It took a little longer than originally planned… but the 2019/20 campaign is finally done and dusted.
So while we wait for the next season to start (which will probably be by the time you finish reading this to be fair) let’s take a look at some of the best newcomers to the Premier League and Dream Team of the last 12 months.
Christian Pulisic – 155 points
Surprise, surprise… the best newcomer to Dream Team this season was Chelsea’s Pulisic.
After a slow start to life in West London – which saw the American pick up just 17 points on our game after the first nine Game Weeks – Pulisic opened his account in dazzling fashion with a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Burnley, before scoring winning goals against Watford and Crystal Palace and then firing his first Champions League goal for the Blues in a 2-2 draw with Valencia – all before the end of November!
A long term injury kept him out of action in the New Year but he’s since bounced back and was widely considered Chelsea’s best player since the restart – becoming a firm fantasy football favourite in the process.
Nicolas Pepe – 149 points
From surprise, surprise to… surprised?
Many Arsenal fans have been somewhat disappointed by Pepe’s first season at the Emirates, with 25-year-old joining the Gunners for £72 million from Lille last summer only to register just five league goals and six assists this term – in contrast to the 22 goals and 11 assists he notched in Ligue 1 the season before.
Still, a handful of standout performances – notably the 18 points he picked up against Vitoria Guimaraes in the Europa League and the 17-point display against Newcastle – saw him rise above plenty of other Premier League newcomers and end the season with a relatively decent Dream Team tally.
Bruno Fernandes – 130 points
From disappointing to spectacular!
Many Man United (and Dream Team) fans will claim that Bruno saved their season with his attacking brilliance, as he racked up an incredible 130 points in just 20 appearances across all competitions following his January move from Portugal.
His best match days include United’s back-to-back wins against Brighton and then Bournemouth post-restart, which saw him pick up 18 points and 17 points respectively, as well as his breakout game against Watford back in February.
More of the same next season, please.
Joao Cancelo – 118 points
Bruno wasn’t the only Portuguese newcomer to the Prem this term, with Man City signing their latest full-back Cancelo from Juventus in the summer.
But a lack of regular game-time and inconsistency meant he wasn’t quite the success story many of us envisioned him to be, although only Kyle Walker (122 points) picked up more points than him among City’s defenders.
Reece James – 118 points
While Cancelo will be disappointed with his points tally, James has every reason to be happy with his haul.
The Chelsea youngster made his debut for his boyhood club earlier in the season and swiftly made an impact by scoring a goal and assisting two others in a 7-1 win over Grimsby Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
He then became Chelsea’s youngest ever goalscorer in the Champions League when he netted their fourth goal in their 4-4 comeback draw with Ajax in November, and he’s been a regular in the side ever since.
John Egan – 117 points
Egan has certainly been around longer than the majority of the names on this list, having been on Sunderland’s books back when the Black Cats were in the Premier League under Martin O’Neil.
But he never made a top-flight appearance for them and instead developed his game in the lower leagues with the likes of Southend, Brentford and Gillingham, before winning promotion with Sheffield United in 2019.
The defender has been a big part of the Blades excellent top-flight return which saw them rub shoulders with the top six for large parts of the season, and he gradually became a popular choice for Dream Team managers looking for a cost-effective solution in defence.
Mason Mount – 114 points
A late season flurry for Mount, which saw him net against Man United in the FA Cup before his superb free-kick against Wolves in the Premier League just a week later, saw him finish up with over 100 points on Dream Team.
Not bad for a first season in the Premier League, and especially not bad for a player valued at just £2m on Dream Team.
Talk about bargain, eh?
When does fantasy football start for the new season?
We anticipate that registration for Dream Team will open around mid-August – I know, it’s a quick turnaround!
It’s completely free to play as ever and there’ll be a hefty jackpot up for grabs.
The season itself will start on September 12th.