Injuries and 'Pep Roulette' scupper strategies despite Erling Haaland's goals

1196     0
Injuries and 'Pep Roulette' scupper strategies despite Erling Haaland's goals
Injuries and 'Pep Roulette' scupper strategies despite Erling Haaland's goals

MANCHESTER CITY beat Burnley 3-0 on Friday night to open the curtain on the new Premier League season.

On paper, it seemed a result ripe with Dream Team points but many gaffers were left frustrated by how events played out at Turf Moor.

Another year of trying to second-guess Pep Guardiola! qhiqquiqddidrqprw
Another year of trying to second-guess Pep Guardiola!Credit: DREAM TEAM

Erling Haaland (£8.5m) provided the goods with a clinical brace but given his ownership stands at a ginormous 85% his returns are unlikely to have much of an impact on Mini Leagues or the overall leaderboard.

There was more variance in terms of captaincy selection but still the majority of Dream Team bosses doubled the Norwegian poacher's 14 points to 28.

However, a combination of Pep Guardiola's team selection and injury misfortunes meant several popular assets missed out in Gameweek 1.

Haaland enjoys New Years Eve at The Ivy with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng JohansenHaaland enjoys New Years Eve at The Ivy with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen

Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) lasted just 23 minutes before he incurred another injury, an aggravation of the same hamstring issue that forced his premature exit in the Champions League final.

This is a significant development as the Belgian playmaker is currently the third-most selected midfielder in Dream Team and may now face another spell on the sidelines.

KDB didn't last long at Turf Moor
KDB didn't last long at Turf MoorCredit: Getty

Similarly, John Stones (£5m) is the third-most popular defender and was entirely absent at Burnley.

The so-called 'Barnsley Beckenbauer' felt a twinge in his hip and was therefore not risked but Guardiola has since revealed the defender may be involved against Newcastle on Saturday.

Ruben Dias (£5.5m) was another unexpected absentee as he suffered a blow to the head in training which triggered the concussion protocol, meaning he'll be out for at least seven days.

Despite injuries to the regular centre-backs, new signing Josko Gvardiol (£5m) had to make do with a 15-minute cameo at the end of the game - a frustration for the minority of Dream Team managers who took a punt on the Croatia international from the off.

Jack Grealish (£4.5m) watched his side's victory over the Clarets from the bench.

The 27-year-old started Gameweek 1 as the sixth-most popular player in his position having finished last season as a nailed-on selection but Guardiola is ever unpredictable.

16.6% of Dream Team managers own Grealish
16.6% of Dream Team managers own GrealishCredit: Getty

When all was said and done, De Bruyne, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol and Grealish combined for just three measly points!

Dream Team managers should be wary of overreacting to a single fixture, especially the first of the season, but with two transfers per Gameweek there's enough flexibility to pivot if they so choose.

Opta's Team of the Year revealed with no Haaland.. but reason for his exclusionOpta's Team of the Year revealed with no Haaland.. but reason for his exclusion

Man City provide mountains of points as a collective but identifying which specific players to back can be tricky.

Keep an eye out for updates after Wednesday night's UEFA Super Cup.

Nick Elliott

Manchester City, Manchester City transfer news, Fantasy football, Rúben Dias, Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne, Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland

Read more similar news:

06.01.2023, 16:30 • Sport
7 players have 100+ Dream Team points at this stage... and one has over 200
10.01.2023, 13:08 • Sport
Which players have increased in price the most since Game Week 1?
12.01.2023, 10:08 • Sport
Southampton fans aim brutal chant at Haaland as he draws blank in Man City exit
13.01.2023, 12:13 • Sport
Man Utd vs Man City BOOST: Rashford and Haaland 1+ shot on target each at 2/1
14.01.2023, 07:24 • Sport
Rashford vs Haaland: Stats show who is deadliest ahead of Manchester derby
01.02.2023, 16:57 • Sport
What is Erling Haaland's celebration and what does it mean?
16.01.2023, 20:00 • Sport
Liverpool collapse & City slip have led to Arsenal & Man Utd's thrilling seasons
17.01.2023, 12:20 • Sport
Ferdinand names his Premier League player of season... and it's not Haaland
17.01.2023, 14:14 • Sport
Man Utd legend Solskjaer's brutal first words to Erling Haaland revealed
05.02.2023, 13:44 • Sport
Manchester City starlet Rico Lewis's weekly wages set to rise by 400 per cent