Fantasy Football

MORE than a few Dream Team managers benefited from Erling Haaland’s (£7.8m) converted penalty against Brighton.But it was Omar Marmoush (£4.3m) who top-scored at the Etihad on Saturday.Marmoush earned 15 points against the SeagullsCredit: Dream TeamThe Norwegian No9 was the fourth-most recruited player ahead of Gameweek 28 as well as the second favourite captain and so his nine-point return will have been warmly received.However, Manchester City’s new Egyptian forward banked 15 points to make a timely statement before Gameweek 29.Marmoush’s quick feet suckered Adam Webster (£2.8m) into a rash slide tackle in the box, resulting in an early penalty for the hosts.The former Frankfurt star was credited with an assist (in the world of Dream Team at least) when Haaland stroked the spot-kick past Bart Verbruggen (£2.5m).Then, in the 39th minute, he restored City’s lead with an emphatic strike from 20 yards out.Marmoush and Haaland dovetailed against BrightonCredit: PAThe Seagulls fought back and both sides had chances to win the frenetic contest but Marmoush’s haul was the headline of the 2-2 draw from a Dream Team perspective.MARMOUSH’S IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE VERSUS BRIGHTON:86 minutes played1 shot on target2 big chances created1 goal1 assist2 tackles15 pointsMost read in FootballThe 26-year-old has contributed four goals and two assists in ten appearances since his January transfer.This breaks down further to a goal involvement every 111 minutes – a relatively encouraging start.It’s often been the case that new signings have needed several weeks or months to adjust to life under Pep Guardiola before they’re deemed a truly effective cog in Man City’s machine but Marmoush has impressed from the get-go.Marmoush will be central to Man City’s rebuildCredit: PAHis 15-point return comes prior to Gameweek 28, when City are one of just seven teams set to fulfil two fixtures.After the international break, the defending champions travel to Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals before hosting relegation-bound Leicester in the Premier League a few days later – the Foxes are giving away points like nobody’s business right now.Marmoush should get plenty of minutes across those two fixtures and must therefore be considered a potentially smart differential option.He currently features in just 3.6% of teams, whereas Haaland boasts a massive ownership of 52.2%.Score 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

DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news for Gameweek 28 in one convenient location.Liverpool will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.Alexander-Arnold is Dream Team’s leading points scorer among defenderCredit: Dream TeamThe England right-back was injured during the Reds’ exit from the Champions League at the hands of PSG.Alexander-Arnold, who features in 28.2% of teams at the time of writing, is expected to be out for several weeks with Arne Slot only saying that the defender should be back before the end of the season.Conor Bradley or Joe Gomez would usually deputise at right-back but both remain sidelined, seemingly leaving the door open for Jarell Quansah to start against Newcastle, but Arne Slot has hinted that Curtis Jones is another option.Wesley Fofana returned for Chelsea against Leicester in Gameweek 27 and Romeo Lavia is said to have regained fitness too.Enzo Maresca told reporters than Robert Sanchez will start between the sticks against Arsenal this weekend.Saka is “making really good progress”Credit: GettyAs for the Gunners, Raheem Sterling is ineligible to play against his parent club while Mikel Arteta stressed the need to manage Gabriel Martinelli’s workload in his Friday press conference.On Bukayo Saka, the Spanish coach said: “He’s stepping up and making really good progress. Let’s see when we decide to throw him in… and how quickly he can get fit.”Kevin Danso suffered a hamstring injury against Bournemouth last weekend and will be monitored carefully during the international break.Most read in FootballTottenham’s first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven reunited against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night.Rodrigo Bentancur was suspended in the Europa League but is available for the trip to Fulham on Sunday.Danso is sidelinedCredit: PAAndoni Iraola confirmed Bournemouth have no new injury concerns with centre-back lllia Zabarnyi set to return against Brentford having served his suspension in full.Similarly, Ipswich, Leicester, Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have all reported no fresh injuries.Mason Mount and Harry Maguire have a chance of making Manchester United’s matchday squad at the King Power.However, Leny Yoro is ruled out of the trip to Leicester with a foot injury while Patrick Dorgu continues his domestic suspension.Dream Team bosses should be aware that Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will BLANK in Gameweek 28 having originally been scheduled to face the Carabao Cup finalists.Score 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 NOWARSENALInjuries: Takehiro Tomiyasu, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai HavertzSuspensions: NoneASTON VILLAInjuries: Ross BarkleySuspensions: NoneBOURNEMOUTHInjuries: Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith, Enes UnalSuspensions: NoneBRENTFORDInjuries: Aaron Hickey, Josh Dasilva, Gustavo Nunes, Igor Thiago, Rico Henry, Sepp van den Berg (doubt), Fabio CarvalhoSuspensions: NoneBRIGHTONInjuries: James Milner, Ferdi Kadioglu, Jason Steele, Igor Julio, Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman, Matt O’RileySuspensions: NoneCHELSEAInjuries: Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto (doubt)Suspensions: Mykhailo MudrykCRYSTAL PALACEInjuries: Cheick Doucoure, Joel Ward, Chadi Riad, Jean-Philippe MatetaSuspensions: Will HughesEVERTONInjuries: Dwight McNeil, Armando Broja (doubt), Orel Mangala, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman NdiayeSuspensions: NoneFULHAMInjuries: Kenny Tete, Reiss Nelson, Harry WilsonSuspensions: Sasa LukicIPSWICHInjuries: Chiedozie Ogbene, Conor Chaplin (doubt), Wes Burns, Arijanet Muric, Sammie Szmodics, Axel TuanzebeSuspensions: NoneLEICESTERInjuries: Abdul FatawuSuspensions: NoneLIVERPOOLInjuries: Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley, Trent Alexander-ArnoldSuspensions: NoneMANCHESTER CITYInjuries: Oscar Bobb, Rodri, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Nathan AkeSuspensions: NoneMANCHESTER UNITEDInjuries: Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount (doubt), Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Harry Maguire (doubt), Leny YoroSuspensions: Patrick DorguNEWCASTLEInjuries: Jamaal Lascelles, Sven Botman, Lewis HallSuspensions: Anthony GordonNOTTINGHAM FORESTInjuries: Carlos MiguelSuspensions: NoneSOUTHAMPTONInjuries: Ross Stewart (doubt), Ryan Fraser (doubt), Juan Larios (doubt), James Bree, Jan BednarekSuspensions: NoneTOTTENHAMInjuries: Radu Dragusin, Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski, Kevin DansoSuspensions: NoneWEST HAMInjuries: Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal (doubt), Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio SummervilleSuspensions: NoneWOLVESREAD MORE SUN STORIESInjuries: Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Yerson Mosquera, Leon ChiwoneSuspensions: Matheus Cunha More

DREAM TEAM managers have until 1:30pm on Saturday to select their captain for Gameweek 28.There are no double headers to target this coming Gameweek so it’s simply a case of identifying the player most likely to cash in this weekend.Salah has an excellent record against NewcastleCredit: ReutersMohamed Salah (£8m) has been the most popular captain for the last 12 Gameweeks and Liverpool’s main man is set to maintain that status ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.The Reds will meet Newcastle at Wembley to determine the first trophy winners of the season.Salah has racked up 454 points via 32 goals and 22 assists in what will go down as one of the all-time great Dream Team campaigns; clearly he is a strong captaincy option.Furthermore, he boasts a fantastic record of ten goals and eight assists in 17 games against the Magpies.Will Alexander-Arnold’s absence hinder Salah at Wembley?Credit: GettyHowever, cup finals are often cagey affairs and Eddie Howe’s side will do everything in their power to frustrate the Egyptian superstar, who wasn’t at his best in either leg of the Champions League round of 16.Additionally, Arne Slot is expected to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold at Wembley and it’s the talented right-back who often finds Salah in promising positions with his wide range of passing.Many Dream Team bosses will be tempted to captain Bruno Fernandes (£6.4m).Manchester United’s captain is red hot right now having earned a whopping 39 points in Gameweek 27!Most read in FootballThe Portuguese midfielder scored a superb free-kick against Arsenal at the weekend before a clutch hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Thursday night to ensure his side’s progression to the Europa League quarter-finals.Hat-trick heroCredit: GettyGranted, two of his goals came from the penalty spot but what’s more relevant is that Fernandes is hoarding almost every point available at present.He must therefore be considered a viable skipper ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Leicester this weekend.The Foxes have lost six consecutive games in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.Fernandes banked nine points from that encounter but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he notched double digits this time around given he averages 12.6 points-per-game across his last eight outings!A wildcard optionCredit: GettyManchester City are at home to Brighton and so Erling Haaland (£8.1m) is in the captaincy conversation.The prolific No9 has scored 28 goals in all competitions this term but the Seagulls are in great form and so this match-up can’t be considered a friendly one – Fabian Hurzeler’s side won the reverse fixture on the south coast.But if you want to strap the armband to a big centre forward with a favourable fixture this Gameweek then perhaps Chris Wood (£3.9m) fits the bill.READ MORE SUN STORIESNottingham Forest’s target man has plundered 18 league goals and he will be hopeful of adding to that tally at Portman Road on Saturday.Ipswich are 18th in the table having conceded 58 goals, only Southampton and Leicester have shipped more to date.Score 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

YOU should know the drill by now.We’re putting up £250 in prize money for Matchweek 25 in Score Predictor, which is free to play as usual.Play Score Predictor now!Credit: Dream TeamSimply enter your predictions for the five selected Premier League games and earn points for the accuracy of your forecast as the action unfolds.If you earn the most points then you’ll claim the cash prize!Allow us to present some key stats and facts for each relevant fixture to help inform your decisions…Manchester City v BrightonOnly Liverpool have taken more points than the Seagulls from their last six league games.And Fabian Hurzeler’s side will head to the Etihad with fond memories of the reverse fixture back in November, when they came from behind to win 2-1.Brighton lost 7-0 to Nottingham Forest at the start of February but have won six successive games in all competitions since.Pep Guardiola’s side have not been at their best for a long while but it’s still difficult to bet against them on their own patch.Just one point separates these two teams in the table.Most read in FootballOur Prediction: 2-2 drawBrighton have been in good form latelyCredit: ReutersBournemouth v BrentfordThe Cherries are without a win in their last three league outings but that doesn’t tell the full story.They played some superb football against Spurs last time out and would have been worthy winners were it not for a rash decision by Kepa Arrizabalaga.Bournemouth rank fourth for total shots and third for expected goals (xG) in the top flight this season.The Bees aren’t to be underestimated either and an open game may favour Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, a formidable counterattacking duo.Thomas Frank’s mob won 3-2 in West London earlier in the campaign but we think Andoni Iraola might take revenge this Saturday.Our Prediction: 3-1 to BournemouthBournemouth pack a punch in attackCredit: GettyArsenal v ChelseaIt’s second versus fourth at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.Both clubs have a European round of 16 second leg to complete before then but the Gunners have the luxury of a 7-1 aggregate lead over PSV in the Champions League and so Mikel Arteta may be able to manage his squad’s workload.Arsenal won this fixture 5-0 last season but that was with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, who are all sidelined with injury at present.The hosts boast the best defensive record in the league at this stage having conceded 24 goals.As for the Blues, they bounced back after a poor results of form with wins over Southampton, Copenhagen and Leicester but Arsenal are a different calibre of opposition.Cole Palmer’s diminishing form is a big cause for concern – Chelsea’s talisman even missed a penalty last time out.Our Prediction: 2-0 to ArsenalPalmer has gone off the boilCredit: GettyFulham v TottenhamAnge Postecoglou should prioritise this Thursday’s Europa League meeting with AZ Alkmaar as Spurs need to overturn a 1-0 deficit if they are to keep their trophy hopes alive.The Cottagers head into this fixture eight points clear of their opponents but they have fared better on the road this season.Even so, Marco Silva will be quietly confident having had a few extra days to prepare.Fulham are one of the league’s most consistent teams whereas Spurs are equally capable of the sublime as the ridiculous.The former have lost eight league games to the latter’s 14!If Spurs are to focus on Europe then it’s easy to see them coming unstuck at Craven Cottage.Our Prediction: 2-1 to FulhamPostecoglou will be desperate to remain in the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyLeicester v Manchester UnitedThe Red Devils also have a Europa League game this Thursday but, unlike Spurs, their next league opponent is one of the most favourable the top flight has to offer.Only Southampton have fewer points than the Foxes after 28 games and it appears Jamie Vardy and company are sinking towards the Championship after five consecutive defeats.Man United’s recent performances have still left much to be desired but draws against Everton and Arsenal either side of a win over Ipswich are not to be sniffed at.Bruno Fernandes has earned more than a few points single-handedly this campaign and he will enjoy himself if Leicester replicate their recent showings.Ruben Amorim got the better of Ruud van Nistelrooy in the FA Cup a few weeks back.Leicester haven’t scored a league goal since late February!READ MORE SUN STORIESOur Prediction: 1-0 to Man UnitedProve you know better by entering your predictions for Matchweek 25 now!Score 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

ALL but two of the 20 Premier League clubs have one fixture to fulfil in Gameweek 28.This weekend will host eight top flight fixtures as well as the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley.As a result, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are set to start the international break early.Eze and Rogers are among the players on the way out in Dream Team this weekCredit: Dream TeamConsequently, popular Dream Team assets such as Morgan Rogers (£3.9m), Ollie Watkins (£5.2m) and Marc Guehi (£4m) will BLANK this coming Gameweek.Gaffers must find replacements for these players or make their peace with zero-pointers.MOST POPULAR ASTON VILLA AND CRYSTAL PALACE PLAYERS (% OWNERSHIP)26.5% – Morgan Rogers20.8% – Ollie Watkins20.6% – Emi Martinez11.2% – Lucas Digne9.4% – Marc Guehi8.3% – Eberechi Eze8.1% – Marcus Rashford7.9% – Youri Tielemans5.9% – Marco Asensio5.4% – Dean HendersonThere’s no doubt about it, these blanks are inconvenient to say the least.Asensio and Watkins were both among the five most recruited players ahead of Gameweek 27 as many Dream Team bosses intended to target the Villains’ double header against Brentford and Club Brugge – a perfectly logical strategy.But gaffers who opted for such a ploy will have to ditch those very same players before Saturday’s 1:30pm deadline.Asensio has been a popular man of late but a blank Gameweek is a significant hurdleCredit: PAAnd it may be a case of the hokey-cokey as Villa assets will probably be popular again during the international break as Unai Emery’s side are one of just seven teams with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 29: Preston (a) and Brighton (a).Most read in FootballIn, out, in, out…Crystal Palace are also among the septet with two games scheduled for Gameweek 29: Fulham (a) and Southampton (a).There’s no easier opponent than Saints in the Premier League this season and so the likes of Daniel Munoz (£5.3m) and Jean Philippe-Mateta (£4.5m) should be considered among the best options once the Eagles’ blank Gameweek is out of the way.Munoz is Dream Team’s second-best defender right nowCredit: PASome gaffers may be in the unfortunate position of having more Villa and Palace players than transfers available for Gameweek 28.In such cases, it might be wise to ditch those most vulnerable to price drops.For example, Watkins banked ten points against the Bees at the weekend while Rashford settled for just two points.The outlook may change after Wednesday night’s game at Villa Park but at the stage the former is almost certainly set for a price increase whereas the latter will probably decrease in value.For some, Gameweek 28 might be about damage limitation.Score 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

CHRIS WOOD (£3.9m) has already done enough to be forever synonymous with the 2024/25 Premier League season.The 33-year-old has scored 18 goals in the top flight this campaign to fire Nottingham Forest to the brink of Champions League qualification.One of the stories of the seasonCredit: Dream TeamWood’s clinical finishing has been a huge factor in the massive over-performance of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, currently third in the table having finished 17th last season.Only Mohamed Salah (£8m), Erling Haaland (£8.1m) and Alexander Isak (£6.4m) have scored more goals than the big New Zealander in Dream Team this term.But whereas those three superstars all rank within the top ten for total shots in the league at this stage, Wood is just 26th in the same metric.The list of players to have registered more shots than Forest’s top scorer includes Dominik Szoboszlai (£4.4m), Alejandro Garnacho (£2.9m) and Alex Iwobi (£2.9m).Wood is on track for 20+ Premier League goals this seasonCredit: PAWood’s efficiency is truly remarkable.He’s scored 18 league goals from chances worth a total of 10.9 xG (expected goals) – in this regard he has been the league’s best finisher.For comparison, Haaland has scored 20 goals from 19.9 xG.Naturally, an in-form goalscorer of this variety is a hugely appealing prospect for Dream Team managers.Most read in FootballHowever, Wood’s viability has been limited by his comparatively relaxed schedule.All but 85 of his 2,368 minutes have come in the Premier League.Whereas Salah, with additional European commitments and a more prominent role in the domestic cups, has racked up 3,486 minutes!Salah has played over 1,000 more minutes than WoodCredit: EPAThis deficit has been a reason to avoid Wood for much of the campaign but there’s no reason to shy away from him ahead of Gameweek 28.Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are set to blank this coming Gameweek while the other 18 clubs will all be in action once each.And Forest have one of the most favourable fixtures in the form of a trip to Portman Road.Ipswich are languishing in 18th having mustered just 17 points in 28 outings since their return to the top flight.Only Southampton and Leicester have conceded more goals than the Tractor Boys and so Wood has to be considered a relatively strong option for Saturday’s match-up.Wood versus Ipswich is a potential mismatchCredit: EPALooking past the international break, Forest are one of just seven teams with two games in Gameweek 29: Brighton (a) and Manchester United (h).That visit to the Seagulls comes in the FA Cup and there’s every chance Wood will start on the bench as Taiwo Awoniyi (£2.2m) has led the line in the cups of late.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut the big No11 might get some substitute minutes in the second half before he starts against the Red Devils at the City Ground.The point being, Wood’s main weakness in Dream Team (lack of minutes) will not be a factor at all for the rest of March.Score 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