fixture

WE’VE identified five intriguing talking points ahead of Gameweek 7.

We encourage you to notice, observe and scrutinise these points of interest — full immersion in Dream Team is the best way to climb the leaderboard!

5

Cherry Picking

The first thing that demands your attention in Gameweek 7 is the deadline.

Bournemouth v Fulham is scheduled to kick-off at 8pm on Friday night, which means the deadline is 6:30pm — don’t wait until Saturday morning.

It’ll be all eyes on Antoine Semenyo (£4.8m) once the game gets underway as the Ghana international features in over a quarter of teams.

He ranks fourth among midfielders at the time of writing having amassed 52 points from seven outings.

The only downside to owning Semenyo is his limited schedule as the Cherries do not have European commitments and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup early doors.

However, that’s not relevant right now as Gameweek 7 simply consists of a full round of Premier League games.

Semenyo will always come to the fore when every club has the same number of fixtures to fulfil.

Stat Padding

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The Saturday lunchtime fixture sees Tottenham visit Leeds, who haven’t lost at home in well over a year.

Thomas Frank will hope the early kick-off time will negate the Elland Road atmosphere, which seems to have drawn out below-par performances from Everton, Newcastle and Bournemouth this season.

Anton Stach (£2.9m) and Sean Longstaff (£2.7m) have produced unexpected mega hauls in recent weeks but Dream Team managers will be more focused on Mohammed Kudus (£4.9m), the fourth-most selected midfielder in the game.

The mercurial 25-year-old is leading the way for both successful dribbles (33) and accurate crosses (18) among all players, an indication of his influence and, more importantly, a consistent supply of bonus points.

Kudus has racked up 45 points but he’s not the best Spurs midfield right now, that honour belongs to Joao Palhinha (£3.7m) on 49 points.

Everyone expected the Portuguese loanee to rack up tackles – only Moises Caicedo (£4.7m) has made more challenges – but he’s been surprisingly effective in final third so far with three goals to his name.

Whether his attacking output is sustainable remains to be seen.

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Fixture Flip

5

Arsenal assets should be at the forefront of your mind now their difficult run of fixtures is seemingly at an end.

The Gunners have already been to Old Trafford, Anfield and St James’ Park, not to mention a home game against Manchester City, but the schedule flips in their favour now with an appealing string of match-ups until the November international break.

Mikel Arteta’s side are due to face West Ham (h), Fulham (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Crystal Palace (h), Brighton (h), Burnley (a), Slavia Prague (a) and Sunderland (a) over the next five Gameweeks.

It’s notable that the hardest opponents of that bunch (Atletico and Palace) are both home games.

If you’ve resisted Arsenal players until now because of their tricky fixtures, consider this a turning point.

Backers of David Raya (£4.8m) and the first-choice defenders will be particularly hopeful of substantial points this autumn.

Cue Jarrod Bowen (£5.2m), boosted by Nuno Espirito Santo’s new manager bounce, playing the role of party pooper on Saturday.

The Hammers’ talisman ranks third among forwards at present, a mighty effort without European fixtures.

Mo Problems

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At the time writing, Mohamed Salah (£7.3m) is the third-most transferred-out player ahead of Gameweek 7.

It’s extremely rare that the Egyptian superstar suffers a significant dip in popularity when fully fit and available.

He mustered just four points in Gameweek 6, worlds away from the massive haul achieved by a certain Norwegian poacher, but he remains the second-best performer among players in his position.

Given Salah’s history, might everything be set up for a statement performance at Stamford Bridge this weekend?

The Blues haven’t won in the league since August and with absentees in defence, they may find it hard to resist Arne Slot’s troops.

Alisson (£4.1m) is unlikely to recover before the weekend and so Giorgi Mamardashvili (£3.5m) is expected to start between the sticks for Liverpool.

Salah has registered nine goal involvements in 15 league meetings with Chelsea.

Wouldn’t it be typical of him to take revenge on the swarm of gaffers who have ditched him this week?

Best for Last

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We’ve skirted around the issue but it’s time to address the elephant in the room that is Erling Haaland’s (£7.7m) otherworldly form.

After just six Gameweeks, the relentless striker has 105 points to his name and a lead of 41 over his closest rival.

A brace against Monaco in the week took his goal tally for the season to 11 — nobody else has scored more than five.

Haaland will take to the stage last in Gameweek 7 as Man City’s trip to Brentford is the late kick-off on Sunday.

And who would bet against another double-digit return?

The Bees are 13th in the table but their underlying numbers are a concern.

Only Burnley have conceded more shots than Brentford while Keith Andrews’ mob rank dead last for shots taken.

Igor Thiago (£3.3m) and company have the capacity to make life difficult for their opponents but Pep Guardiola will expect one-way traffic in his favour at the Gtech.

The captaincy conversation is a non-starter, it’s Haaland and anyone that sees it differently is playing with fire.

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Wigan said: “At 10.37pm on Tuesday 30 September, our club was informed in writing by Derek Beaumont of Leigh Leopards that they do not intend to fulfil Friday’s scheduled semi-final fixture.

“We can confirm that Leigh Leopards were offered the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand.”

Wigan said the allocation had been determined by the independent Safety Advisory Group and the club’s Ground Safety Officer, following consultation with the police.

They said Super League had “sought separate safety advice” and had “fully endorsed this approach”.

Wigan added that the allocation offered was almost double the 10% minimum required for away supporters.

“While we regret that Leigh Leopards found this arrangement unacceptable, our club is legally, and professionally, bound to comply with the directions of our Ground Safety Officer and the conditions of our Ground Safety Certificate,” Wigan’s statement added.

“The safety and welfare of all supporters must come first. This is not open to negotiation and underpins every decision we make.

“We continue to prepare for Friday’s semi-final and will release further information as the situation develops.”

Wigan finished one place and three points above Leigh in the regular season and the winner of Friday’s scheduled match will face either Hull KR or St Helens in the Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday, 11 October.

RICHMOND, Va. — U.S. Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75.

Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.

He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress. His death leaves House Republicans with a 220-212 majority.

The spirited and at times bullheaded Fairfax Democrat became known for his voluble nature and willingness to engage in spirited debates. In one hearing, he accused Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt against the IRS, asking a witness if they ever read Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”

“I am heartbroken over the loss of my dear friend,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. “To me, he exemplified the very best of public service.” He said Connolly “met every challenge with tenacity and purpose, including his final battle with cancer, which he faced with courage, grace, and quiet dignity.”

A fixture of Virginia politics for three decades, Connolly was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1995. On the county board, he steered the transition of northern Virginia’s Tysons Corner from a traffic-heavy mall area to a downtown business hub.

In 2003, Connolly was elected board chairman, and he continued pushing for transportation investment that had been debated among officials for decades. Connolly sought billions in state and federal dollars to develop the regional rail system’s Silver Line connecting the national capital region to Tysons Corner.

Connolly’s dream was realized with the Silver Line’s opening in 2014, and eight years later, the rail line was extended an extra 11 miles to reach Dulles International Airport.

As the extension opened in 2022, Connolly said: “Doing big things is difficult — the world is filled with naysayers.”

Connolly’s local government experience launched his congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open Republican-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is “a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve.”

“If we insist the government must work for all of our citizens again, we cannot fail,” Connolly said.

Connolly got his first taste of Congress while working as a staffer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 1980s. Decades later, Connolly became a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He also served as a member of the House Oversight Committee and led Democrats on subcommittees on government innovation and information technology.

Connolly cosponsored the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which requires federal agencies to allow a portion of their employees to telework at least one day a week. In 2014, he cosponsored another bill that reformed federal IT management and has since saved the government billions of dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office.

He also closely followed the financial burden of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, becoming a prominent voice accusing President Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of seeking to winnow the postal service to suppress mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election.

Connolly reached a new milestone late last year as he was chosen ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. He defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position. The victory came shortly after Connolly announced that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

As ranking member, Connolly called on inspectors general to investigate the Department of Government Efficiency. He and other Democrats also introduced a pair of resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over documents and information about billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest and the firings of federal workers.

He said in late April that after “grueling treatments,” he learned that the cancer had returned and that he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek reelection.

“With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” he said.

Diaz writes for the Associated Press.