In-form Pervis Estupinan’s 19-point haul at Arsenal puts Dream Team gaffers on alert
BRIGHTON all but killed off Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes on Sunday.
With Manchester City untroubled by Everton earlier in the day, the Gunners needed three points to stay within reach but the Seagulls produced a hugely impressive performance at the Emirates to inflict a 3-0 defeat on the hosts.
Pep Guardiola’s side are now four points ahead with a game in hand to boot and the decorated tactician may feel compelled to send an expensive bottle of wine to Pervis Esputinan (£3.9m) as the 25-year-old played a significant role in Arsenal’s demise.
Initially troubled by Bukayo Saka (£5.4m), the Ecuador international once again exhibited his value in the final, overlapping Kaoru Mitoma (£4.5m) to provide the assist for the visitors’ opening goal.
He then sealed the deal with a goal of his own, his first of the season, in stoppage time.
Naturally, Esputinan’s efforts translated to the world of Dream Team in the form of a 19-point haul, his biggest single-game return of the campaign.
More broadly, he’s registered three double-digit hauls across the last nine Game Weeks.
Estupinan, who features in just 0.8% of teams, has banked 59 points in 12 outings; a surge that has propelled him up the rankings past the likes of Thiago Silva (£4.8m), Sven Botman (£2.7m) and John Stones (£6m).
The success of Brighton’s midfielders has been a prominent theme of the Dream Team campaign but this is the first time one of their defenders has come to the fore as viable option.
Admittedly, this is a late juncture for a fresh option to emerge and with Man City still to visit the Amex it may be that the ship has sailed in regards to his best-point scoring opportunities – although he did just take 19 points from Arsenal away.
At the very least, Estupinan should be on gaffers’ radars once next season rolls around.
He’s registered nine assists in Dream Team this season and with Brighton well placed to qualify for Europe, the attack-minded left-back is likely to have extra fixtures at his disposal, which is always a bonus.