Fantasy Football

LET’S be honest.This international break is dragging.
But at least this momentary pause allows Dream Team managers to reflect upon the season so far.
And what better way to do that than constructing the best possible XI of the campaign based on total points scored?

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN AN XBOX SERIES X!

Cream of the cropCredit: Dream Team
GOALKEEPER: Nick Pope (£4.3m)
As is often the case, the keeper with the most clean sheets leads the way in the rankings.
Newcastle’s custodian registered five in a row between Gameweeks 5 and 7 which resulted in an influx of 42 points, over three quarters of his season total of 55.
Pope is eight points clear of Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez (£2.9m) to take the gloves in our imaginary XI.
DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£5.6m), Ben White (£4.5m), Joachim Andersen (£3.1m)
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Newcastle’s clean sheets have also benefited their reliable right-back.
Although the key to Trippier’s success, as it was last season, is his ability to contribute at the both ends of the pitch.
The 33-year-old has notched six assists already while only one other defender, Vladimir Coufal (£2.7m), has registered more than three.
He’s created seven big chances and earned 15 bonus points – both season-best tallies among defenders in 2023/24.
Trippier has 75 points to his name at this stage, nine more than White.
Arsenal’s No4 has chipped in with a goal and an assist but his impressive total relies on his unmatched tally of six clean sheets in all competitions.
Dream Team’s clean sheet kingCredit: Getty
Crystal Palace’s centre-back completes our back three having scored two goals and contributed to four clean sheets.
The Eagles have been a surprise package in the world of Dream Team at the start of this season and Andersen has punched above his weight since the get-go.
The Denmark international’s 15-point at Old Trafford was a masterpiece – he’s on 60 points overall.
MIDFIELDERS: Bukayo Saka (£6.4m), James Maddison (£4.3m), Martin Odegaard (£5.1m), James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m)
There’s a good reason Saka’s prolonged injury saga has caused such severe headaches for Dream Team bosses.
If any other midfielder limped off in three consecutive games before missing a massive fixture against Manchester City, it would be easy enough to switch to an alternative but Arsenal’s No7 is such a prolific point-scorer when he’s on the pitch the prevailing instinct is to stick by him.
The England winger has raced to five goals and five assists despite playing at half capacity for much of the campaign.
His season total of 85 points owes plenty to his tackle count and a healthy supply of bonus points too.
Maddison is thriving at his new clubCredit: AP
Tottenham’s No10 is now the second-most popular player in the game with an ownership of 41.9% and it’s easy to see why.
No midfielder has registered more shots on target or created more big chances and only Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) has earned more bonus points.
Add in seven goal involvements and it’s no wonder Maddison has racked up 76 points in quick time.
North London is the home of top-tier midfielders this season with Odegaard completing the podium, just a point behind the England playmaker.
The Gunners’ skipper is level with Maddison on 13 shots on target among midfielders and has seven goal involvements to show for his efforts.
West Ham’s new signing is a Swiss-army knife midfielder – he does it all!
Big chances created, shots on target, tackles, bonus points, goals, assists… Ward-Prowse is like two players in one.
The set-piece specialist has achieved 72 points in eight Gameweeks – no wonder he was such a popular recruit among gaffers before the international break.
A popular man among Dream Team gaffers in recent weeksCredit: Getty
STRIKERS: Julian Alvarez (£4.7m), Erling Haaland (£7.7m), Mohamed Salah (£6.5m)
Manchester City’s striker partnership have combined for 173 points with the Argentine World Cup winner having contributed 87, one more than the Norwegian cyborg.
Pep Guardiola’s side may have stumbled against Newcastle, Wolves and Arsenal prior to the break but it’s worth remembering that Haaland and Alvarez have scored 14 goals between them already this season with the latter also the joint-second best creator with six assists.
Who else but Liverpool’s No11 to finish off our hypothetical XI?
Salah is the very definition of a modern Dream Team legend, a player who delivers the goods year after year.
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The Egypt international has created ten big chances – no other player has notched more than seven – and has the same number of goal involvements.
With 80 points to his name, he’s the third-best forward and the fourth-best asset overall – a class act for the ages!

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THE introduction of Boosters is arguably the most significant improvement in the world of Dream Team this season.You get three Boosters to use throughout the 2023/24 campaign which, if played correctly, will provide power spikes in the form plentiful points.
Here’s a quick reminder of each Boosters’ special impact:

Park the Bus – Every defender in your team earns double points
12th Man – Select an additional player on top of your regular XI
Maximum Captain – Player who scores most points automatically selected as captain

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Class is in sessionCredit: Dream Team
Each Booster can only be played once and the effects last for the duration of one Gameweek.
It’s therefore imperative that you activate each Booster at the opportune time.
With that in mind, here are five questions you should ask yourself before playing either Park the Bus, 12th Man or Maximum Captain.
Is this an impulsive reaction to a bad week?
If you slip down a couple of places in your Mini League then the temptation to activate a Booster in hope of regaining your ranking as soon as possible will be strong but it’s best to remove emotion from the situation.
Generally, your performance in the most recent Gameweek should not be a factor in your Booster strategy – what’s done is done.
Making up for a dud week may feel good in the short term but playing a Booster rashly is likely to rob you of points in the long run.
If you activate a Booster in a heated moment, you can deactivate it at any point before the Gameweek gets underway.
Is my team set up correctly?
This is most relevant when activating Park the Bus, the most powerful of the three Boosters.
If you opt to double the points of all your defenders then it makes sense to ensure your XI contains as many defenders as possible that Gameweek.
Activating Park the Bus when you’ve only got three defenders would be a tragic waste and even four defenders is sub-optimal.
Use your weekly transfers to switch to either the 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 formation to maximise the effect of Park the Bus.
Patience is a virtue in the world of Dream TeamCredit: Dream Team
Are the fixtures appealing?
As a general rule, it’s best to wait for a double Gameweek for all three Boosters.
Or at the very least, the player(s) impacted by the Booster in question should have two fixtures at their disposal.
And it’s not just the quantity of the fixtures that matters but the quality too.
If your 12th Man is set to face Manchester City at the Etihad and Arsenal at the Emirates then that’s an unnecessarily difficult task for the player in question.
Patience is a virtue, wait for two favourable match-ups to give your chosen player the best possible chance of cashing in – the same goes for your Park the Bus defenders.
How many Boosters have I already played?
Timing these power spikes over the course of the campaign is crucial.
You could use all three in quick succession in hope of establishing an intimidating lead in your Mini League which may force your rivals to make foolish decisions.
But don’t be surprised if your lead erodes away later on in the season as your rivals play their Boosters one by one.
Equally, if you plan to save your Boosters for the run-in you will ensure a strong finish but you may find you have left yourself too much work to do.
The state of your team and the fixtures are the main factors to consider but it’s always worth keeping an eye on how many Boosters your Mini League rivals have used at any given stage of the season.

Will I regret this?
Lastly, before committing to a Booster, make sure you’re not overlooking a better opportunity.
Check the schedule and imagine how each Booster would work for each Gameweek and if at any point you realise there’s a superior opportunity elsewhere, then listen to your gut and wait for that moment.
If you activate a Booster when everything seems just right then you can have no regrets, even if it doesn’t lead to the volume of points you expected.
But if you play one through impatience and it backfires, that will be a bitter pill to swallow.

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DREAM TEAM managers would usually have the green light to back the Premier League leaders to their hearts’ content.By very definition, the players who represent the team at the top of the table should be among the very best options at any given time.
But is that true right now?

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A class act but Maddison’s light workload is a potential problemCredit: Dream Team
Tottenham are currently top of the Premier League tree on goals scored, marginally ahead of their North London rivals Arsenal.
Guglielmo Vicario (£2.9m), Cristian Romero (£3.5m), James Maddison (£4.3m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) are all among the top performers in their respective positions this season but it could be argued that Dream Team gaffers should move away from Ange Postecoglou’s troops for the next month or so.
This suggestion has nothing to do with the undeniably impressive form of Spurs’ top stars – it’s purely based on the schedule.
Postecoglou’s men are unbeaten in the league this term but they fell at the first hurdle in the Carabao Cup and last season’s limp finish resulted in the club missing out on European qualification.
This means that Spurs have just four fixtures to fulfil between now and the next international break in mid-November.
Contrast that with Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Newcastle and Manchester United, who all have seven games in the same time frame.
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Spurs are purely focused on Premier League commitmentsCredit: Reuters
Maddison and Son could quite easily outscore all their rivals in the Premier League arena but matching players with three additional fixtures at their disposal over the next month is a massive ask.
This conundrum rears its head as soon as Gameweek 9 when the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League group stages continue.
Spurs actually have a favourable league fixture in the form of Fulham at home but, as an example, Jurgen Klopp’s side face Everton AND Toulouse – the Red Devils’ double header against Sheffield United and Copenhagen looks appealing too.
But Dream Team bosses don’t see it this way as, at the time of writing, Maddison is the most transferred-in player ahead of the restart.
In fact, the 26-year-old is now the second-most selected asset in the game with an ownership of 41.9%.

Liverpool have three more fixtures than Spurs across the next four GameweeksCredit: PA
Gaffers could also use their weekly transfers to enjoy the best of both worlds.
One could theoretically replace Maddison and Son for more active assets in Gameweek 9 before bringing the Spurs pair back in for Gameweek 10.
Gameweek 11 features another full contingent of European fixtures so the Spurs duo could be shipped out again before being brought back in ahead of Gameweek 12.
This is a feasible strategy but it would require four whole weeks’ worth of transfers, potentially leaving gaffers unable to react to other developments in the next month.
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Playing hokey-cokey in this manner is fraught with danger.
Whatever the case, Dream Team managers need to think carefully about how to handle Tottenham players while the schedule is against them.

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MORE than a few eyebrows were raised when Chelsea forked out £42.5million for Cole Palmer at the end of the summer transfer window.The 21-year-old had played fewer than 500 minutes in the Premier League for Manchester City prior to the big-money move.
Clearly a talented youngster, there can be little doubt he remains unproven in the top flight.
However, since Palmer became a starter for the Blues, the club’s fortunes have reversed for the better.

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Chelsea are winning games with Palmer as a starterCredit: Dream Team
Maurico Pochettino oversaw a frustrating start to the season, during which time his side squandered far too much chances, ultimately costing them precious points.
But three consecutive victories prior to the international break have given the Argentine tactician a reason to be hopeful for the months ahead.
It’s too simplistic to say Palmer’s appearance in the starting line-up has been the sole factor in Chelsea’s recent turnaround but the England Under-21 star has made certainly contributed.
His first start came in the Carabao Cup when he provided the assist for Nicolas Jackson’s (£2.6m) winner against Brighton.
The right winger kept his place for Chelsea’s league win over West London rivals Fulham and again for his side’s most-recent victory at Burnley, where he scored his first goal for his new club.
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Palmer bagged 11 points at Turf MoorCredit: Reuters
What was particularly interesting about Palmer’s debut goal from a Dream Team perspective is that it came from the penalty spot.
Generally, an inexperienced new arrival would be well down the pecking order for such a duty but Palmer justified the faith shown in him by converting from 12 yards.
Pochettino’s side won 4-1 at Turf Moor but the score was 1-1 at the time the spot-kick was awarded so there was a considerable degree of pressure – hardly a freebie to simply get him up and running.
It remains to be seen whether Palmer will continue as Chelsea’s first-choice penalty taker but he can’t have done much more to keep hold of the title for now.

It goes without saying that Dream Team managers should be aware of the regular penalty-takers knocking around – cheap goals count just the same as 30-yard wonderstrikes.
Palmer’s broader returns since he became a starter have been impressive – he’s banked 24 points across the three outings.
And his points have come at excellent value given he’s currently available for just £2.1m.
New beginningsCredit: Getty
Whether the 0.5%-owned midfielder would be a wise recruit ahead of Gameweek 9 is another conversation entirely.
Eight teams are set to pull double duty this coming Gameweek but Chelsea are not among that crop and their lone fixture (Arsenal at home) has to be considered one of the more difficult match-ups.
In fact, the Blues will also play Tottenham, Manchester City and Newcastle before the end of November – it’s possibly not the best time to back Stamford Bridge residents generally.
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That being stated, Palmer is somebody to monitor closely.
If he’s still Chelsea’s starting right winger and first-choice penalty-taker by mid-December when their fixtures turn then he could be a very smart, value-for-money differential option.

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IT is with a heavy heart that we must confirm there are just four Gameweeks between this international break and the next one.The 2023/24 Dream Team campaign will pause again in mid-November for the last of the Euro 2024 qualifying group fixtures.
However, European fixtures and the continuation of the Carabao Cup means this little period will be action packed.
As always, gaffers should consider the schedule when formulating their plans for the upcoming weeks so let’s take a look at which teams have the most favourable fixtures from now until the next international break.

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN AN XBOX SERIES X!

Liverpool and Aston Villa appear to have favourable fixture across the next few weeksCredit: Dream Team
TOTTENHAM

Fulham (h)
Crystal Palace (a)
Chelsea (h)
Wolves (a)

The fact Ange Postecoglou’s men play just four times before the next international break is a key thing for Dream Team bosses to note.
Having already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup and without European commitments, Spurs assets will do very well to keep pace with their busier rivals in the coming weeks.
In James Maddison (£4.3m), Son Heung-min (£4.8m) and Cristian Romero (£3.5m) they have in-form individuals capable of double-digit hauls every time they step onto a pitch and with ninth-placed Palace their hardest opponent according to the league table, Spurs have a decent chance of holding onto top spot over the next month or so.
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However, stocking up on too many of Postecoglou’s stars in the relam of Dream Team risks failing to make proper use of the schedule.
ARSENAL

Chelsea (a)
Sevilla (a)
Sheffield United (h)
West Ham (a)
Newcastle (a)
Sevilla (h)
Burnley (h)

In contrast to their North London rivals, the Gunners will be very active in the coming weeks.
A trip to the London Stadium in the Carabao Cup is likely to be low priority while away days to Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park represent tricky league match-ups – there are signs the Blues have sorted themselves out.
A Champions League double header against Sevilla should be profitable as the Spanish outfit are currently 14th in La Liga – although Arsenal did lose to Lens who are also struggling domestically this season.
Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) and company should also enjoy themselves at home to the Blades and the Clarets – much has been made of the newly-promoted clubs’ problems this term.
All eyes on Bukayo Saka’s (£6.4m) fitness once the action resumes.
Dream Team’s top midfielder in 2023/24Credit: Getty
MANCHESTER CITY

Brighton (h)
Young Boys (a)
Manchester United (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Young Boys (h)
Chelsea (a)

The Cherries aside, it could be a relatively testing domestic run for the reigning champions, although the Old Trafford faithful may be fearing another derby day humbling.
Naturally, Pep Guardiola’s side will be heavy favourites in their two fixtures against the Swiss champions in Champions League Group G but the biggest boost post-break will be Rodri’s (£3.9m) return from suspension.
City have won every game in which the Spaniard has featured this season and lost every game without him.
LIVERPOOL

Everton (h)
Toulouse (h)
Nottingham Forest (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Luton (a)
Toulouse (a)
Brentford (h)

Now here’s a set of fixtures that should tempt most right-thinking Dream Team gaffers.
Granted, the Reds have rotated in the Europa League but with all five of their domestic opponents comfortably in the bottom half of the league table right now, it should be fun few weeks for Mohamed Salah (£6.5m) and friends.
A slight quirk in schedule means Jurgen Klopp’s men will play three consecutive home games immediately after the break followed by three away days in a row but visits to Bournemouth and Luton (19th and 17th respectively) have to be considered favourable match-ups on current form.
Plenty of points up for grabsCredit: Alamy
ASTON VILLA

West Ham (h)
AZ Alkmaar (a)
Luton (h)
Nottingham Forest (a)
AZ Alkmaar (h)
Fulham (h)

Another friendly batch of games here for Dream Team bosses to potentially target.
The Hammers are no pushovers by any means but home advantage should serve the Villains well this coming weekend – they smashed Brighton 6-1 in their last league fixture at Villa Park.
The Europa Conference League hasn’t been a platform of much joy as of yet for Villa assets – they lost 3-2 to Legia Warsaw before leaving it late to beat Zrinjski Mostar 1-0 – and AZ Alkmaar are their most difficult group stage opponents on paper.
Still, the likes of Matty Cash (£3.1m), Ollie Watkins (£4.3m) and Moussa Diaby (£3.5m) should provide healthy returns in the coming weeks.
BRIGHTON

Manchester City (a)
Ajax (h)
Fulham (h)
Everton (a)
Ajax (a)
Sheffield United (h)

The first thing to note is that while a double header against Ajax would usually be a stiff European challenge, the famous Dutch giants are in disarray this season.
The four-time European champions are currently third from bottom in the Eredivisie having mustered just five points from six outings.
A trip to the Etihad is always a daunting task although City’s recent losses to Wolves and Arsenal mean it’s a relatively good time to play the treble-winners – if such a concept exists.
We know what to expect from Brighton by now – plenty of goals at both ends.
Entertainment guaranteedCredit: PA
WEST HAM

Aston Villa (a)
Olympiakos (a)
Everton (h)
Arsenal (h)
Brentford (a)
Olympiakos (h)
Nottingham Forest (h)

A busy schedule only boosts the viability of James Ward-Prowse (£4.3m) and Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m) further, Dream Team’s fourth and fifth best midfielders at the time of writing.
Things are going swimmingly for David Moyes’ mob on the continent once again as they’re currently top of their Europa League group with six points from a possible six – Olympiakos have just one point to their name.
NEWCASTLE

Crystal Palace (h)
Borussia Dortmund (h)
Wolves (a)
Manchester United (a)
Arsenal (h)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Bournemouth (a)

The good news is that the Magpies are another team with seven fixtures to fulfil between international breaks but the bad news is four of them are potentially tough match-ups.
Borussia Dortmund are undefeated in the Bundesliga this term but they did lose to PSG in the Champions League, who Eddie Howe’s side mauled in the same competition.
Newcastle’s meeting with the Red Devils is a Carabao Cup game so rotation is to be expected from both sides but there’s no doubt a meeting with Arsenal the following weekend will be a stern test.
Nick Pope (£4.3m) and Kieran Trippier (£5.6m) will be hopeful of clean sheets against the likes of Palace, Wolves and Bournemouth to maintain their places at the top of their respective positional rankings.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Newcastle (a)
Tottenham (h)
Burnley (a)
Everton (h)

Just the four games for the Eagles and two of them are against difficult opponents.
With Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) sidelined, it’s probably best to stay clear of Roy Hodgson’s lads during this upcoming period – though they’ve proved their doubters wrong so far in 2023/24.
No Eze, no partyCredit: Reuters
MANCHESTER UNITED

Sheffield United (a)
Copenhagen (h)
Manchester City (h)
Newcastle (h)
Fulham (a)
Copenhagen (a)
Luton (h)

A record of won four, lost four from eight league games sums up Erik ten Hag’s troops so far this season.
Surely they’ll leave Bramall Lane with three points on Saturday night – Sheffield United have just a single point to their name since promotion – but a double header against Danish opposition in the Champions League represents another potential banana skin following their capitulation against Galatasaray.
A tricky set of fixtures to read given Man United’s own inconsistencies.
CHELSEA

Arsenal (h)
Brentford (h)
Blackburn (h)
Tottenham (a)
Manchester City (h)

The Blues only play one away game before the next international break – what a luxury.
Saying that, playing Arsenal, Spurs and City in quick succession will give gaffers a true indication of just how resolute Chelsea’s defensive assets are this season – they boast the joint-third best record in the league currently.
After a frustrating start to the campaign, consecutive wins over Brighton, Fulham and Burnley have given Mauricio Pochettino a reason to be optimistic.
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We’ll cut it off there as, by very definition, it’s hard to argue any of teams from 12th down in the Premier League have fixtures favourable enough for Dream Team managers to target.

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YOU know what it’s like.You’ve kept patience with certain players and expect to be rewarded for your limitless patience.
But you’re not alone. There are thousands of Dream Team gaffers who have stuck to their guns in anticipation of an explosive haul – but who are the main culprits?
We at Dream Team HQ take a closer look at the FIVE most popular fantasy football assets with fewer than 30 points and evaluate whether managers should stick or twist.
Is it time to sell Aaron Ramsdale?Credit: GETTY
Aaron Ramsdale (£3.6m)
First up is Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who boasts a still considerable 8.1% ownership despite accumulating just 21 points this season.
Ramsdale started the campaign in good enough fashion, taking home 10 points from his opening two fixtures but it went south… quickly.
The Englishman, 25, has been ousted by summer arrival David Raya with the 1-0 win over Brentford in the Carabao Cup his only appearance in the last seven matches in all competitions.

Our verdict: Sell. Raya has the No.1 jersey and doesn’t look like relinquishing it anytime soon.

Virgil van Dijk (£4.1m)
Usually Mr Consistent for points, it’s been a very sluggish start from Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
Just over 7% of bosses have kept faith with the towering centre-back despite a lowly return of 27 points and an average points tally of 3.9 from seven appearances.
Liverpool have managed just two clean sheets in their 11 competitive matches this season, while Van Dijk was absent for three of those having been red carded against Newcastle back in August.

Our verdict: Hold. Liverpool are in good form and the clean sheets are bound to arrive soon. They also have some great fixtures on the horizon against Everton, Toulouse, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton on the horizon.

We think Jack Grealish is poised for a revivalCredit: GETTY
Lewis Dunk (£2.3m)
Just the 21 points on the board for Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.
There’s very little to complain about in terms of the 5.8% owned defender’s performances, but Roberto Di Zerbi’s attacking philosophy means the Seagulls often concede.
In fact, only Bournemouth, Luton and Sheffield United have shipped more goals in the Premier League this season, while they’ve not managed a clean sheet in any competition since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.

Our verdict: Sell. Clean sheets don’t look forthcoming and his potential attacking returns simply don’t offer enough value for money compared with other defenders.

Jack Grealish (£4m)
A very stop-start season this far for our Jack. The Manchester City attacker missed six matches with a hamstring injury and has only just returned to the starting XI.
He’s chalked up 19 points for his 5.8% of owners, who will have expected better for a £4m asset – especially when you consider that Phil Foden (£4.6m) has 65 points this term.
His injury paired with the loss of influential midfielder Rodri has seen Manchester City stutter, losing all three and scoring just once in the last three top-flight matches.

Our verdict: Hold. Jack’s back to full fitness and Rodri has completed his three-game suspension. Pep Guardiola’s side are somewhat slow starters and are likely to return firing on all cylinders after the international break.

Easy one. Hold.Credit: GETTY
Gabriel Martinelli (£4m)
Nice and simple this one. Hold. The Arsenal winger suffered an unfortunate injury against Everton having gathered 19 points in his opening four matches.
The Brazilian missed three games with an ankle injury, but returned with a BANG against Manchester City and proved just how essential he is to Mikel Arteta and CO.
He still has a 5.4% ownership, but that perhaps makes him an exciting differential with games against Chelsea, Sevilla and Sheffield United coming up in the next three.

Our verdict: Hold. He’s going to amass some serious points.

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