MACAULEY Bonne is out to prove his stellar football season with Leyton Orient was no fluke — and has set his sights on playing in the English Championship (equivalent of […]
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It’s impossible to believe there is still a debate.
It’s rare for a striker to boast a Premier League record of 143 goals in 206 games and yet still not be recognised as one of the best.
Sergio Aguero has dealt with this injustice for the past seven years in English football since he joined Man City.
SIGN UP NOW – It’s time to pick your fantasy football team for the new seasonAP:Associated Press Name your top five Premier League strikers of all time, does Aguero make it?[/caption]
On the seventh anniversary of his transfer from Atletico Madrid, it’s time we begin to put the 30-year-old in the very top bracket of the Premier League’s best ever strikers.
The Argentine currently sits 12th in the list of the Premier League’s all-time top scorers, with Jermain Defoe the only player still active in the top flight to rank ahead of him.
Aguero became City’s all-time record goalscorer in 2017, despite having his career at the Etihad somewhat written off after the arrival of Gabriel Jesus.
Getty Images - Getty The pair have struggled to co-exist[/caption]
The young Brazilian became Pep Guardiola’s preferred option upfront, and it was soon clear that Aguero was not his manager’s ideal type of striker. His future was uncertain.
Despite frequent praise from Guardiola in public, there was an obvious friction between Aguero’s naturally selfish mentality and his manager’s team philosophy.
Guardiola challenged Aguero to change his game, perhaps sacrificing his hunger for goals to encompass a more team-friendly approach.
When other players might have sulked about having to change a style which had served both him and his club for so long, the striker listened to the advice and his game stepped up a level.
The pair share an interesting dynamic
Aguero’s goalscoring antics were soon to be matched with a new-found work rate to win back possession as well as assist his teammates on a more regular basis.
The striker finished the 2017/18 season with 21 goals to his name and became just the fourth player to score 20+ goals in four consecutive Premier League campaigns after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Harry Kane.
The ability to adapt and evolve his game is another massive tick next to Aguero’s name and furthers his case to be mentioned amongst the very best.
AFP or licensors The goals don’t stop[/caption]
It took until last season for Aguero to finally be recognised by his peers, as he was voted in the PFA Team of the Year having been snubbed for the past six years.
Injuries at the wrong time of the season have often wrongly blighted his case for the individual end of the season awards.
PA:Press Association Injuries became an all too familiar sight[/caption]
Aguero has two years remaining on his current contract with City and it’s unclear where his long-term future lies.
The Argentine has spoken publicly in the past about wanting to return to his boyhood club Independiente to finish his career.
Surely Aguero has one more big contract left in him before he retires to Argentina.
If his future isn’t to be with City, a plethora of the world’s best clubs would be queuing up to take him.
PA:Press Association Front and centre alongside Vincent Kompany[/caption]
With three Premier League titles to his name, Aguero will go down as a City legend.
It remains to be seen however how he will be remembered by the rest once he leaves these shores.
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SABLES player Sandile Lupuwana , who passed away recently in a traffic accident, was given a rousing send-off on Thursday, with the Zimbabwean rugby fraternity coming out in their numbers […]
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Liverpool are expected to mount a serious title challenge this season after several high-profile additions which could also be big news for fantasy football fans.
Jurgen Klopp’s side impressed with their barnstorming playing-style last season, which was fronted by a lightning-quick front three.
Not only do Liverpool boast a squad which is certain to make headlines in the Premier League, Klopp’s side also features several names who could be big points scorers in fantasy football this season.
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REUTERS Liverpool paid a world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign the Roma man[/caption]
Alisson’s arrival at Anfield will expected to finally solve their long-standing goalkeeping crisis which has seen both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius heavily criticised.
The Brazilian was signed from Roma after the Reds forked out a world-record fee for a goalkeeper and the move has whetted the appetites of Reds fans.
Alisson has built up a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, with his distribution one of his best attributes.
The Brazilian will cost £4m in this year’s game, representing one of the most expensive goalkeepers in the game.
Alisson’s price-tag might be steep, however you would expect him to repay that with clean-sheets in front of an ever-improving Liverpool defence.
2 Virgil van Dijk – £4m
Getty - Contributor
The Dutchman is a towering leader at the heart of the Red’s defence
Van Dijk is set to be the main defensive lynch-pin in a now formidable looking Liverpool side.
The Dutchman arrived from Southampton in January for a world-record transfer fee for a defender and his impact was felt immediately.
The 27-year-old added much needed defensive steel and left Reds fans regretting that he wasn’t their player for the whole season.
At just £4m, the towering defender is a must have for your Dream Team this season.
Van Dijk’s immense aerial presence makes him a real goal-threat from set-pieces, and he is also now more likely to keep clean-sheets with Alisson behind him.
Liverpool’s favourable start to the season will also play a part in van Dijk’s potential to keep clean-sheets right from the start.
3 Naby Keita – £3m
Getty - Contributor The new arrival is expected to thrive at Anfield[/caption]
Liverpool fans have been made to wait to see Keita in action, after a transfer which was agreed last year, became permanent this summer.
The Guinea midfielder is expected to cope with the demands of the Premier League and continue the impressive form that led to him becoming one of Europe’s most sought-after talents.
Keita will slot straight into Klopp’s starting eleven, with the 23-year-old set to be given license to express himself in midfield alongside fellow new arrival Fabinho.
The former Leipzig man has taken the No8 shirt at Anfield which was previously held by the club’s former talisman Steven Gerrard.
Keita is priced up at a modest £3m in this year’s game and represents an enticing prospect for Dream Team managers, as he is likely to be the source of many goals or assists this season.
4 Roberto Firmino – £6m
Getty - Contributor The Brazilian has become one of Liverpool’s most important players[/caption]
Firmino’s excellent season went somewhat under the radar due to the brilliance of Mohamed Salah.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian was arguably just as important to Liverpool, scoring 15 goals and chipping in with seven assists last season.
The 26-year-old was the glue that held Klopp’s deadly attacking trident together, with four star man awards contributing to his impressive 280 points in fantasy football.
Firmino will cost Dream Team managers £6m in this year’s game, which is a relative steal considering what he will almost certainly bring to your fantasy football team this season.
5 Mohamed Salah – £8m
USA TODAY Sports Can the Egyptian replicate his form from last season?[/caption]
We teased you by leaving him until the very last.
Salah is fit and raring to go after he fully recovered from the shoulder injury that he sustained in last season’s Champions League final.
Before his season suffered a disastrous conclusion, the Egyptian was a revelation in his first year back in English football.
The 26-year-old scored 32 Premier League goals for Klopp’s side, which helped him to pick up a monumental 412 points in fantasy football, the most of any player.
The Egyptian is the joint most expensive player in this season’s game, alongside Spurs striker Harry Kane.
Salah will set Dream Team managers back a hefty £8m, however there is no doubt that your investment will be returned with plenty of goals this season.
Those managers looking to pick the Egyptian as a midfielder in their team will be left disappointed, as the Liverpool man has been moved to a striker in this year’s game.
What are the Dream Team rules?Every single season the Premier League gets more intriguing – and playing Dream Team really is the perfect way to enhance your experience of it.
You’ll be assigned a total budget of £50m for each side you pick and you’ll be able pick a maximum of 10 free teams.
The Game Weeks run from Friday to Thursday, effectively meaning the new Game Week starts after the last Europa League games are completed.
Emery and Arsenal will tackle the Europa League this seasonGetty
You get three transfers a month on the first Friday of every month so using them wisely is essential.
Every player on the game will be assigned a price at the start of the season which will then vary and fluctuate on a weekly basis dependent on their performances.
For example, last season we valued Mo Salah at £4m at the start of the season but the Egyptian King rocketed to over £11m by the end after his stunning goalscoring form.
Make sure to check out our website or app to see how our simplistic points system works.
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Alisson is at the centre of a transfer tug of war between Liverpool and Chelsea with the deal big news for both sets of supporters and fantasy football fans.
The Brazilian goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, and is rumoured to be departing Roma in a deal that could be worth around £62million.
The 25-year-old started all five of his country’s games at the World Cup and was Tite’s first choice over Man City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson.
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Alisson’s stock rose drastically following his impressive campaign with Roma last season.
The Brazilian shot-stopper played a crucial role in his side’s coupon-busting run to the Champions League semi-finals, before they were beaten by Liverpool at the penultimate step.
After making 31 appearances for Brazil, as well as having experience of Europe’s elite competition, it’s no surprise to see that Alisson is on the radar of so many top clubs.
Liverpool fans are so excited by the potential new arrival that they have even began to track private jets that could belong to the Roma man.
He’s more than your average goalkeeper.
Alisson could prove a huge fantasy football hit
The Brazilian is widely praised for not only his shot-stopping abilities and command of his area, but also for another trait.
Alisson is known to be very capable with the ball at his feet, with his impressive distribution perhaps the standout ability of the in-demand stopper.
If Liverpool or Chelsea were to agree any deal, they would be buying themselves a player in a similar mould to his countryman Ederson.
Getty - Contributor The Brazilian is far from your conventional goalkeeper[/caption]
According to Dream Team’s ratings provider WhoScored, Alisson had an impressive season in Serie A with Roma at 7.00.
The Brazilian was the highest-rated keeper in the league and made it into the Serie A team of the season.
Liverpool’s current goalkeeping options fail to compete with Alisson’s form at Roma. Both Loris Karius (6.70) and Simon Mignolet (6.49) had a lower average on WhoScored last season.
The Roma man also ranks higher than both of Chelsea’s goalkeepers, with Thibaut Courtois (6.63) and Willy Caballero (6.65) scoring lower than the rumoured new arrival.
Alisson moved to Roma from Brazilian side Internacional in 2016 for just £6million.
The 25-year-old was originally forced to act as the understudy to Wojciech Szczesny after the Polish international was on loan from Arsenal.
The following year, after Szczesny signed permanently for Juventus, Alisson was given the No1 jersey and the rest is history.
So, what will he cost on Dream Team?
As any transfer to the Premier League is yet to be officially confirmed, Alisson is still without a price for this season’s fantasy football game.
If Alisson does make the move to English football, we estimate him to cost Dream Team managers around £4m, judging on the prices of Ederson and David De Gea last season.
Whilst the new season doesn’t get underway until August 11 you can already pre-register for the Dream Team game here.
If you’re an existing Dream Team player you can now pre-register for new new game online and on the app.
Once you’ve followed the link above simply click on this banner to complete the process.
If you’re new to Dream Team the steps are very simple:
Register to play Dream Team for free here Download the Dream Team app to keep up with all the latest tips, news and gossip at your finger tips
Kane will be back on Spurs dutyREUTERS
How does Premier League fantasy football work?
Every single season the Premier League gets more intriguing – and playing Dream Team really is the perfect way to enhance your experience of it.
You’ll be assigned a total budget of £50m for each side you pick and you’ll be able pick a maximum of 10 free teams.
The Game Weeks run from Friday to Thursday, effectively meaning the new Game Week starts after the last Europa League games are completed.
PA:Press Association Arsenal and Chelsea will be in the Europa League again[/caption]
You get three transfers a month on the first Friday of every month so using them wisely is essential.
Every player on the game will be assigned a price at the start of the season which will then vary and fluctuate on a weekly basis dependent on their performances.
For example, last season we valued Mo Salah at £4m at the start of the season but the Egyptian King rocketed to over £11m by the end after his stunning goalscoring form.
