings, making him statistically among the most in-form players in his position.
Highest points-per-game average among defender (last three appearances):

Pedro Porro – 11.7
Matty Cash – 9
Dan Burn – 8.7
Alex Moreno – 8.7
Nelson Semedo 8.7

Burn averages five points-per-game this seasonCredit: Getty
Burn seems to particularly enjoy playing against Marco Silva’s side as he started his current prosperous run with a 15-point haul against Fulham back in Gameweek 16, also via a goal and clean sheet.
Eddie Howe’s men have suffered a dip in form of late, losing four consecutive Premier League fixtures, albeit with the two most recent defeats coming against strong opposition in the form of Liverpool and Manchester City.
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However, the first-choice defence of Kieran Trippier (£4.8m), Sven Botman (£3.5m), Fabian Schar (£3.2m) and Burn are all available again ahead of a more favourable run of fixtures.
Newcastle host Luton in Gameweek 22 before meetings with Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

Additionally, Burn is likely to feature in his side’s upcoming FA Cup game against the winner of tonight’s match between Blackburn and Wrexham.
Trippier remains the premium option among Newcastle’s defenders having registered 171 points so far this season – only Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) has more to his name at the time of writing.
The problem for many Dream Team bosses is that the England international comes at a significant cost – he’s a full £1.5m more expensive than Burn right now.

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