3 Dream Team assets for those wanting to hop aboard the Brighton gravy train
YOU probably know the story by now.
Last season Brighton’s underlying statistics (expected goals and such) suggested they were playing much better than their position in the table indicated.
At the start of 2021/22, the Seagulls are evening things out in double quick time.
Graham Potter’s side have won five of their six games in all competitions so far and currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League.
Naturally, Dream Team bosses are stating to wonder if the south coast may be home to some potential bargains.
Let’s take a closer look at three best-performing Brighton players at this stage…
Neal Maupay (£2.4m)
The Frenchman has always offered plenty of industry but his scoring record in the Premier League before this season was 18 goals from 74 games – modest at best.
However, he’s bagged three goals in five league games this term (penalties will do that) with his personal upturn being emblematic of the club’s transformation as whole.
Maupay has pouched 23 points so far, putting him on the coattails of Mason Greenwood (£4.2m), Diogo Jota (£4.3m) and Jamie Vardy (£4.2m).
Dream Team bosses will be wary of his historical record, fearing a sudden drought the moment they take the plunge, but if you think Brighton will continue stringing positive results together (and winning penalties) then he may be worth a whirl.
Maupay appears in just 0.5% of teams at the time of writing.
Leandro Trossard (£2.5m)
The Belgium international’s technical quality has earned him back-to-back Star Man awards.
Having blanked in three consecutive games at the start of the season, he’s burst into life to bag 23 points in his last two outings.
At this early stage, that tally is enough to make him the ninth-best midfielder overall – level alongside four other players including Ferran Torres (£3.5m) and Paul Pogba (£4.5m).
Trossard’s efforts haven’t always translated to Dream Team success but his style is conducive to Star Man awards if the fixtures are kind.
Shane Duffy (£3.0m)
Arguably the biggest surprise package of the Dream Team campaign so far.
Based on Duffy’s performances on loan at Celtic in 2020/21, anyone who would have predicted he would be level on points with Virgil van Dijk (£5.3m) and Thiago Silva (£3.7m) midway through Game Week 5 would have been laughed out of town.
But that’s the reality after the tall centre-back has contributed to two clean sheets, scored a goal, and bagged two Star Man awards.
Duffy is the only defender in the top 13 who doesn’t play for Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City.
His place in Potter’s preferred starting line-up may not be assured all season long but the 2% of Dream Team managers who have jumped aboard the gravy train and have been handsomely rewarded.