Fantasy Football

THIS weekend was all about a quality player who scored a superb hat-trick.No, not Erling Haaland (£8.7m), Leandro Trossard (£3.6m) of course!
Brighton’s No11 scored all of his side’s goals at Anfield as Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge on English shores ended in a 3-3 draw.
Much of the focus was on Liverpool’s continued problems in defence and while it’s true that Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.6m) and company looked vulnerable and uncertain once again, credit has to go to Trossard and his team-mates for their part in an absorbing contest.
Hat-trick heroCredit: getty
The brilliant Belgian exhibited his impressive technique and his new-found confidence in front of goal to ensure the Seagulls came away from Merseyside with a point despite a significant rally from the hosts that saw them score three unanswered goals.
In fact, Brighton may feel they should have been out of sight given their supremacy in the first 25 minutes.
Naturally, Trossard claimed the Star Man award when all was said and done to bank 28 points and boost his overall total for the season to 47.
This influx propelled the 27-year-old up the rankings to sixth among forwards.
And this is significant because he currently features in just 0.3% of teams, making him by far the least-selected asset in the overall top 15 performers.
Players more popular than Trossard right now include Diego Llorente (£1.4m), James Milner (£1.3m) and Yves Bissouma (£1.5m).
Hardly any Dream Team bosses have benefited from Trossard’s great efforts so farCredit: getty
Perhaps the Belgium international would be considerably more popular if he was categorised as a midfielder instead of a forward but with five goals and an assist in 585 minutes of league action, he’s forcing himself into the conversation among Dream Team bosses.
There is the possibility that Brighton may suffer from the departure of Graham Potter, who did such a great job on the south coast, but a 3-3 draw at Anfield is a decent start to the De Zerbi era.
October’s fixtures aren’t particularly kind, the Seagulls face Spurs, Man City and Chelsea in the coming weeks but no team will fancy taking on a team that have lost just one of their eight fixtures this term.
If you’re a Dream Team manager who is partial to a lowly-owned differential option then Trossard’s returns are worth monitoring at the very least.

Most read in Dream Team More

IT’S the day after Manchester City played at home in the Premier League so of course we’ve got an Erling Haaland (£8.7m) hat-trick to discuss.The prolific Norwegian bagged three goals for his third consecutive league game at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s side swaggered to a 6-3 win over neighbours Man United.
Anthony Martial (£3.1m) clawed back some dignity for the visitors with a late brace but the real story of the derby was the ease with which the hosts cut down their rivals, particularly in the first half.
Phil Foden (£5.7m) grabbed a hat-trick of his own with a magnificent display that would have been enough to earn him a Star Man award in virtually any other fixture but when you’re a team-mate of Haaland, the standard is set ridiculously high.
The 22-year-old assisted two of Foden’s goals to finish with five direct goal involvements, an effort worth a whopping 32 points.
Haaland is etching his name into the Premier League history booksCredit: getty
We’re just seven and half Game Weeks into the season and Haaland has 153 points to his name – a tally bettered by only eight forwards last season come the end of the campaign.
He’s averaging 15.3 points-per-game and already has a 91-point lead at the top of the rankings.
Haaland has scored 17 goals and provided three assists in just 825 minutes of action – that’s a goal involvement every 41.3 minutes!
After eight fixtures, his tally of 14 Premier League goals is just nine shy of the total achieved by last term’s joint Golden Boot winners, Mohamed Salah’s (£7.7m) and Son Heung-min (£5.8m).
Naturally, eight games is the quickest time a player has ever scored three hat-tricks in Premier League history with the previous record being 48 appearances, held by Michael Owen.
Haaland’s current numbers are obscene but how likely is he to overhaul Cristiano Ronaldo’s (£5.5m) all-time record for most Dream Team points in a single season?
Ronaldo’s record is under threatCredit: getty
The Portuguese superstar amassed 477 points in the 2007/08 campaign by virtue of 42 goals, eight assists, and more Star Man awards than you could shake a Ballon d’Or at.
It’s a measure of the record held by Man United’s legendary No7 that no other player has ever recorded more than 400 points in a single campaign but the milestone is under serious threat because of Haaland’s incredible start to 2022/23.
City’s No9 needs another 324 points to match Ronaldo’s best-ever tally which, while extremely difficult, is feasible given there are 30 league fixtures still to fulfil plus European and domestic cup commitments.
Certainly, the 247 points required to become the second-ever quadruple centurion looks very achievable.
Haaland’s ability to plunder the necessary points is not in doubt but will his body hold up under the strain?
At the time the 6ft 3in forward looks more cyborg than man but the truth is he has rarely completed a full campaign in his professional career without suffering notable injury setbacks.
An image that sums up Sunday’s Manchester derbyCredit: getty
The uniqueness of this season, with the impending break for the World Cup, may help Haaland as he will have the luxury of a five-week break since Norway did not qualify for the prestigious tournament in Qatar.
However, history suggests City will have contend with a sidelining of their top scorer at some stage this term.
But with Haaland averaging over 15 points-per-game, he could afford to miss a few games and still Ronaldo’s record would be under serious threat.
In fact, if he were to maintain his current rate (admittedly an almost impossible task) he would surpass the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s unmatched tally in 22 games’ time.
Watch your back, Cristiano, he’s coming for you.

Most read in Dream Team More

DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and selection updates ahead of Game Week 8 in one easily digestible dose.John Stones’ (£5.2m) owners would have feared the worst when the centre-back limped off against Germany while on England duty in midweek and those worries were justified.
Pep Guardiola confirmed to reporters that the 28-year-old suffered a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for an unspecified period of time, meaning of course that he’ll miss this weekend’s Manchester derby.
As for Manchester United, Harry Maguire (£2.6m) will play no part at the Etihad on Sunday as he has a hamstring injury of his own, though he’s been a substitute in recent weeks anyway.
A late decision will be made on Marcus Rashford (£4m) and Anthony Martial (£3.1m) with the pair having returned to training this week.
Stones injured his hamstring during the international breakCredit: getty
Mikel Arteta vaguely told journalists that Oleksandar Zinchenko (£3.7m), Thomas Partey (£2.2m) and Kieran Tierney (£3.2m) are all ‘part of the team’ when asked about the trio’s availability ahead of the north London derby.
Emile Smith Rowe (£2.6m) is expected to be out until December having undergone surgery this past week.
Antonio Conte admitted that Dejan Kulusevski (£3.5m) has a ‘problem’ and so Spurs may be without the Swedish midfielder at the Emirates on Saturday.
Hugo Lloris (£3.5m) is also said to have returned from the international break with a minor issue but it’s unclear whether he will participate in one of the most-anticipated fixtures of the season so far.
Andy Robertson (£4.6m) remains unavailable for selection so Kostas Tsimikas (£3.3m) is likely to start at left-back for Liverpool against Brighton on Saturday.
Game Week 8 also comes too soon for midfielders Naby Keita (£2m), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£2.5m) and Curtis Jones (£2m).
Spurs may be without Kulusevski and Lloris on SaturdayCredit: getty
Roberto De Zerbi may be able to call upon Tariq Lamptey (£2.1m) and Adam Lallana (£1.5m) for his first game in charge of Seagulls but will be without Enock Mwepu (£1.5m) and Jakub Moder.
Both Rodrigo (£2.4m) and Patrick Bamford (£2.7m) are available to Jesse Marsch for Aston Villa’s visit to Elland Road on Sunday – the former racked up 28 points in his first outings of the season.
The visitors will be without both their first-choice full-backs, Matt Cash (£2.4m) and Lucas Digne (£2.9m), this weekend with the Frenchman facing ‘a few weeks’ on the sidelines.
Marc Cucurella (£3m) fell ill over the international break and won’t be involved as Chelsea take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park – it’s unclear whether he will recover in time to play Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Rodrigo has recovered from his shoulder injury
ARSENAL
Injuries: Reiss Nelson, Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe, Oleksandr Zinchenko (doubt), Thomas Partey (doubt), Kieran Tierney (doubt), Cedric Soares (doubt)
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Diego Carlos, Lucas Digne, Matt Cash, Boubacar Kamara
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: David Brooks, Joe Rothwell, Lloyd Kelly, Ben Pearson, Ryan Fredericks
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Ethan Pinnock (doubt), Keane Lewis-Potter, Christian Norgaard
Suspensions: None
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Jakub Moder, Enock Mwepu
Suspensions: None
CHELSEA
Injuries: N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Marc Cucurella
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Jack Butland, Nathan Ferguson, James McArthur
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (doubt), Andros Townsend, Mason Holgate, Nathan Patterson
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Harry Wilson, Manor Solomon, Antonee Robinson (doubt)
Suspensions: Joao Palhinha
LEEDS
Injuries: Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, Archie Gray
Suspensions: None
LEICESTER
Injuries: Ryan Bertrand, Ricardo Pereira, Patson Daka (doubt), Wilfred Ndidi (doubt)
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Ibrahima Konate (doubt), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andy Robertson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones
Suspensions: None
MAN CITY
Injuries: Aymeric Laporte, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones
Suspensions: None
MAN UNITED
Injuries: Anthony Martial (doubt), Marcus Rashford (doubt), Harry Maguire
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Emil Krath, Jonjo Shelvey, Allan Saint-Maximin (doubt), Alexander Isak, Chris Wood (doubt)
Suspensions: None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Omar Richards, Moussa Niakhate, Orel Mangala, Morgan Gibbs-White (doubt), Emmanuel Dennis (Doubt), Scott McKenna (doubt)
Suspensions: None
SOUTHAMPTON
Injuries: Tino Livramento, Romeo Lavia
Suspensions: None
SPURS
Injuries: Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulusevski (doubt), Hugo Lloris (doubt), Ben Davies (doubt)
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Nayef Aguerd, Ben Johnson
WOLVES
Injuries: Chiquinho, Diego Costa (doubt), Raul Jimenez, Sasa, Kalajdzic
Suspensions: Nathan Collins
Most read in Dream Team More

THE Premier League season will resume with a bang this weekend thanks to mouthwatering fixtures such as Arsenal v Tottenham and the Manchester derby.They’ll hardly be any time to catch breath however as there’s a full allotment of European fixtures to take place in midweek.
In fact, because of Leicester v Nottingham Forest (another derby) on Monday night, there will be Dream Team eligible fixtures for six consecutive days in Game Week 8.
With action aplenty, which players are best placed to rack up double-digit hauls? We’ve picked out three assets who seem to fit the bill…
Luis Diaz (£5.3m)
Diaz has already scored four goals this seasonCredit: getty
As the kids say, the Colombian winger ‘has that dog in him’ and it’s his blend of tenacity and technique that has allowed him to tick along nicely despite Liverpool’s hot-and-cold form at the start of 2022/23.
Diaz has scored four goals in eight appearances so far and this week he’ll be unleashed upon Brighton and Rangers.
The Reds won 2-0 at the Amex back in March and, wouldn’t you know it, Diaz scored a brave header that day so recent history is on his side in this fixture.
Plus, the Seagulls may be weakened by the departure of Graham Potter, who did an excellent job on the south coast.
As for Rangers, last season’s Europa League finalists appear to have dropped a level from last term and were comprehensively beaten by Celtic, Ajax and Napoli prior to the international break – a trip to Anfield looks a daunting task for the Glasgow club.
Points have been hard to come by for Liverpool’s defenders this campaign but Diaz and company still pack a punch going forward and if selected to start both fixtures this week, it would be something of a surprise if the 25-year-old didn’t register at least one goal involvement.
Bukayo Saka (£4.1m)
England’s game-changer against Germany
The north London derby will be fiercely contested as always but the Gunners will feel confident of getting one over their rivals on home soil.
Arsenal’s No7 made a huge difference to England’s attack when he came off the bench against Germany, playing a significant role in the 12-minute blitz that that resulted in three goals for the hosts at Wembley.
Truth be told, Saka has not been at his absolute best at the start of this season and yet it’s a measure of his talent that he has a goal and four assists to his name from seven league outings.
Spurs are third in the table currently but Antonio Conte will be concerned by how many shots they’ve allowed so far, suggesting they’re more vulnerable than their lofty position indicates.
Harry Kane (£7.5m) and company could do some damage at the other end of the pitch but it will be a tough ask for the visitors to keep a clean sheet at the Emirates on Saturday and Saka will be at the heart of many an attack.
Mikel Arteta’s side then face Bodo/Glimt on at home on Thursday night and while the Norwegian club have punched above their weight in recent seasons, Arsenal will be heavy favourites.
Of course, Saka may be rested but even a quick dart off the bench could prove profitable.
Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m)
Dream Team’s best-performing midfielder so far this seasonCredit: getty
A blindingly obvious nomination? Admittedly, yes.
But we reckon Manchester City’s brilliant Belgian will outscore Erling Haaland (£8.7m) in Game Week 8 – now that’s a bold call given the Norwegian striker has 121 points to his name at this stage.
Pep Guardiola’s men face Man United on Sunday and Copenhagen with both fixtures taking place at the Etihad.
Bearing in mind De Bruyne is averaging a goal or assist every 78.7 minutes this season it seems reasonable to expect more plentiful returns this coming week.
And we reckon he’ll edge out Haaland thanks to a Star Man award (or two?) seeing as his play style tickles WhoScored’s stats-based algorithm so seductively even when he doesn’t find the net himself.
Cue a pair of Haaland hat-tricks…

Most read in Dream Team More

ARSENAL deserve huge credit for the way they’ve burst out of the blocks this season.On the brink of October, the Gunners are top of the Premier League having won six of their first seven games.
Given that Mikel Arteta’s side also won their first European fixture of 2022/23, it would perhaps be reasonable to expect this supremacy to be reflected in the Dream Team rankings.
While plenty of Emirates residents are providing plentiful returns, not least the popular Gabriel Jesus (£5.7m) who has racked up 45 points, it’s Manchester City assets who are dominating the Stats Centre at this juncture.
Dream Team’s best defenderCredit: getty
Joao Cancelo (£7.6m) is already in a bracket of his own in his position having established a 17-point lead at the top of the defensive rankings.
The Portuguese full-back has earned seven 7+ ratings this campaign, only one player has more at this stage – more on him in a moment.
Cancelo built some serious momentum prior to the international break, registering 41 points across his last five outings.
Similarly, Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) is the current outright best asset in his field.
The brilliant Belgian doesn’t have the luxury of Cancelo’s extensive lead as he’s just eight points ahead of surprise package Pascal Gross (£3m).
However, the 31-year-old’s numbers make for ominous reading – he’s raced to eight assists in no time at all and has a goal plus two Star Man awards in addition.
And of course the forward rankings have been rendered a mockery by Erling Haaland (£8.7m) who, unsurprisingly, is the only player to have gained more 7+ ratings than Cancelo.
City’s relentless No9 has scored 14 goals in all competitions at a rate of one every 52.5 minutes – obscene.
A formidable duoCredit: getty
Haaland has already bagged two hat-tricks, which came in consecutive games to give him a freakish haul of 51 points in Game Week 4.
For comparison, only two other forwards, Ivan Toney (£4.9m) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.7m), have 50+ points to their name in total.
The Norwegian goal-machine has amassed 121 points from just seven Game Weeks’ work.
For those keeping track, that gives Haaland a 67-point lead at the top of the rankings which already looks like an insurmountable deficit.
Cristiano Ronaldo (£5.5m) is the only player in Dream Team history to have reached 400+ points – in 2007/08 – but Haaland has given himself every chance of joining the exclusive group with his flying start.
Elsewhere, Phil Foden (£5.7m) and Ruben Dias (£5.7m) are also within the top 15 performers overall at this stage, giving City five representatives in total to Arsenal’s one, the aforementioned Jesus.
This is not meant to be a dig at the Gunners at all, just a reminder that the league table doesn’t always tell the full story.
Arteta’s troops may be doing tremendously well but in the realm of Dream Team, City still reign supreme.

Most read in Dream Team More

THE next time the classic Dream Team season game pauses it will be for the World Cup.Until then, there’s an unholy volume of club games to be fulfilled and shed-loads of points to be collected.
Given that some teams are scheduled to play six fixtures in October and others have as many as NINE games to complete, gaffers would do well to ensure their XI is in tip-top shape, especially if they’ve got one eye on our monthly competition’s top prize.
With that in mind, we’ve assembled a list of five players we believe have the potential to amass a lot of points next month.
Before we get into the list, the likes of Erling Haaland (£8.7m), Harry Kane (£ 7.5m), Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m), etc should go without saying – you don’t need us to tell you they’ll keep producing the goods.
The following suggestions don’t fall into the category of: obvious candidates.
Gabriel Martinelli (£3.3m)
Young Gunner
Arsenal are one of those teams with a whopping nine fixtures to fulfil in October and while rotation is inevitable, their Brazilian No11 will be a busy man.
Martinelli has already scored three league goals this season and notably had an impressive strike disallowed at Old Trafford for a foul in the build-up that could have gone either way.
The 21-year-old looks lively this term and has been desperately unlucky not to have registered an assist.
In fact, only De Bruyne has accumulated more expected assists (xA) in the Premier League so far in 2022/23 – if he keeps at it then surely his team-mates will start making more of the chances he’s creating.
The table-topping Gunners face stiff tests against Tottenham and Liverpool in October but four Europa League outings and games against Leeds, Southampton and Nottingham Forest represent significant point-scoring opportunities.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.7m)
Mitro was on fire for Serbia during the international break
Fulham have just the six fixtures in October but it’s a relatively favourable set: Newcastle, West Ham, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leeds, Everton.
All those teams are currently below the Cottagers in the table and half of them have only won one league game so far this season.
No player has registered more shots in the top flight than Fulham’s No9 at this stage, not even Haaland.
And Manchester City’s prolific Norwegian is the only man with more league goals (and Dream Team points) than Mitrovic after seven Game Weeks.
Plus, the Serbian target man kept his excellent form going with four goals during the international break – he’s in a serious groove.
Luis Diaz (£5.3m)
Too obvious?
This suggestion may be considered an obvious one but we thought it best to include the Colombian winger anyway since a few Dream Team managers have been uncertain on how to react to Liverpool’s hot-and-cold form.
The first thing to note is that Diaz has ticked along nicely despite the Reds’ somewhat shaky start to the campaign, it’s the defenders who have suffered.
With 33 points to his name, the 25-year-old is the joint-sixth best midfield asset right now by virtue of four goals in eight appearances.
And we think he could run riot in October thanks to some favourable fixtures.
Brighton’s visit to Anfield in Game Week 8 looks considerably more friendly now Graham Potter has moved onto pastures new and a double-header against Rangers – who were soundly beaten in three consecutive games in September – should be profitable for Diaz and company.
Granted, Liverpool must also face Arsenal and Man City in the coming weeks but league games against West Ham, Nottingham Forest (both currently in the relegation zone) and Leeds (still suspect at the back) to finish the month should be fruitful endeavours.
Reece James (£5.3m)
Simmering away under the surface
Something of a bold shout here given the England international is averaging just 2.4 points-per-game so far this campaign.
However, now that Potter has had some time to settle in at Stamford Bridge, we reckon Chelsea will pick up this coming month.
Based on the new gaffer’s previous tactics at Brighton, James should have a pivotal role to play if he’s deployed as the right-sided wing-back, where he can occupy attacking positions in the final third.
The Blues’ first two league games after the break come against Crystal Palace and Wolves, two teams who have scored just ten goals between them in 13 combined games, so Potter will be hopeful of at least one much-needed clean sheet.
Back-to-back Champions League clashes with AC Milan will be hotly contested but October shouldn’t be too problematic for Chelsea all things considered.
Assists are coming for James, trust us.
Bruno Fernandes (£4.9m)
19 points across the last three Game Weeks
Who remembers when the Portuguese midfielder was by far and away the most-popular player in Dream Team?
Those days seem a long time ago as Fernandes’ current ownership of 4.9% makes him just the 16th-most selected asset in his position.
His total of 20 points is nothing more than moderate to date but there were signs before the international break that he was growing into the season.
With Erik ten Hag having steadied the ship after a rocky start, Fernandes has pocketed 19 points across the last three Game Weeks.
Looking ahead to October, the Manchester derby will obviously be a huge test and the Red Devils also have to play Chelsea and Spurs but fixtures against Omonia Nicosia (x2), Sheriff Tiraspol, Everton and West Ham look ripe for returns.
Fernandes’ form is worth monitoring at the very least – we all know what he’s capable of at his best.

Most read in Dream Team More

THE international break is over and it’s time for Dream Team bosses to refocus on the task at hand.Transfers won’t be refreshed until October 7th because of how the Game Weeks fall but you should still be aware of the upcoming month’s fixtures.
October is an incredibly busy month, particularly for clubs participating in Europe, so your XI needs to be in tip-top shape.
Let’s take a closer look at the imminent fixtures for the current top eight teams…
Gabriel Jesus will be a busy man in OctoberCredit: getty
ARSENAL

Tottenham (h)
Bodo/Glimt (h)
Liverpool (h)
Bodo/Glimt (a)
Leeds (a)
PSV (h)
Southampton (a)
PSV (a)
Nottingham Forest (h)

The Gunners have a whopping nine fixtures to fulfil before the start of November!
Naturally, the north London derby will be fiercely contested and even an out-of-sorts Liverpool pose a considerable threat but Mikel Arteta’s side have the luxury of home advantage for both crunch match-ups.
As the Premier League’s leaders, trips to Leeds and Southampton shouldn’t be too problematic and Forest’s visit to the Emirates looks ripe for points at the end of the month.
Keep an eye on the team selections on Thursday nights – those four Europa League fixtures shouldn’t be totally ignored.
MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester United (h)
Copenhagen (h)
Southampton (h)
Copenhagen (a)
Liverpool (a)
Brighton (h)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Leicester (a)

Like Arsenal, City start the month with three consecutive home games, giving Erling Haaland (£8.7m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) significant opportunities to strengthen their positions at the top of their respective position rankings.
Trips to Anfield and Signal Iduna Park will test the character of Pep Guardiola’s side but there’s rarely a bad month to back Etihad assets.
Graham Potter’s departure makes Brighton a more appealing match-up while Leicester are in serious danger of shipping seven or eight goals to City given their current defensive woes.
Haaland and De Bruyne could go to town on Leicester’s defence given the chance
TOTTENHAM

Arsenal (a)
Frankfurt (a)
Brighton (a)
Frankfurt (h)
Everton (h)
Manchester United (a)
Newcastle (h)
Sporting CP (h)
Bournemouth (a)

Five of Spurs’ nine October fixtures come on the road, including three away days back-to-back at the start of the month.
Antonio Conte’s side were gifted a relatively favourable Champions League group but they suffered a disappointing defeat to Sporting CP in Lisbon prior to the international break so perhaps we need to re-evaluate our expectations on that front.
There are a few potential speed bumps on the horizon but Harry Kane (£7.5m) will feel confident of extending his fine start to the campaign while Son Heung-min (£5.8m) will be hopeful of building upon his much-needed hat-trick in Game Week 7.
BRIGHTON

Liverpool (a)
Tottenham (h)
Brentford (a)
Nottingham Forest (h)
Manchester City (a)
Chelsea (h)

The first thing to note is that the Seagulls have just six fixtures to fulfil whereas some other clubs will be in action nine times – that’s a big difference.
Not only that, four of Brighton’s games come against members of the so-called ‘big six’.
Factor in a change of personnel in the dugout and all signs seem to suggest Dream Team managers should stay clear of Amex assets in the coming weeks.
Man United assets have surged up the rankings after a shaky start
MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester City (a)
Omonia Nicosia (a)
Everton (a)
Omonia Nicosia (h)
Newcastle (h)
Tottenham (h)
Chelsea (a)
Sheriff Tiraspol (h)
West Ham (h)

The Red Devils face a tricky run of domestic fixtures that’s offset by some favourable match-ups in the Europa League that could be fruitful.
After a rocky start, Erik ten Hag has guided his side to four straight wins in the league, a run that has propelled Marcus Rashford (£4m), Jadon Sancho (£3.5m) and Diogo Dalot (£2.6m) up the Dream Team rankings.
The jury is still out on Man United this term but this coming month will go a long way to answering some pressing questions.
FULHAM

Newcastle (h)
West Ham (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Aston Villa (h)
Leeds (a)
Everton (h)

Just the six fixtures for the Cottagers but it’s a relatively friendly batch so Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.7m) owners may reap more substantial rewards in the near future.
Dream Team’s third-best player overallCredit: getty
CHELSEA

Crystal Palace (a)
Milan (h)
Wolves (h)
Milan (a)
Aston Villa (a)
Brentford (a)
Manchester United (h)
Red Bull Salzburg (a)
Brighton (a)

The Blues are on the road for six fixtures out of nine this coming month.
And having mustered just one point from their first two Champions League games, a double header against the reigning Serie A champions appears a daunting task.
Still, a busy schedule should mean plenty more points for Raheem Sterling (£5m) and if Potter can work some of the magic he performed at Brighton then this could be something of a transformative month for Chelsea.
Surely we’ll see improved returns from Reece James (£5.3m) sooner rather than later?
LIVERPOOL

Brighton (h)
Rangers (h)
Arsenal (a)
Rangers (a)
Manchester City (h)
West Ham (h)
Nottingham Forest (a)
Ajax (a)
Leeds (h)

Three stern tests against Arsenal, City and Ajax await but Jurgen Klopp will be privately confident about his side’s chances elsewhere in October.
Rangers suffered three consecutive heavy defeats before the international break and appear diminished from the force they were last season when they made it to the Europa League final.
The Hammers and Forest are both currently among the bottom three and while Leeds have offered a bit of everything this season, the Reds have scored freely against them in recent meetings so the back end of the month could be very profitable for the likes of Luis Diaz (£5.3m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.7m).
The Hammers are also in action nine times throughout OctoberCredit: getty
WEST HAM

Wolves (h)
Anderlecht (a)
Fulham (h)
Anderlecht (h)
Southampton (a)
Liverpool (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Silkeborg (h)
Manchester United (a)

As just mentioned, the Irons are languishing near the foot of the Premier League table but since their Europa Conference League commitments mean they also have nine fixtures in October we thought it best to include them as well.
It’s worth keeping track of the distribution of minutes between Michail Antonio (£4.1m) and Gianluca Scamacca (£2.9m), both have kept Dream Team gaffers interested so far in 2022/23.

Most read in Dream Team More

A QUICK glance at the midfield rankings confirms that many of Dream Team’s usual suspects are thriving at the start of the 2022/23 season.Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) leads the field with 49 points while familiar favourites such as Phil Foden (£5.7m), Raheem Sterling (£5m), Luis Diaz (£5.3m) and Bernardo Silva (£4.6m) are all there or thereabouts.
But there’s an impostor present too, none other than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£3.1m).
Hear us out on this one
Okay, impostor is a harsh word, Tottenham’s No5 has earned his 35 points just as legitimately as any other player after all.
The point is, this feels like a classic test of Dream Team gaffers’ knowledge and experience – do we think Hojbjerg’s returns are sustainable?
The biggest indicator when analysing a midfielder’s long-term viability is their specific role at club level.
Wingers, playmakers and late-arriving No8s all get the thumbs up because, by their very nature, they will be directly contributing to goals on a regular basis if they’re selected and playing well.
However, defensive midfielders and deep-lying playmakers are tasked with other duties and frequently go long spells without registering a goal or assist, mostly because it’s their job to recover the ball and give it to their more attack-minded team-mates.
Hojbjerg very much falls into the second camp.
And that’s not a dig at the Denmark international, every football fan worth their salt knows such players are required to form a balanced midfield.
It’s just that in the world of Dream Team, managers don’t have to worry about a realistic balance of profiles, they just want as many goal involvements as possible.
Kevin De Bruyne’s play style is conducive to consistently brilliant returnsCredit: getty
Hojbjerg has scored two goals and provided two assists already this season which is a commendable effort but the underlying stats suggest it would be naive to expect him to maintain his current rate.
For example, 100 players have registered more shots in the Premier League at this stage.
The 27-year-old has scored two goals from six shots giving him a conversion rate of 33.3%.
While this is to be applauded, history tells us very few players are consistently this efficient, especially not midfield anchors.
For comparison, Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.7m), who has been described as ‘clinical’ many times over during his prolific opening burst, has a conversion rate of 19.4% in the league this season.
Expected goals (xG) is another helpful metric in scenarios such as this.
Those leading the way in xG are usually the league’s top scorers too and that’s the case currently with Erling Haaland (£8.7m) having amassed the most, followed by Mitrovic and Harry Kane (£7.5m).
146 players have accumulated more xG than Hojbjerg’s 0.3 after seven Game Weeks.
Again, while we need to give the former Southampton man credit for his finishing up to this point, we must also be realistic and expect a drop-off when it comes to shot conversion.
Defensive midfielders rarely excel in Dream TeamCredit: getty
In fairness to Hojbjerg, his creative numbers suggest he may be able to keep chipping in with the odd assist – only 16 players have totalled more expected assists (xA).
However, taking everything into account, he simply isn’t equipped to maintain his current level of returns and the 4.9% of gaffers backing him should brace themselves for a dip in the coming months.
Martin Odegaard (£3.2m) can be snapped up for just £0.1m more and as a more advanced midfielder he’s more likely to provide goal involvements in the long run – Arsenal’s captain is expected to return from injury in Game Week 8.
Hojbjerg owners with a little more budget spare would do well to consider Jadon Sancho (£3.5m), Luis Sinisterra (£3.3m) and Jack Harrison (£3.5m) – only De Bruyne has accumulated more xA than the latter this season.

Most read in Dream Team More