Pedro Neto hat-trick essentially worth double points in low-scoring FA Cup Gameweek

DREAM TEAM managers with Pedro Neto (£4m) in their XI laughed their way to the bank on Friday night.

The Portugal international bagged a hat-trick against Hull as Chelsea won 4-0 in the FA Cup fourth round.

Neto banked 24 for his efforts, comfortably the biggest haul among all Dream Team assets so far this Gameweek.

Sandro Tonali (£3.8m), Santiago Bueno (£2.7m) and Kevin (£3m) were the only other players to claim more than 14 points over the weekend but the latter pair’s returns were essentially inconsequential as they feature in 0.1% of teams.

Liam Rosenior named a much-changed starting line-up against his former club and of the Blues’ five most popular assets – Joao Pedro (£4.5m), Enzo Fernandez (£4.7m), Cole Palmer (£5.7m), Trevoh Chalobah (£3m) and Marc Cucurella (£3.9m) – only the Argentine midfielder played any part at all.

The World Cup winner earned just one point during his 30 minutes on the pitch.

Liam Delap (£3.3m) and Estevao (£3.1m) pocketed double-digit hauls but Neto was the clearly the standout performer.

The Blues’ No7 produced a precise left-foot finish from the edge of the box to break the deadlock before he scored directly from a corner in a fortunate fashion.

He then took ownership of the match ball in the 71st minute after a neat give-and-go with Delap, who registered three assists on the night.

A 24-point haul is a substantial score in any context but Neto’s return counts for more in an FA Cup week.

Rotation is to be expected in the domestic cups and it’s usually the case that the majority of the game’s most selected players are either rested or limited to a short cameo.

This guarantees a low-scoring Gameweek and so any genuine hauls, such as those that accompany a hat-trick, are almost worth double.

Gaffers with Neto in their midfield have surely improved their rank significantly.

Some Dream Team bosses even had the foresight to captain the 25-year-old — a stroke of genius.

Looking ahead, Chelsea players are likely to be popular selections for Gameweek 25.

The West Londoners aren’t among the select group of clubs with two fixtures to fulfil but their lone commitment of Burnley (h) is an inviting one.

Neto’s minutes are far from guaranteed but his impressive display in the cup will count in his favour when Rosenior selects his line-up for Saturday’s game.

The Clarets beat Crystal Palace in their last league outing but suffered an embarrassing defeat to League One’s Mansfield at the weekend.

Targeting Scott Parker’s side has been a productive strategy for Dream Team managers this season.

Fernandez, Pedro and Palmer will be licking their lips but Neto’s backers will also be hopeful of another points splurge.

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