Dream Team

ROLL up, roll up, get your transfer recommendations for Gameweek 10!Ten teams are set to pull double duty because of the Carabao Cup fourth round fixtures on Wednesday night but it would be a risk to bank on team selections in midweek as extensive rotation is expected across the board.
Gaffers would be better off focusing on the weekend’s Premier League games when weighing up their latest transfer strategy – there are some favourable match-ups to target.

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A man in formCredit: Dream Team
Without further ado, some suggestions…
Ollie Watkins (£4.5m)
Aston Villa are a force to be reckoned with on home soil this season.
Unai Emery’s side have a 100% record in the league at Villa Park, including emphatic wins over Brighton (6-1) and West Ham (4-1).
This weekend, they welcome Luton to their lair, hopeful of another convincing victory.
Given that the Villains are the second-top scorers in the top flight and the Hatters are just one point above the relegation zone, Dream Team bosses should expect one-way traffic and plentiful returns.
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Naturally, Watkins is first in line to benefit – he’s notched five goals and eight assists already in 2023/24.
The England international has amassed 43 points in his last four outings and will surely be a popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 10.
More broadly, stocking up on Villa assets could prove to be a profitable ploy with Matty Cash (£3.2m), Moussa Diaby (£3.4m), Douglas Luiz (£3.1m) and Ezri Konsa (£3m) all primed for points as well.
And this wouldn’t be a short-term strategy either, Villa’s fixtures appear favourable until early December.
Gabriel Martinelli (£4m)
Martinelli has returned from injury in fine formCredit: Reuters
While we’re on the subject of favourable match-ups, Arsenal are set to play Sheffield United at the Emirates on Saturday.
The Blades remain rooted to the bottom of the table with one just one point to show from their first nine league games.
Bukayo Saka (£6.4m) and Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) are the obvious attacking options but it’s Martinelli who has produced the goods since returning from injury.
The young Brazilian has registered 24 points across the last two Gameweeks and may therefore be most likely to take advantage this weekend.
The Gunners travel to West Ham in midweek so there’s the potential for additional returns but Mikel Arteta will probably see the Carabao Cup as a low priority.
Micky van de Ven (£2.8m)
Settled in nicelyCredit: Rex
Many Dream Team bosses will be playing the hokey-cokey with Tottenham assets at the moment.
They’re prolific points hoarders in the Premier League but the lack of European fixtures mean they tend to drop back down the rankings in midweek during double Gameweeks.
Gameweek 10 is a double for half the teams but the Carabao Cup is not as significant as the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League triple up and so Spurs players get the green light.

James Maddison (£4.3m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) remain the most dangerous attacking options but it may worth targeting a clean sheet from Ange Postecoglu’s troops on Friday night.
The league leaders travel to Selhurst Park, which can be a tricky place to go, but the fact is Crystal Palace have scored just seven league goals this season – only Bournemouth have scored fewer at this stage.
The absence of the injured Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) means the Eagles are even less potent going forward than usual – they’re pretty tight at the back though.
There’s not much between Spurs’ first-choice back four in terms of total points, we’ve singled out Van de Ven simply because he’s the cheapest.
Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.9m)
Silky smoothCredit: AP
A quick one to finish.
We recommended Kostas Tsimikas (£2.7m) ahead of Gameweek 9 and he returned seven points via a clean sheet in the Merseyside derby – he may also feature in the Europa League this evening – but the broader idea was to target a friendly run of games for Liverpool.
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The same thinking applies to Szoboszlai with Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Luton, Toulouse and Brentford to come before the international break.
It goes without saying that Mohamed Salah (£6.6m) is the Reds’ primary threat – he’s plundered 28 points in his last two outings.

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HERE at Dream Team HQ we consider it our duty to flag up underappreciated players who may be flying under the radar.Equally, it’s our responsibility to shine a spotlight on popular individuals who probably aren’t pulling their weight.
Take Kyle Walker (£3.6m) for example.

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A popular man among Dream Team bossesCredit: Dream Team
Firstly, we should state that the England international has nothing to prove at this stage of his career.
He has been a key player for Manchester City during the club’s golden years, including the treble-winning campaign of 2022/23, and a favourite of Gareth Southgate’s as well despite stiff competition in his position.
And it’s his status in the game which has contributed to his massive ownership in the realm of Dream Team.
Walker currently features in 32.4% of teams, making him the most-selected asset in his position.
MOST-SELECTED DREAM TEAM DEFENDERS (OWNERSHIP %)

Kyle Walker – 32.4%
Kieran Trippier – 30.4%
William Saliba – 28.8%
Matty Cash – 24%
Dan Burn – 12.1%

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At the time writing, it’s difficult to claim that the 33-year-old is worthy of his unmatched popularity.
He’s collected 49 points to date, a total bettered by no fewer than 15 other defenders.
Walker will be hopeful of a clean sheet against Young Boys tonightCredit: Rex
Willy Boly (£2.1m), Diogo Dalot (£3.2m) and Ezri Konsa (£3m) are among those names above Walker in the rankings.
This is largely because clean sheets have proved elusive for Pep Guardiola’s side of late.
In fact, they haven’t kept a clean sheet since their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest back in Gameweek 6, over a month ago.
Since then, Newcastle, Wolves, RB Leipzig, Arsenal and Brighton have all scored at least one goal against the reigning Premier League champions.
Consequently, Walker has mustered 19 points since the start of Gameweek 6, hence his fall down the rankings.
Trippier, the second-most popular defender in the game, has amassed 55 points in the same time frame!
This comparison is a tad unfair as the Newcastle right-back is comfortably the most-expensive player in his position whereas Walker is relatively affordable but even accounting for value-for-money, the latter has lost a lot of ground in the last month.
Guardiola will be desperate for his side to tighten up at the backCredit: Getty
All this comes with the caveat that City are due to play Young Boys in Switzerland this evening and on current form they’ll feel confident ahead of this weekend’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Following on from that, Gameweek 11 looks ripe with points for Guardiola’s troops – City face Bournemouth and Young Boys in consecutive home fixtures.
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If Walker doesn’t provide healthy returns during that run then there wouldn’t be much hope for the following Gameweeks, when City are scheduled to meet Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa in quick succession.
A decent haul this evening would ease concerns for Walker’s backers but his returns should be monitored closely – his ownership looks flatteringly high right now.

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ARSENAL regained the top spot in their Champions League group with a 2-1 win away to Sevilla on Tuesday night.The Gunners’ Brazilian contingent came to fore with goals from Gabriel Martinelli (£4m) and Gabriel Jesus (£5m) ultimately getting the job done in Spain.
Unfortunately, the latter was forced off late on with a suspected hamstring injury.
The former, however, should very much be on the radar of Dream Team managers because of the form he’s exhibited since returning from injury.

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Martinelli features in 6.1% of teamsCredit: Dream Team
Martinelli has plundered 24 points in two Gameweeks since recovering from a hamstring issue.
The 22-year-old registered two shots on target, one big chance created and earned three bonus points on top of his goal to take the La Liga outfit for 13 points when all was said and done on Tuesday night.
He only mustered three points against Chelsea at the weekend but still his combined tally of 16 points is enough for him to be Gameweek 9’s joint-best midfielder at the time of writing.
And of course, he’s categorisation as a midfielder is rather generous as he’s not far off a fully-fledged forward in reality.
Dream Team bosses who played the game last season won’t have to be convinced of Martinelli’s viability but his current status this term is rather intriguing.
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A man in formCredit: Getty
At £4m he’s cheaper than Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) and Bukayo Saka (£6.4m), offering gaffers a more affordable route into Arsenal’s points-laden midfield.
The Norwegian playmaker is the joint-third best asset in his position right now with 79 points to his name while the Gunners’ homegrown Star Boy is Dream Team’s top performer overall with 97 points.
As expected, the pair are among the most-popular players in the game – Saka appears in 33.8% of teams (recently decreased due to injury concerns) while Odegaard’s ownership is a healthy 38.9%.
In comparison, Martinelli’s ownership of 6.1% seems paltry but that’s relatively high for a player who has only just returned from a lay-off.
Gaffers who can’t easily afford Saka or Odegaard would do well to consider Martinelli ahead of Gameweek 10 as Mikel Arteta’s side have a particularly favourable fixture in the form of Sheffield United at home.
They’re also scheduled to face West Ham in the Carabao Cup but rotation is expected for that match-up.

Surely a popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 10?Credit: Reuters
Martinelli is the form-man heading into that friendly meeting with the Blades – he averages eight point-per-game across his last three outings, the highest among his team-mates.
Manchester City have been the kings of midfield in Dream Team over the last four or five years but Arsenal are giving them a run for their money this term.
As well as Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli, Declan Rice (£3.7m) is the joint-tenth best asset in his position having moved onto 65 points with a 15-point return in Gameweek 9.
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Gaffers are spoiled for choice!

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TOTTENHAM continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday night.Dream Team favourites Son Heung-min (£4.8m) and James Maddison (£4.3m) were both on the scoresheet on home soil but gaffers would have been disappointed by Destiny Udogie’s (£3m) premature exit.

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Spurs continue to top the Premier League tableCredit: Dream Team
The energetic left-back was substituted before the hour mark, meaning he fell just short of the necessary minutes required to qualify for a clean sheet, not to mention his second appearance point.
Speaking after the game, Ange Postecoglou said: “Destiny just felt a bit of tightness at half-time. We said we’d give it 10-15 minutes so… once we got the second goal, it made sense to take him off.”
Udogie’s backers will be relieved that the 20-year-old was not hooked because he disappointed the Aussie tactician and it doesn’t sound as if his niggle is anything to worry about in the long run.
While his one-point haul in Gameweek 9 may have been something of a one-off, it’s simply a fact that the Italy international has fewer total points than the rest of Spurs’ first-choice back four.
TOTAL SEASON POINTS

Cristian Romero (£3.7m) – 60pts
Pedro Porro (£3.1m) – 55pts
Micky van de Ven (£2.8m) – 53 pts
Destiny Udogie (£3m) – 48 pts

Dream Team’s ninth-most popular defenderCredit: Rex
There’s not much in it but Udogie is ranked fourth among his fellow regular starters, which is curious as he’s actually the most selected of the quartet among Dream Team managers.
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DREAM TEAM OWNERSHIP

Udogie – 9.3%
Romero – 9.2%
Van de Ven – 4.7%
Porro – 4%

There’s a cigarette paper between Udogie and Romero in terms of popularity but the World Cup winner is now 12 points ahead of his team-mate in the rankings.
It’s worth repeating that Udogie is still a perfectly viable selection but gaffers should ensure they’re backing the correct Spurs defender if they decide upon such a strategy.
Postecoglou’s men are scheduled to play Crystal Palace in Gameweek 10 and will therefore be hopeful of another clean sheet.
Only Bournemouth have scored fewer goals than the Eagles in the Premier League so far this season and with Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) injured they’re even less potent in attack.

An impressive start to life in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
Assuming Udogie’s ‘tightness’ is nothing to worry about, he should enjoy himself against Roy Hodgson’s men but gaffers might consider a switch to Romero if possible.
The Argentine centre-back has earned ten bonus points this term, the fourth-best tally among defenders.
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And of course, Dream Team bosses should be aware that Spurs assets don’t have European (or Carabao Cup) fixtures to bolster their schedule.
Not that Maddison or Son have been hindered so far.

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ASTON VILLA fans have felt Ezri Konsa (£3m) is worthy of a place in the England squad for a long while now.And they may have a point.
The 26-year-old has been in excellent form again this season and it’s not only Gareth Southgate who is guilty of underrating the reliable defender.
With an ownership of just 1.8%, the overwhelming majority of Dream Team managers have overlooked Konsa as well – perhaps to their detriment.

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What more does he have to do?Credit: Dream Team
The ex-Brentford centre-back is joint-eighth among defenders in the rankings right now having collected 55 points in total.
To put that into perspective, he’s just seven points behind Matty Cash (£3.2m), who is one of the most-selected players in the game with an ownership of 23.8%.
Konsa has contributed to three clean sheets and he registered an assist against West Ham at the weekend but the secret to his success is his ability to earn bonus points, 17 of them to be precise.
In fact, only Kieran Trippier (£5.6m) has amassed more bonus points (18) among defenders this season than the Villa fan favourite.
And the pair are in a league of their own in this regard as the next-best defender is Antonee Robinson (£2.3m), who has pocketed 11 bonus points.
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In the context of all players, only James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m), James Maddison (£4.3m) and Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) are above Trippier and Konsa when ranking all assets by bonus points.

A class actCredit: Getty
The latter ranks highly in his position for fouls won, pass completion and blocks, a reflection of the all-round game praised by the Villa Park faithful.
Both Pau Torres (£2.8m) and Lucas Digne (£2.6m) are more than twice as popular as Konsa in Dream Team and so gaffers would do well to make sure they’re backing the optimum Villa defenders.
It’s a good time to employ such a strategy too.
Unai Emery’s side face Luton, Nottingham Forest and Fulham in their next three league games around two Europa Conference League meetings with AZ Alkmaar.
The Villains are the Premier League’s second-top scorers in 2023/24 and are just one point off the top four after their impressive 4-1 win over the Hammers on Sunday.

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JARROD BOWEN (£4.8m) loves an away day.West Ham lost 4-1 at Villa Park on Sunday but their No20 grabbed a slice of history in consolation.
The England international scored the Hammers’ lone goal, meaning he’s been on the score sheet in his first five away fixtures of the season.
Only two other players have achieved this in the Premier League era, Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah (£6.6m).
79 points and countingCredit: Dream Team
Despite his side’s defeat, Bowen pouched 12 points in the realm of Dream Team to take his overall tally for the season to 79.
Bukayo Saka (£6.4m) is the only midfielder with more points (93) to his name at the time of writing.
Bowen has scored six and provided two assists in all competitions this season and no asset in his position has registered more shots on target (14).
His success should not come as a surprise to Dream Team managers as he’s spent a lot of time among the game’s top midfielders in the last couple of years.
What is notable, however, is the relatively difficult fixtures Bowen has already ticked off this campaign.
David Moyes’ side have faced Chelsea, Brighton, Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa in their first nine league fixtures.
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Hammer time!Credit: Getty
The 12.1% of gaffers currently backing the 26-year-old will be hopeful of even greater returns in the coming weeks as the West Ham’s next five opponents in the top flight are: Everton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and Crystal Palace.
The club also remain active in the Carabao Cup and Europa League.
To put it plainly, Bowen has been great and should continue to provide plentiful returns for the foreseeable future.

One aspect that may confuse this matter for gaffers contemplating Bowen’s viability is that many of them will already have James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m) in their XI.
The set-piece specialist completes the midfield podium, he’s just two points behind his team-mate on 77, and is actually more popular with an ownership of 19.5%.
In fact, Ward-Prowse is the fifth-most selected player in his position.
Instinctively, some gaffers may feel two West Ham midfielders is excessive but if both players are thriving and the fixtures look good then there’s no need to shy away from such a strategy.

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THERE was a sense Bryan Mbeumo (£3.4m) was on his last life in the world of Dream Team prior to Gameweek 9.Brentford’s No19 was a relatively popular man before the season got underway and his ownership more than doubled after he provided 24 points from his first two outings.
However, his returns dropped off a cliff after the first international break when he mustered just 15 points from five games between Gameweeks 5 and 8.
Just in timeCredit: Dream Team
A favourable match-up in the form of Burnley at home represented a visit to the Last Chance Saloon on Saturday – failure to produce healthy returns would have likely reduced his ownership to a season-low.
But Mbeumo delivered a 15-point haul for his patient owners and re-entered the top ten midfielders in doing so.
The Cameroon international provided the assist for Yoane Wissa’s (£2.3m) opener against the Clarets and then doubled his side’s lead with a goal of his own in the second half, a fantastic finish at that.
Thomas Frank’s men needed a comfortable win and they got just that in the form of a 3-0 victory in West London – Mbeumo registered four shots on target throughout the contest.
Douglas Luiz (£3.1m) and Chris Wood (£1.6m) are the only players to have earned more points than Mbeumo in Gameweek 9 so far – the former pair bagged a brace each for their respective clubs at the weekend.
Mbeumo turned on the style against BurnleyCredit: Getty
Having lost plenty of ground in recent weeks, the 24-year-old is suddenly level with Phil Foden (£4.7m) on 67 points.
In fact, only five midfielders – James Maddison (£4.3m), Martin Odegaard (£5.1m), James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m) and Bukayo Saka (£6.4m) – are above Mbeumo in the rankings after the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
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The question now is whether he can maintain momentum going forward.
With all due respect to Vincent Kompany’s side, they are cannon fodder in the realm of Dream Team right now having conceded 23 goals in nine league games since promotion.
Brenford face considerably tougher tests in the coming weeks; their next four opponents are Chelsea, West Ham, Liverpool and Arsenal.
It may the case that Mbeumo owners, having benefited from his exhibition against Burnley, are better off finding a replacement in the near future with a view to bringing him back in when his fixtures flip.

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