Fantasy Football

WHEN it rains, it pours.Liverpool have endured a rocky start to the season at best and the news that Luis Diaz (£5.3m), one of their few bright sparks in recent weeks, will be sidelined with injury until after the World Cup comes at a terrible time.
The Colombian winger provided an assist for the Reds against Arsenal on Sunday before withdrawing with a knee injury that will keep him out until December.
A huge chunk of Dream Team gaffers will be empathising with Jurgen Klopp as the 25-year-old is the second-most popular midfielder in the game at the time of writing.
Some 33 per cent of managers will now have to find a replacement for Diaz, an unenviable task considering his tally of 41 points makes him the joint-fifth best asset in his position right now.
Diaz isn’t expected to return until December
We’ve identified the five most-suitable replacements for your perusal.
Bukayo Saka (£3.9m)
Not only would this transfer free up an additional £1.4m to invest elsewhere, it would allow you to redistribute some of your faith from Liverpool to Arsenal, a sensible move given the contrasting fortunes of both clubs.
The Gunners’ No7 scored a brace in his side’s 3-2 win over Diaz’s Liverpool this weekend, swooping the Star Man award to bank 18 points, comfortably his biggest haul of the campaign so far.
Saka now has four assists and three goals in 2022/23, not to mention 47 Dream Team points, a tally only bettered by two other midfielders (more on them in a moment).
Mikel Arteta’s side are flying and with the likes of Leeds, PSV (twice), Southampton and Nottingham Forest to come from Game Week 10 onwards, the England international should continue to plunder points at a healthy rate.
It’s a good time to back Arsenal assetsCredit: getty
Phil Foden (£6m)
This swap would require an extra £0.7m from somewhere to facilitate but since transfers were only just replenished you should be able to shuffle the pack accordingly if this is the route you wish to pursue.
Manchester City’s resident wonderkid is the outright best midfielder Dream Team has to offer currently – a ten-point haul at home to Southampton on Saturday took his overall total to 72.
It’s early days but Foden is on course for his best-ever season in terms of goal involvements having scored seven and assisted three in 766 minutes of playing time so far.
It’s incredibly rare that Pep Guardiola’s side fail to dominate any given fixture and while Erling Haaland (£9m) is unquestionably the focal point, Foden is proving that there are plenty of goals to go around.
We should note here that Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) – the other midfielder with more points than Saka – is obviously a brilliant replacement for Diaz as well but since he’s £2.2m more expensive it would likely take a serious upheaval to make such a transfer work.
Alternatively, if you’re limited financially but still want to back City then Bernardo Silva (£4.6m) is your man.
James Maddison (£5.2m)
Don’t look at Leicester’s position in the table…Credit: getty
Leicester don’t have European fixtures to bolster their schedule this season but that hasn’t held their No10 back so far.
The 25-year-old has amassed 42 points, one more than Diaz, despite the Foxes’ bitterly disappointing results.
Maddison has achieved five goals and two assists in eight Premier League outings and passes the eye test on a weekly basis – only five players have registered more shots in the top flight this term.
The England one-cap wonder faces Crystal Palace, Leeds and Wolves in his next three games, three teams currently residing in the bottom seven (although all above Leicester of course).
Jarrod Bowen (£4.4m)
It was a slow start to the campaign for Dream Team’s darling of a year ago.
West Ham’s No20 mustered just eight points from his first seven appearances this season but in recent weeks he’s recaptured the form that made him such a popular figure last term.
Bowen has pocketed 26 points across Game Weeks 8 and 9 and he may be given the chance to add further returns if selected against Anderlecht in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
This recent uplift in form has boosted the 25-year-old up to joint-eighth in the midfield rankings and the fact he has additional European fixtures make him a viable option for sure.
Raheem Sterling (£4.9m)
Chelsea look to be back on track after three straight winsCredit: getty
Historically a successful Dream Team asset, Chelsea’s top scorer this season sat out his side’s 3-0 win over Wolves on Saturday but that’s because Graham Potter made wholesale changes to combat fatigue.
Sterling will surely play a significant role in Milan this evening.
The former Etihad resident has scored four goals and provided two assists since his move down to the capital and with the Blues having won three games in a row it feels as if the tide may have turned.
Sterling has earned 40 points so far and with years of Dream Team success in his back catalogue, he could be viewed as something of a safe option for those in need of a Diaz replacement.

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LIGHT the beacons and ring the town bell, Manchester City won 4-0 and Erling Haaland (£9m) didn’t hog the spotlight!The Norwegian only mustered one measly goal against Southampton on Saturday, a pathetic performance by his standards.
That left the door open for another Etihad favourite to grab the headlines – enter Joao Cancelo (£7.5m).
Cancelo produced a world-class performance against SaintsCredit: getty
The technically-gifted full-back put in a magnificent performance, scoring the opening goal against Saints before brilliantly setting up the fourth after a one-two with Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) that was typical of Pep Guardiola’s football.
When all was said and done, Cancelo earned a match rating of 9.2 from WhoScored, making him Star Man by a comfortable margin.
Because of how much time he spends in midfield and the final third, it’s easy to forget he’s technically a defender – meaning he qualified for his share of the clean sheet points as well this weekend.
Add it all up and the Portugal international banked 20 points for his efforts, his biggest haul of the season so far.
He was already Dream Team’s outright best defender prior to Game Week 9 but now he’s opened up a substantial lead.
With 80 points to his name, Cancelo is 28 points ahead of his nearest rival, team-mate and compatriot Ruben Dias (£6m).
A class above
Last season, the only defender who racked up more points than Cancelo’s 275 was Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.9m) who fell one assist short of a triple century.
However, with Liverpool’s No66 struggling for form and the Reds conceding plenty of goals, the Man City full-back is in a league of his own this term.
The main problem for Dream Team managers relating to this matter is a financial one.
Cancelo costs £7.5m currently, making him the joint-third most expensive player in the game.
But again, when you narrow it down to assets in his position, he’s in a bracket of his own, £1.5m more expensive than the next-most pricey defender.
The 28-year-old’s points tally suggest he’s fully worthy of the investment but the price difference between him and the other defenders means it might take two or three additional transfers to recruit him.
Alexander-Arnold was Dream Team’s best defender last season but he’s fallen behind Cancelo this campaignCredit: getty
Hypothetically, those with a spare £0.2m in the bank could swap Luis Diaz (£5.3m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.9m) for Bukayo Saka (£3.9m) and Cancelo.
Alternatively, those with Son Heung-min (£5.6m) could trade him for Gabriel Martinelli (£3.4m).
That switch would free up £2.2m which could be used to upgrade Alexander-Arnold to Cancelo.
But you’ll have to act this week because the latter’s price is bound to increase again after his 20-point haul – he may even add to that against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

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REMEMBER when a tanked-up Jack Grealish (£4.2m) took a swipe at Miguel Almiron (£1.8m) during Manchester City’s league title celebrations?The England international used the Newcastle winger as a point of reference for a poor performance when gently ribbing Riyad Mahrez (£4.8m) during his slurred commentary of the open-top bus parade.
Well, life comes at you fast.
At this stage of the 2022/23 season, Grealish has one goal to his name compared to the hard-working Paraguayan’s tally of four.
Talk now, Jack!Credit: getty
Almiron has been a key figure in two comprehensive victories for the Magpies this month – he scored a brace in a 4-1 win against Fulham in Game Week 8 and bagged on Saturday as Eddie Howe’s side thrashed Brentford 5-1.
This prosperous spell has made the 28-year-old the best value-for-money midfielder Dream Team has to offer.
Currently available for just £1.8m, Almiron is the 14th-best asset in his position having earned 34 points.
That may may sound underwhelming to some so let’s frame it another way – he’s just eight points behind James Maddison (£5.2m) who is the fourth-best midfielder right now.
When it comes to healthy returns for little investment, Almiron is the standout asset in his position.
It’s fair to say his points have come as a surprise considering he registered one goal and no assists in 30 Premier League appearances last season.
In fact, 2022/23 is already Almiron’s joint-best ever campaign in terms of league goals on English soil.
Almiron is enjoying a rare spell of fruitful form
Just 2.1% of Dream Team bosses are currently backing Newcastle’s No24 but should more people hop aboard the bandwagon?
Truthfully, it’s hard to say as history suggests Almiron is not a viable long-term Dream Team asset but it would be remiss to ignore the fact Newcastle are on the rise – they’re up to sixth after two big wins.
Howe’s men face Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa before the end of the month and given two of those teams are currently above them in the table it’s hardly a favourable run.
Still, any gaffer in need of a bargain midfielder simply has to consider Almiron because of what he’s achieved so far this campaign.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and selection updates ahead of Game Week 8 in one easily digestible dose.Aleksandar Mitrovic’s (£4.5m) injury isn’t as bad as first feared but Marco Silva said the Serbian forward was still ‘a doubt’ for Fulham’s visit to West Ham on Sunday.
The Cottagers’ No9 is expected to return for certain against Bournemouth in Game Week 10.
Matt Cash (£2.4m) is available for selection again having returned to training following a hamstring issue but Aston Villa may be without Leon Bailey (£2.5m) this weekend.
Wesley Fofana (£3.2m) will be out for a few weeks but the Chelsea centre-back’s knee injury is not as bad as initially feared.
Graham Potter added that Marc Cucurella (£3m) ‘will be involved’ but N’Golo Kante (£2.8m) is yet not ready to participate as the Blues host Wolves on Saturday.
Fofana was forced off against Milan in midweek
Wilfred Ndidi (£1.7m) is once again struggling with a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for a few weeks.
Eddie Howe told reporters that Newcastle’s backroom staff are taking a cautious approach with Alexander Isak (£3.6m) saying that the Sweden international ‘won’t be out for too long’.
The Magpies may be able to call upon Allan Saint-Maximin (£3.4m) as they host Brentford on Saturday as the French dribbler has ‘trained well’ this week – Joelinton (£2.5m) is available.
Pedro Neto’s (£2.5m) ankle injury requires surgery and the Portuguese youngster has sadly been ruled out of the World Cup, meaning December is his earliest possible return date.
Andy Robertson (£4.6m) and Curtis Jones (£2m) are both ‘close’ to regaining full fitness but the suggestion from Jurgen Klopp at his press conference was that Liverpool’s trip to the Emirates on Sunday comes too soon.
Luis Sinisterra (£3.2m) will serve his one-match suspensions having been shown two yellow cards against Aston Villa last weekend.
Kyle Walker (£3.8m) has undergone surgery on his groin and will be out for a few weeks, possibly even missing the World Cup.
Walker is a doubt for the World CupCredit: getty
ARSENAL
Injuries: Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Diego Carlos, Lucas Digne, Boubacar Kamara, Ludwig Augustinsson, Leon Bailey (doubt), Calum Chambers
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: David Brooks, Joe Rothwell (doubt), Lloyd Kelly, Ben Pearson (doubt), Ryan Fredericks (doubt), Junior Stanislas
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Pontus Jansson, Keane Lewis-Potter, Christian Norgaard
Suspensions: None
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Jakub Moder, Enock Mwepu, Moises Caicedo (doubt)
Suspensions: None
CHELSEA
Injuries: N’Golo Kante, Wesley Fofana
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Jack Butland, Nathan Ferguson, James McArthur, Nathaniel Clyne, Joachim Andersen (doubt)
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, Aleksandar Mitrovic (doubt), Tete (doubt), Willian, Layvin Kurzawa (doubt)
Suspensions: Nathaniel Chalobah
LEEDS
Injuries: Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, Archie Gray, Leo Hjelde
Suspensions: Luis Sinisterra
LEICESTER
Injuries: Ryan Bertrand, Ricardo Pereira, Nampalys Mendy, Wilfred Ndidi
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andy Robertson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones
Suspensions: None
MAN CITY
Injuries: Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones
Suspensions: None
MAN UNITED
Injuries: Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams, Donny van de Beek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane (doubt)
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Emil Krath, Jonjo Shelvey, Allan Saint-Maximin (doubt), Alexander Isak, Karl Darlow
Suspensions: None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Omar Richards, Moussa Niakhate
Suspensions: None
SOUTHAMPTON
Injuries: Tino Livramento, Romeo Lavia, Adam Armstrong (doubt)
Suspensions: None
SPURS
Injuries: Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulusevski
Suspensions: Emerson Royal
WEST HAM
Injuries: Nayef Aguerd, Maxwel Cornet
WOLVES
Injuries: Chiquinho, Raul Jimenez, Sasa, Kalajdzic, Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan
Suspensions: Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins

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THAT’S another Game Week in the can and Dream Team gaffer Daniel Ford deserves a round of applause for racking up the most points.The West Brom fan’s XI, Beating Chastards (very funny, Daniel), produced a whopping 180 points this past week.
Before we take a closer look at how he did it, a shout out too for Luis Da Cunha who looks to have claimed the monthly prize for September’s competition – once the necessary checks are complete he will receive a brand new PlayStation 5!
Our October competition gets underway this weekend so keep an eye on the monthly leaderboard, there’s another PS5 up for grabs.

That’s Daniel’s team in full and it’s a pleasing mix of heavy-hitters and savvy differentials.
For example, Illan Meslier (£1.7m) appears in just 1.3% of teams and yet no goalkeeper achieved more points in Game Week 8 than the young Frenchman.
Leeds played much of the foul-ridden second half against Aston Villa with ten men last weekend and the 22-year-old was required to make six saves to earn the hosts a point at Elland Road – he was rewarded with the Star Man award.
Daniel also backed the top-scoring defender of Game Week 8 in the form of Reece James (£5.6m).
Chelsea’s rampaging wing-back provided an assist and scored one for himself as the Blues beat Milan 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
James was quite clearly the best player on the pitch and he bagged the Star Man award to bank 20 points in one fell swoop.
It was also a profitable midweek for Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.9m) who scored a beautiful free-kick against Rangers en route to a 17-point haul, though it’s worth noting he incurred minus three at home to Brighton.
Completing Daniel’s set of England right-backs, Kieran Trippier (£3.8m) had to settle for just three points as Newcastle allowed Fulham a consolation goal.
Still, the Magpies defender remains the fourth-best asset in his position overall.
Meslier was Star Man against VillaCredit: getty
Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) and Phil Foden (£6.5m) were both rested against Copenhagen on Wednesday night but still they combined for 30 points in Game Week 8 with the latter’s hat-trick in the Manchester derby forming the bulk of the returns.
The Manchester City pair are the two best midfielders in the game currently with the Belgian six points behind his younger team-mate.
Usually we would advise Dream Team bosses to stay clear of defensive-minded midfielders so pairing Declan Rice (£2.3m) with Granit Xhaka (£2.6m) is something of a red flag.
Saying that, we should perhaps give credit to Daniel for recognising that the Switzerland international is taking up advanced positions more often this season.
Xhaka has scored two goals and provided three assists in eight league games so far with his latest strike coming in Arsenal’s north London derby victory last Saturday.
The 30-year-old was booked against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday but he still earned seven points for the week – Rice mustered just two points and only has six overall.
Xhaka has five goal involvements in eight league games in 2022/23Credit: getty
Up front, of course Daniel backed world football’s most in-form goal machine, Erling Haaland (£9m).
The Norwegian pocketed 45 points in Game Week 8 by virtue of five goals across two fixtures – incredibly that’s not even his biggest Game Week haul of the season.
Gabriel Jesus (£5.9m) cemented his his status as Dream Team’s second-best forward with an 18-point haul.
A goal and a Star Man award meant he took 13 off Tottenham and he registered an assist and 7+ rating after coming off the bench in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Brazilian has amassed 63 points from eight Game Weeks at an average of 6.3 points-per-game, justifying his immense popularity (58.8% ownership).
Last but most certainly not least, Daniel’s stroke of genius, Leandro Trossard (£3.9m).
Just 0.3% of gaffers have put their faith in Brighton’s Belgian dynamo but that slim minority were rewarded with a 28-point influx when he notched a hat-trick at Anfield last weekend.
Good luck to all Dream Team managers ahead of Game Week 9, here’s hoping you can emulate Daniel’s brilliance!

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TRANSFERS will be refreshed on Friday morning and that news will come as a mighty relief for many Dream Team managers.The season has skipped along rapidly in the last few weeks and with the games coming thick and fast until the World Cup, gaffers need to make sure their XI is in tip-top shape, especially with our monthly competition for October set to get underway – there’s another PlayStation 5 for for grabs!
In the spirit of generosity, we’ve thought up three transfer suggestions based on form fluctuations, upcoming fixtures and instinct.
Before we get into the meat of things, a bit of housekeeping: if these specific recommendations don’t apply to your XI you should at least be able to extrapolate the logic.
Also, we’re not going to patronise you by suggesting players like Erling Haaland (£8.7m), Harry Kane (£7.5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) as there’s nothing we can tell you that you don’t already know about the mainstream options.
OUT: Andy Robertson (£4.6m)/Kyle Walker (£4m), IN: Sergio Gomez (£3.7m)
Gomez appears in just 0.3% of teams right now
Walker and Robertson are currently injured and even if the latter were to return this weekend we would still recommend giving him the boot as Liverpool’s defence simply isn’t right at the moment.
The Reds may have kept a clean sheet against Rangers on Tuesday but they shipped three to Brighton last weekend and were fortunate to escape further punishment.
Perfectionist Pep Guardiola will have been annoyed that his side ended up conceding three to Man United given his side’s dominance in the derby but Manchester City defenders have generally been worth the investment.
With Walker expected to be on the sidelines for a few weeks, it’s likely that Joao Cancelo (£7.6m) will play at right-back with Gomez occupying left-back – as seen against Copenhagen on Wednesday night.
The 21-year-old Spaniard helped himself to ten points against the Danish outfit and looks like a smart differential given the circumstances – how often do you see a City player with an ownership of just 0.3%?
The outlook may look different when Walker returns but Gomez could be a brilliant selection for the rest of October.
OUT: Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.7m), IN: Gabriel Martinelli (£3.3m)/James Maddison (£4.9m)
Fulham’s in-form No9 limped off in the first half against Newcastle last weekend and while the injury is not said to be significant, 13.4% of Dream Team gaffers will need to find a replacement, if only for the short term.
Bringing in Martinelli for Mitrovic has the added benefit of enhancing your budget considerably, possibly facilitating a much-needed upgrade elsewhere.
Statistically the Premier League’s best dribbler this season
Financial gains aside, the energetic Brazilian is a fine option in his own right having registered 39 points so far, a tally bettered by only eight other forwards.
Arsenal appear to be the greatest threat to Man City’s league crown with the Gunners having won seven of their eight fixtures so far.
Their No11 has scored three goals and provided an assist in that time and perhaps deserved more given the threat he’s posed on the left flank – no Premier League player has completed more dribbles at this stage.
This weekend Martinelli will be up against Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.6m) who you may have noticed is hardly the most impenetrable defender around right now.
Not only that, Mikel Arteta’s side have plenty of fixtures to fulfil in the coming weeks – point-scoring opportunities galore.
Alternatively, Mitrovic owners could switch formation and recruit Maddison if they have a little extra budget to hand.
Leicester’s No10 banked 19 points on Monday night and while he won’t have the luxury of going up against Nottingham Forest’s porous defence every week, he looks capable of goals and assists every time he steps onto a pitch in current form.
OUT: James Ward-Prowse (£3.9m), IN: Ilkay Gundogan (£3.9m)/Bukayo Saka (£4.1m)/Jarrod Bowen (£4.1m)
Apologies, JWP…Credit: getty
Southampton’s skipper has been consistent performer in Dream Team for the last couple of years but 17 points from eight outings this term is an underwhelming return for a midfielder in his price bracket.
When you consider that an additional £0.2m gets you either Saka or Bowen, two wingers with European fixtures to bolster their schedules, it’s a no-brainer.
In regards to West Ham’s No20, he started the season slowly but has looked more like the version of himself that ripped up Dream Team last term in his most recent outings – he pocketed 13 points at the weekend and may add to that against Anderlecht this evening.
Or for no extra investment you could bring in Gundogan who has ten more points than Ward-Prowse at this juncture.
You don’t need us to explain the contrasting fortunes of Man City and Saints this season and as chance would have it, the two teams will meet at the Etihad on Saturday.

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