Fantasy Football

IT turns out Erling Haaland was just toying with Dream Team gaffers.Between Game Weeks 20 and 26, the Norwegian poacher trundled along at a relatively modest rate while Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) closed the gap at the top of the rankings.
At one point, it looked as if it was only a matter of time before Manchester United’s homegrown hero would ascend to the throne.
However, Manchester City’s No9 has responded with a frankly ridiculous 66 points across the last two Game Weeks to reassert his dominance.
A centre-back’s worst nightmare
This explosive burst started with a clutch penalty at Selhurst Park but he truly burst into life with FIVE goals past RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Haaland was withdrawn just after the hour mark on Tuesday night having plundered 38 points at the expense of the Bundesliga club.
He then registered his sixth (yes, SIXTH) hat-trick of the season at home to Burnley on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s side booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 6-0 victory over the Championship leaders.
The Norwegian poacher’s treble against the Clarets, again produced in just over an hour, resulted in a 23-point influx.
Suddenly, Haaland is 88 points clear of Rashford at the top of Dream Team’s rankings and the contest for individual supremacy once again looks to be a procession.
A proper No9Credit: GETTY
Having moved onto 344 points overall, he’s now odds-on to breach the 400-mark before the campaign’s end, something achieved only once before in Dream Team history.
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Cristiano Ronaldo became a quadruple centurion in 2007/08, the season that resulted in the first of his five Ballons d’Or, and while the likes of Mohamed Salah (£8.7m) and Harry Kane (£7.8m) have come close since, the Portuguese’s record tally has never truly been threatened.
With 42 goals in all competitions so far this term, Haaland has to be considered a phenomenon regardless but how close will he get to Ronaldo’s all-time record of 477 points?
A memorable seasonCredit: GETTY
He’s 133 adrift of that humongous tally at this stage meaning he needs to average approximately 10.2 points every Game Week from now until the end of the season.
To put that into perspective, he averages 9.6 points-per-game so far this term.
With Man City likely to make the FA Cup final and intent on Champions League glory, Haaland will have more fixtures at his disposal than most.
Whatever happens, the prolific 22-year-old’s debut Dream Team campaign will be remembered as one of the most spectacular introductions in the history of the game. More

RARELY have a team capitulated in such a short space of time as Fulham did at Old Trafford on Sunday.The visitors were leading with a quarter of the game still to play when Willian (£3.2m) was sent off for a handball on the line.
Amid the VAR deliberations, Marco Silva was shown a red card for his complaints before Aleksandar Mitrovic (£3.8m) was dismissed for a brainless shove on referee Chris Kavanagh, making it a trio of reds in a mad minute that ultimately cost the Cottagers a place in the FA Cup semi-final.
Erik ten Hag’s side rallied to win 3-1 with Bruno Fernandes (£6.2m) being the main beneficiary from a Dream Team perspective.
The Portugal international converted the resulting penalty from said handball, added the cherry on top with a thumping stoppage-time strike, and claimed the Star Man award to bank 18 points when all was said and done.
A monumental head lossCredit: GETTY
And so it proved to be the 28-year-old’s biggest single-game haul of the campaign so far, one that moved him onto 200 points overall.
Fernandes is the first midfielder to become a double centurion this term with his closest rival, Kevin De Bruyne (£7.6m), now 20 points adrift.
Manchester United’s No8 has been on a tear of late, registering 80 points across the last seven Game Weeks.
What’s really interesting is that Dream Team gaffers still prefer the aforementioned De Bruyne by a considerable degree.
The Belgian playmaker is over twice as popular as Fernandes, as is Bukayo Saka (£5.3m).
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Phil Foden (£5m) and Martin Odegaard (£3.7m) also feature in more teams than the game’s leading midfielder, whose ownership reads 19.4% currently.
The Arsenal and Manchester City assets remain excellent options of course but it feels as if Fernandes’ supremacy isn’t being properly recognised.
Dream Team’s top midfielderCredit: GETTY
Not only that, it’s a great time to back Man United assets more generally as the Red Devils remain in contention for the FA Cup and Europa League having already lifted the Carabao Cup.
These extracurricular pursuits will ensure the Old Trafford residents are among the busiest set of players for the remainder of the campaign – more fixtures equals more points.
Marcus Rashford (£6.7m), David de Gea (£3.9m) and Luke Shaw (£4.4m) are all superb options and Fernandes deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.
The latter may be prone to the odd meltdown when things aren’t going his way but his talent can’t be denied.
He has ten goals and 12 assists to his name in all competitions and no player has earned more 7+ ratings at this stage of the season.
Fernandes has TEN fixtures scheduled for April once the international break is complete! More

THE likes of Kevin De Bruyne (£7.6m), Mohamed Salah (£8.9m) and Harry Kane (£7.5m) have plundered plenty of Dream Team points so far this season but their success is almost taken for granted at this stage of their careers.Gaffers will always rely on a host of big names but it’s often the savvy differentials who make the difference when it comes to the mini-league rankings.
This season has featured its fair share of surprise packages and here we’ve identified the five most impactful.
Fabian Schar (£4m)
A clean sheet machine
Newcastle’s defensive dominance has been one of the defining features of this Dream Team campaign.
The Magpies have conceded just 18 league goals this term, seven fewer than Manchester City and Arsenal, the next-best defences.
Kieran Trippier (£6m) leads the way among defenders with 192 points and while the extent of his success has been a surprise, the fact he was among the most-selected players prior to Game Week 1 is proof that gaffers had faith in him.
In contrast, few if any would have anticipated the Swiss centre-back’s towering points tally.
Schar made his intentions clear with a 18-point haul in Game Week 1 and his current total of 126 is still only bettered by Trippier overall.
The 31-year-old started at just £2million and has returned 15 clean sheets to date – gaffers who jumped on early were handsomely rewarded.
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Kaoru Mitoma (£3.9m)
A breakout starCredit: getty
Brighton’s No22 averages 4.4 points-per-game, a rate only bettered by Phil Foden (£5.2m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.6m) among midfielders to have played at least three games.
A skilful winger, Mitoma has scored eight goals and provided four assists in the last 14 Game Weeks for one of the league’s most enterprising attacking outfits.
Solly March (£3.5m) and Alexis Mac Allister (£3.2m) have also benefited from Roberto De Zerbi’s entertaining tactics but it’s the Japan international who leads the way among the trio with 109 points.
He’s the leading asset in his position among those without European commitments to bolster his schedule – and he didn’t register his first point until Game Week 12!
Gabriel Martinelli (£3.7m)
A soon-to-be Premier League champion?Credit: GETTY
In many ways, Arsenal as a whole have been the surprise package of the season.
The Gunners failed to make top four in 2021/22 but are in a great position to win the Premier League this term with 11 fixtures remaining.
And their Brazilian No11 has more than played his part with 12 league goals, including five in his last five outings.
Bukayo Saka (£5.4m) and Gabriel Jesus (£5.3m) were well backed back in August but it soon became apparent that Martinelli was the value-for-money goal threat.
The 21-year-old’s form deserted him briefly but he’s responded brilliantly in recent weeks and is now the sixth-best forward in the game.
Having previously been either a rotation option or an impact substitute, Martinelli is now firmly a regular and, given his age, he should only get better in the coming years.
Miguel Almiron (£3.3m)
The season of his lifeCredit: GETTY
The Paraguayan winger has scored more Premier League goals this season than in his previous four campaigns combined!
That stat alone justifies his presence in this list as many of the Dream Team managers who previously wouldn’t have given him a second thought have transferred him into their XIs in recent months.
Only five players have netted more than Almiron’s 11 league goals and he’s among the eleven midfielders with a century of points to their names.
And like Mitoma, he’s done it without European fixtures.
Casemiro (£3.1m)
Look at the broader picture
A pair of red cards have checked the five-time Champions League winner’s progress of late but in the context of the whole season he deserves plenty of praise.
He too is among the select group of midfielders on 100+ points having provided superb value-for-money from the get-go.
Casemiro arrived at Manchester United as a decorated, world-class player but the reason his success in the world of Dream Team has come as a surprise is because he primarily does the dirty work in midfield.
Defensive anchors are a vital component of any team but, generally speaking, Dream Team gaffers should utilise wingers, playmakers and borderline second strikers when selecting their midfield.
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Old Trafford’s new favourite Brazilian has improved the solidity of Erik ten Hag’s side but he’s also chipped in with ten goal involvements (five goals, five assists).
Of course, he’s now got to serve a four-game domestic suspension so his backers will need to find a replacement. More

FOR many years, Casemiro (£3.1m) had a Fernandinho-esque talent for avoiding red cards.Much like his compatriot, the five-time Champions League winner has always picked up more than his fair share of yellows through enforcing challenges but somehow stayed on the tightrope when it seemed for all the world he would be dismissed.
Real Madrid fans became happily accustomed to the sight of the midfielder grinning apologetically as the referee gave him a warning instead of marching orders.
However, that magical power seems to have deserted Casemiro in recent weeks.
The 31-year-old saw red for the second time this season at the weekend when a VAR review resulted in an early bath during Southampton’s visit to Old Trafford.
He now faces a four-game suspension in domestic football, something Dream Team managers can’t afford to stomach.
Manchester United will miss their midfield general in the coming weeksCredit: GETTY
All things considered, Casemiro has excelled in his debut Dream Team campaign, he’s one of just eleven players in his position on 100+ points at this stage – a superb effort for a defensive anchor.
As a result, he’s among the top ten most-popular midfielders but his ownership will now nosedive as gaffers seek a replacement.
Here we’ve identified three potential candidates in the same price range.
Alexis Mac Allister (£3.2m) is 13 points shy of a century after his goal at Elland Road.
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The World Cup winner has been playing as a No10 in recent weeks, hence an increase in attacking contributions.
Most importantly, the Argentina international is currently Brighton’s penalty taker, something Dream Team bosses should always note.
Brighton midfielders have performed very well in Dream Team this season
The Seagulls are one of the better teams in the Premier League going forward, only Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool have scored more goals and Roberto De Zerbi’s side have games in hand over those four teams.
Mac Allister and company also have the luxury of a favourable FA Cup match-up against Grimsby this coming weekend.
Kaoru Mitoma (£3.9m) and Solly March (£3.5m) are similarly strong options though they’ll require some extra budget.
Alternatively, Miguel Almiron (£3.3m) may fit the bill for those in need of a Casemiro replacement.
The Paraguayan winger is enjoying the best season of his Newcastle career, emphasised by his winner against Wolves on Sunday.
That strike was his 11th league goal of the season, only five players have more to their name at the time of writing.
Almiron is having the season of his lifeCredit: GETTY
The 29-year-old is one of those midfielders into triple figures for Dream Team points in 2022/23.
One possible blockade here is that Almiron was benched at the weekend but Eddie Howe has every reason to reinstate him into the starting line-up following his match-winning exploits.
Our third recommendation is Brenann Johnson (£2.8m) who is generously categorised as a midfielder.
In reality, the Welshman leads the line for Nottingham Forest and his performances since the World Cup have given Steve Cooper’s side every chance of staying up.
Johnson has scored seven goals and provided two assists since the restart, not to mention three Star Man awards.
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Forest’s fixtures during the duration of Casemiro’s suspension don’t look too bad either: Newcastle, Wolves, Leeds, Aston Villa.
Whatever you decided, remember to replace Man United’s No18 before his stint in the stands. More

Game Week 25 belonged to one Dream Team gaffer, James Taylor.The Liverpool fan, who we assume isn’t the Grammy-winning musician or the former England cricketer, amassed 132 points this past week despite blanks from two of his most-expensive assets.
Let’s take a closer look at how he did it.
That Chelsea defenceCredit: DREAM TEAM
The first thing to note is that Harry Kane (£7.5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.6m) returned zero points between them – it’s rare that the Team of the Week features two goose eggs.
Clearly, a dominant performance by Chelsea’s defensive unit was key to James’ success.
The Blues have struggled in the final third but they’ve been relatively solid in defence this season and they registered back-to-back clean sheets in Game Week 25 against Leeds and Borussia Dortmund.
More than that, Ben Chilwell (£5m) whipped in the corner headed home by Wesley Fofana (£3.5m) in the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge last weekend, with the latter also picking up the Star Man award.
Speaking of defenders providing attacking contributions, Andy Robertson (£4.1m) provided the assist for Cody Gakpo’s (£3.9m) first goal against Man United, opening the floodgates in the process.
Scotland’s captain earned a 7+ rating on top of a clean sheet to register just his second double-digit haul of the campaign.
It was a great week for Chelsea defenders
Jordan Henderson (£1.3m) features in just 0.9% of teams but James was among the tiny slither of gaffers who backed Liverpool’s captain and benefited from an assist and a 7+ rating.
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Game Week 25’s top gaffer is a fan of the Reds so perhaps his natural bias was a factor here and while Henderson has mustered just 11 points all season, his selection paid off last weekend at least.
Phil Foden (£5.2m) has suddenly exploded back into life after a lean spell.
Manchester City’s resident wonderkid earned his third consecutive Star Man award when he topped the match ratings against Newcastle having got on the scoresheet again.
A 13-point return means the England international has racked up 45 points across the last two Game Weeks!
Up front, it was all about the 7-0 at Anfield.
Several Liverpool players cashed in against Man United
Mohamed Salah (£8.9m) was the chief architect of Manchester United’s demise with two goals and two assists.
A 21-point haul meant the Egyptian hero became just the third Dream Team asset to become a double centurion in 2022/23.
Finally, Darwin Nunez (£5.5m) helped himself to a brace as well.
The Uruguay international has set about correcting his conversion rate in recent weeks and looks notably more confident in front of goal compared to the first half of the season.
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He’s now the sixth-best player in his position – not bad for somebody labelled a ‘flop’, eh?
Well played, James, good luck to you and all gaffers for Game Week 26. More

MOHAMED SALAH (£8.6m) has set an immense standard for himself.Since joining Liverpool, the Egypt international has averaged 31 goals per season in all competitions.
Naturally, this relentlessness has translated into Dream Team success on an almost unprecedented level – no player has produced more points since his return to the game in 2017.
And it’s because Salah has set such a high bar that he has occasionally faced criticism even when his output has been rather good.
A Dream Team legend
The 30-year-old has copped more flak this season than in any other since he signed for the Reds with several high-profile pundits accusing him of falling off after agreeing to a lucrative new contract.
In some sense, the accusations have been valid.
With eleven goals in 25 appearances, 2022/23 looks set to be Salah’s least fruitful Premier League campaign in a Liverpool shirt yet.
However, it would be a stretch to describe him as anything close to average when considering the wider context, especially in the realm of Dream Team.
While Salah’s league tally may be no more than decent, he’s been positively prolific in the other competitions.
He’s scored eight goals in 534 minutes of Champions League action – no player has more in the competition at this stage – and he also bagged in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before Liverpool’s relatively quick eliminations.
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Outside of the Premier League, Salah has scored ten goals in eleven games at a rate of one every 74.3 minutes.
This season’s top scorer in the Champions League
Combine all the competitions and the Reds’ No11 boasts a tally of 21 goals in 36 outings, a record most forwards would take a pay cut to guarantee.
And the Dream Team rankings make for even better reading.
At the time of writing, Erling Haaland (£9m) and Marcus Rashford (£6.5m) are the only assets with more points than Salah – and the former pair are arguably amid the best individual campaigns of their respective careers.
DREAM TEAM POINTS

Haaland – 278 pts
Rashford – 240 pts
Salah – 211 pts

Liverpool have been under par but Salah has provided plentiful returns once againCredit: GETTY
It’s possible that some critics have had their view of Salah skewed by Liverpool’s season as a whole, which has undoubtedly been underwhelming.
Bar an astonishing comeback against Real Madrid in the Champions League, the only thing Jurgen Klopp’s side will have to play for as the campaign reaches its climax is fourth place.
However, Dream Team managers know better than most to separate individuals from the teams they represent.
Salah sent out a potent reminder of his pedigree at the weekend as he banked 21 points at Man United’s expense – he was the lead architect of the 7-0 thrashing at Anfield.
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More broadly, he’s taken 60 points from his last six games spread over four Game Weeks.
It appears reports of Salah’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. More