Taiwo Awoniyi has EIGHT goals in his last six games but features in just 0.8% of Dream Teams
THE 2023/24 Dream Team season is still in its infancy but that doesn’t mean gaffers should allow themselves to be complacent.
With two transfers available per Gameweek there’s plenty of room for flexibility and every in-form asset is worthy of consideration.
Enter Taiwo Awoniyi (£2.6m).
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Dream TeamOn a hot streak[/caption]
Nottingham Forest’s No9 opened the scoring at the City Ground on Friday night when the hosts beat Sheffield United 2-1.
Granted, the Blades appear one of the Premier League’s more favourable opponents at present but Awoniyi also scored against a formidable side in Gameweek 1 in the form of Arsenal.
In fact, the Nigeria international has now scored EIGHT goals in his last six outings.
It’s worth acknowledging that this spree is spread over two seasons, separated by a lengthy summer break, but the bigger picture is that he has found in feet in England’s top flight.
2022/23 was his first campaign among Steve Cooper’s troops and he finished with 11 goals in all competitions at an average of one every 142.7 minutes.
ReutersForest are impressive at home but dire on the road[/caption]
Awoniyi was on Liverpool’s books for years without ever playing for the Reds at senior level and was signed by Forest off the back of an impressive campaign with over-achievers Union Berlin.
A groin injury disrupted his debut season but he’s started the current term is similarly prolific style to how he finished the last one.
At the time of writing, the 26-year-old features in just 0.8% of Dream Teams but that slim minority of gaffers have been handsomely rewarded.
He took seven points off the Gunners from just 19 minutes played and added eight more at the expensive of Sheffield United to take his season tally to 15.
Alexander Isak (£4.2m), Erling Haaland (£8.6m) and Yoane Wissa (£2.2m) are the only strikers above him in the rankings right now.
GETTYWissa is Dream Team’s top striker at this early stage[/caption]
An affordable differential on a goalscoring streak is a tempting Dream Team option by definition but many gaffers will be perturbed by Forest’s upcoming fixtures.
The two-time European champions are always competitive on familiar ground but their record on the road is worse than dismal.
Cooper’s side mustered just eight points away from home all last season (the worst return among all 20 clubs) and they lost their first away game this term too – although that was a difficult match-up at the Emirates in fairness.
Forest travel to Old Trafford in Gameweek 3 and Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 4.
They play Burnley at home in the Carabao Cup in between those fixtures but rotation is likely in the country’s secondary domestic cup competition.
Still, Awoniyi is forcing himself into the conversation with every goal he scores.
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