Dream Team

ANY Dream Team gaffer worth their salt loves a shortcut.There’s no better feeling than propelling yourself up your Mini League thanks to a lovely loophole.
This season, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6m) could be that loophole.

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Two players for the price of oneCredit: DREAM TEAM
Granted, Liverpool’s No66 is hardly an unknown gem who flies under the radar.
Still just 24 years old, Anfield’s homegrown hero has 54 Premier League assists to his name already – team-mate Andy Robertson (£4.5m) is the only defender with more to his name in the competition’s history and the Scotsman is five years his senior.
Although the lines are about to be blurred in that regard.
Alexander-Arnold has played the majority of his minutes in professional football at right-back but he flourished in a midfield role at the back end of last season – the old Joshua Kimmich switcheroo.
Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, every indication suggests he will continue to get ample opportunities to flex his creative muscles in the middle of the park.
In the realm of Dream Team, however, he has been categorised as a defender once again.
Alexander-Arnold played as a midfielder as a youthCredit: PA
This is an important distinction because defenders earn five points for every clean sheet – as long as they play at least 60 minutes of the fixture – and midfielders do not.
If Alexander-Arnold is to play plenty of minutes in midfield while being categorised as a defender then he will benefit from Liverpool clean sheets while simultaneously helping himself to the points on offer to those in more advanced positions.
He’s essentially two players for the price of one – a cheat code.
This season, players will receive one point for every big chance created (as defined by OPTA), a metric the Reds’ new vice-captain ranks highly for year after year.
In fact, in 2022/23, Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) were the only players to register more big chances created in the Premier League.
Surely his impressive playmaking stats will only get better if he’s converted to a genuine midfielder?
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Dream Team assets will also earn a point for every two successful tackles this coming season.
While many fans would associate tackles with defenders first and foremost, it’s a statistic historically dominated by combative midfielders.
Add in a point for every shot on target (more likely from midfield than right-back) and the stage is set for Alexander-Arnold to build upon his already majestic Dream Team legacy.
At £6m he’s comes at a cost, no defender will start Gameweek 1 at a higher price, but even so he may offer plenty of value for money.

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DREAM TEAM managers are counting down the days until the new campaign gets underway.And to provide a helping hand, The Sun have taken a closer look at each of last season’s top teams in detail.
Arsenal are on today’s menu as Mikel Arteta’s enthralling young side look to go one better in the Premier League, while also making their long-awaited return to the Champions League.
Here, we’ve assembled their best players, bargain options and potential flops.

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Arsenal stars provided plentiful points last seasonCredit: DREAM TEAM
BEST PLAYERS
Where to start? Arsenal’s squad is stacked with creative talent and devastating attacking assets.
As you would imagine, the Gunners are extremely popular among Dream Team managers given their opening league fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Fulham.
Bukayo Saka (£6m) is an absolute lock for many bosses, and has already amassed an ownership of 37.2% – it’s not difficult to see why.
The winger would have finished the 2022/23 campaign with 263 points had the new scoring system been implemented last year.
As things stand, he remains Arsenal’s designated penalty-taker and has proven himself almost immune to rotation under Arteta having featured in all 38 league matches last season.
Gabriel Jesus (£5.5m) is a class act when fit but it’s been reported that the Brazilian will miss the first few weeks of the season through injury – so stay clear for now.
Martin Odegaard (£5m) is proving to be a popular pick with an ownership of 22.9%, many gaffers are predicting another standout campaign.
The 24-year-old scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 45 appearances last season and as club captain he’s a nailed-on starter.
Honourable mention must go to Gabriel (£4.5m) who would have produced over 200 points in the new scoring system last season – another outfield asset guaranteed nearly every minute.
POTENTIAL BARGAINS
Are gaffers sleeping on Leandro Trossard?Credit: GETTY
Is Leandro Trossard (£3m) being overlooked by the fantasy community?
The risks attached are obvious with plenty of competition in the pecking order but he has already shown his worth in north London since his January transfer.
The Belgium international starred in the creative department in particular, providing ten assists in 22 appearances.
He’s started three of Arsenal’s four pre-season friendlies and notched three goals and an assist – a sign of what’s to come?
Only 4% of managers have taken the punt on Trossard at this stage.
It’s fairly risky, but Kai Havertz (£3.5m) has the potential to deliver huge hauls for a fairly low outlay in an Arsenal shirt this season.
The German clearly has an abundance of talent but failed to fulfil his billing in a disjoined Chelsea side when deployed in an unfamiliar centre-forward role.
Now at the Emirates, Havertz could thrive in an attacking midfield role, where he’s scored 32 goals and provided 29 assists during his career.
Early signs look good with the 24-year-old notching goals against Barcelona and MLS All-Stars in pre-season – one to monitor closely.
POTENTIAL FLOPS
Ben White has more competition this seasonCredit: GETTY
It’s not necessarily easy to predict anyone flopping in this Arsenal side, especially given how rampant they were at times last season – but, a bigger squad causes selection question marks.
Mikel Arteta now has an abundance of options in defence, and most are capable of playing in more than one position.
New recruit Jurrien Timber (£3.5m) has played the majority of his career as a central defender, but can play in either full-back role and has done so during pre-season.
It’s a similar story for versatile duo Takehiro Tomiyasu (£2.5m) and Jakub Kiwior (£2.5m).
That could leave Ben White (£4.5m) as a rotation risk.
The England international was brilliant last season but it wouldn’t be a surprise if had to share his minutes with Timber and possibly even William Saliba (£3.5m).
He still looks set for healthy season but there may be better options in his price range.

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UNLEASH your inner Pep Guardiola with Dream Team this season!There are no fewer than SEVEN formations available to you in Dream Team this season, allowing you to flex your tactical might to the full extent.

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Get funky with your tactics this seasonCredit: DREAM TEAM
The first thing to note is that your formation will change dynamically when you’re creating your team, depending on which players you select.
For example, if you’re looking at a classic 4-4-2 and you’ve already picked four defenders, simply select another defender to switch to a formation with five at the back – see screenshots below.
Say you wanted to switch formation from 4-4-2 to 5-3-2Credit: DREAM TEAM
Simply remove a midfielder, Gabriel Martinelli in this example…Credit: DREAM TEAM
And select your desired defender (Ben Chilwell) from the player list to switch formationCredit: DREAM TEAM
This season, you have the choice between the following seven formations:

3-4-3 (most attacking)
3-5-2
4-3-3
4-4-2
4-5-1
5-3-2
5-4-1 (most defensive)

The players you select will have a far greater impact on your fortunes than your formation but there are some important factors to consider.
Last season was a relatively lean one for defenders compared to 2021/22 so it may be smart to start with just three defenders.
Results are harder to predict at the start of the campaign when teams return from their summer breaks with new-look squads and, in some cases, new head coaches.
Relying heavily on clean sheets during this time of uncertainty is fraught with danger.
However, there are times when maximising your defensive assets is the best possible strategy.
Dream Team bosses should know when to go all-in on defendersCredit: GETTY
When you activate the Park the Bus Booster, all your defenders will have their points doubled throughout the upcoming Gameweek, essentially giving your several extra captains.
Clearly it would smart to employ either the 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 formation in conjunction with Park the Bus to maximise the number of players eligible for double points.
Dream Team’s scoring system has been revolutionised this season and one key changes will be suitable rewards for the game’s best defensive midfielders.
Previously, the contributions of players like Declan Rice (£3.5m) and Moises Caicedo (£2.5m) were overlooked in the realm of Dream Team but with one point for every two successful tackles and bonus points determined by metrics such as interceptions, blocks and fouls won, these players should receive appropriate returns that reflect their importance to their respective teams going forward.
A smart Dream Team selection this season?Credit: GETTY
With this in mind, it will be interesting to see how a formation with five in midfield compares to the traditional alternatives.
It may be the case that one or two defensive midfielders provide healthy returns while allowing enough budget elsewhere to pair Erling Haaland (£8.5m) with either Mohamed Salah (£7m) or Harry Kane (£7m) in a premium strike partnership.
With unlimited transfers available prior to Gameweek 1, your best bet is to experiment with all the formations in an attempt to find the one best suited to your strategy.

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BRIGHTON were the team of choice for Dream Team managers in need of brilliant bargains last season.Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Roberto De Zerbi’s troops have been assigned higher prices from the get-go, a reflection of their impressive efforts and the fact they’ll have European fixtures to bolster their schedule this term.
But that hasn’t perturbed gaffers as Lewis Dunk (£3m), Pervis Estupinan (£3.5m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m) are among the most-popular assets in their respective positions, justifiably so.
But are the vast majority of Dream Team bosses underestimating Solly March (£3.5m) ahead of Gameweek 1?

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The stats don’t lieCredit: DREAM TEAM
The 29-year-old currently features in just 2.1% of teams created, meaning almost 98% of registered gaffers have overlooked him in favour in other options.
This is interesting as March and Mitoma finished level on 153 points last season, yet the Japanese winger is the seventh-most selected midfielder right now while the former is less popular than Joelinton (£3m) – not that the Newcastle fan favourite is a bad selection by any means.
An ownership of 2.1% for last season’s eighth-best midfielder doesn’t add up.
It may be that gaffers simply see Mitoma as the better option among the Seagulls’ £3.5m midfielders – he’s certainly more fashionable as the younger of the pair with a more entertaining play style.
But the fact is March has been a key player under De Zerbi, playing predominantly from the right flank, he scored eight goals and provided eight assists in all competitions last season.
Mitoma and March were brilliant last seasonCredit: REUTERS
Brighton’s No7 racked up more minutes than Mitoma although the latter did end with more appearances.
The point being, there was a cigarette paper separating them last season but ahead of the new campaign, there’s a chasm between the two in terms of popularity.
Risk-adverse gaffers will prefer to follow the crowd and back Mitoma but those who like to gamble on a tempting alternative would do well to consider March.
And in fact, given De Zerbi’s side face Luton first up, why not both?
Remember, you can make as many transfers as you like before Gameweek 1 gets underway.

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IT wasn’t that long ago Mason Mount (£3.5m) seemed destined to joins the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard in Chelsea’s Hall of Fame.The Cobham graduate won the Blues’ Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons, finishing 2020/21 with a memorable assist in the Champions League final and ending 2021/22 as one of only three Premier League players to register double digits for both goals and assists.
Creative in possession and energetic in defence, Mount was one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country, someone who averaged 20 goal involvements per campaign (all comps) across his first three seasons at Stamford Bridge.
However, something went terribly wrong in 2022/23 as the 24-year-old limped to three goals and six assists from 35 appearances, with just five of those goal involvements coming in the top flight.

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Mount has swapped Chelsea blue for Manchester redCredit: DREAM TEAM
Granted, he missed over two months through injury and he was far from the only Chelsea player to underwhelm last term but his drop-off, particularly in the realm of Dream Team, was highlighted more than most because of the standards he previously set for himself.
Mount was among the best midfielders in Dream Team in 2021/22 but managers abandoned him altogether last season, justifiably so.
But now he’s traded for Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford and while his Lampard-esque legacy in west London has gone up in smoke, a change of scenery may be what he needs to rediscover his best form.
At the time of writing, Dream Team gaffers are seemingly confident that Mount will thrive at Manchester United.
With an ownership of 16.2%, he’s currently the sixth-most popular midfielder in the game.
Most read in Dream Team
No7? No pressure…Credit: GETTY
This is a notable show of faith as gaffers keen on some midfield returns from Erik ten Hag’s side should consider Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) first and foremost.
The Portugal international amassed more points than anyone else in his position last season thanks to a remarkable spike in form post-World Cup.
As the newly-crowned club captain, Fernandes is a guaranteed a mountain of minutes too.
However, what Mount has over his new team-mate is a more affordable price tag – he’s a full £3million cheaper.
To put that into perspective, choosing Mount over Fernandes would mean being able to upgrade from Jordan Ayew (£2.5m) to Gabriel Jesus (£5.5m) up front, as one example.
In theory, opting for Mount over Fernandes in order to free up cash to invest elsewhere is a viable strategy… but if Mount plays as he did last season then such a ploy will fall flat.
Fernandes is Dream Team’s reigning king among midfieldersCredit: GETTY
And so, ahead of the new campaign, gaffers are asking: Will the real Mason Mount please stand up?
The schedule looks relatively friendly for the Red Devils in August, which might prompt their new No7 to start with a bang.
Man United host Wolves first up and welcome Nottingham Forest (terrible away record last season) to Old Trafford at the end of the month, either side of a trip to a new-look Tottenham outfit.
Read More on The Sun
For a player who was once a reliable performer, Mount now feels likes a riskier selection, but perhaps one worth taking.

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