Fantasy Football

WHO had an Emerson Royal (£4m) renaissance on their 2023 bingo card?The 24-year-old has often been a figure of ridicule since his move to Tottenham, making himself an easy target for internet trolls by revealing that he has spent almost £1million of his own money on additional good and services in an attempt to improve his game.
While the Brazilian wing-back seems a wholehearted enough player, a montage of his worst performances in the last year would make for comedic viewing, unless you’re among the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, in which case it would scarier than The Blair Witch Project.
Royal has found some unexpected form
When the club announced the signing of Pedro Porro (£2.3m) in January, it seemed as if Royal’s playing time would be dramatically cut.
However, he has responded to the challenge admirably, particularly in the realm of Dream Team where he has banked 30 points in his last two appearances.
Royal opened the scoring against West Ham in Game Week 23, combining with opposite wing-back Ben Davies (£3.5m) for a goal typical of an Antonio Conte team, and ultimately contributed to a clean sheet as well to top the match ratings and register an 18-point haul.
A second successive 2-0 win for Spurs in a London derby, this time against Chelsea on Sunday, meant another clean sheet for Royal and, despite his yellow card, he edged out Oliver Skipp (£1m) and Harry Kane (£8m) to claim the Star Man award once again to add 12 points to his overall tally.
No other defender has produced as many points in the same time frame.
Admittedly, that’s a small sample size but a broader view is also flattering; Royal has earned 65 points since the start of Game Week 16 at an average of 5.9 points-per-outing.
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This unexpected surge has propelled Spurs’ No12 up to 13th in the rankings among assets in his position.
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Incredibly, he now boasts a better total than Manchester City’s best-performing defender this season, Nathan Ake (£3.9m).
Royal also has more points than Virgil van Dijk (£4.7m) and William Saliba (£2.7m), both among the most-popular players in the game, which is notable because his ownership currently sits at just 0.8%.
A quick glance at the schedule suggests his purple patch may last a few more weeks yet.
Spurs play Sheffield United in the FA Cup this Wednesday before taking on Wolves, Milan, Nottingham Forest and Southampton.
The vast majority of Dream Team gaffers would have discarded Royal as a possibility a long time ago but the numbers don’t lie. More

DREAM TEAM gaffers have a lot to contemplate when mulling over potential transfers.One specific aspect to consider is chance creation.
Players who create lots of chances tend to register plenty of assists and earn regular 7+ ratings – and sometimes creativity alone is enough to win a Star Man award.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which individuals have created the most chances for their team-mates in the Premier League so far this season.
No prizes for guessing who leads the wayCredit: GETTY
PREMIER LEAGUE CHANCES CREATED:

Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) – 73
Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) – 70
Bruno Fernandes (£6m) – 66
Andreas Pereira (£2.9m) – 53
Martin Odegaard (£3.2m) – 51
Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) – 50
James Ward-Prowse (£3.5m) – 49
Pascal Gross (£2.9m) – 45
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5m) – 41
Harry Kane (£8m) – 41

It’s no surprise to see Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief at the top of pile.
De Bruyne is known for his fizzed crosses and clever throughballs and given he’s got 12 league assists to his name this term (four more than his closest rival) it makes sense that he’s the league’s leading creator in every possible sense.
Many Dream Team bosses will have been wondering exactly why Newcastle’s right-back has been so successful this season and this stat goes a long way to providing an answer.
Not only is Trippier a mainstay of the league’s best defence – the Magpies have conceded just 15 goals – but he’s a top-tier creative force too.
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Trippier’s dual purpose has made him an elite Dream Team asset this season
Naturally, the England international’s probing set-pieces make up a sizeable chunk of his chances created but that’s all the more reason to stick by him despite a lack of clean sheets in recent fixtures.
Interestingly, Trippier has generated 7.4 expected assists (xA) in the top flight this season, the second-most among all players, which suggest his team-mates have not made the most of his output as he’s only got four actual assists.
Manchester United’s Portuguese playmaker completes the podium amid an impressive Dream Team surge.
Feeding the clinical Marcus Rashford (£6.4m), Fernandes has amassed 75 points across the last five and a half Game Weeks!
Look at Fulham’s No18 mixing it with the big boys.
Pereira’s six assists have helped Marco Silva’s side to a position where they are heading into the final third of the campaign thinking not of survival but of European qualification.
It’s interesting to note that the Brazilian’s chances have been of comparatively low value compared to most the other names on this list – his 53 chances amount to just 3.5xA.
A smart signing
By way of a comparison, Arsenal’s captain, the next name down on the list, has generated 5.3xA from two fewer chances.
The Gunners’ homegrown winger is De Bruyne’s closest rival for the Playmaker of the Season award with eight assists to his name.
Saka is one of those loveable Dream Team assets who provides more than his fair share in terms of both goals and assists – he’s got 18 goal involvements this term already.
Liverpool’s right-back is an intriguing inclusion.
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Fans have become accustomed to Alexander-Arnold’s attacking output in recent years but the general perception is that, like the Reds as a whole, he’s been below par this season.
The fact that the 24-year-old is still among the league’s top creators, and the second-best in his position, perhaps explains why he’s 12th among Dream Team defenders despite Liverpool’s problems. More

It’s not so clear which defenders Dream Team bosses should back right now.Newcastle assets have generally been the best over the course of the whole season but, as we detailed yesterday, four games without a clean sheet has slowed their progress dramatically – they play the two Manchester clubs next as well.
Manchester City have conceded their fair share of goals and Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy means it’s hard to pin down a regular anyway – one week Rico Lewis (£3m) appears to be the standout bargain in the game and the next he’s totally inactive.
Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool all have their much-documented problems.
Even league-leaders Arsenal are averaging one conceded goal per game in the top flight.
All things considered, it’s a tricky position to master at the moment.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best seven defenders currently priced at £4million or cheaper.
Kenny Tete
An underrated gemCredit: GETTY

Fulham
£3m
71 points
0.3% ownership
Ranked 16th in his position

Very much an unsung hero outside of Craven Cottage, as evidenced by his minuscule ownership.
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The Dutchman has chipped in with four assists from right-back and, while he’s prone to a yellow card, he’s been a key contributor to Fulham’s impressive showing upon their return to the Premier League.
In terms of Dream Team viability he’s not banging down the door but if Marco Silva’s side hold on for European qualification then he could be one to monitor next season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Manchester United
£3.7m
73 points
1.7% ownership
Ranked 15th in his position

Old Trafford’s resident spider averages 4.6 points-per-game, putting him above the likes of Dan Burn (£4.9m), Thiago Silva (£6m) and Ruben Dias (£5.7m) in the same metric.
Limited in attack but among the best one-on-on defenders in Europe, Wan-Bissaka did very well when tasked with filling in for Diogo Dalot (4m) while the Portugal international was injured.
Having impressed Erik ten Hag, he may be given a decent allotment of minutes in the final third of the season but Dream Team managers should be aware that Dalot is Man United’s first-choice right-back.
Nathan Ake
Not Guardiola-proof

Manchester City
£4m
76 points
5.6% ownership
Ranked 13th in his position

The Netherlands international is the best-performing defender for the defending champions this term (now that Joao Cancelo has exited) and he was a relatively safe pick when deployed at left-back.
However, Guardiola has been getting funky recently with Bernardo Silva (£2.7m) occupying the role vacated by Cancelo with mixed results.
Ake’s owners may have to ride out this current wave of tactical quirkiness.
Ben Mee

Brentford
£3.9m
92 points
2.8% ownership
Ranked 12th in his position

A centre-back you can set your watch to.
The 33-year-old has improved Brentford’s defence since signing from Burnley in the summer and would be one of the first names mentioned when discussing the Bees’ ongoing unbeaten streak of eleven league games.
Mee’s total is boosted by three goals, an assist, and three fully deserved Star Man awards.
Gabriel
Ever presentCredit: GETTY

Arsenal
£3.8m
98 points
17.8% ownership
Ranked 9th in his position

It’s interesting that William Saliba (£2.9m) is more popular (22.5% ownership) than his centre-back partner because he’s 32 points shy of the Brazilian’s total.
Mikel Arteta has remained loyal to his starting XI and Gabriel has played every minute of every league game in 2022/23.
It’s worth noting that the Gunners’ No6 has earned just one point from his last seven games but the fact he’s still a top-ten asset among defenders speaks volumes for his overall consistency – he needs to stop the rot sharpish though.
Diogo Dalot

Manchester United
£4m
108 points
5.4% ownership
Ranked joint-4th in his position

One wonders what tally the Portuguese full-back would be on had he not missed 11 games through injury.
Dalot is one of just eight defenders to have achieved 100+ points at this stage of the campaign having produced four double-digit single-game hauls.
If Man United can edge out Barcelona on Thursday night and go deep in the Europa League then there could be plenty of Dream Team points on offer for the 23-year-old.
Luke Shaw
A Shaw thing

Manchester United
£3.8m
108 points
11.2% ownership
Ranked joint-4th in his position

It’s a similar story for the Red Devils’ No3 who has the exact same points total as Dalot at the time of writing.
Shaw has admirably filled in at centre-back a few times in recent weeks but it’s at left-back, his natural position, where he truly excels.
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The England regular has contributed to 14 clean sheets so far this season and with 29 points across the last three and half Game Weeks, he’s on the charge.
It’s not unthinkable he could finish the campaign on the defenders’ podium. More

HORDES of excitable Geordies will descend upon London this coming Sunday as Newcastle hope to end their trophy drought by defeating Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final.The big talking point in the build-up to the clash at Wembley has been Nick Pope’s (£4.9m) absence.
Suffering a momentary brain fade against Liverpool, the England international was sent off for handling the ball outside the box to deny Mohamed Salah (£8m) a scoring opportunity.
Loris Karius will therefore be the unlikely starting goalkeeper for the Magpies in what is one of their biggest games in modern times, with Pope resigned to a seat in the stands.
A costly moment
The England international’s sending off sent tremors through the world of Dream Team too.
Even accounting for the minus four points he incurred at the weekend, Pope remains comfortably the best asset in his position with 122 points to his name, 20 more than his closest rival, David de Gea (£3.8m).
However, some gaffers may be concerned that he is running out of steam, and he may not be alone among St James’ Park residents.
Newcastle’s seven most popular assets – Pope, Kieran Trippier (£6.6m), Fabian Schar (£4.5m), Miguel Almiron (£3.7m), Sven Botman (£4.4m), Dan Burn (£4.9m) and Bruno Guimaraes (£3m) – have combined for just 30 points across the last four fixtures.
That underwhelming collective tally contains two red cards, Pope and Guimaraes, but the primary reason for the drop-off in returns is a lack of clean sheets.
A minor blip or something more serious?Credit: GETTY
Trippier and his fellow first-choice defenders reached the top of the rankings in their position as a quartet through a steady stream of clean sheets but having now conceded in four consecutive games, some Dream Team managers may be wondering if the gravy train has been derailed.
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Their chances of repelling the Red Devils this weekend are slim given Pope’s absence and the form of Marcus Rashford (£6.4m) but there’s always a chance the contest might be a cagey one, as can happen when there’s a trophy on the line.
Whatever the outcome at Wembley, Eddie Howe’s side will then have to prepare for a visit to the Etihad the following weekend, another unenviable match-up.
Newcastle assets have performed well above expectations this season but gaffers can’t afford to be sentimental – if their points are drying up then action must be taken.
Stick or twist?
Of course, this current lean patch may only prove to be a temporary blip rather than the start of a significant regression.
Certainly the likes of Trippier and Pope have enough credit in the bank as the outright best performers in their respective positions but it may be wise to start earmarking replacements for the likes of Schar, Burn and Botman.
The Toon have conceded just 15 goals in 23 league games and boast by far and away the best defensive record but if the tide is indeed on the turn then there is nothing to gain from pig-headed stubbornness.
If Newcastle’s defensive assets rekindle their supreme form later in the season then Dream Team bosses can always use transfers to get the band back together. More

PERHAPS we spoke too soon.The assumption here at Dream Team HQ was that Erling Haaland (£9m) would finish his first season in English football as Dream Team’s top points scorer.
With 32 goals to his name in all competitions and still over a third of the campaign to go, the Norwegian poacher has rapidly established himself as the new apex predator on these shores.
26 of his goals have come in the Premier League and given that his closest competitor, Harry Kane (£8m), is nine goals adrift it seems reasonable to assume the 2022/23 Golden Boot race is merely a formality.
In regards to Dream Team, however, Haaland should take note of the growing figure of Marcus Rashford (£6.4m) in his rear-view mirror.
On a rampage!
Manchester United’s homegrown hero continued his scintillating form with two goals at home to Leicester to bank 13 points on Sunday, a day after Manchester City’s No9 blanked in what proved to be a frustrating afternoon at Nottingham Forest.
Haaland’s overall tally of 269 points remains massively imposing but where he once held a 100-point lead over his closest rival, Rashford is now just 42 shy on 227.
Under normal circumstances, a 42-point lead would be an extensive one – and it is – but the rate Rashford is catching up must be considered too.
City’s No9 has added 53 points to his total since the start of Game Week 16 (11 games) whereas his cross-town rival has amassed a whopping 127 points in the same time frame!
Looking over his shoulderCredit: GETTY
Since returning from the World Cup, Rashford has scored 16 goals in 17 appearances, a run that also includes four assists and four Star Man awards.
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The England international may have even fired his side into the title race, with the Red Devils now three points behind their neighbours having played the same number of league games.
As inevitable as Haaland felt during the first half of the season, Rashford feels now.
Whether the 25-year-old is capable of becoming Dream Team’s top dog may depend on Thursday night’s game at Old Trafford.
If Erik ten Hag’s side can edge out Barcelona they will have a great chance of going deep in the Europa League, giving Rashford plenty of fixtures.
A celebration seen every week these daysCredit: GETTY
However, if La Liga’s leaders prevail then he may struggle to overhaul Haaland if the latter continues to prosper in Europe.
Pep Guardiola’s troops will fancy their chances of getting past RB Leipzig over two legs to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
When comparing two assets we would usually look at fixture difficulty as well but, truth be told, both in-form goalscorer are capable of achieving big hauls against any opponent this season.
What’s notable is that Haaland (74.4% ownership) is twice as popular Rashford (37.3%) – gaffers without the latter have missed out on a mountain of points over the last couple of months. More

A ROUND of applause for Lee Bishop, Game Week 22’s top gaffer.His team, the imaginatively named ‘Bishop FC’, posted an impressive score of 121 points.
Let’s take a closer look at how he did it…
Four teams represented
Lee is a Manchester United fan but he didn’t go overboard on his own team in a week in which the Red Devils played twice.
David de Gea (£3.8m) earned eight points against Leeds on Sunday and escaped from the Nou Camp with two more despite conceding twice.
Makeshift centre-back Luke Shaw (£3.8m) wasn’t so lucky in Catalonia as he incurred minus one point but he still ended Game Week 22 as the best-performing defender because of his 15-point haul at Elland Road, achieved via a clean sheet, assist and Star Man gong.
The England international now has 100 points to his name, something only six other defenders have achieved at this stage.
Kieran Tierney (£3.3m) didn’t feature for Arsenal against Brentford or Man City so it has to be said that Lee got that one wrong – Oleksandr Zinchenko (£3.3m) is very much the Gunners’ first-choice left-back at the moment.
A Shaw thingCredit: GETTY
And it was a relatively quiet week by Kieran Trippier’s (£6.6m) immense standards too.
Newcastle’s vice-captain had to settle for three points as Eddie Howe’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
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That fixture proved to be a prosperous one for Lee overall though because his faith in Miguel Almiron (£3.7m) was rewarded with an eight-point haul.
The Paraguayan winger scored his tenth league goal of the campaign, which is more than he managed in his first four seasons combined!
Defensive midfielders are usually best avoided in the realm of Dream Team but Rodri (£4m) has to be considered an exception at this stage.
Manchester City’s reliable Spaniard earned a massive match rating against Aston Villa to claim the Star Man award on top of his goal for a 13-point haul, which he boosted to 16 with another solid showing at the Emirates – no midfielder produced more points in Game Week 22.
Like a new signing!
Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) came pretty close though thanks to his masterclass on Wednesday night.
The Belgium international exhibited incredible technique to open the scoring before reverting back to his familiar role as assist-provider for City’s third goal – he banked 15 points when all was said and done.
A return of 13 points meant Game Week 22 was the second-most profitable of the season for Bukayo Saka (£4.5m).
Arsenal’s No7 provided the assist for Leandro Trossard’s (£3.7m) goal versus Brentford before he converted a penalty against Pep Guardiola’s side in midweek.
Saka is now the third-best asset in his position.
Unstoppable formCredit: GETTY
It’s a trio of familiar names up top.
Erling Haaland’s (£9m) ownership of 74.5% means it’s rare to see an IX without him and a 13-point haul restored normal service after two consecutive blanks.
These days, Marcus Rashford (£6.4m) is just as inevitable as Man City’s No9.
Man United’s homegrown hero scored an important header at Elland Road before he squeezed one in from a tight angle at the Nou Camp.
He’s become the second player to pass the 200-point mark in 2022/23 – Haaland being the first of course.
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Mohamed Salah (8m) had mustered just two points in his five previous games leading up to the Merseyside derby but he came good for Lee on Monday night with a thrilling counterattack goal and subsequent Star Man award for a 13-point return.
Great work, Lee, good luck to you and every other gaffer ahead of Game Week 23! More

NO player personifies Liverpool’s decline from last season to the current campaign more than Joel Matip (£3.8m).The likeable Cameroonian centre-back finished 2021/22 with 236 points to his name, a tally bettered by only four defenders: Andy Robertson (£3.9m), Virgil van Dijk (£4.9m), Joao Cancelo and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£4.8m).
As the cheapest member of the Reds’ first-choice back four, he was among Dream Team’s most endearing gems.
This term, however, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s been one of the most disappointing flops.
Matip has incurred minus points in nine fixtures this seasonCredit: GETTY
Matip contributed to a clean sheet in the Merseyside derby on Monday to bank five points but even that desperately-needed haul pushed his overall total up to just 15.
The extensive list of defenders with more points to their name includes Jordan Zemura (£1.4m), Cedric Soares (£1.8m), Lyanco (£1.4m), Cheikhou Kouyate (£2.1m) and Jamaal Lascelles (£3m).
This stark contrast between seasons is reflected not just in the 31-year-old’s Dream Team returns but in observations from fans and pundits alike.
It could be argued that Matip actually outperformed Van Dijk last season but he’s looked terribly vulnerable this term and, with fitness issues throw in, has consequently been limited to just eight league starts (and 15 appearances in all competitions).
He’s far from the only Anfield resident to suffer a significant drop-off, in fact Mohamed Salah (£7.7m) and Roberto Firmino (£3.7m) are the only individuals who have continued to provide the goods this season and the latter has been frustrated by injury setbacks.
Form is temporary…Credit: GETTY
Jurgen Klopp’s side would have have savoured their victory over neighbours Everton but the table remains grim reading for a side who hold both domestic cups, they’re ninth having won nine of their 21 league fixtures so far.
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A thrashing away to Napoli aside, Liverpool’s performances in the Champions League have been more typical of recent years but another meeting with European specialists Real Madrid in the round of 16 represents a stern test.
Naturally, Dream Team managers have ditched Matip in their droves and his ownership is now below 1%.
Fingers crossed he regains his best form at some stage but for now, as an embodiment of Liverpool’s dip, gaffers should stay clear. More