Which midfielders have registered the most shots on target so far this season?

ONE of the main changes to Dream Team’s scoring system this season concerns shots on target.

Players are now rewarded with one point every time they test (or beat) the opposition’s goalkeeper.

While this will never be an asset’s primary method of earning points, it’s certainly something gaffers should bear in mind when devising their strategies.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the midfielders who have registered the most shots on target so far this season.

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MOST SHOTS ON TARGET AMONG MIDFIELDERS:

• James Maddison (£4.3m) – 11
• Martin Odegaard (£5m) – 11
• Rodri (£4.2m) – 9
• Arnaut Danjuma (£2.4m) – 7
• Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) – 7
• Pascal Gross (£3.9m) – 7
• Bryan Mbeumo (£3.8m) – 7
• Pape Matar Sarr (£2.2m) – 7

Fittingly ahead of the North London derby, Tottenham and Arsenal’s respective attacking midfielders lead the way.

Spurs’ No10 has led the way pretty much from the off in this metric as the centrepiece around which Ange Postecoglou’s dynamic side now revolve.

Whereas the Gunners’ captain upped his challenge this past Gameweek with five shots on target across his two fixtures – one of them resulted in a goal against PSV.

It’s interesting that Odegaard is leading Bukayo Saka (£6.2m) in this regard as many observers would name the England winger as the slightly superior goal threat – the stats suggest the reverse is true.

That’s not to say Arsenal’s homegrown No7 is the neccessarily the worse Dream Team asset of two, he has 55 points to the Norway international’s 47 overal.

However, some gaffers may be tempted to swap Saka for Odegaard to free up some extra cash to invest elsewhere while maintaining a strong goal threat from Arsenal’s ranks.

Rodri’s podium position in this ranking is an intriguing development.

The classy Spaniard is a holding midfielder on paper but, such is the extent of Manchester City’s superiority over most their opponents, he spends a lot of time in advanced positions.

The 27-year-old is a composed shooter as well, best evidenced by his pinpoint Champions League final winner and most recently by his cool finish against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night.

Rodri has scored three goals already this season and it’s clear he feels more comfortable trying his luck – he often takes up threatening positions on the edge of the box against teams that sit deep.

Stat alert: Rodri has registered as many shots on target as Phil Foden (£4.3m), Jeremy Doku (£3.4m), Bernardo Silva (£3.6m) and Jack Grealish (£4.4m) combined after five Gameweeks.

Danjuma is generously categorised as a midfielder as he’s actually playing as a forward for Everton – though Dream Team bosses are justifiably hesitant to back the Toffees on current form.

Only Erling Haaland (£8.2m) has taken more shots in the Premier League than Eze this season.

Given that remarkable fact, it’s rather surprising Crystal Palace’s No10 has only scored one goal – although it should be noted that he’s not afraid to try his luck from distance.

The Eagles’ star has compensated for his inefficient shooting with a deluge of bonus points, 17 of them to be precise, more than any other player.

Mbeumo’s presence in this list is predictable as much like Danjuma, he’s essentially a forward – he takes Brentford’s penalties too.

Gross is an interesting inclusion as many Dream Team gaffers would probably assume Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m) and Solly March (£3.8m) are Brighton’s leading goal threats from midfield.

That pair remain perfectly viable selections but the numbers suggest the Seagulls’ experienced German belongs in the same conversation.

Lastly, it’s another byproduct of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics, the ever-developing Sarr.

The 21-year-old, who is very affordable, has scored one goal and provided an assist but he’s just Spurs’ fourth-best midfielder at this stage – Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski (£3m) and Yves Bissouma (£3m) have all got more points.