Fantasy Football

ASTON VILLA registered a statement victory over Brighton on Saturday.The Seagulls had won five of their six Premier League games before what many expected to be a relatively even match-up on paper but Unai Emery’s side swaggered to a mightily impressive 6-1 win thanks mostly to an Ollie Watkins (£4.1m) masterclass.

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Different gravyCredit: Dream Team
Roberto De Zerbi’s side simply couldn’t handle the Villains’ forward, who took the match ball home after bagging a ruthless hat-trick.
Not only was Watkins clinical in front of goal, he registered two assists to notch FIVE goal involvements in all.
This dominant performance resulted in a 25-point haul – the best return from a single game among all Dream Team players this season.
Prior to Gameweek 7, Watkins merely simmered in the realm of Dream Team without fully capitalising on the chances presented to him.
He scored a hat-trick against Hibernian in the first leg of Villa’s Europa Conference League qualifying play-off but that wasn’t a Dream Team eligible fixture.
Domestically, he didn’t score his first goal of the campaign until Gameweek 6, his side’s winner against Chelsea, but that effort was partially undermined by a goose egg at home to Everton in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Villa thrashed Brighton on SaturdayCredit: Getty
According to the xG models, Watkins was among the most-wasteful finishers in the league at one point but his fantastic display against Brighton has readdressed the balance – he’s now over-performing against his xG.
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The 27-year-old was already among the leaders in the creative department with four assists in his first five outings but he’s kickstarted his Dream Team campaign in emphatic fashion with the demolition of De Zerbi’s troops.
Watkins now has four goals and six assists to his name; his combined tally of ten goal involvements is the joint highest at the time of writing – he’s level with Erling Haaland (£8m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.5m).
Needless to say, a 25-point haul has catapulted him up the Dream Team rankings.
The England international is now fifth among strikers with 58 points in total, just two fewer than Son Heung-min (£4.7m) and four fewer than Mohamed Salah (£6.7m).
And Watkins has a superb chance to leapfrog the South Korea international this week if selected to play any part against Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday night – Tottenham obviously don’t have European commitments this season.

Villa’s form has been brilliant since Emery took chargeCredit: Getty
Villa are now up to fifth in the league table and, somewhat ironically, only Brighton have scored more goals in the top flight this term.
Factor in their excellent form in the second half of last season and it’s clear there are plenty of points to be had backing the likes of Watkins, Moussa Diaby (£3.4m) and attacked-minded full-back Matty Cash (£3m).
Villa’s fixtures for the upcoming Gameweeks look rather favourable too: Wolves, West Ham, AZ Alkmaar (x2), Luton, Nottingham Forest, Fulham.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 7 in one easily digestible dose.Bukayo Saka (£6.3m) hasn’t trained this week and the 47.4%-owned midfielder is a serious doubt for Arsenal’s trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

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Mikel Arteta told reporters that Declan Rice (3.7m), Leandro Trossard (£3m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£4m) have also been absent from training and are therefore doubts for this weekend and the Gunners’ midweek clash with Lens.
William Saliba (£3.6m) is also among those carrying a knock – the French centre-back didn’t feature against Brentford in midweek as a precaution.
As for the Cherries, Andoni Iraola will have to make a late decision on Dominic Solanke (£3.3m) depending on how the in-form striker comes through the week’s final training session – the 26-year-old has been involved in all but one goal of his side’s league goals this season.
Dream Team bosses are sweating on Saka’s fitnessCredit: Dream Team
James Maddison (£4.4m) has trained this week but the 31.8%-owned midfielder will be assessed again before Tottenham v Liverpool on Saturday.
Spurs’ No10 appeared to jar his knee in the North London derby but is said to be hopeful of pulling through for the weekend’s standout fixture.
Son Heung-min (£4.7m) is also being monitored closely while Brennan Johnson (£2.6m) has been ruled out of Gameweek 7 with a minor injury.
As for the Reds, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.4m) is expected to be available having seamlessly returned to training.
Leon Bailey (£2.8m) picked up an injury on Carabao Cup duty while Jacob Ramsey (£2.8m) is touch-and-go as Aston Villa prepare to welcome Brighton to Villa Park on Saturday.
Alex Moreno (£2.5m) is still building up his fitness so Lucas Digne (£2.5m) is almost certain to continue as the Villains’ starting left-back.
Evan Ferguson (£3.4m) is expected to play some part for the Seagulls but this weekend will probably come too soon for Pascal Gross (£4m) – the German midfielder may be involved against Marseille in midweek.
Maddison is Dream Team’s second-most popular midfielder at the time of writingCredit: AP
Rodri (£4.4m) is the most transferred-out player in Dream Team this week with the Spaniard set to serve the second of his three-game domestic suspension this weekend.
Other than that, Pep Guardiola will be able to call upon the same squad as last week when Manchester City travel to Molineux.
Odsonne Edouard (£3m) remains unavailable for Crystal Palace’s repeat visit to Old Trafford – the 25-year-old is currently Dream Team’s fourth-best striker.
Manchester United’s injury crisis in defence has worsened with Lisandro Martinez (£3.1m) expected to be out for an “extended period” while Sergio Reguilon (£1.9m) has joined fellow left-backs Luke Shaw (£4.9m) and Tyrell Malacia (£3m) on the sidelines.
Ben Chilwell’s (£3.8m) hamstring injury is to be assessed further but Mauricio Pochettino told journalists it’s “not good news” regarding the England international’s availability.
On a more positive note for Chelsea, Reece James (£4.5m) may be available next week while Carney Chukwuemeka (£1.6m) and Noni Madueke (£2.7m) could be involved in some capacity on Monday night when the Blues face local rivals Fulham.
Barnes faces a spell on the sidelinesCredit: Getty
Eddie Howe confirmed that Harvey Barnes (£3.2m) faces approximately three months on the sidelines having sustained a “substantial” foot injury.
The Newcastle gaffer also revealed both Callum Wilson (£4.2m) and Sven Botman (£3.9m) will be “given every chance” of making the squad for Burnley’s visit to St James’ Park but final decisions will have to be made on the day.
Alexander Isak (£3.7m) will also be checked closer to kick-off on Saturday.
Both Mikkel Damsgaard (£1.9m) and Kevin Schade (£1.7m) have undergone surgery meaning Brentford have seven players on the sidelines in total this weekend.

ARSENAL
Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli (doubt), William Saliba (doubt), Bukayo Saka (doubt), Leandro Trossard (doubt), Fabio Vieira (doubt), Declan Rice (doubt)
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Tim Iroegbunam, Diego Carlos, Jacob Ramsey (doubt), Alex Moreno (doubt), Leon Bailey
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Alex Scott, Ryan Fredericks, Emiliano Marcondes, Chris Mepham, Lloyd Kelly, Dominic Solanke (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Josh Dasilva, Shandon Baptiste, Rico Henry, Mikkel Damsgaard, Ben Mee, Kevin Schade
Suspensions: Ivan Toney
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson (doubt), James Milner (doubt), Pascal Gross (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Michael Obafemi, Hjalmar Ekdal, Darko Churlinov, Nathan Redmond, Manuel Benson
Suspensions: Lyle Foster
CHELSEA
Injuries: Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Christopher Nkunku, Beniot Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Marcus Bettinelli, Carney Chukwuemeka (doubt), Romeo Lavia, Noni Madueke (doubt), Ben Chilwell
Suspensions: Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Michael Olise, Matheus Franca, Naouirou Ahamada, James Tomkins, Jefferson Lerma, Dean Henderson, Odsonne Edouard, Jairo Riedewald (doubt)
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli, Andre Gomes, Vitaliy Mykolenko (doubt)
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Tosin Adarabioyo, Adama Traore (doubt), Calvin Bassey (doubt), Kenny Tete (doubt)
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic
Suspensions: None
LUTON
Injuries: Dan Potts, Jordan Clark, Gabriel Osho, Ross Barkley (doubt), Albert Sambi Lokonga, Tom Lockyer (doubt)
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Bernardo Silva
Suspensions: Rodri
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Tyrell Malacia, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen (doubt), Scott McTominay (doubt)
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Joe Willock, Emil Krath, Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman (doubt), Callum Wilson (doubt), Alexander Isak (doubt), Bruno Guimaraes (doubt)
Suspensions: None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Danilo, Nuno Tavares
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Rhys Norrington-Davies, Daniel Jebbison, Rhian Brewster, John Fleck (doubt), Max Lowe, Ben Osborn, Will Osula (doubt), George Baldock, Gustavo Hamer (doubt)
Suspensions: Oli McBurnie
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo Bentacur, Ryan Sessegnon, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso, Alfie Whiteman, James Maddison (doubt), Son Heung-min (doubt), Brennan Johnson
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Aaron Cresswell (doubt)
Suspensions: None
WOLVES
Injuries: None
Suspensions: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

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GAMEWEEK 7 looks set to be a high-scoring affair and so it’s imperative Dream Team bosses get their strategy right.At the time of writing, Bukayo Saka (£6.3m) is the second-most popular captain in the game ahead of this weekend’s Premier League games.
Such a ploy comes with massive risk as Arsenal’s No7 has not trained all week because of an ongoing Achilles issue.

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Saka is a doubt this weekendCredit: Getty
The England winger, who is the second-most selected player in Dream Team, is a serious doubt for the Gunners’ trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.
If Saka pulls through then he’s a fine choice for the captain’s armband as the Cherries are without a win in the Premier League this season while Arsenal’s midweek opponents, Lens, are currently 16th in Ligue 1.
However, if the 22-year-old sits out one or both fixtures then those who have picked him as captain are likely to be severely punished.
With that in mind, let’s run through the other captaincy options.
Erling Haaland (£8.3m)
Captaincy options ahead of Gameweek 7Credit: Dream Team
There’s no need to create any false sense of jeopardy or tension; Manchester City’s top scorer is the obvious choice for a reason.
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It doesn’t really matter what fixtures Dream Team’s top points scorer has ahead of him as he’s capable of plundering a hat-trick against any opponent on his day.
That being said, Gameweek 7 looks particularly appealing with the treble-winners set to face Wolves and RB Leipzig.
Gary O’Neil’s side are 16th in the Premier League and while the Bundesliga outfit have enjoyed a more promising start to their league campaign (four wins from five games) Dream Team gaffers would do well to remember that Haaland scored FIVE goals in one game against the German side in the Champions League last season.
The prolific marksman’s Gameweek 7 share makes him the most-popular captain of season so far.

Bruno Fernandes (£6m)
Only a brave gaffer would opt for a Manchester United player as captain over Haaland on current form but the Portugal international is worthy of consideration at least.
Whereas City have back-to-back away games, Fernandes has the luxury of two home fixtures in Gameweek 7 – Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.
The Red Devils beat the Eagles 3-0 in the Carabao Cup this past week and while both sides rested regular starters, that result should give Erik ten Hag’s side a psychological edge in the sequel this weekend.
United’s captain scored a brilliantly-executed volley against Burnley last time out and his underlying stats are very encouraging.
No midfielder has created more big chances this season and only five assets in his position have registered more shots on target.
Captaincy may be a step too far but Fernandes certainly looks well placed to return a healthy volume of points in the coming days.
James Ward-Prowse (£4m)
A popular recruit this weekCredit: Getty
This is a really fun alternative to Haaland for the thrill-seekers out there.
Kieran Trippier’s (£5.4m) set-piece prowess helped him take Sheffield United for 17 points last Sunday and so West Ham’s in-form midfielder, arguably the best dead-ball striker in the league, should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing the Blades next.
Ward-Prowse has amassed 52 points in six outings which includes difficult match-ups against Brighton, Man City and Liverpool – he should therefore enjoy himself against Paul Heckingbottom’s disorganised troops.
Crucially, the ex-Southampton skipper also has a potential second fixture at his disposal this coming Gameweek in the form of an away day to Freiburg in the Europa League.
He earned ten points in his first European outing of the campaign.
Martin Odegaard (£5.1m)
Arsenal’s key player this coming GameweekCredit: Alamy
With doubts over Saka, Declan Rice (£3.7m), Gabriel Martinelli (£4m) and Leandro Trossard’s (£3m) availability, Arsenal’s captain is almost guaranteed to be his side’s most-prominent player this coming week, in an attacking sense at least.
The Norwegian playmaker has scored three goals and provided one assist in 2023/24 but the truly telling stat is his 12 shots on target – the most among all midfielders.
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As previously mentioned, Bournemouth and Lens represents a favourable double header in Gameweek 7 even if both games are to be played away from home.
One could argue that if several of Odegaard’s key team-mates are absent through injury then he may not have the necessary level of support required to generate healthy returns but he’s a truly class act in the middle of park.

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THERE was nothing subtle about the strategy deployed by Dream Team gaffer Nathan Glendenning in Gameweek 6.Nathan selected TEN Newcastle players to accompany Erling Haaland (£8.3m) and the all-or-nothing tactic paid off handsomely.
His team amassed 200 points, the highest tally for Gameweek 6, an achievement that translates to £100 in real-world cash.
Here’s his XI in full.
Howay the lads (and Haaland)Credit: Dream Team
Needless to say, the Magpies’ 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield United was the decisive fixture in Gameweek 6.
Nathan activated his Park the Bus Booster to double the points of all his defenders and he must have laughed himself silly when Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) provided assists for Dan Burn (£3.6m) and Sven Botman (£3.9m) in quick succession last Sunday.
The England full-back ended with a hat-trick of assists as part of a mightily impressive 17-point haul when the Toon’s clean sheet was confirmed at Bramall Lane.
Eddie Howe’s side went on to register their fourth clean sheet in a row with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
However, Trippier, Botman and Burn were all rested for that fixture while Fabian Schar (£4m) only came off the bench deep into stoppage time.
Just imagine how many points Nathan would have stacked up had Newcastle fielded their first-choice back four in midweek too!
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A man in formCredit: Dream Team
Still, it’s not like he missed out on the points available at St James’ Park – Nick Pope (£4.1m) started between the sticks and match-winner Alexander Isak (£3.7m) bagged ten points to add to the seven he took off the Blades.
Bruno Guimaraes (£2.8m), Miguel Almiron (£3m) and Anthony Gordon (£2.9m) all cashed in against Paul Heckingbottom’s beleaguered troops with the latter finishing as Gameweek 6’s second-top scorer.
The ex-Everton winger looks to be a smart selection for the coming weeks too while Harvey Barnes (£3.2m) is sidelined with injury, meaning less rotation.
And of course Haaland got his customary goal against Nottingham Forest – standard procedure.

An honorary Geordie for the weekCredit: Getty
Sandro Tonali (£2.4m) was the only player to let Nathan down and the winning gaffer also missed a trick by not reverting to a formation with five at the back to coincide with his Park the Bus Booster.
But there’s no need to be too critical of somebody who achieved more points than any of rivals.
Looking forward, a Newcastle block defence certainly has legs for a few more Gameweeks yet but the long-term viability of Nathan’s midfield has to be questioned.
Not that he’ll care that much now he’s taken Dream Team for £100 – well played, Nathan!

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SOME of Dream Team’s most-popular players are on the chopping block this week.With Rodri (£4.4m) suspended domestically and Bukayo Saka (£6.3m), James Maddison (£4.4m) and Declan Rice (£3.7m) among the injury doubts, gaffers should think carefully about their transfers ahead of Gameweek 7.
Here are some potential recruits who are seemingly well placed to deliver plentiful returns in the coming days.

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Gameweek 6’s top performer!Credit: Dream Team
Diogo Dalot (£2.9m)
The Portuguese full-back made an impactful statement in Gameweek 6 by taking Burnley and Crystal Palace for 21 points.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s (£2.8m) injury sent Dalot’s viability through the roof as the latter is virtually guaranteed a full allotment of minutes for the foreseeable future.
The 24-year-old is an avid tackler, a handy attribute in the realm of Dream Team this season, and only four defenders have created more big chances after six Gameweeks.
Looking forward, Manchester United take on the Eagles at Old Trafford again this weekend before welcoming Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night – a relatively favourable double header.
Things move quickly in the world of Dream Team; it feels like only yesterday the Red Devils were a mess but consecutive clean sheets have changed the outlook dramatically.
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James Ward-Prowse (£4m)
Hammer timeCredit: PA
Last week, we recommended Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) as a worthy recruit ahead of his meeting with Sheffield United because of the Blades’ defensive frailty at set-pieces.
The Newcastle right-back delivered in spades with three assists (two from set-pieces) as part of a 17-point haul.
How about a serving of the same meal this coming Saturday?
Paul Heckingbottom is unlikely to have sorted out his side’s main vulnerability in the last few days and so the thought of West Ham’s in-form midfielder standing over a series of dead-ball situations should fill him with dread.
It’s a simple theory: Ward-Prowse is one of the world’s best set-piece takers and he’s about to play at home against the team with the worst defensive record in the league at set-pieces this season.
Plus, the Hammers travel to Freiburg for a Europa League group game on Thursday night – Southampton’s ex-captain earned ten points in his first continental outing back in Gameweek 5.

Martin Odegaard (£5.1m)
Arsenal’ skipper is a popular recruit this weekCredit: Getty
A straightforward solution to the Saka dilemma here.
Dream Team bosses who don’t want to stress about the England winger’s availability could simply replace him with Arsenal’s captain.
This would ensure suitable representation in the Gunners’ favourable double header – a visit to winless Bournemouth followed by a trip to a Lens side currently 16th in Ligue 1.
Gaffers won’t want to be without Saka for too long, only Erling Haaland (£8.3m) has more points at the time of writing, but Odegaard is an excellent asset in his own right.
Mikel Arteta’s side face Manchester City in Gameweek 8 so those who ditch Saka could always wait until after the international break to bring him back in.
Anthony Gordon (£2.9m)
An enticingly affordable optionCredit: Getty
Newcastle’s No10 has arguably been his side’s best attacking player so far this season and Harvey Barnes’ (£3.2m) unfortunate injury means the former will get even more minutes in the coming weeks.
No midfielder has created more big chances in 2023/24 than Gordon and his average of one goal involvement every 112 minutes has to be admired.
The ex-Everton youngster came off the bench to have his wicked way with a beleaguered Sheffield United last weekend to the tune of 17 points and while he’s unlikely to have the luxury of such a favourable opponent again this term, this Saturday’s home meeting against Burnley has to be considered another favourable match-up.
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PSG will prove a sterner test in midweek but it’s still an additional fixture at Gordon’s disposal.
More generally, the Magpies have bounced back from three consecutive defeats with three wins, a draw, and four consecutive clean sheets.

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DREAM TEAM gaffers should be frothing at the mouth looking at Gameweek 7’s fixtures.No fewer than TEN Premier League clubs are set to pull double duty with the European games less likely to feature the extensive rotation seen in the Carabao Cup.
This is a perfectly viable time to activate one of your three Boosters in hope of a power spike that could propel you above your Mini League rivals.

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Trippier is Dream Team’s top defender after six GameweeksCredit: Getty
Park the Bus
Dream Team’s most-powerful Booster doubles the points of all your defenders for the duration of the Gameweek.
Select a formation with five at the back and you essentially strap the captain’s armband to over half your team simultaneously.
Needless to say, activating Park the Bus when your defenders have two fixtures each has the potential to yield season-defining returns.
Hypothetically, the following back five would feel immensely strong for Gameweek 7:

William Saliba (£3.6m) – Bournemouth (a), Lens (a)
Ben White (£4.2m) – Bournemouth (a), Lens (a)
Kyle Walker (£3.6m) – Wolves (a), RB Leipzig (a)
Diogo Dalot (£2.9m) – Crystal Palace (h), Galatasaray (h)
Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) – Burnley (h), PSG (h)

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Matty Cash (£2.8m) and Pervis Estupinan (£3.4m) are also tempting options for this tactic but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if they were rotated for their respective European fixtures having both started in the Carabao Cup this week.
Alternatively, many gaffers will want to block-pick several defenders from the same defence in conjunction with Park the Bus.
Manchester City and Arsenal could fit the bill for such a ploy this coming Gameweek, although it may be best to wait for home fixtures for optimum results.
Captain FantasticCredit: Dream Team
12th Man
If Gameweek 7 doesn’t feel quite right for Park the Bus – which sometimes requires more than two transfers to set up perfectly – then 12th Man could be an easier way into bumper returns.
Julian Alvarez (£4.4m), Phil Foden (£4.4m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6m) are all appealing options with a pair of relatively favourable fixtures at their disposal.
Deploying 12th Man could also be a way of counteracting the uncertainty around Bukayo Saka’s (£6.3m) availability.
Arsenal’s No7 is a doubt for Bournemouth away on Saturday having been in considerable discomfort at the end of the North London derby.
The electric winger is the second-most popular player in the game and is currently just five points shy of Erling Haaland (£8.3m) at the top of the rankings.
Mikel Arteta tends to start Saka even if the 22-year-old is not 100% fit so many gaffers will be hesitant to transfer him out of their XI – if he skips the league game that may be enough of a rest for him to return away to Lens, who are currently 16th in Ligue 1.
One possible strategy for Saka owners is to keep him in their team while using their 12th Man Booster to select another attacking Arsenal asset, ensuring they won’t miss out the Gunners’ favourable double header regardless of the England international’s availability.
Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) is the obvious choice as no midfielder has registered more shots on target (12) than the Norwegian playmaker this season – he’s scored three goals so far.
Gabriel Jesus (£5.2m) would be the alternative choice – his minutes are practically guaranteed given Leandro Trossard (£3m) and Gabriel Martinelli’s (£4m) injury concerns.

Or perhaps a West Ham player could slide in as your 12th Man?
The Hammers face Sheffield United this weekend and will be looking to replicate the ease with which Newcastle dismantled Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
In James Ward-Prowse (£4m) they have arguably the perfect player to exploit the Blades’ glaring vulnerability at set-pieces – Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) notched two of his three assists from dead-ball situations at Bramall Lane.
David Moyes’ troops then travel to Freiburg on Thursday night – Jarrod Bowen (£4.7m) averages 7.8 points-per-game in 2023/24.
The obvious choice for captain once againCredit: Reuters
Max Captain
Max Captain is best deployed when multiple players have two fixtures to fulfil and it would all but guarantee you a successful Gameweek 7 if activated now.
However, there’s a risk of wasting the effect of this Booster if the player who ends up with the most points for the Gameweek is the man you would have chosen as captain anyway.
Let’s be honest, we’re talking about Haaland.
With that in mind, it’s probably best to wait until Man City’s prolific No9 doesn’t have such inviting fixtures before opting to activate Max Captain.
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The bionic poacher is set to play RB Leipzig in midweek; he scored five against them in one game last season.

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“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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