Fantasy Football

ANY Dream Team gaffer worth their salt knows to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth.Aston Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest are the only teams set to fulfil two fixtures in Gameweek 22 and so their best assets should be given due consideration.
The Villains will host the Blues next Wednesday (February 7th) in a FA Cup fourth round replay to determine which side will face the winners of Plymouth v Leeds in the next stage of the competition.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are scheduled to meet Bristol City on the same night with the victor due to meet Manchester United in the fifth round.

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Must-have assets for Gameweek 22?Credit: Dream Team
GAMEWEEK 22 DOUBLE FIXTURES:

Aston Villa: vs Sheffield United (a), Chelsea (h)
Chelsea: vs Wolves (h), Aston Villa (a)
Nottingham Forest: vs Bournemouth (a), Bristol City (h)

Forest’s double header is inviting but they may not be in a position to take full advantage.
Results have improved since Steve Cooper was dismissed but defeat to out-of-form Brentford followed by a 0-0 draw to the Robins has come as something of a reality check for the team currently 16th in the Premier League table.
The good news is that Morgan Gibbs-White (£3.1m) returned from injury in the second half against Bristol City – the 24-year-old midfielder is his side’s best Dream Team performer this season having earned 110 points.
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Forest’s No10 would be the man to own for Dream Team gaffers who want to target the club’s Gameweek 22 fixtures but such a ploy would likely be nothing more than a hopeful, short-term punt.
Gibbs-White and company are due to face Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brighton between Gameweeks 23 and 27 – a run that includes four of the current top seven.
Forest’s best Dream Team player this seasonCredit: Getty
Backing Chelsea and Villa assets seems to be a wiser strategy.
Gaffers losing patience with Ollie Watkins (£4m) amid a downturn in form would probably do well to retain him for Gameweek 22 – if he fails to deliver the goods across two fixtures then that would surely be the final straw.
Ezri Konsa (£3.2m) is a decent pick as he’s level with Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) on 37 bonus points this season, the joint-most among defenders.
And the midfield options of John McGinn (£3.6m), Douglas Luiz (£3.5m), Leon Bailey (£2.9m) and Moussa Diaby (£3m) all have their merits – all four have 100+ points to their name.
As for Mauricio Pochettino’s troops, Cole Palmer (£4.1m) is evidently the standout candidate.
With 11 goals and nine assists this season, the 21-year-old may also be the optimum captain for Gameweek 22.
151 Dream Team points and countingCredit: Getty

That being said, Wolves are unbeaten in their last seven games while a trip to Villa Park is statistically among the most difficult fixtures this season.
However, Chelsea are in good form themselves having lost just one of their last seven fixtures, scoring 16 goals in that time.
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Doubling up on Chelsea midfielders in Gameweek 22 with Palmer and Raheem Sterling (£4m) is certainly a viable tactic.
Dream Team managers shouldn’t alter their entire strategy because of three FA Cup replays but some representation in the next round of midweek fixtures could go a long way.

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DREAM TEAM managers should be keeping track of which players rank highly for shots on target and big chances created this season.Not only do assets earn one point for each of these acts as defined by stats gurus Opta, these metrics give a good indication of which individuals are likely to be among the most prolific goalscorers and assist providers in the long run.
Not every gaffer has the time or patience to trawl through the Stats Centre so here we’ve collated the top midfielders in regards to shots on target and big chances created.
Surprisingly productiveCredit: Dream Team
Most shots on target and big chances created among Dream Team midfielders 2023/24:

41 – Phil Foden (30 shots, 11 chances)
41 – Bruno Fernandes (26 shots, 15 chances)
39 – Jarrod Bowen (30 shots, 9 chances)
39 – Cole Palmer (29 shots, 10 chances)
36 – Bukayo Saka (23 shots, 13 chances)
32 – Anthony Gordon (21 shots, 11 chances)
30 – Martin Odegaard (22 shots, 8 chances)
28 – Moussa Diaby (21 shots, 7 chances)
27 – Raheem Sterling (17 shots, 10 chances)
26 – Enzo Fernandez (22 shots, 4 chances)

The first thing to note is that, when ranking players with equal combined totals, we’ve prioritised shots on target as goals are worth more points than assists.
Foden leads the way having been among Manchester City’s most-threatening players this season.
Interestingly, the England international has played predominantly as the most-advanced midfielder, the role usually occupied by Kevin De Bruyne (£6.2m).
Now that the Belgian superstar is fit and available again, will Foden’s minutes dip or will he simply revert to a wide forward role?
Surely Pep Guardiola will recognise that the 23-year-old is too good to leave out on current form?
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19 goal involvements and counting this seasonCredit: Getty
It will come as a surprise to many Dream Team bosses that no midfielder has registered more shots on target plus big chances created than Fernandes this season.
In the key creative metric, only Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) boasts a higher tally among all players than Manchester United’s captain.
It may not seem as if the Portuguese midfielder is among the best players in his position this season but the stats don’t lie – his team-mates simply aren’t making the most of his creative output.
For comparison, Fernandes has five assists from 15 big chances created while Pedro Neto (£3m) has ten assists from just five big chances created.
When everything clicks for Fernandes, he truly is a top-tier Dream Team asset.
It’s no surprise to see Bowen rank so highly, particularly for shots on target, as he’s essentially played as a centre-forward more often than not this term.
He’s followed closely by Palmer, who has emerged as an excellent value-for-money option over the last two months or so.
‘Cold Palmer’Credit: Rex
There is a perception among some onlookers that the Chelsea youngster is overly dependant on penalties but 29 shots on target suggests he offers plenty of threat from open play as well.
Looking further down the list, Diaby and Fernandez are intriguing inclusions as they’ve both scored just five goals from 21 and 22 shots on target respectively, indicating their finishing hasn’t been precise enough in key moments.
Compare that to Mohammed Kudus (£4.9m), who has scored nine goals from 13 shots on target this campaign.

Sterling makes it three Chelsea representatives in this list, more than any other club.
The Blues have created more than their fair share of chances this season but for a long while they were blighted by wastefulness.
However, just one defeat in their last seven fixtures and 16 goals scored in that time represents a significant uplift – they’re now just one point off the European places.
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Gaffers certainly shouldn’t underestimate Chelsea assets but it’s clear Palmer is the optimum selection among them.
Keep track of shots on target and big chances created as the season progresses.

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HERE at Dream Team headquarters it’s our duty to flag up thriving players who may be flying under the radar.Dan Burn (£3.3m) very much fits that description.
Fulham fans’ worst nightmareCredit: Dream Team
The gigantic defender, who features in just 3.5% of teams, has produced 48 points across the last six Gameweeks with another fixture to come before the current Gameweek is complete.
Newcastle’s No33 notched 15 points against Fulham on Saturday, his joint-best haul of the season, via a clean sheet, goal and five tackles.
He was on hand to slam home from point-blank range just after the hour-mark to give the Magpies a comfortable lead, which they maintained until the final whistle to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round.
Add in an assist against Manchester City plus a clean sheet against rivals Sunderland and Burn has pocketed 26 points across his last three outings, making him statistically among the most in-form players in his position.
Highest points-per-game average among defender (last three appearances):

Pedro Porro – 11.7
Matty Cash – 9
Dan Burn – 8.7
Alex Moreno – 8.7
Nelson Semedo 8.7

Burn averages five points-per-game this seasonCredit: Getty
Burn seems to particularly enjoy playing against Marco Silva’s side as he started his current prosperous run with a 15-point haul against Fulham back in Gameweek 16, also via a goal and clean sheet.
Eddie Howe’s men have suffered a dip in form of late, losing four consecutive Premier League fixtures, albeit with the two most recent defeats coming against strong opposition in the form of Liverpool and Manchester City.
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However, the first-choice defence of Kieran Trippier (£4.8m), Sven Botman (£3.5m), Fabian Schar (£3.2m) and Burn are all available again ahead of a more favourable run of fixtures.
Newcastle host Luton in Gameweek 22 before meetings with Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

Additionally, Burn is likely to feature in his side’s upcoming FA Cup game against the winner of tonight’s match between Blackburn and Wrexham.
Trippier remains the premium option among Newcastle’s defenders having registered 171 points so far this season – only Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) has more to his name at the time of writing.
The problem for many Dream Team bosses is that the England international comes at a significant cost – he’s a full £1.5m more expensive than Burn right now.

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WE’VE written about Joao Pedro (£3.8m) a lot in recent weeks but if ever there was a time to underline his name it’s now.Brighton’s No9 was the second-most transferred-in player for Gameweek 21 and we even included him in our captaincy suggestions – those who followed that tip were handsomely rewarded.
Under considerable pressure to deliver, Pedro returned 24 points via a hat-trick against Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Man of the momentCredit: Dream Team
The 22-year-old scored two penalties, his speciality this season, before securing the match ball with a pinpoint finish from the edge of the box.
Incredibly, he’s now scored TEN spot-kicks this season across all competitions.
Add in eight goals from open play and his tally of 18 goals is only bettered by Erling Haaland (£7.9m) among all Premier League players.
While the Manchester City poacher holds a slender lead in that regard, Pedro has leapfrogged the Norway international in the Dream Team rankings.
The ex-Watford forward’s haul at Bramall Lane took him to 200 points for the campaign, five more than Haaland – although of course the latter has been out for a few weeks with a foot injury.
Everything he touches turns to goldCredit: AP
Pedro is just the fourth asset to celebrate his double century in 2023/24, Phil Foden (£5.2m) reached the milestone against Tottenham on Friday night while Bukayo Saka (£5.6m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) achieved the feat earlier this month.
With the Egyptian superstar sidelined, the Brazilian is currently the top scorer in the game among available strikers.
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Pedro also ranks third in position for bonus points this term, having earned 15 of them in total with three coming against the Blades at the weekend.
It took a while but he’s finally a justifiably popular player among gaffers – his ownership of 17.8% makes him the fifth-most selected forward right now.
And he’s almost certain to be among the most-popular recruits again ahead of Gameweek 22 having plundered 69 points across his last five outings!
Before then, Pedro faces Luton in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Brighton’s fixtures appear relatively favourable in the coming weeksCredit: PA

Looking forward, the Seagulls host rivals Crystal Palace in Gameweek 22 with the Eagles horribly out of form.
A trip to Spurs represents a tougher test in Gameweek 23 but Roberto De Zerbi’s side then have a relatively favourable run in the top flight: Sheffield United, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest.
Plus, Brighton are due to play Wolves in the FA Cup fifth round and it won’t be long before they resume their Europa League campaign either.
Essentially, Pedro is viable option for the foreseeable future.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 21 in one easily digestible dose.Erling Haaland (£7.9m) will not feature against Tottenham this evening but Manchester City’s No9 may get “some minutes” against Burnley in midweek.
Manuel Akanji (£3.6m) remains sidelined but Ederson (£2.9m) and John Stones (£3.5m) are in contention for the defending champions.
In regards to Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m), Pep Guardiola said: “He is ready [to start]. He was ready at Newcastle as well but always we have the processes.
“Of course, it’s really, really soon to play from the beginning. But the most important thing is he trained really, really well in Abu Dhabi.”
Available for selectionCredit: Getty
As for Spurs, James Maddison (£4.2m) has been deemed available for selection having trained all week.
The creative midfielder averages 7.8 points-per-game in Dream Team this season.
Dejan Kulusevski (£3.3m) has also recovered from an illness, further boosting Ange Postecoglou’s attacking options.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) only returned to team training today but Jurgen Klopp included the defender among those in contention to feature against Norwich on Sunday.
It all depends how Liverpool’s No66 comes through the session but even if he skips this weekend’s FA Cup fixture, a return for Wednesday night’s meeting with Chelsea would be likely.
Andy Robertson (£3.7m) and Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.7m) are “ready for minutes” barring any setbacks prior to the Reds’ double header in Gameweek 21 – both were pictured in training alongside Alexander-Arnold.
Christopher Nkunku (£3.7m) and Malo Gusto (£2.4m) will not be among the Blues’ squad to face Aston Villa tonight but the pair have a chance to be involved at Anfield in midweek.
Expected to return in Gameweek 21 in some capacityCredit: PA

As for Unai Emery’s men, Pau Torres (£3m) has suffered a minor setback in his progression and was forced to remove himself from training, although seemingly only as a precaution.
Lucas Digne (£3.1m) is said to be “another week or so” away from a return and Gameweek 21 probably comes too soon for Jacob Ramsey (£2.2m) as well.
Jhon Duran (£1.6m) has also joined the Villains’ injury list.
Nottingham Forest are expected to be without key players Morgan Gibbs-White (£3.1m), Anthony Elanga (£2.7m), Taiwo Awoniyi (£2.4m), Felipe (£1.8m) and Divock Origi (£1.7m) again this weekend.
Nuno Espirito Santo is not all that hopeful of a better outlook for his side’s Tuesday night game against Arsenal but decisions will made nearer the time in that regard.
The Gunners have some issue of their own to negotiate, most pressingly, uncertainty over Declan Rice (£3.6m).
The England midfielder initially appeared to have incurred a hamstring injury during the 5-0 win over Crystal Palace but Mikel Arteta offered a more positive update, saying: “He was feeling some tightness. I don’t know what muscle it was. But when he says that at three-nil then obviously we don’t want to take any risks.”
At this stage, Rice is expected to travel to the City Ground in midweek.
The same is true for Gabriel (£3.9m) who was also substituted as a precaution against the Eagles – the Brazilian centre-back bagged 16 points last time out.
Rice’s hamstring issue is not thought to be anything significantCredit: Dream Team
ARSENAL
Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey (doubt), Fabio Vieira, Declan Rice (doubt), Gabriel (doubt)
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Lucas Digne, Jhon Duran, Jacob Ramsey (doubt), Pau Torres
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Ryan Fredericks, Tyler Adams, James Hill, Max Aarons, Adam Smith
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Julio Enciso, Solly March, Ansu Fati, Joel Veltman, Igor Julio (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Luka Koleosho, Jordan Beyer (doubt), Charlie Taylor (doubt), Hannes Delcroix (doubt)
Suspensions: None
CHELSEA
Injuries: Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku (doubt), Malo Gusto (doubt)
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Cheick Doucoure, Joel Ward, Rob Holding, Michael Olise
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Dele Alli, Ashley Young (doubt), Abdoulaye Doucoure, Seamus Coleman, Andre Gomes
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Adama Traore
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Kostas Tsimikas, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Trent Alexander-Arnold (doubt)
Suspensions: None
LUTON
Injuries: Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba, Mads Juel Andersen
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: Erling Haaland (doubt), Manuel Akanji
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Tyrell Malacia (doubt), Mason Mount (doubt), Harry Maguire, (doubt) Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy (doubt), Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Joelinton
Suspensions: Sandro Tonali
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Taiwo Awoniyi (doubt), Felipe (doubt), Divock Origi (doubt), Anthony Elanga (doubt), Morgan Gibbs-White (doubt)
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Daniel Jebbison, John Egan (doubt), Chris Basham (doubt), Tom Davies, George Baldock, Max Lowe (doubt)
Suspensions: Rhian Brewster
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Ryan Sessegnon (doubt), Alfie Whiteman, Manor Solomon, Alejo Veliz, Giovani Lo Celso, Ben Davies (doubt)
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio
Suspensions: Vladimir Coufal, Said Benrahma
WOLVES
Injuries: None
Suspensions: None

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THOSE who followed our advice in terms of captaincy for the Gameweek just past would have been handsomely rewarded.We tipped Cole Palmer (£3.9m) and Darwin Nunez (£4.2m) as strong options and both finished as the top two performers of Gameweek 20.
While our rogue differential punt of Matheus Cunha (£3.6m) delivered 15 points (doubled to 30 with the armband).
But that’s enough trumpet blowing, let’s analyse the best captains for Gameweek 21.

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Haaland’s not ready?Credit: Dream Team
Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)
We were reluctant to big up the World Cup winner earlier in the week as pictures of an energetic Erling Haaland (£7.9m) in training somewhat muddied the waters.
However, Pep Guardiola’s Thursday press conference, in which he declared that the Norwegian poacher would not play against Tottenham but may get “some minutes” against Burnley, acted as a green light for those keen on Alvarez.
With the Argentina international’s minutes seemingly assured for one more Gameweek at least, Manchester City’s double header looks inviting and who better to capitalise than their centre forward?
Granted, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a place of frustration and defeat for the treble winners in recent years but a home fixture against the Clarets in midweek should yield healthy returns.
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Phil Foden (£5.3m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m) are appealing for similar reasons with the latter “ready to start” according to his manager, although Guardiola said the same prior to Gameweek 20 when the Belgian was benched – he pocketed ten points as an impact substitute.
A man in formCredit: Reuters
Diogo Jota (£3.9m)/Darwin Nunez (£4.2m)
The Liverpool pair banked 19 points each in Gameweek 20 via two goals a piece against Bournemouth.
And there’s every reason to strap the armband to either of them again this time around with the Reds set for back-to-back home games – their record at Anfield this season is immense.
Jurgen Klopp’s side welcome Norwich to Merseyside in the FA Cup fourth round and while the Canaries are one of the better Championship outfits, their defence has leaked plenty of goals on the road this season.
In-form Chelsea will provide a sterner test in midweek but top-of-the-table Liverpool are the team to be feared right now.
Jota played just over 20 minutes as a substitute against Fulham last time out which suggests he’s in line to start against Norwich – it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Nunez was given at least a partial rest on Sunday.
A popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 21Credit: AP
Joao Pedro (£3.8m)
Betting against the favourites from Man City and Liverpool is fraught with risk but Brighton’s top scorer is expected to continue his impressive campaign in Gameweek 21.
The Seagulls play Sheffield United and Luton in what is a friendly double header on paper and given Haaland and Mohamed Salah (£6.4m) are the only players to have scored more goals than Pedro in 2023/24, this option ticks a lot of boxes.
The Brazilian has been helped by a stream of penalties but his mighty points total of 176 is all that really matters.
Pedro averages 8.3 points-per-game across his last three outings.

Booster Strategies
Gaffers with two or three Man City players, a Liverpool forward and a Brighton differential in their XI should consider activating Max Captain if they still have the Booster in hand.
With Haaland close to a return, the captaincy conversation is likely to be simplified soon – Max Captain would ensure the optimum selection this Gameweek amid a relatively open field.
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Elsewhere, Dream Team bosses without Jota or Pedro in their XI might adjudge either forward a decent 12th Man for some short-term gains.
Lock in your strategy before today’s 6:45pm deadline.

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ALL but six of the Premier League clubs are set to pull double duty in Gameweek 21 so there should be plentiful Dream Team points on offer.Gaffers will need to lock in their transfers before Friday’s 6:45pm deadline.
Allow us to suggest some potentially productive recruits.

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Magic manCredit: Getty
Kevin De Bruyne (£6.4m)
Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief is comfortably the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 21 having taken Newcastle for ten points in just half an hour last time out.
De Bruyne has had almost two weeks to continue his recovery since that impactful cameo and while it’s possible his playing time will still be regulated to some degree, he’ll surely get his fair share of minutes against Tottenham (FA Cup) and Burnley (Premier League) this coming Gameweek.
Pep Guardiola’s side have struggled away to Spurs in recent years but that bogey fixture is offset with what could be points-fest at the Etihad in midweek against the Clarets.
The advantage of bringing the Belgium international in now is that £6.4m may be the cheapest he’ll be for a while, especially with City set for a busy few weeks.
De Bruyne and friends are just two Gameweeks away from their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Copenhagen and three Gameweeks away from a league double-header to accommodate the rearranged meeting with Brentford (initially postponed because of the Club World Cup).
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Joao Pedro (£3.8m) and/or Pervis Estupinan (£3.2m)
Brighton’s fixture are set fairCredit: Dream Team
Brighton’s favourable run of fixtures starts in Gameweek 21 with consecutive away days to Sheffield United and Luton.
Their 22-year-old Brazilian forward is a very popular transfer having jumped up to third in the rankings among strikers after a seven-point return against Wolves.
Only Erling Haaland (£7.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) have scored more goals than Pedro in all competitions this season – the latter owing his tally to a steady stream of penalties.
Alternatively (or additionally), the Seagulls’ Ecuadoran left-back may fit the bill.
Estupinan has produced 36 points in four outings since his comeback from injury with ten of those coming at the expense of Gary O’Neil’s side last time out.
He’s contributed to two clean sheets recently but it’s his attacking verve that makes him a tempting option.
Estupinan is the joint-top goalscorer among Dream Team defenders and he ranks in the top five in his position for shots on target and big chances created.
All that despite being sidelined for 15 games this season!

Diogo Jota (£3.9m)
Liverpool’s main man in Salah’s absence?Credit: Rex
Chasing lost returns is often foolish but the Portugal international’s 19-point return in Gameweek 20 suggested there may be more to come.
Jota was superb at Bournemouth, scoring twice and assisting another, and the fact he was restricted to just 23 minutes at Fulham in midweek sets him up for potentially back-to-back starts against Norwich and Chelsea in Gameweek 21.
The 27-year-old averages a goal or assist approximately every 90 minutes in 2023/24 and the prospect of him being unleashed upon a Championship defence that have conceded a lot of goals on the road is a mouthwatering one.
Liverpool have the luxury of two home fixtures this coming Gameweek and their record at Anfield is immense – they remain unbeaten this campaign having only drawn twice.
Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.5m)
Tackle machineCredit: Reuters
Lastly, an obligatory mention for a Dream Team darling.
The Ukraine left-back’s ownership of 2.8% remains criminally low – he’s the fifth-best asset in his position!
Only the current top four have conceded fewer league goals than Everton this season and Mykolenko supplements his regular clean sheets with plenty of tackle points.
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Having pouched 15 points in Gameweek 20, the Toffees’ defender will be hopeful of more substantial returns against Luton and Fulham in his next two outings.
Everton’s fixtures turn nasty in Gameweek 22 but Mykolenko should do well in the short term at least.

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