Fantasy Football

WE love it when a plan comes together here at Dream Team HQ.Last week, we tipped Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) as a smart recruit in our weekly transfer recommendations article and even gave him a mention as a captaincy candidate for Gameweek 6.
And how did the 33-year-old repay our faith at the weekend? With an emphatic 17-point haul!

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King among Dream Team defenders once againCredit: Dream Team
The primary reason we singled out the Newcastle right-back as such a promising option for Gameweek 6 was his favourable match-up against Sheffield United.
Prior to Sunday’s fixture at Bramall Lane, Paul Heckingbottom’s side had conceded the most xG from set-pieces having allowed their opponents more headed shots from dead-ball situations than any other team in the Premier League.
This was a strong indication that a player of Trippier’s attributes had a relatively strong chance of notching an assist.
As it turned out, he provided THREE assists as the Magpies racked up an astonishing 8-0 victory.
Sure enough, two of the England full-back’s assists came from set-pieces as Dan Burn (£3.6m) and Sven Botman (£3.9m) each nodded home a set-piece delivery within four minutes of each other.
Newcastle demolished the Blades on SundayCredit: Getty
Trippier’s attacking contribution was the headline news but the Blades’ inability to grab a consolation goal was also a factor in his success.
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Newcastle have now kept three clean sheets in a row to leave many Dream Team managers experiencing deja vu.
Eddie Howe’s troops dominated the defensive rankings for much of last season and Botman, Burn and Trippier now occupy three of the top four spots in their position this term.
The latter is once again the leading defender in the game having outscored all other assets in his position at the weekend – he’s now one point short of a half-century for the season.
Burn is level with Matty Cash (£2.8m) in joint-second on 40 points with Botman one point behind on 39.
One of the reasons Trippier has carved out a bracket of his own is his tally of 11 bonus points – the most among defenders at this stage.
As you would expect, he’s provided more accurate crosses than any other player in his position and he also ranks highly for successful dribbles and blocks.
And only Pervis Estupinan (£3.4m) has created more big chances than Trippier among defenders.

Newcastle will be boosted by their thumping victory at Bramall LaneCredit: Getty
Newcastle face Manchester City on Wednesday night but that fixture isn’t as intimidating in the environment of the Carabao Cup – both teams are likely to rotate to some extent.
Looking further ahead, Trippier and company will feel confident of adding another clean sheet to their collection in their next league game, a meeting with Burnley at St James’ Park.
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Even accounting for PSG’s visit to Tyneside in Gameweek 7, Newcastle defenders look well placed to hold their positions at the top of the rankings until the next international break.
With an ownership of 19.6%, Trippier is currently the fourth-most popular defender in Dream Team but both Botman and Burn, who are considerably more affordable, appear in just 3.9% of teams.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 6 in one easily digestible dose.Liverpool will be able to call upon on Virgil van Dijk (£4.5m) with the Dutchman having served his extended suspension in full.
It’s not known whether Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.4m) will also be involved against West Ham but the right-back was not among the Reds’ Europa League squad against LASK.
As for the Hammers, Jarrod Bowen (£4.9m) will be assessed at the weekend after he skipped his side’s Europa League fixture having picked up a virus.
Mason Mount (£3.3m), Sofyan Amrbat (£3.5m) and Raphael Varane (£3.5m) all returned to Manchester United this week but Erik ten Hag refused to give a clear indication of the trio’s availability for this weekend’s visit to Turf Moor.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£3m) will be sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring injury – the Red Devils’ right-back appears in 7.4% of teams at the time of writing.
Ivan Perisic has suffered a serious ACL injury and will undergo surgeryCredit: Rex
Ivan Perisic (£2.7m) and Rico Henry (£2.8m) are both long-term absentees for Tottenham and Brentford respectively after suffering serious ACL injuries – the Bees have already ruled out their defender for the remainder of the season.
Armando Broja (£2m) has a chance of being among Chelsea’s matchday squad for the first time this campaign while Moises Caicedo (£2.4m) will be assessed on Saturday before a final decision is made.
Noni Madueke (£2.7m) and Marc Cucurella (£2.9m) have returned to training with Reece James (£4.5m) also said to be progressing well but Aston Villa’s visit to Stamford Bridge this Sunday certainly comes too soon for the Blues’ skipper.
Roberto De Zerbi confirmed to journalists that he would make “a lot” of changes to his team following Brighton’s defeat to AEK Athens on Thursday evening.
Late decisions will be made on Lewis Dunk (£2.7m) and Evan Ferguson (£3.3m) ahead of Sunday’s home game against Bournemouth – both players are among the most-selected 15 assets in their respective positions in the realm of Dream Team.
Bernardo Silva joins John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne on the sidelinesCredit: Dream Team
Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) will be absent for at least a week following his premature substitution against Red Star Belgrade in midweek.
In more encouraging news for Manchester City fans, Pep Guardiola told reporters Jack Grealish (£4.4m) may be able to play “some minutes”.
Mikel Arteta has not yet decided whether Aaron Ramsdale (£3.6m) or David Raya (£3.5m) start in goal against Spurs.
Gabriel Martinelli (£4.2m) is a doubt for Arsenal while Thomas Partey (£2.7m) remains sidelined.
Antonee Robinson (£2.1m) has returned to Fulham training but Marco Silva revealed Adama Traore (£2.3m) has been added to his list of absentees.
Nicolas Jackson (£2.6m) and Anthony Gordon (£2.8m) are both one yellow card away from incurring a suspension.
Who will start in the North London derby?Credit: The Sun

ARSENAL
Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli (doubt)
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Tim Iroegbunam, Diego Carlos, Bertrand Traore (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Alex Scott, Ryan Fredericks, Emiliano Marcondes, Tyler Adams
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Josh Dasilva, Shandon Baptiste, Rico Henry, Mikkel Damsgaard (doubt), Ben Mee (doubt), Kristoffer Ajer (doubt)
Suspensions: Ivan Toney
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson (doubt), Lewis Dunk (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Michael Obafemi, Hjalmar Ekdal, Darko Churlinov
Suspensions: Lyle Foster
CHELSEA
Injuries: Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja (doubt), Christopher Nkunku, Beniot Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Marcus Bettinelli, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia, Noni Madueke (doubt), Moises Caicedo (doubt)
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Michael Olise, Matheus Franca, Naouirou Ahamada, Marc Guehi (doubt), James Tomkins, Jefferson Lerma
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli, Jack Harrison
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Sasa Lukic, Tosin Adarabioyo, Adama Traore, Antonee Robinson (doubt)
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Suspensions: None
LUTON
Injuries: Dan Potts, Jordan Clark, Gabriel Osho, Ross Barkley (doubt)
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Jack Grealish (doubt), Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Raphael Varane (doubt), Luke Shaw, Mason Mount (doubt), Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Tyrell Malacia, Sofyan Amrabat (doubt), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire (doubt)
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Joe Willock, Emil Krath, Joelinton
Suspensions: None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Serge Aurier (doubt), Danilo, Anthony Elanga (doubt), Willy Boly (doubt)
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Rhys Norrington-Davies, Daniel Jebbison, Rhian Brewster, John Fleck, Max Lowe, Ben Osborn, Will Osula (doubt), George Baldock, John Egan (doubt)
Suspensions: Oli McBurnie
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo Bentacur, Ryan Sessegnon, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso (doubt), Alfie Whiteman
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Aaron Cresswell (doubt), Jarrod Bowen (doubt)
Suspensions: None
WOLVES
Injuries: Joe Hodge (doubt), Rayan Ait-Nouri (doubt)
Suspensions: None

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HAPPY with your performance in Gameweek 5?Just imagine how Chris Davison is feeling having outscored every other Dream Team manager in the world.
Chris’ XI racked up a gigantic tally of 231 points this past week, almost doubling his overall score for the season.
Let’s take a closer look at how he used Dream Team to enhance his bank balance to the tune of £100…

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Gameweek 5’s conquerorsCredit: Dream Team
As expected, Chris made use of the Park the Bus Booster to double all his defenders’ points in Gameweek 5.
It’s advisable to opt for a formation with five at the back when activating the most powerful Booster in the game but it’s hard to criticise Chris given the performance of his XI.
Nick Pope (£3.9m) soared to the top of the goalkeeper rankings with a 19-point haul after back-to-back clean sheets against Brentford and Milan.
The Newcastle custodian was his side’s hero in Italy on Tuesday night as he held firm to register EIGHT saves – a rearguard that earned him four additional points.
Kieran Trippier (£5.2m), Fabian Schar (£3.8m) and Dan Burn (£3.4m) also benefited from the Magpies’ defensive fortitude – the trio combined for 50 points which Chris doubled to a century!
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Milan’s baneCredit: Dream Team
Lucas Digne (£2.2m) was unable to contribute to a clean sheet in either of his Gameweek 5 fixtures but he compensated with attacking returns.
The Aston Villa left-back provided an assist against Crystal Palace at the weekend and scored against Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
However, Chris’ greatest stroke of genius was his decision to strap the captain’s armband to James Ward-Prowse (£3.8m).
West Ham’s set-piece specialist managed to take Manchester City for 12 points on Saturday before a masterful display at home to Backa Topola in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Only five midfielders have more points than Ward-Prowse after five Gameweeks – what a signing he’s proving to be for the Hammers.
Bruno Guimaraes (£2.8m) mustered just five points from his two outings while Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) added six thanks to another three bonus points.
Crystal Palace’s No10 is hoarding bonus points so far this season, mostly thanks to his unmatched dribbling ability.
Hammer blowCredit: Getty
It’s a sign of Bukayo Saka’s (£6.2m) standing among Dream Team gaffers that his return of 17 points in Gameweek 5 was essentially normal service.
Arsenal’s No7 provided the assists for his side’s winning goal at Goodison Park before setting up another against PSV in addition to a goal of his own.
Dream Team’s top midfielder has six goal involvements already this season – no wonder he features in 52.2% of teams.

Naturally, Chris is among the overwhelming majority of Dream Team bosses with Erling Haaland (£8.2m) up front.
Manchester City’s prolific poacher endured one of his more frustrating weeks as he missed FIVE big chances against West Ham before finally bagging his goal.
The ball wouldn’t fall for him at home to Red Star Belgrade in midweek either and yet still he pouched 20 points from the two outings, such is his pedigree.
Chris racked up a massive score in Gameweek 5 despite Isak’s blankCredit: Getty
Chris is probably more interested in his £100 winnings but after he’s enjoyed a celebratory drink he may need to think about replacing Alexander Isak (£3.9m).
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The Sweden international has produced nine points between Gameweeks 2 and 5 – he’s only registered one shot on target in that time!
Excellent work, Chris, good luck to you and all gaffers ahead of Gameweek 6.

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IT’S obvious which fixture headlines Score Predictor in Matchweek 6, Sunday’s highly-anticipated North London derby.The mouthwatering clash at the Emirates will go a long way to determining which user claims this week’s top prize of a PlayStation 5 but there are four other match-ups and each deserves careful consideration.

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How many this week, Erling?Credit: Getty
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
It’s difficult to envisage anything other than a routine win for Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable machine on Saturday, isn’t it?
Steve Cooper’s side addressed their terrible away record with a win at Stamford Bridge prior to the international break but a trip to the Etihad is another challenge entirely – it’s arguably the most difficult fixture in world football at the moment.
Erling Haaland and company continued their perfect start to the season with a sixth consecutive victory against Red Star Belgrade in midweek while Forest could only muster a draw at home to Burnley last time out.
Sadists may be tempted to predict a cricket score but Forest have only conceded seven goals in five league outings – just five teams boast a better defensive record – so they have it in them to put up some resistance.
Still, it’s City at home…
Our Prediction: 3-0 to Man City
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Erik ten Hag desperately needs a response from his team this weekendCredit: Getty
Burnley v Manchester United
All is not well with the Red Devils.
There’s no disgrace losing 4-3 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena but Wednesday night’s Champions League encounter was yet another fixture in which Erik ten Hag’s men were outclassed.
We accurately called Man United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in Matchweek 4 and came close to doing the same last time out when we tipped Brighton to win 2-1 at Old Trafford – a pair of predictions that earned 15 points in the world of Score Predictor.
However, we’re backing them to earn a much-needed win this weekend at Turf Moor.
The Clarets have one point from a possible 12 and have conceded more goals than any other team in the league – surely Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund will exploit such a fragile defence?
Although, between Andre Onana’s (£3.7m) form and injury absentees in defence, clean sheets will be hard for Man United to come by for the foreseeable future.
Our Prediction: 2-1 to Man United

Must-see TVCredit: Dream Team
Arsenal v Tottenham
The big one.
Both sides are undefeated in the Premier League this season having won four times and drawn once.
The Gunners continue to impress having taken Man City to the distance last term while Spurs have been given a new lease on life by Ange Postecoglou.
Arsenal have home advantage but they played against PSV in midweek while their rivals have had all week to prepare for Sunday’s main event.
Only Brighton and City have scored more league goals than Spurs’ 13 at this stage and with both teams keen on sustaining attacks, it should be an enthralling contest conducive to goals at both ends.
Score Predictor users are generally torn between a narrow home win and a draw with 40% opting for an entertaining 2-2 – we like the sound of that.
Our Prediction: 2-2 draw
Mohamed Salah has created the most big chances this seasonCredit: Alamy
Liverpool v West Ham
It’s a shame this one kicks off at the same time as the North London derby as it has the makings of an entertaining encounter.
Jurgen Klopp’s side tend to start slowly (to put it mildly) before coming on strong in the second half but there’s a sense that teams could punish their sleepy openings to a greater extent.
Despite some wobbles, the Reds are undefeated in 16 games and their firepower in attack provides a serious test of fortitude for any opponent.
The Hammers have tasted defeat this season but only to Man City and they gave a good account of themselves in that one too.
David Moyes has already overseen spirited wins against Chelsea and Brighton – his side had to dig deep in both those games and they’ll need to do the same to get something at Anfield.
Liverpool play LASK in Austria this evening while West Ham have the benefit of a home Europa League fixture against Serbian outfit Backa Topola.
Score Predictor users are confident of a home win but we can’t help but feel the visitors’ fighting spirit is being somewhat underestimated.
Our Prediction: 2-2 draw
Newcastle just about held firm in MilanCredit: Getty
Sheffield United v Newcastle
The Blades have conceded the most chances from set-pieces this season and so they may it difficult to deal with Kieran Trippier’s dead-ball deliveries with units like Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Alexander Isak lurking with intent.
More generally, it’s been a tough start to the campaign for Paul Heckingbottom’s troops with just one point from a possible 15.
They looked to have upset the odds in North London last weekend before Spurs broke their hearts with two late goals.
The Magpies have registered two clean sheets in a row and while they were helped out by some wasteful Milan finishing, Eddie Howe will be pleased to see his defence tightening up – that was key feature of their 2022/23 campaign.
Newcastle are more vulnerable away from home but a trip to Bramall Lane has to be considered a favourable match-up on current form.
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Our Prediction: 2-0 to Newcastle

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ONE of the main changes to Dream Team’s scoring system this season concerns shots on target.Players are now rewarded with one point every time they test (or beat) the opposition’s goalkeeper.
While this will never be an asset’s primary method of earning points, it’s certainly something gaffers should bear in mind when devising their strategies.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the midfielders who have registered the most shots on target so far this season.

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Not shy of a shotCredit: Getty
MOST SHOTS ON TARGET AMONG MIDFIELDERS:

James Maddison (£4.3m) – 11
Martin Odegaard (£5m) – 11
Rodri (£4.2m) – 9
Arnaut Danjuma (£2.4m) – 7
Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) – 7
Pascal Gross (£3.9m) – 7
Bryan Mbeumo (£3.8m) – 7
Pape Matar Sarr (£2.2m) – 7

Fittingly ahead of the North London derby, Tottenham and Arsenal’s respective attacking midfielders lead the way.
Spurs’ No10 has led the way pretty much from the off in this metric as the centrepiece around which Ange Postecoglou’s dynamic side now revolve.
Whereas the Gunners’ captain upped his challenge this past Gameweek with five shots on target across his two fixtures – one of them resulted in a goal against PSV.
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It’s interesting that Odegaard is leading Bukayo Saka (£6.2m) in this regard as many observers would name the England winger as the slightly superior goal threat – the stats suggest the reverse is true.
That’s not to say Arsenal’s homegrown No7 is the neccessarily the worse Dream Team asset of two, he has 55 points to the Norway international’s 47 overal.
However, some gaffers may be tempted to swap Saka for Odegaard to free up some extra cash to invest elsewhere while maintaining a strong goal threat from Arsenal’s ranks.
Odegaard came to the fore in Gameweek 5Credit: Alamy
Rodri’s podium position in this ranking is an intriguing development.
The classy Spaniard is a holding midfielder on paper but, such is the extent of Manchester City’s superiority over most their opponents, he spends a lot of time in advanced positions.
The 27-year-old is a composed shooter as well, best evidenced by his pinpoint Champions League final winner and most recently by his cool finish against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night.
Rodri has scored three goals already this season and it’s clear he feels more comfortable trying his luck – he often takes up threatening positions on the edge of the box against teams that sit deep.
Stat alert: Rodri has registered as many shots on target as Phil Foden (£4.3m), Jeremy Doku (£3.4m), Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) and Jack Grealish (£4.4m) combined after five Gameweeks.

Danjuma is generously categorised as a midfielder as he’s actually playing as a forward for Everton – though Dream Team bosses are justifiably hesitant to back the Toffees on current form.
Only Erling Haaland (£8.2m) has taken more shots in the Premier League than Eze this season.
Given that remarkable fact, it’s rather surprising Crystal Palace’s No10 has only scored one goal – although it should be noted that he’s not afraid to try his luck from distance.
The Eagles’ star has compensated for his inefficient shooting with a deluge of bonus points, 17 of them to be precise, more than any other player.
A ‘midfielder’ in the loosest possible senseCredit: Dream Team
Mbeumo’s presence in this list is predictable as much like Danjuma, he’s essentially a forward – he takes Brentford’s penalties too.
Gross is an interesting inclusion as many Dream Team gaffers would probably assume Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m) and Solly March (£3.8m) are Brighton’s leading goal threats from midfield.
That pair remain perfectly viable selections but the numbers suggest the Seagulls’ experienced German belongs in the same conversation.
Lastly, it’s another byproduct of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics, the ever-developing Sarr.
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The 21-year-old, who is very affordable, has scored one goal and provided an assist but he’s just Spurs’ fourth-best midfielder at this stage – Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski (£3m) and Yves Bissouma (£3m) have all got more points.

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FEW Dream Team managers would doubt Alexander Isak’s (£3.9m) general quality but those who used a transfer to recruit the Newcastle striker after Gameweek 1 have been pitifully repaid.The 23-year-old was a relatively popular selection before the season got underway and a 15-point haul against Aston Villa on the opening weekend led to massive surge in popularity.
He was the second-most popular transfer target ahead of Gameweek 2 but he’s been unable to add to his goal tally since that brace at St James’ Park.
It’s all gone downhill since the opening weekend of the campaignCredit: DREAM TEAM
In fact, Isak has mustered just nine points between Gameweeks 2 and 5 with eight of those coming as appearance points.
Most concerning is the fact he’s registered just one shot on target in his last four games.
This dip in form is particularly notable as the Sweden international remains the third-most popular striker Dream Team has to offer at the time of writing.
His ownership of 18.1% is only bettered by cream-of-the-crop assets, Mohamed Salah (£6.6m) and Erling Haaland (£8.2m).
Gameweek 5 felt like a breaking point of sorts for Isak owners.
He didn’t feature at all at home to Brentford on Saturday with his direct replacement, Callum Wilson (£4.2m), scoring the Magpies’ winner.
Picked to start at San Siro for Newcastle’s long-awaited return to the Champions League, Isak had little impact on the game as the visitors were put under sustained pressure by Milan for the majority of the game.
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In a Gameweek when several key players will make the most of the additional European fixture, the Toon’s tall forward produced just two points.
Isak was relatively anonymous against MilanCredit: AP
Some of Isak’s backer’s may be tempted to give him one last shot at redemption in Gameweek 6 as Eddie Howe’s side travel to Sheffield United on Sunday (before hosting Manchester City in the Carabao Cup in midweek) but the clock is ticking at a deafening volume.
To draw an unflattering comparison, Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) started the season at the same price as Newcastle’s No14 but the contest has swung dramatically in the Manchester City forward’s favour since Gameweek 1 concluded.
The World Cup winner has plundered 59 points in total having taken Red Star Belgrade for 21 just moments after Isak had drawn a blank in Italy on Tuesday night.
In total, 17 strikers have more points to their name than Isak at this stage, a list that includes the likes of: Zeki Amdouni (£2.3m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£2.5m), Matheus Cunha (£2.4m).
It’s impossible to justify his popularity given the undeniable statistics.

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