NEW Dream Team managers should be aware that players earn one point for every big chance they create for their team-mates.
All our stats are determined by Opta and the stats boffins define a ‘big chance’ as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter.”
Big chances created directly result in points but, as one would expect, they also correlate with assists.
In 2023/24, each assist was worth two points but they’re worth three points each this coming season.
All gaffers should have therefore have one eye on the game’s top creators.
With that in mind, here’s reminder of which Premier League players created the most big chances created last season.
MOST BIG CHANCES CREATED IN 2023/24:
It’s fair to say that Manchester United didn’t make the most of their Portuguese playmaker’s creative output last term.
Fernandes finished with 14 assists, certainly not to be sniffed at, but he deserved a few more based on his huge volume of big chances created.
If the Red Devils can improve their efficiency in front of goal this campaign, the 29-year-old should reap the rewards.
Salah has occasionally been labelled a greedy player by pundits and fans alike but the fact is he provides plenty of golden opportunities for his team-mates as well as firing off many shots of his own – he’s an absolute menace in the final third.
Dream Team bosses will be eagerly anticipating a proper look at Liverpool in a post-Klopp world but 20.8% are willing to take a punt on the Egyptian superstar from the get-go at this stage.
De Bruyne’s position on the podium is an astonishing feat given he was sidelined through injury for approximately half the season.
Had the Belgium international played the whole campaign, he surely would have been in a league of his own.
The quality of Manchester City’s No17 is undeniable but he has been strongly linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League in recent months.
However, while on pre-season tour in the USA, Pep Guardiola told reporters that De Bruyne “is not going” and so gaffers will be able to select the expensive midfielder (£6.5m) for Gameweek 1 if they wish.
Elsewhere in this list, Alexander-Arnold and Trippier should be highlighted as the only defenders present.
The former has long rubbed shoulders with attacking midfielders in relation to the key playmaking statistics and it will be interesting to see how he is deployed by Arne Slot – will he play predominantly as a right-back or a deep-lying midfielder?
Whatever the case, Anfield’s homegrown hero is categorised as a defender in the realm of Dream Team but he comes at an eye-watering cost of £5.5m.
PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!
Newcastle’s experienced right-back has excelled in Dream Team ever since his return to English shores but, like De Bruyne, he too has been linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia.
Gibbs-White and McNeil also deserve special mentions for their tallies given both Nottingham Forest and Everton finished in the bottom six last season.
The former could be considered a potentially smart differential option for the start of 2024/25 with Forest having relatively favourable fixtures across the first three Gameweeks.
