IT would be irresponsible for Dream Team managers to underestimate Chelsea.
The Premier League table depicts the Blues as Arsenal’s biggest title rivals at this moment in time and Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over Barcelona was a statement performance in the Champions League that has improved their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage directly.
Chelsea players have flourished this Gameweek with no fewer than nine of them registering double-digit hauls.
Five of those assets consist of Robert Sanchez (£3.7m) and a quartet of defenders, which is to be expected off the back of consecutive clean sheets.
Enzo Maresca’s side strolled to a 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto (£4.2m) and Enzo Fernandez (£4.6m).
The latter then assisted Liam Delap (£3.5m) against Barca to become the first Chelsea player to reach 100 points this season.
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His total of 104 points puts him joint-second among midfielders at the time of writing although he is likely to lose a few places after the remaining midweek fixtures have taken place.
The point is that the Argentine No8 is very much a viable option in Dream Team this season.
Fernandez has been good value for his return of five goals and three assists as he ranks among the top three players in his position for both shots on target and big chances created.
In the Premier League, only fully-fledged strikers Erling Haaland (£7.9m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£4.5m) have generated more xG than Chelsea’s vice-captain.
Moises Caicedo (£4.5m) needs just two more points to bring up his century but his progress has slowed lately — he did not feature against the Clarets at the weekend.
In contrast, Neto is enjoying a fruitful spell having banked 25 points from his last three outings.
The Portuguese winger, occasionally deployed as makeshift centre-forward, has taken 54 points from his last seven appearances but this period includes DNPs against Ajax and Qarabag.
Marc Cucurella (£4.7m) is the fifth-most popular defender in the game and his owners will be overjoyed with a 17-point haul this Gameweek.
The Spain international has amassed 95 points via two assists, eight clean sheets and 41 tackles.
Maresca isn’t afraid to shuffle his back four but Cucurella is very much first-choice at left-back — he’s played the most minutes among outfield players in the squad.
Trevoh Chalobah (£3.9m) is just four points shy of Cucurella having raced out the blocks with 35 points in his first three games of the campaign.
The 26-year-old tailed off throughout September and October but demands attention again after a prosperous November.
His last four appearances have resulted in four clean sheets for a tidy return of 30 points.
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Many Dream Team bosses went cold on Chelsea when their results dropped off in September but they have rallied impressively in recent weeks.
Gameweek 13 brings the ultimate litmus test in the form of a top-of-the-table clash with Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners head to Stamford Bridge having won 13 of their last 15 games in all competitions — albeit with a massive game against Bayern Munich to fulfil this evening.
Gaffers will be wary of Chelsea assets ahead of the weekend as Arsenal don’t give many points away but next Wednesday’s trip to Elland Road is also included in Gameweek 13.
Even if Fernandez, Cucurella and company are restricted against the league leaders, they may find ample compensation against a Leeds side now in the relegation zone.
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Looking further ahead, Chelsea will face Bournemouth and Atalanta in Gameweek 14 before fulfilling another double header against Everton and Cardiff in Gameweek 15.
At the very least, their progress should be monitored closely.
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