TOTTENHAM began the post-Harry Kane era with a 2-2 draw at Brentford on Sunday.
Though the spoils were shared in west London, fans were generally happy with what they saw from Ange Postecoglou’s first competitive game in charge.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the fixture from a Dream Team perspective was the success of James Maddison (£4m).
DREAM TEAMA hopeful start[/caption]
The 26-year-old claimed seven points by virtue of two assists amid a typically lively performance.
For the first, he demonstrated his set-piece threat with a whipped free-kick onto the concussed head of Cristian Romero (£3.5m).
The second was somewhat fortunate as Maddison shuffled the ball away half a second before he was clattered only for Emerson Royal (£3m) to collect and unleash a low finish past Mark Flekken (£2.5m) from outside the box.
That’s not to say the England international didn’t deserve his rewards; it could be argued he’s been robbed of a fair few assists in recent years.
Maddison’s play style is perfectly suited to Dream Team.
As a genuine playmaker, he seems to be almost entirely preoccupied with either creating goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates or taking on a shot himself.
GettyOne of Dream Team’s most-popular midfielders[/caption]
This season, with Dream Team rewarding players for big chances created and shots on target as well as goals and assists, Spurs’ new No10 should thrive.
The fear was that the departure of the club’s old No10 (and all-time record goalscorer) to Bayern Munich would hinder Maddison’s returns.
A striker of Kane’s calibre is a dream focal point for creative midfielders but if Gameweek 1 is anything to go by, the ex-Leicester man will do just fine in Postecoglou’s set-up.
And perhaps that’s what Dream Team bosses should have expected all along – he produced plentiful points even when most his Leicester team-mates were under par.
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It may yet be the case that Spurs recruit a clinical finisher to lead the line before the transfer window closes – they’ve certainly got the cash.
With an ownership of 14.8%, Maddison is currently the eighth-most popular asset in his position, a whisker ahead of Gabriel Martinelli (£4.5m) and Luis Diaz (£4m).
Spurs host Manchester United in Gameweek 2 which is a difficult match-up on paper but Erik ten Hag’s allowed Wolves 23 shots at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Looking further ahead, the north Londoners will face Bournemouth Fulham (Carabao Cup), Burnley and Sheffield United – a favourable run.