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    How 11th place in the Premier League could get into Europe thanks to Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win

    THE Premier League could have as many as 11 teams competing in Europe next season.Newcastle secured a place in the Europa Conference League on Sunday after winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley.Newcastle secured a space in the Europa Conference League by winning the Carabao CupCredit: GettyHowever, Eddie Howe and Co are aiming for the Champions LeagueCredit: GettyShould Newcastle qualify for Europe’s elite competition, as many as 11 Prem teams could get European footballCredit: GettyThe Magpies beat Liverpool 2-1 to end their 70-year trophy drought and take home the first piece of silverware on offer this season.Although Conference League qualification is already in the bag, Eddie Howe and Co will be hoping to go one better come the end of the Premier League campaign.Newcastle currently sit sixth in the Prem table, just one point behind fifth-placed Manchester City.As things stand, five clubs are set to earn Champions League football due to the performance of English teams in Europe this term.Read More in FootballConsequently, if the Magpies do earn a spot in Europe’s elite competition in May, their Conference League place will be passed down.It is part of a domino effect that could see up to 11 clubs qualify for European football ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.How could 11 teams qualify for Europe?There are a few varying scenarios that could lead to the 11th-placed team in the Premier League earning European qualification.For example, Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Man City may all qualify for the Champions League as the top four teams, leaving Newcastle as the fifth.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBournemouth could qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA CupCredit: GettyMeanwhile, Man Utd could finish 10th and still qualify for the Champions League if they win the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyBrighton could then find themselves taking a Europa League place by finishing sixth.Bournemouth may earn a spot in the Europa League by winning the FA Cup one week before the Prem season concludes.Eddie Howe fights back tears as he dedicates Carabao Cup to late mum as Newcastle hero Dan Burn says ‘don’t wake me up’In addition, Chelsea could bag a place in the competition by winning the Conference League.And by finishing eighth or lower in the Prem, that would likely open up another place.Should Aston Villa finish even lower but win the Champions League, they would retain their spot in the elite competition without costing any other English team a place.And finally, if all of the above were to happen and either Manchester United or Tottenham finish 10th and qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League, the team in 11th would be allocated the final Conference League place.In that scenario – although it is unlikely – the top 10 teams would have all qualified for Europe themselves, leaving the 11th-placed club with the final position.Carabao Cup final ratingsNEWCASTLE ended their 70-year trophy drought in style by beating Premier League champions-elect Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.The 2-1 scoreline flattered the Reds in truth, with Eddie Howe’s Toon having produced a sensational performance to flatten runaway league leaders.Local lad Dan Burn, fresh off his first England call-up, rose highest to head his boyhood club into the lead on the stroke of half-time.Alexander Isak then deservedly doubled Newcastle’s lead shortly after the break.The Toon could have further increased their advantage, only for forgotten man Federico Chiesa to hand Liverpool a late lifeline on 94 minutes.But that goal was unable to spur a further comeback as Newcastle saw out the remaining added time.Here’s how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated the Liverpool players and Gary Stonehouse rated the Newcastle players. More

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    Chelsea 1 Copenhagen 0 (agg 3-1): Blues limp into Conference League quarter-finals as Dewsbury-Hall seals win

    CHELSEA are all cisterns go in Europe thanks to Kiernan Dewbury-Hall.The midfielder’s second half goal sealed his team’s passage into the quarter finals of the Conference League after almost an hour of frustrating football.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored as Chelsea beat Copenhagen 1-0 at Stamford BridgeCredit: PAThe 3-1 aggregate result saw the Blues reach the quarter-finals of the Conference LeagueCredit: AFPPrior to the 55th minute breakthrough, Chelsea had stunk the place out, though it had nothing to do with the lingering pong of star man Cole Palmer’s diarrhoea from the weekend.Dewsbury-Hall’s well placed shot was only the second on target following a first half in which they failed to register a shot of any kind.But the £30 million signing from Leicester last summer has yet to play a full 90 minutes in the Premier League this season so it’s no wonder he might be a bit rusty.His goal was enough to put a two-goal cushion between the two teams and ensure that Chelsea’s last remaining hope of silverware this campaign remains on course.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt was also just the thing to avoid the prospect of extra time and the drain that would place on boss Enzo Maresca’s squad just three days before a tough trip to Arsenal which looms this weekend.Maresca has often expressed sympathy for Dewsbury-Hall over his lack of action in the big league.Instead he has been largely restricted to the third-rate Conference League and domestic cups, where he has done a sound job and now scored three times.And with Chelsea’s Italian head coach willing to rotate his team selection week by week, Dewsbury-Hall must be knocking on the door of the first team.Most read in FootballCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsEspecially as The Blues have hardly been convincing in their drive for a top four or five finish and a return to Champions League football next season.Once Dewsbury-Hall had broken the deadlock, Chelsea could press forward with more confidence and in more relaxed mode.Cole Palmer left bemused as Chelsea star is asked about fighting giant chicken wing Think gutrot victim Palmer before and after he had to rush off the pitch on Sunday to head straight down the tunnel and pay a visit to the little boys’ room.Even Maresca cut an agitated figure prior to the breakthrough goal.At one point slapping one hand into the other in despair at some of his team’s play.Yet he seems happy to jig and rejig his players around, continuing to play Hokey Cokey with his keepers and drafted in Filip Jorgensen in place of Robert Sanchez.Dewsbury-Hall scored Chelsea’s only goal in the 55th minuteCredit: GettyIt had been a drab affair up to his openerCredit: GettyHaving announced the Dane as his number one recently, he was dropped for last week’s first leg and Sunday’s Premier League win over Leicester.And with a sickness bug having staged a mini rampage through the squad in the past few days, illness victims Cole Palmer, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku were left in reserve as substitutes.Chelsea’s Premier League squad is the youngest by far this season and the club’s youth-first policy went to new extremes with the inclusion on the bench of teenager Reggie Walsh.At 16 years and 144 days old, academy boy Walsh was in line to become the second youngest Chelsea debutant of all time being Ian Hamilton.Chelsea were made to work for their winCredit: EPACopenhagen tried giving it a go but lacked quality with their final touchCredit: PAHamilton was 16yrs and 138 days in 1967 when he became an instant hero by scoring against Tottenham while making his professional bow.And with six changes overall to the starting line up which eventually overcame the second worst team in the Premier League at the weekend, there was a slight mix ‘n match feel to Maresca’s team.And with Chelsea  a yard off the pace they could mustered a shot either on or off target by the break. Not what Maresca wanted.With a visit to one of their toughest away grounds coming next, Chelsea were humiliated 5-0 at the Emirates stadium last season, he wanted this game put to bed early.Cole Palmer had another frustrating evening as he came off the benchCredit: EPAEnzo Maresca will be eager to win the Conference LeagueCredit: AFPInstead, the frustration among the fans following the weekend’s grinding win picked up from where it left off.Mis-placed passes and lack of a cutting edge let the visitors off the hook time and time again as a particularly inexperienced team struggled to produce some joined-up footballCopenhagen were no better. But at least they did manage to mount one threat on the goal late in the first half when Viktor Claesson headed goalbound from a corner and Jorgensen had to save under his crossbar.When the half time whistle blew a few moments later there was an audible smattering of boos from fed-up fans, grumpy at the lack of decisiveness.The muffled jeers turned to cheers when Maresca switched things up and made two half time substitutions – bringing on left back Cucurella and Palmer in a bid to inject some energy.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe tempo quickly ramped up with Enzo Fernandez hitting the home side’s first meaningful shot of the night which was beaten away by keeper Diant Ramaj.And Maresca was finally smiling when Dewsbury-Hall stayed on his feet while ploughing through the Danish defence to rifle home the shot which sealed the tie and Chelsea’s passage into the last eight next month.Chelsea player ratingsCHELSEA are into the Conference League quarter-finals after beating Copenhagen 1-0.A rare moment of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall magic and two half-time subs igniting the game and the crowd were the difference.Cole Palmer’s half-time introduction alongside Marc Cucurella certainly injected some energy into the Chelsea attack, but he was still unable to break his run of poor form in this one.Enzo Maresca and his men will be hoping that small issue is fixed before they face Legia Warsaw in the next round.Check out our full Chelsea player ratings. 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    How Premier League could have SEVEN teams in Champions League with up to 11 clubs playing European football

    ENGLAND could have SEVEN teams in next season’s Champions League.And there is a chance that European competitions in 2025/26 will feature an incredible 11 English clubs.As many as seven English clubs could compete in the Champions League next seasonCredit: ReutersWhile inclusions in the Europa League and Conference League could bring England’s overall participation in European competition to 11Credit: ReutersThe quirks of how Premier League sides qualify for Uefa competitions has opened up the possibility of an unprecedented English presence.And the onus is Aston Villa, and either Tottenham or Manchester United, to set up a spectacular reverse Brexit.England is already on course to earn a fifth spot in next season’s Champions League because of the performance of its teams in Europe so far in this campaign.The top two nations in Uefa’s coefficient rankings at the end of the season will each get an extra spot. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLEngland are currently top of the table, ahead of Spain and Italy, and still have six teams left in Europe to keep earning points.If England holds on to a top-two place, the top five finishers in the Premier League would all go into the Champions League.But if a club finished outside the top five, yet won the Champions League, they would qualify for next season’s competition as winners.Liverpool and Arsenal, two of the three English teams left in the CL, seem all but certain to come in the top five in the PL and so winning the CL would not make any difference.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSYet if Villa were to repeat their European Cup triumph of 1982, while finishing outside the top five, they would also go into the CL, taking England’s total number of clubs to six.Meanwhile Manchester United and Tottenham have next to no chance of finishing in European qualification places in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cups. Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to ‘step up’ as focus switches to Champions League Yet if either club wins the Europa League, they would go straight into the league phase of next season’s Champions League – taking England’s representatives to seven.So that’s the seventh heaven scenario.But how could four more English clubs also find themselves in Europe?England starts every season with three allocated European places on top of however many clubs qualify for the Champions League.The highest finisher in the PL who does not earn a CL place automatically goes into the Europa League group stage. So do the FA Cup winners.And the team which wins the EFL Cup gets a place in the Europa Conference League play-off stage.But if either of the winners of the domestic cups finish in the Champions League qualifying spots then the European places normally allocated to those competitions can be passed down to the next highest finishers in the PL.Looking at the clubs left in the FA Cup, there is a decent chance that the FA Cup winners will also finish in the top five. Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Brighton, Bournemouth and Villa could all do it (although if Villa finished in the top five, that would put an end to the hopes of having seven teams in the Champions League).Similarly, Carabao Cup finalists Liverpool and Newcastle are both in the top five right now and so in line to pass down their winners’ place in the Europa Conference League to the highest finisher in the Premier League.You can draw up a number of versions of a final league table that would see 10 clubs qualify for Europe.But how would you reach 11?Well, it relies on Chelsea winning the Europa Conference League and so gaining an extra English place in the Europa League – while also not qualifying for Europe by any other route.That seems unlikely, but it remains possible.A collapse in the Blues’ league form could see them finish outside a place which would earn a European place – 10th for example. As explained above, the three teams in seventh, eighth and ninth places could all gain European places by virtue of their league finish – depending on which sides fill the Champions League spots and win the domestic cups.A Chelsea triumph in the ECL, plus either United or Spurs winning the Europa League, would see more than half of the Premier League competing in Europe next season.There are even scenarios where finishing 11th in the PL would be enough to qualify for Europe by right.READ MORE SUN STORIESIf Spurs or United won the Europa League and also somehow finished in the top 10, along with Europa Conference League-winning Chelsea, then the Carabao Cup winners’ place in next season’s ECL would be passed down by Newcastle/Liverpool to the 11th-placed club.So even though Liverpool seem to have sewn up the title race, there is still plenty to play for – and lots of clubs to play for it!How 11 English teams could qualifyA final Premier League table and cup-winning scenario where 11 English teams qualify for Europe1 – Liverpool2 – Arsenal3 – Man City4 – Nottingham Forest5 – Newcastle6 – Aston Villa7 – Brighton8 – Bournemouth 9 – Fulham10 – Chelsea- – – – – – – – – – – – 11 – Manchester United/Tottenham- – – – – – – – – – – -WHO QUALIFIES?Top five all qualify for the Champions League – 5 CLUnited or Spurs win the Europa League – 6 CLVilla win the Champions League – 7 CL—————————————Brighton are the highest PL finishers outside CL qualifiers – 1ELForest or City win the FA Cup, but they are already in the CL through being in the top five so their EL place goes to next highest PL finishers, Bournemouth – 2ELChelsea win the Europa Conference League but their PL finish is not enough to earn a place in Europe – 3EL————————————Liverpool/Newcastle win the EFL Cup, but they qualify for the CL so their Europa Conference League place goes to next highest PL finishers, Fulham – 1ECLTOTAL7 CL+3 EL+1 ECL= 11 European placesCHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2025 LIVE: LATEST TIPS AND RESULTS FROM THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF More

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    Cole Palmer brilliantly celebrates Chelsea goal with a beer as he gets first taste of Conference League football

    COLE PALMER toasted his first taste of Conference League football with a beer.The Chelsea star played in the tournament for the first time this season in the 2-1 win over Copenhagen in Denmark.Cole Palmer toasted a beer after Enzo Fernandez’s goalCredit: GettyHe was later subbed off against CopenhagenCredit: GettyPalmer, 22, was left out of the club’s Conference League squad for the League Phase.He finished the game on the winning side despite a stubborn performance from the hosts.Reece James finally broke the deadlock in the 46th minute before Enzo Fernandes made it 2-0 in the 65th minute.It was after the Argentine’s calm finish that Palmer celebrated with a taste of beer.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSA cup of beer had been thrown onto the pitch from the crowd as the England international joined his team-mates.He could be seen holding the plastic cup in jest in front of team-mate Trevoh Chalobah.Fans loved the moment from Palmer as they reacted on social media.One posted: “Raise that beer high! You all deserve it! Congrats.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSA second wrote: “This is class I can’t lie.”A third commented: “Cole Palmer raising a cup of beer after the second goal.”Cole Palmer left bemused as Chelsea star is asked about fighting giant chicken wingA fourth said: “Cole Palmer says, ‘Hold my Beer’.”Palmer finished his match without a goal or assist as his dip in form continued.He was subbed out of the action in the 72nd minute and replaced by Jadon Sancho.He has not picked up a single goal contribution since scoring against Bournemouth on January 14.After the win over Southampton, he released a ten-word statement in which he insisted that he “will be back”.In total this season, he has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.Meanwhile, the Blues let Copenhagen back into the tie before full time, as Gabriel Periera headed in.Manager Enzo Maresca insisted that the goal should have been avoided.He said: “Because it has been a little bit of a sloppy goal.”We can avoid that. It’s football, it can happen.”Now 90 minutes have finished and now we have 90 more minutes against them.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The main game for us is Sunday’s game, at home and we need our fans for 100 minutes behind the team and pushing the team.”If we can win against Leicester on Sunday, we can do one more step to finishing in the Champions League… top four or top five, I do not know.”Enzo Maresca was not happy that Copenhagen scored late onCredit: Rex More

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    Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2: Blues take slender lead back to Stamford Bridge but left ruing late goal to give Danes hope

    REECE JAMES came to Chelsea’s rescue again with a goal worthy of a bigger stage.Captain James broke the deadlock with a cracking 25-yarder that dragged his team out of the doldrums as they struggled to get into gear in the C-List Conference League.Reece James broke the deadlock with a great strikeCredit: GettyEnzo Fernandez netted Chelsea’s second of the nightCredit: ReutersGabriel Pereira headed one in for CopenhagenCredit: ReutersChelsea’s longest serving player was drafted into midfield as a tactical experiment by boss Enzo Maresca and popped up a minute into the second half with only his second goal of the season.In January, he salvaged a point for The Blues with the last kick of the game at home to Bournemouth and showed his value again just when Maresca needed it.The head coach was forced to make a triple substitution at half time to ignite his team and gain a narrow advantage to make next week’s last 16 second leg in London a bit more comfortableBy the end of the game, a reshuffled Chelsea line up had a more familiar look with Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez on the pitch.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAnd vice-captain Fernandez doubled their lead with 25 minutes left with a well-placed shot across goal from inside the box.Maresca’s side should have cruised it from there but suffered a nervy final ten minutes when the Danish league leaders pulled one back from a set-piece with a header by Gabriel Pereira cashing in on slack marking at the back post.James has to be carefully managed these days after a string of hamstring injuries which have plagued his recent career.Good job the renowned full back was on the ball despite being out of position in the heart of the team as Maresca tinkered with his line up.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSCredit must also go to Cucurella, forced to come on earlier than expected when Malo Gusto came off injured after only 24 minutes.The Spaniard was an attacking force down the left and claimed the assist for James’ opener and the key pass to Tyrique George which ultimately allowed Fernandez to claim the winner.Cole Palmer branded ‘gift that keeps on giving’ after Chelsea star reveals his meal deal sandwich Malo Gusto suffered an injury in the first halfCredit: EPAHe was subbed off as a resultCredit: GettyCurly-tops Cucu provided a neat cut-back for James to unleash a screamer into the back of the net from outside the box not long into the second half.And from there a much more confident Chelsea pressed the advantage and rookie winger George played a short pass from the byline for Fernandez to pick his spot from inside the six yard box.With his eyes on Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to his former club Leicester, Maresca rejigged his line-up and also took off Cole Palmer early to rest legs for the weekend game.Greenhorn striker Shumaira Mheuka became the youngest starter for Chelsea in a major European tournament at the age of 17 years and 137 days but was taken off at half time.Enzo Maresca will be frustrated by the late goalCredit: GettyChelsea ratings vs CopenhagenREECE JAMES ensured Chelsea will have a lead to defend at Stamford Bridge next week despite not being at the races.Enzo Maresca would have been scratching his head at half-time after the Blues put in one of their worst first half performances of the season.The Chelsea boss wrung the changes at the break and they paid off instantly as James opened the scoring from 30 yards.It was a stroke of genius from Maresca to play James in the midfield – and he would not have been in a position to score otherwise.The skipper battled brilliantly in the middle of the park and his ability to pick out a pass meant his display was one of few positives to take from this clash.Cole Palmer again looked lethargic while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looked out of his depth – as did Shim Mheuka making his full debut.Fellow youngster Tyrique George looked bright while Christopher Nkunku and Marc Cucurella made impacts from the bench.But in truth Chelsea were lucky to escape Parken with a win.Here is how SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rated the Blues’ players. More

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    Copenhagen vs Chelsea LIVE SCORE: Conference League updates as Blues travel to Denmark for last-16 first leg – latest

    CHELSEA travel to Denmark to take on Danish Superliga leaders Copenhagen in the first leg of their Conference League last 16 tie.Enzo Maresca’s Blues have endured a tough spell as of late, but still look comfortable favourites to pick up victory in Denmark.They put a disappointing spell behind them as they swept aside Southampton 4-0 in their last fixture.Copenhagen reached the round of 16 after finishing 18th in the Conference League table and beating FC Heidenheim in the knockout eliminator.Kick-off time: 5:45pm GMTTV channel: TNT Sports 4Live stream: discovery+Copenhagen team: team to follow…Chelsea team: team to follow…CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow our live blog below…Welcome to SunSport’s coverage of Copenhagen vs Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League!Chelsea take on Copenhagen in the Conference League round of 16.The first leg will take place in Denmark, and the second leg this time in a week will take place at Stamford Bridge.Enzo Maresca’s side have had the privilege of rotating for much of the group stage, but still looked more than comfortable as they topped the league table.Copenhagen had to go through the elimination knockout round to get here, and were run close by Heidenheim.The Danish side edged past the Germans, scoring in the 113th minute of the second leg to go through 4-3 on aggregate.Maresca’s Blues have struggled as of late, but were comfortable 4-0 victors over Southampton last time out, so will be hoping to build on that victory tonight.Stay tuned for LIVE updates of Chelsea’s trip to Denmark, courtesy of SunSport.Copy linkCopied More

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    Which players have earned the most Dream Team points in Europe this season?

    THE European competitions are once again in the Dream Team spotlight.Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea are all set to play the first legs of their respective round of 16 ties this week with the second legs to follow in Gameweek 27.Morgan Rogers and Christopher Nkunku have had success in Europe this seasonCredit: Dream TeamWith that in mind, let’s recap which players have earned the most points in Europe so far this season.51 pts – Emi Martinez (£3.6m)Aston Villa flew out of the blocks upon their return to the Champions League with wins over Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Bologna, all without conceding a goal.Naturally, their World Cup winning goalkeeper benefited hugely from these early clean sheets, which he fought tooth and nail for, especially against Harry Kane and company.In fact, 22 of Martinez’s 32 saves in Europe this season came in his first four outings in the competition.The Argentine stopper’s midweek returns have been a huge factor in him maintaining a lofty ranking among players in his position.51 pts – Marc Guiu (£2.3m)The 19 year-old forward has played just 70 minutes in the league for Chelsea this season but he’s thoroughly enjoyed himself on Thursday nights.Guiu has six goals in the Conference League at a rate of one every 47.3 minutes.His crowning moment came in Gameweek 15 when he bagged a hat-trick against Shamrock Rovers.Most read in FootballIt will be interesting to see whether the young Spaniard continues to get minutes now the competition has reached the knockout stage.Maresca has rotated his squad in the Conference LeagueCredit: Reuters53 pts – Kai Havertz (£4.7m)Arsenal’s No29 cops plenty of criticism at times but he played a vital role in ensuring the Gunners’ relatively smooth progression to the last 16 of the Champions League.Havertz scored four goals and provided one assist in eight European outings before his injury.The Germany international’s hamstring problem may rule him out for the remainder of the campaign and so he’s not an option for Dream Team bosses going forward.54 pts – Morgan Rogers (£3.9m)Aston Villa’s silky midfielder made a huge statement in his most recent Champions League appearance when scored a hat-trick against Celtic for a 24-point return.That dominant display helped Unai Emery’s side progress to the round of 16 directly, avoiding the stress of play-offs.Rogers is one of the first names on the team sheet when available and he is expected to start against Club Brugge in Belgium this evening.With an ownership of 29.1%, the 22-year-old is currently Dream Team’s third-most popular midfielder and so big things are expected of him this month.Rogers produced a masterclass against Celtic back in Gameweek 21Credit: Getty56 pts – Bukayo Saka (£6.6m)Mikel Arteta would feel far more confident of progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals if he was able to field his talismanic No7.Amazingly, Saka amassed 56 points from just five European games via four goals and two assists before his injury.More broadly, the England star averages 9.3 points-per-game in 2024/25, a rate only bettered by runaway points leader Mohamed Salah (£8.3m).How gaffers would love to be able to select Saka again before the end of the season.58 pts – Rasmus Hojlund (£3.2m)A surprise inclusion here as Manchester United’s Danish striker has looked relatively ineffective for much of the campaign.However, while Hojlund’s record of two goals in 22 league games is rather miserable, five goals in eight in the Europa League paints a far brighter picture.Given that Europe is the Red Devils’ last route to a trophy this season, Ruben Amorim will do everything he can to motivate Hojlund ahead of two legs against Real Sociedad.It would be a stretch to say that the former Atalanta speedster is a wise selection in Dream Team right now but gaffers should consider which players tend to perform better in Europe when the continental competitions take centre stage.Hojlund’s best performances have come in the Europa League this seasonCredit: Rex59 pts – Mohamed Salah (£8.3m)No list of top performers would be complete without Liverpool’s prolific No11.The only surprise is that the Egyptian superstar ranks just fourth given the Reds topped the Champions League league phase.Salah was rested against PSV in Gameweek 21 but he registered three goals and four assists in the seven outings previous at an average of one goal involvement every 86 minutes – incredibly, that’s a tad under par for him this season.He was slightly hindered by an inconsequential penalty miss against Real Madrid in late November but his numbers are staggeringly good nonetheless.With Ballon d’Or talk increasing, it’s all eyes on Salah ahead of Liverpool’s meetings with PSG in the very near future.64 pts – Phil Foden (£6.1m)Last season’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year has struggled this time around but he made hay in Europe before Manchester City’s untimely exit.Pep Guardiola’s side paid the price for their error-strewn performances when they were forced to meet Champions League specialists Real Madrid in the play-offs.Foden notched two goals, three assists and eight bonus points in nine games but that’s all in the past now – Man City were the only English team dumped out of Europe before the last 16.Foden’s viability has dropped significantly since Man City’s defeat to Real MadridCredit: Getty64 pts – Christopher Nkunku (£3.4m)The lesson here is that Conference League mismatches are bursting with potential.Chelsea’s French forward was largely restricted to midweek action for the first two thirds of the campaign and he proved himself too strong for the likes of Noah, Gent and Heidenheim.Nkunku averages a goal or assist every 48.3 minutes in Europe this season and there may well be more returns to come as the Blues are the bookies’ big favourites to lift the trophy come May.It would be a mistake for Dream Team bosses to disregard the Conference League as the season draws to a conclusion, providing Enzo Maresca’s troops make it past Copenhagen of course.85 pts – Erling Haaland (£8.1m)Man City’s No9 has been in a league of his own in Europe this term with eight goals from nine outings.But he will now have to watch his rivals catch up to his points tally from the comfort of his sofa following his elimination from the Champions League.It’s notable that Haaland’s ownership has dropped since City succumbed to Jude Bellingham and friends.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn fact, he was the second-most transferred-out player prior to Gameweek 26.Dream Team managers have become accustomed to Man City points aplenty in the season’s closing months but 2024/25 looks set to forge a different path.Haaland won’t be adding to his tally of eight Champions League goals this seasonCredit: GettyScore PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOW More

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    Cole Palmer has gone off the boil but appealing fixtures encourage Dream Team bosses to hold their nerve

    FOR the first time in his career, Cole Palmer (£5.8m) has gone off the boil.After an uncharacteristically wasteful performance against Southampton on Tuesday night, Chelsea’s talisman took to Instagram to tell fans: “Don’t worry I will be back.”Palmer wasn’t his usual self against SouthamptonCredit: Dream TeamPalmer has now gone seven games without a goal, which isn’t a catastrophe for a midfielder by any means but it represents a significant downturn from the immensely high standards he has set for himself since his move to Stamford Bridge.A home game against bottom-of-the-league Saints seemed like the perfect opportunity for the 22-year-old to end his drought but he squandered several chances, failing to exhibit the composure he has become known for in the last year.Christopher Nkunku (£3.2m), Pedro Neto (£2.8m), Levi Colwill (£2.7m) and Marc Cucurella (£3.6m) all got on the scoresheet in what was a much-needed win for the Blues but Palmer’s dipping form remains a concern for Enzo Maresca.And it’s giving plenty of Dream Team managers headaches too.Stick or twist?Credit: GettyWith 260 points to his name, Palmer’s overall record remains hugely impressive.Even now, only runaway leader Mohamed Salah (£8.3m) boasts a superior points-per-game average.Alongside his 14 goals and nine assists, Palmer ranks third among all assets for shots on target, joint-fourth for big chances created, and joint-ninth for bonus points.The fact the 56.8%-owned midfielder has so many avenues to points has proved useful in recent weeks when goals have deserted him.Most read in FootballSince his last goal, Palmer has ticked over with 39 points at an average of 5.6 points-per-game, which is not to be sniffed at in the slightest.Such is the England star’s level that his returns have remained healthy enough during his ‘bad spell’.Maresca has added Palmer to his Conference League squadCredit: ReutersBut his owners have every right to feel frustrated as more than a few points have gone begging in the last month or so.What’s telling is that, at this moment in time, Palmer is among the most transferred-out players ahead of Gameweek 26.Having been eliminated from the FA Cup by Brighton, Chelsea’s only fixture this coming Gameweek is against Copenhagen in the Conference League round of 16.Dream Team managers should be aware that Palmer has been added to the club’s European squad and is therefore eligible to play in Denmark next Thursday.He wasn’t included in the squad for the league phase in an effort to manage his workload but with the West Londoners heavy favourites to lift the trophy come May, Maresca has called up his star player.Palmer might feature against CopenhagenCredit: PAIt’s still difficult to predict Palmer’s minutes against Copenhagen but the prospect of him playing in Europe’s tertiary competition is an appealing one.Looking slightly further ahead, Gameweek 27 appears mightily favourable for Chelsea on paper.READ MORE SUN STORIES19th-placed Leicester are due in the capital four days before Copenhagen fly over for the second leg.Palmer may not be at his best but gaffers prepared to go without him for that double header will surely be worried about extensive damage. More