Fantasy Football

“You have a chance to win prizes but competing for bragging rights with your mates week-to-week is the real joy!”Those are the wise words of Score Predictor’s winner in Matchweek 5, Jonathon Sheppard, who used his football smarts to claim a PlayStation 5!
When asked about his successful method, Jonathon revealed: “I tend to go with a mixture of gut feel and research. I like to look at the last five fixtures for each team and work out the average goals I’d expect each team to score.
“That’s when I’ll use my gut, taking into account form of individual players, extra fixtures either team may have played, and so on.”
There’s another PS5 up for grabs in Matchweek 7 so let’s analyse the five relevant fixtures in hope of inspiring one reader to emulate Jonathon’s glory.

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Bukayo Saka is a doubt this weekendCredit: Getty
Bournemouth v Arsenal
The Cherries have beaten Swansea and Stoke in the Carabao Cup but they desperately need a victory in the league – they’re the only team without a win in the Premier League this season among those who were in the top flight last term.
Andoni Iraola will most likely be eyeing up his side’s October fixtures against Everton, Wolves and Burnley as point-scoring opportunities with the Gunners visit to the south coast being more of a free hit.
Mikel Arteta has injury concerns to contend with but he should still have enough firepower to overwhelm the 17th-placed team in the league.
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Arsenal have averaged 1.83 goals scored per league game this campaign while Bournemouth average 1.83 goals conceded so it seems reasonable to round that up to two for the visitors this coming Saturday.
And if we apply the same logic then the hosts will probably get one of their own – Dominic Solanke has been involved in all but one of his side’s league goals in 2023/24.
Our Prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal
Casemiro enjoyed himself against Roy Hodgson’s side in midweekCredit: Alamy
Manchester United v Crystal Palace
This match-up is a repeat of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup match at Old Trafford, which ended 3-0 to Erik ten Hag’s troops.
Both sides will name stronger starting XIs but there’s no doubt the hosts have the psychological advantage.
The Eagles have offered a mixed bag in the league so far with two wins, two draws and two defeats.
Not only that, they’ve followed a pattern: win, lose, draw, win, lose, draw.
Superstitious supporters would therefore say Palace are due a win but we suspect this may be where their sequence changes course.
The Red Devils are yet to draw this season so that only leaves one option…
Our Prediction: 2-1 to Manchester United
The big oneCredit: Dream Team
Tottenham v Liverpool
Matchweek 7’s main event.
Both sides boast swashbuckling attacking units but can be vulnerable at the back so Sunday’s clash in North London could be a high-scoring affair.
The pressure is on us here as we’ve correctly predicted two of the last three headline fixtures – Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Man United and last weekend’s 2-2 draw in the North London derby.
James Maddison’s physical condition is undeniably a huge factor as the England international has been Spurs’ creator-in-chief this season and one of the league’s best players.
The talented playmaker appeared to jar his knee against Arsenal and Score Predictor users would do well to wait for Ange Postecoglou’s press conference before submitting their final prediction.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are undefeated in 19 games in all competitions dating back to early April and their resilience is not to be underestimated – they once again came from behind to win against Leicester in midweek.
It’s tempting to tip another entertaining 2-2 draw but our gut says one these teams’ unbeaten streaks is at an end.
Let’s flip a coin…
Our Prediction: 3-2 to Liverpool
Worrying formCredit: Getty
Nottingham Forest v Brentford
These two sides are next to each other in the table at present with Steve Cooper’s mob slightly better off with seven point to the Bees’ six.
After an encouraging start to the campaign, Thomas Frank has been left scratching his head in recent weeks.
Bryan Mbeumo 97th-minute equaliser spared his side’s blushes against Bournemouth but since then Brentford have lost to Newcastle and Everton – they were beaten by Arsenal in the Carabao Cup too.
No team have drawn more league games than Brentford this season and 1-1 is by far and away the most-popular prediction among Score Predictor users at this stage – we’re inclined to agree.
Our Prediction: 1-1 draw
Nicolas Jackson scored the winner against Brighton but he’s suspended this weekendCredit: Getty
Fulham v Chelsea
Chelsea have been the bane of many a Score Predictor user this season.
Only Manchester City and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the Blues but only Luton and Burnley have scored fewer.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have had seriously problems converting their chances with Nicolas Jackson being the primary culprit – as harsh as it sounds the Senegal international’s suspension may do Chelsea a favour on Monday night.
As for the hosts, they’ve tightened up since the return of tackle-machine Joao Palhinha to full fitness but scoring goals remains an issue – they followed up a narrow 1-0 win over Luton with a 0-0 draw to Palace.
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Chelsea will head into this West London derby buoyed by a win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup but the stats suggest it has the potential to be a rather drab encounter.
Our Prediction: 1-0 to Chelsea

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PLAYING the Dream Team stock market can be a profitable venture for gaffers if they know what they’re doing.Generally speaking, a player’s price will increase if they perform well and their value in the game will decrease if they’re out of form.
However, the process is a little more sophisticated than this simple summary suggests, so allow us to clarify some information regarding variable pricing.
All you need to know about player price changesCredit: Dream Team
Prices change weekly and occur during the changeover from one Gameweek to another, with £0.3m being the maximum amount a player’s value can change at any one time.
A player’s most recent Gameweek performance is the primary factor in determining how their price changes but previous returns are also taken into account.
For example, a striker who breaks a lengthy goal drought with a brace may not receive a significant price boost as a result, because of the poor showings immediately prior to their double-digit haul.
But that’s not all, player price changes are also impacted by several other factors, such as: starting price, average score, and performance in relation to all others across the most recent Gameweek (i.e. how well the player performed in the context of all players).
This means a player who scores ten points in a low-scoring Gameweek may receive a greater subsequent price change than a similar player who previously scored ten points in a high-scoring Gameweek across the board.
In fact, even similar players of equal value who score the same number of points in the same Gameweek may not experience the same price change because of the aforementioned impact of previous form.
The formula used is fundamentally the same as previous seasons.
Erling Haaland is the most-expensive player in Dream Team this seasonCredit: Reuters
Players who started with a relatively high price, and consistently score well, will need to produce plentiful points to keep gaining value compared to those who began the season in the affordable price range.
This process allows prices to level out, rather than increase exponentially – if Erling Haaland increased by £0.3m every time he scored a goal his price would quickly escalate into the realms of the absurd.
It should also be noted that players who do not feature in the given Gameweek’s fixtures are not eligible for price changes – injured stars will therefore not decrease in value while sidelined.
Additionally, a player competing in two matches in a Gameweek will not have an advantage over those competing in just one.
Players who pull double duty will be judged on their performance versus expectation across both games.

Dream Team managers should be aware that the formula that determines player price changes is objective and consistent throughout the season.
The ultimate aim is for each player’s price to reflect their true value as a Dream Team asset.
This is why gaffers should be very careful when attempting to turn a profit based on short-term performances.
In the real-world setting of the Premier League, a midfielder’s market value may increase if they score a couple of goals but most fans know the perils of judging a player’s overall ability on just 90 minutes.
Dream Team aims to mirror football’s reality by ensuring a player’s price is representative of their overall talent.

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DREAM TEAM managers who missed out on Newcastle’s emphatic victory over Sheffield United will probably feel the ship has sailed.However, there’s a chance they may be able to repeat last weekend’s profitable trick in Gameweek 7, to some degree at least.

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Newcastle took full advantage of a poor Sheffield United showingCredit: Getty
Last week, we tipped Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) for plentiful returns because he’s one of the league’s most prominent set-piece takers, an aspect of the game the Blades have struggled to negotiate this season.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side had conceded the most xG and allowed the most headed shots from set pieces prior to the Magpies visit to Bramall Lane.
Combine this vulnerability with the likelihood of a clean sheet for the visitors and all signs pointed to Trippier points.
Lo and behold, the England full-back racked up 17 points thanks to a hat-trick of assists, two of them coming from set pieces.
Alongside team-mate Anthony Gordon (£2.9m), the 33-year-old is currently Gameweek 6’s top performer.
So how can gaffers repeat such success this coming weekend once Gameweek 7 is underway?
Speaking of set pieces…Credit: Dream Team
Sheffield United are due to meet West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday and while it’s unlikely they’ll suffer another 8-0 defeat, it’s a horrible match-up for a team vulnerable at set pieces.
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The Hammers have several potent aerial threats and in James Ward-Prowse (£4m) they have one of the best exponents in world football when it comes to dead-ball deliveries.
The ex-Southampton midfielder has hit the ground running for David Moyes’ side since his summer transfer – he’s produced two goals and five assists in just six outings so far.
Ward-Prowse’s tally of 52 points is only bettered by three midfielders at this stage, an impressive feat given he was still a Saints player in Gameweek 1.

The 28-year-old is a viable option against any opponent on current form – he took Manchester City and Liverpool for a combined 19 points – but the prospect of him being unleashed on a team with severe troubles against set pieces should have Dream Team bosses licking their lips.
What makes this strategy even more appealing is that West Ham are also scheduled to face Freiburg in Gameweek 7.
That Europa League fixture may not be as favourable a match-up but the German outfit are currently ninth in the Bundesliga and, more importantly, it’s simply another chance for Ward-Prowse to build upon his points total (if selected).
At the time of writing, Ward-Prowse is the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 7.

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SO far this season, the average Premier League game features just over three goals.That’s a notable increase compared to the overall average (2.65) since the top flight was re-imagined in 1992.
With more managers embracing open-ended games and the new directive around time management resulting in long stoppage-time periods, clean sheets are proving ever more elusive.

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Top-tier Dream Team defendersCredit: DREAM TEAM
Consequently, there’s plenty to be said for Dream Team managers selecting defenders who provide an additional attacking threat rather than those who primarily earn points through clean sheets.
Take Aston Villa’s full-backs as an example.
Unai Emery’s side have conceded ten league goals this campaign, only the bottom five sides have shipped more at this stage, and they also allowed Legia Warsaw to score three in their first Europa Conference League group game.
The Villains’ high line means they are vulnerable at the back.
And yet Matty Cash (£2.8m) and Lucas Digne (£2.5m) are both among the top five defenders in Dream Team at the time of writing because of what they offer in attack.
The Poland international essentially plays as an auxiliary winger most of the time, as evidenced by the fact he’s produced seven shots on target already this season.
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For comparison, Willy Boly (£2m) is the only other defender to have registered more than three.
Two of Cash’s shots on target have resulted in goals and he can count himself unlucky not to have at least one more to his name, such has been his advanced threat across the first five and a half Gameweeks.

Cash is a ‘defender’ in the loosest possible senseCredit: PA
As for Digne, he’s provided three assists (plus a goal of his own), a tally only matched by Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) and Pervis Estupinan (£3.4m) among defenders.
Alex Moreno (£2.5m) finished last season as Villa’s first-choice left-back but the Spaniard’s injury left the door open for his understudy at the start of this campaign and the Frenchman has largely impressed.
In form reminiscent of early Everton days, Digne has exhibited his crossing ability in the final third at any given opportunity.
In fact, Pedro Neto (£3.2m) and Trippier are the only players to have registered more accurate crosses at this juncture.
No player has enacted more interceptions than the 30-year-old full-back, a statistic that has helped him claim five bonus points – a decent haul for a defender.
Crossing machineCredit: Getty
It should be noted that Cash and Digne have contributed to two clean sheets but when minus points for goals conceded are factored in, it’s clear that the pair’s attacking attributes are reason they’ve thrived in Dream Team to date.
And they’ve offered plentiful returns at affordable prices too.
Both are currently available for under £3m, which represents excellent value considering they’ve combined for 77 points.
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Top dog Trippier (49 pts) is the only defender clear of Cash (40 pts) while Digne (37 pts) is level with Kyle Walker (£3.6m) in joint-fifth.
Aston Villa’s fixtures until the end of October: Everton (Carabao Cup this week), Brighton, Zrinjski Mostar, Wolves, West Ham, AZ Alkmaar, Luton.

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DREAM TEAM managers have a lot on their plate right now.One of the most common debates this week will concern the third striker spot.
With Erling Haaland (£8.3m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) deservedly the two-most popular forwards in the game, many gaffers will have to think carefully about the final place in their front line.
Persuasive cases can be made for Darwin Nunez (£4.1m), Gabriel Jesus (£5.2m), Evan Ferguson (£3.4m) and Odsonne Edouard (£3m) but, right now, Son Heung-min (£4.7m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.4m) are seemingly the two best candidates.
A Dream Team dilemmaCredit: Dream Team
Manchester City’s No19 remains the fourth-best performer overall in Dream Team this season despite taking Nottingham Forest for just three points on Saturday.
The World Cup winner has four goals and five assists to his name having thrived in the No10 role in Pep Guardiola’s system so far in 2023/24.
Haaland is the only player to have registered more shots on target than Alvarez and Jordan Ayew (£2.9m) is the only forward to have earned more bonus points.
The Argentina international’s ginormous return of 29 points in Gameweek 5 sent out a clear message that he is nobody’s understudy this season.
Haaland remains the treble-winner’s primary goal threat but Alvarez has carved out a role of his own in which he’s capable of dictating games, just as he did against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
The form of a superheroCredit: Reuters
Prior to the weekend, the 23-year-old was comfortably the optimum choice to partner Haaland and Salah in Dream Team’s perfect front three.
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However, Sunday’s events at the Emirates have prompted a re-evaluation.
Son became Tottenham’s derby day hero when he scored a brace on enemy soil to help his side come from behind twice and share the honours at full time.
Spurs’ captain bagged 15 points when all was said and done in North London to take his grand total to 50 for the season.
The South Korean superstar is yet to register an assist but he’s scored five goals – only Haaland has more at the time of writing.
Many fans suspected that Ange Postecoglou’s attack-focused tactics would restore Son to his formidable best after a subdued 2022/23 and the early signs suggest such thinking was sound.
Picture perfectCredit: Getty
He’s looked particularly threatening since his switch to centre-forward a couple of weeks back, benefiting from James Maddison’s (£4.4m) superb playmaking as the focal point of a dynamic attacking unit.
And that’s arguably an advantage Son has over Alvarez, who will not be his side’s most-advanced threat as long as Haaland is fit.
Both are fantastic options but the Man City man may edge it at this moment in time because of his European fixtures.
In fact, that’s the key difference between the two forwards so far.
Son has produced 49 points from his six league fixtures so far while Alvarez has earned 41 but the latter is 12 points ahead in the rankings overall because of his massive 21-point return in City’s first Champions League game of the campaign.
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If Son can score twice against Arsenal than he’s got every chance of producing the goods again in Gameweek 7 against Liverpool but he’ll have to play out of skin to outscore Alvarez, who is likely to start against Wolves and RB Leipzig in the same time frame.
Son is technically the most in-form player in the game right now having averaged 12.7 points-per-game across his last three outings and he may well be the superior selection down the line but betting against Alvarez’s additional fixtures is asking for trouble at present.

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PEP GUARDIOLA claims he told his players not to lose their heads in the second half against Nottingham Forest.Rodri (£4.4m) was clearly too busy tucking into the half-time oranges to pay attention to his gaffer as the Spanish midfielder was sent off just 27 seconds after the restart for violent conduct.
Manchester City’s linchpin foolishly put his hands around Morgan Gibbs-White’s (£3m) throat following a tangle near the corner flag, leaving Anthony Taylor little choice but to produce the red card.
This moment came as a considerable blow to a sizeable chunk of Dream Team managers as Rodri is the fourth-most popular midfielder in the game at the time of writing.
Mistakes were madeCredit: Dream Team
The 27-year-old’s straight red will see him suspended for three domestic games, leaving over 20% of gaffers in need of a replacement.
Rodri will miss the treble-winner’s midweek Carabao Cup meeting with Newcastle, the trip to Wolves in Gameweek 7, and the highly-anticipated match-up at the Emirates just prior to the international break.
The Spain international will be available for City’s second Champions League fixture of the season against RB Leipzig but Dream Team bosses can’t afford to stick by him while he’s suspended domestically.
So which players make up the most suitable replacements?
Rodri owners may feel it’s best to stick by City by recruiting Phil Foden (£4.4m), who costs the exact same as his team-mate right now.
Against Forest on Saturday, the England international delivered the returns he’s threatened in recent outings in the form of a 12-point haul.
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The 23-year-old opened the scoring with an exemplary first-time finish and also earned three bonus points to finish as the best performer on either side at the Etihad on Saturday.
Foden is fresh off a 12-point haulCredit: EPA
Alternatively, Dream Team bosses may feel now is an opportune moment to back the relatively affordable Matheus Nunes (£2.8m).
The Portuguese midfielder has provided an assist in each of his last two appearances – an effort that has translated to 16 points.
Plus, only five players have earned more bonus points than Nunes’ 12 this season.
With Rodri suspended and other City midfielders sidelined with injury, the summer signing should get his fair share of minutes leading up to the next international break.
Similarly, if a change in formation is possible, Julian Alvarez (£4.4m) is a more than worthy alternative.
The World Cup winner mustered just three points against Steve Cooper’s side but he’s been magnificent this season.

A class actCredit: EPA
Elsewhere, James Maddison (£4.4m) has to be considered a potential replacement – like Foden and Alvarez, his current price matches Rodri’s.
Tottenham’s No10 proved on Sunday that’s essentially fixture-proof as he returned ten points away at Arsenal.
With two goals, four assists, four big chances created and 11 shots on target to his name after six Gameweeks, Spurs’ new talisman is undoubtedly a top-tier asset.
The only drawback with Maddison is the fact he doesn’t have European fixtures to bolster his schedule – Ange Postecoglou’s are already out of the Carabao Cup too.
However, his tally of 63 points speaks for itself.
Hammer time!Credit: Getty
Finally, James Ward-Prowse (£4m) is proving to be a fantastic signing for West Ham and his bright start to life in East London has transferred to Dream Team.
The set-piece specialist is the fourth-best asset in his position having amassed 52 points – a particularly impressive feat given he was still a Southampton player in Gameweek 1.
No player has more assists than Ward-Prowse’s five at this stage of the campaign and he’s scored two goals of his own as well.
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The Hammers’ midfielder is currently the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 7, suggesting quite a few gaffers see him as the most suitable replacement for Rodri.
David Moyes’ side host Sheffield United this coming Saturday…

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