Fantasy Football

FIRST things first, credit where it’s due to Samuel Bexton.He earned a whopping 158 points in Gameweek 22 to beat every other Dream Team manager in the world to the £100 weekly prize.
But he did so in an unorthodox manner.

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That’s not how you’re supposed to use Park the BusCredit: Dream Team
There’s a lot to admire about Samuel’s XI but for the sake of shared information, his sub-optimal use of the Park the Bus Booster has to be analysed.
Park the Bus is the most-powerful Booster in the game as it doubles the points of all your defenders for the duration of the Gameweek – essentially giving you extra captains.
To make the most of this special effect, you should use your transfers to ensure you have FIVE defenders in your team at the time Park the Bus is activated.
Whereas Samuel opted to play the precious Booster in Gameweek 22 despite having just three defenders in his team.
Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) played his part with a goal and an assist amid the chaos of Newcastle’s 4-4 draw with Luton for a nine-point return but Pedro Porro (£3.8m) and Matty Cash (£3.2m) combined for just four points.
All in all, Park the Bus earned Samuel an additional 13 points, which is significantly under par.
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Dream Team’s top defender once againCredit: Getty
He would have been better off saving his best Booster for a future Gameweek where he could craft an XI with five defenders, all with two fixtures to fulfil.
While this alternate route would have been much better for Samuel in the context of the entire season, the fact remains that he wouldn’t have won £100 through Dream Team had he not activated Park the Bus, such are the fine margins at the top of the weekly leaderboard.
At the end of the day, he’s earned himself some spending money through a fantasy football game so he probably doesn’t care one jot that his strategy wasn’t fully optimised for maximum returns across the season – that’s the beauty of the weekly prize!
Now that we’ve picked holes in Samuel’s approach, let’s lavish him with overdue praise for his smart selections.
Emi Martinez (£3m) was the top-performing goalkeeper in Gameweek 22, mostly thanks to his nine-point return against Sheffield United.
Familiar favourites Cole Palmer (£4.2m) and Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) scored a goal each with the former benefiting from some extra points via his midweek outing at Villa Park.
And Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) continued his ominous comeback with fantastic assist against Brentford on Monday night as part of an eight-point haul.
Sensational formCredit: Alamy
However, Phil Foden (£5m) was the star of the show at the Gtech Community Stadium with a classy hat-trick.
The England international’s 21-point haul saw him draw level with Saka at the top of the overall season rankings.
But the Manchester City wonderkid wasn’t Samuel’s only hat-trick hero as Matheus Cunha (£4m) produced something very special against Chelsea for a massive 25-point return.
Samuel was among the 2.5% of gaffers who benefited from the Wolves forward’s latest exhibition – an inspired choice!
Captaining Ollie Watkins (£4m) always looked a smart decision as Villa had the luxury of playing the Blades prior to their FA Cup replay with Chelsea.
As it happens, Unai Emery’s men were soundly beaten by the Blues but their top scorer had already produced the goods in the form of FOUR goal involvements (one goal, three assists) against Chris Wilder’s beleaguered troops.
One of the best stories of the Dream Team seasonCredit: Dream Team
Last but not least, Samuel did very well to resist the temptation of Erling Haaland (£7.6m) as the Norwegian poacher was outscored by team-mate Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) in West London.
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The World Cup winner registered eight points and was unlucky not to hit double figures as he notched five shots on target – it’s rare such a barrage doesn’t result in at least one goal.
Well played, Samuel – enjoy your winnings!

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RARELY has Dream Team been as one-dimensional as Gameweek 23.Customarily, there are all sorts of factors to consider when making transfers with several viable options from multiple clubs but this week it’s all eyes on Manchester City.

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It’s all eyes on Man CityCredit: PA
Pep Guardiola’s side are the only team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23 by virtue of their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.
Before that, the defending champions host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime and so it may even be the case that some gaffers are able to sniff out team news before the 11:30am deadline.
The extra fixture combined with City’s ominous form essentially leaves Dream Team bosses with little option but to go all-in on Guardiola’s troops in Gameweek 23.
And this isn’t a short-term strategy either as City are set for FOUR consecutive double Gameweeks.
It should go without saying that Erling Haaland (£7.6m), Phil Foden (£5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) are the must-have assets.
But three is probably the absolute minimum number of City players required this coming Gameweek so let’s analyse the other most-viable candidates.
Kyle Walker (£3.1m)
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Fingers crossed for clean sheetsCredit: Dream Team
City have found clean sheets curiously hard to come this season but it’s surely worth backing the experienced right-back to produce the goods across two fixtures.
The Toffees keep it relatively tight at the back but only Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer league goals this campaign.
City are also 1/4 to beat Copenhagen in midweek and those odds suggest heavy one-way traffic in the visitors’ favour.
Is it too greedy to hope for two clean sheets in Gameweek 23?
Walker is the defender most immune to rotation but even he’s not fully nailed to start both games, such is Guardiola’s nature.
However, the England international is City’s top-performing defender having earned 115 points to date.
Josko Gvardiol (£3.3m) is close behind on 108 points and is logically the next-best option although some gaffers may feel Ruben Dias (£3.1m) is a safer bet to start both fixtures.
Ederson (£2.6m)
Ederson’s backers may finally be rewarded for their patienceCredit: Getty
If the threat of Pep Roulette creates too much uncertainty in defence then City’s goalkeeper offers a guaranteed route into any potential clean sheets, barring any late injuries of course.
Ederson has underwhelmed in Dream Team this season having only mustered 81 points, a tally bettered by no fewer than nine other players in his position.
But again, if ever there was a Gameweek to back him…

Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)
Monday night’s game between Brentford and City showed that Guardiola is prepared to name Foden, Haaland, De Bruyne and Alvarez is the same starting XI.
The World Cup winner’s minutes are likely to dip going forward but it seems the days of him playing understudy to the Norwegian goal machine are over.
Having scored 13 goals and provided ten assists (not to mention 197 Dream Team points) Alvarez is now firmly a key player at the Etihad and he’s virtually guaranteed substantial minutes across two fixtures this coming Gameweek.
It’s therefore perfectly reasonable for Dream Team managers to pair him with Haaland.
Later down the line it may be the case that there’s only room for one City striker in a competitive XI but the current schedule encourages greed.
Rodri (£3.6m)
City’s linchpinCredit: Getty
There’s no point targeting a double header half-heartedly – it’s all about those extra minutes.
The likes of Jeremy Doku (£3.8m) and Jack Grealish (£3.3m) are awfully tempting, with the former particularly exciting in full flow, but both wingers spend plenty of time sitting on the bench.
Whereas Rodri is an essential cog in Guardiola’s machine – City’s comparatively dismal record without him in the team has been well documented.
Many Dream Team gaffers may still be hesitant to select defensive midfielders but the Spain international has notched six goals and six assists in all competitions this season – a respectable tally.
In fact, only Foden has registered more shots on target than Rodri among City’s midfielders at this stage and of course the latter is comfortably ahead of his team-mates in tackles (worth one point for every two).
Rodri averages 5.5 points-per-game this season so it’s reasonable to expect a double-digit haul from him in Gameweek 23.
The stats suggest the 27-year-old is a superior option to Bernardo Silva (£3.9m) too.
That being said, the temptation to back Doku alongside De Bruyne and Foden in hope of an explosive haul is an understandable one – the Belgium international has previously shown he doesn’t need much time on the pitch to make an impact.
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Most Dream Team bosses will be going hard on Man City this Gameweek but there are multiple player combinations available.
Strike the right balance and you’ll zoom up the rankings!

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IT’S always worth keeping track of the differential options available to Dream Team managers.With that in mind, let’s highlight the seven best players (based on total points) with a current ownership below 3%.

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Midfield generalCredit: Getty
Joao Palhinha (£3.5m)

Midfielder
139 points
0.4% ownership

The Premier League’s resident tackle-machine is an absolute animal in the middle of the park.
Fulham’s No26 has racked up 120 tackles while only two other players have made more than 80!
It’s probably unfair to dub Palhinha a one-trick pony – he pockets more than his fair share of bonus points too – but the fact he’s banked over 40% of his points through tackles alone is truly remarkable.
Enzo Fernandez (£3.5m)

Midfielder
140 points
1.5% ownership

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The World Cup winner’s low ownership is understandable because Dream Team bosses with the inclination to back a Chelsea midfielder have Cole Palmer (£4.2m) and Raheem Sterling (£3.9m) at the front of the queue.
Fernandez has scored five goals this season and the underlying stats suggest he’s desperate for more as his tally of 23 shots on target is only bettered by six other players in his position.
He also earns plenty of bonus points but truth be told it’s difficult to justify his place in a worthy Dream Team right now.
Key to Everton’s solid defence this seasonCredit: Reuters
Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.8m)

Defender
141 points
2.4% ownership

Everton’s left-back has been an underrated Dream Team gem for quite a while now.
The Ukraine international has contributed to ten clean sheets – only two players have notched more – and is currently the fourth-best player in his position!
Mykolenko has out-performed Kyle Walker (£3.1m), Virgil van Dijk (£3.9m), Ben White (£3.4m) and several other popular defenders to date.
The minority of Dream Team bosses who have taken a punt on him have generally been well rewarded.
James Garner (£3.3m)

Midfielder
155 points
1.8% ownership

Mykolenko’s team-mate has punched above his weight in a similar fashion among midfielders.
Only five assets in his position have earned more bonus points than Garner at this stage and the aforementioned Palhinha is the only player to have made more tackles.
Class actCredit: Dream Team
Mohammed Kudus (£4.9m)

Midfielder
161 points
0.7% ownership

In fairness, the Ghana star’s scandalously low ownership is likely a knock-on effect of his recent departure to AFCON.
West Ham were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United at the weekend but Kudus reintroduced himself to the world of Dream Team with a ten-point return via a maximum haul of five bonus points.
The ex-Ajax winger has scored nine goals, provided four assists, and only Jeremy Doku (£3.8m) has stacked up more successful dribbles, hence his substantial bonus point total of 31.

Pascal Gross (£4.1m)

Midfielder
172 points
2.4% ownership

The Brighton stalwart always crops up in these lists.
A set-piece specialist and an accomplished technician, Gross has provided 11 assists in all competitions – only Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) and Pedro Neto (£3.2m) have created more goals among midfielders.
Like most the other names on this list, the German’s impressive all-round performances have resulted in a very respectable bonus point tally (30) this season.
Tackles, big chances created, shots on target… Gross does it all.
Hat-trick heroCredit: Reuters
Matheus Cunha (£4m)

Striker
192 points
2.5% ownership

Best for last, Wolves’ No12 is the eighth-best player in Dream Team at the time of writing!
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The Brazilian forward has catapulted himself up the rankings with 76 points in his last seven fixtures, including a 25-point haul via a hat-trick against Chelsea last time out.
With Gary O’Neil’s side among the Premier League’s most in-form teams (only Manchester City have taken more points from their last six games) Cunha’s popularity will surely increase sharply?

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WHISPER it quietly but things are looking up for Manchester United in 2024.The Red Devils remain unbeaten since the turn of the year having won four of their five fixtures in all competitions with the 2-2 draw against Tottenham their only minor blemish.
Erik ten Hag’s desperately side struggled to score goals throughout the first half of the season – even now they’ve scored fewer league goals than Wolves, Brentford and Luton – but things have improved in attack of late.

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Youthful exuberanceCredit: Dream Team
Man United have scored 19 goals in their last seven games with Rasmus Hojlund (£3.6m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£3.1m) shining brightest.
In fact, it may be time more Dream Team managers gave the pair due consideration.
The 21-year-old Danish striker enjoyed himself in the Champions League group stages but it took him a while to get going in domestic football under Ten Hag.
However, his goal against West Ham on Sunday made it four consecutive games in which he’s scored.
Going back a little further to the start of Gameweek 17 – when Man United came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on Boxing Day – Hojlund has scored five goals in his last six appearances.
This fruitful spell also includes two assists.
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Ten goal involvements this season and countingCredit: Rex
As for Garnacho, he’s not been as regular a goalscorer but his strikes seem to come in pairs.
The Argentine winger bagged a brace in that comeback win over the Villains and he did the same against the Hammers last time out.
The teenager has also ticked over nicely in the games in which he hasn’t scored.
He picked up four six-point hauls in a row between Gameweeks 19 and 21 via bonus points, shots on target and big chances created – he was very unlucky not to have registered at least one assist having created SIX big chances across those four fixtures.
Add everything together and the duo of Garnacho and Hojlund have combined for a whopping 109 points since the start of Gameweek 17.
This breaks down to 7.1 points-per-game for Hojlund and 7.4 points-per-game for Garnacho across United’s last eight fixtures.
Needless to say, this is the kind of form that should pique the interest of Dream Team gaffers at the very least.
A glimpse into the future?Credit: Getty
The main blockade to Old Trafford’s young talents is the schedule.
Man United are due to play five fixtures between now and the end of Gameweek 26: Aston Villa (a), Luton (a), Fulham (h), Nottingham Forest/Bristol City (a) and Manchester City (a).
For comparison, Pep Guardiola’s side will fulfil EIGHT fixtures in the same time frame: Everton (h), Copenhagen (a), Chelsea (h), Brentford (h), Bournemouth (a), Luton (a), Man United (h) and Copenhagen (h).
It’s therefore hard to campaign for Hojlund and Garnacho over the likes of Julian Alvarez (£4.3m), Rodri (£3.6m), etc.
Although City assets generally don’t come cheap and it may be the case that many gaffers can only afford so many Etihad residents in the name of squeezing the schedule.
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United’s progression to the FA Cup fifth round with a relatively favourable match (Forest or Bristol City) means they’re busier than the likes of Spurs and West Ham this month.
Keep an eye on Hojlund and Garnacho’s returns – they’re bubbling up nicely.

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BRUNO GUIMARAES (£3.8m) reached a personal milestone amid the chaos at St James’ Park on Saturday.Newcastle’s all-action midfielder earned five bonus points (the maximum available) for the second time this season to make it 50 for the season.

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King of bonus pointsCredit: Dream Team
The Brazilian is the first Dream Team player to reach a half century of bonus points in 2023/24 and now holds an 11-point lead in the metric over James Ward-Prowse (£4.1m).
Guimaraes was one of four players involved in the entertaining 4-4 draw between the Magpies and Luton to bank a double-digit haul – he pocketed 11 when all was said and done via an assist and two big chances created on top of the aforementioned bonus points.
As a result, he’s the joint-ninth best midfielder in Dream Team at the time of writing having racked up 161 points in total.
A quick bit of maths reveals that almost a third (31.1%) of his points have come through the bonus system.
So how has Guimaraes racked up so many bonus points?
Guimaraes thrived amid the chaos of Newcastle’s 4-4 draw with LutonCredit: Getty
Firstly, it’s worth remembering that bonus points are designed to recognise players who positively impact games outside of the aspects already covered by Dream Team’s scoring process.
Actions such as goals, assists and clean sheets directly result in points, hence why they don’t impact bonus points.
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Bonus points are determined by Player Performance Marks (PPM) which are impacted by the following stats:

Successful dribbles +1
Accurate crosses +1
Pass completion rate (70-79%) +1
Pass completion rate (80-89%) +2
Pass completion rate (90%+) +3
Interceptions +1
Blocks +1
Fouls won +1
Goals scored from outside penalty box +1
Offsides -1
Fouls conceded -1
Errors leading to goal -2

If a player accumulates between 5-7 PPM, they earn one bonus points, while 8-11 PPM results in three bonus points, with 12+ PPM leading to a rare maximum of five bonus points.
Against the Hatters, Guimaraes registered a pass completion rate of 80% (+2 PPM), three accurate crosses (+3 PPM), two successful dribbles (+2 PPM), one block (+1 PPM), one interception (+1 PPM) and four fouls won (+4 PPM) among his other contributions for a total of 13 PPM and therefore five bonus points.
The 26-year-old is suitably equipped to earn plentiful bonus points because he’s a well-rounded midfielder who contributes both defensively and in possession.
James Ward-Prowse has the second-most bonus points at this stageCredit: Rex
He also wins A LOT of free-kicks for Newcastle – a useful trait with a set-piece taker like Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) as a team-mate.
In fact, Guimaraes leads the way for fouls won among Premier League players this season by a comfortable margin.
Additionally, he ranks highly in his position for blocks, interceptions and successful dribbles – another illustration of his well-rounded nature.
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Dream Team bosses can check all the relevant stats relating to PPM and bonus points in the Stats Centre at any time.
Gaffers are also now able to toggle between total points and PPM in the Match Centre for each fixture that’s either completed or in-progress.

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MANY pundits thought Luton would be easy pickings in the Premier League this season.And for while it seemed that may be the case as the Hatters found life in the top flight very difficult throughout the first three months of the campaign.
But then they drew with Liverpool at Kenilworth Road on Bonfire Night.

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Ross Barkley has been talismanic for Luton latelyCredit: Dream Team
That spirited result against Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) and company instilled a sense of belief in Rob Edwards’ underdogs.
Not long after, Luton went toe-to-toe with Arsenal and Manchester City in consecutive games, although narrow defeats failed to improve their league position.
Since then, however, they’ve beaten Newcastle, Sheffield United, Everton and Brighton.
Most recently, they drew 4-4 with the Magpies at St James’ Park – accounting for almost 29% of the league goals Eddie Howe’s men have conceded at home this season – in one of the most-entertaining games in Premier League history.
Add in some FA Cup results and Edwards’ side are now at the point where they’ve lost just one of their last nine fixtures.
Luton have greatly improved their chances of avoiding relegation in recent weeksCredit: PA
Their tally of 20 points from 22 league games remains modest but they’ve already leapfrogged the Toffees (hampered by a points deduction) and they’re within striking distance of Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Crystal Palace.
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Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, Luton have already proved plenty of people wrong.
From a Dream Team perspective, several players are overdue proper appreciation.
Eijah Adebayo (£2.2m) was the star of the show in the 4-0 triumph over the Seagulls, comfortably the Hatters best result of the season.
The 26-year-old, who was playing in League Two with Walsall as recently as the 2020/21 campaign, bagged a hat-trick against Roberto De Zerbi’s men to bank 20 points in one fell swoop.
He followed that up with a goal amid the chaos at St James’ Park to add another eight points to his total.
A moment to savourCredit: Getty
Elsewhere, Carlton Morris (£2.7m) has notched two goals and three assists in his last five outings.
The ex-Barnsley striker was his side’s top-scorer during their historic promotion campaign last term.
And he’s averaging a goal or assist every 141.8 minutes in 2023/24 – an impressive effort.
Then there’s the rejuvenated Ross Barkley (£2.8m), who has been nothing short of talismanic in recent weeks.
Many thought the former England international’s time in the spotlight on these shores was at an end when he signed for Nice but he’s been one of the better players in his position since rediscovering his best form in Bedfordshire.
Barkley pouched 16 points against Newcastle in an all-action display: one goal, one assist, four tackles, three bonus points.
Generally operating in a deeper midfield role than he did in his youth, the 30-year-old has been an influential figure in Luton’s spirited performances against teams with far greater resources.
He pocketed ten points in the victory over Brighton as well.
Luton fans have had plenty of cheer recentlyCredit: GETTY

Add it all up and Barkley, Adebayo and Morris have combined for 99 points across the last three Gameweeks!
Congratulations to the slim minority of Dream Team bosses (presumably partisan Luton fans) who have benefited from this trio’s healthy returns in some capacity.
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Barkley is the most-popular player among his team-mates and yet his ownership sits at just 0.4%.
To put this into context, Barkley averages the same number of points-per-game across his last three outings as 44.2%-owned Phil Foden (£5m), hat-trick included.

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If you focus too much on one Manchester City superstar then another will inevitably make you pay.With the spotlight on Erling Haaland (£7.6m) amid his first start since recovering from a foot injury, it was Phil Foden (£5m) who came to the fore against Brentford on Monday night with a classy hat-trick.

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Searching for somebody with more Dream Team points this season…Credit: Dream Team
The Bees took the lead on home soil via a route one Neal Maupay (£2.6m) goal but Pep Guardiola’s side rallied to extend their current winning streak to nine games in all competitions.
City’s No47 was undoubtedly the star of the show; he was on hand at the end of the first half with an opportunistic equaliser to breach a resolute Mark Flekken (£1.7m).
Foden then connected with a typically inviting Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) cross to head home from close range before he bagged the match ball with a slotted finish after a neat lay-off from Haaland.
Naturally, this accomplished performance translated to Dream Team success.
The hat-trick hero banked a whopping 21 points when all was said and done.
And his haul proved to be important as it was the exact number of points Foden needed to draw level with Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) at the top of the overall rankings!
Like Gareth Southgate, Dream Team bosses have the luxury of selecting bothCredit: Getty
DREAM TEAM TOP PLAYERS THIS SEASON:
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Phil Foden – 226 pts
Bukayo Saka – 226 pts
Joao Pedro – 216 pts
Mohamed Salah – 212 pts
Erling Haaland – 202 pts
Jarrod Bowen – 200 pts
Julian Alvarez – 197 pts
Matheus Cunha – 192 pts
Darwin Nunez – 187 pts
Kieran Trippier – 186 pts

Needless to say, hanging onto Foden should prove very profitable across the next few Gameweeks.
Man City are the only Premier League team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23: Everton (h) and Copenhagen (a).
Then in Gameweek 24, the defending champions are one of just three teams to pull double duty when they face Chelsea and Brentford (again).
Simply put, Foden will among the busiest players in the game this month and is therefore likely to break free of Saka and pull clear at the top of the rankings outright.
The 23-year-old, who features in 44.2% of teams, has now scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, not to mention ten assists, and he ranks first among midfielders for shots on target with 34.
A truly fantastic player and a top-tier Dream Team asset!

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