No more pre-season games left, completed it. Not long to go until GW1! This is a complete pre-season guide - single result, all the in-form players, tactical notes, and anything else that's of relevance for FPL. 📝
Arsenal 🔴⚪
Arsenal played 5 games over pre-season, with 3 wins and 2 losses. How did the big new man Gyokeres get on then? He started in their final 2 games, scoring a great header against Athletic Bilbao. There was a lot of speculation that Havertz may start in GW1 because he had started 3 pre-season games in a row, but interestingly, he was not in the squad vs Villareal and was benched in the final game. My initial instinct is that either way his minutes are not going to be 90 a game so Watkins is more logical from GW1 at the same price, then go from there. He's actually got a stellar record vs Newcastle; Watkins has scored in his last 3 home games vs Newcastle, with 4 goals and 2 assists, in fact. Gabriel has been managing an injury, he only started in the final game, coming off at 62 minutes. Man Utd is a significant opening game and if I were to predict, I would say he starts. A man of the match performance from Zubimendi in the final match, he was sensational and got the assist for the Gyokeres header as well. Saka was also superb with 1 goal and 1 assist in the final match. Havertz scored off the bench. I'm expecting this to be very, very close to the GW1 line-up, potentially Lewis-Skelly in for Calafiori and that's it. Avoid the Arsenal full backs in your team. 🚫
Aston Villa 🦁
So I mentioned Watkins, he closes pre-season with 5 goals and an assist, scoring in the 5 games in a row he played in. Pretty much all of them were headers, in fact. Rogers also impressed early on with goals in consecutive games before going back off injured 7 minutes after coming on vs Roma with a rolled ankle. He didn't make it in their final pre-season squad, frustratingly, so now he looks risky. Keep an eye on what Emery says, because unless he's seen in training and declared fully fit, he could be a risky choice.
Has Malen emerged as a no-brainer for 5.5m then? He has 2 goals and 3 assists to his name. He's got a lot of potential, but you'll need to be willing to accept the potential for reduced minutes. Ramsey and now new signing Guessand could be competing with him for minutes. They had two clean sheets in total, against Roma and Villarreal. 🛡️
Bournemouth 🍒
Anyone from Bournemouth worth considering? Kepa, Huijsen, Zabarnyi, and Kerkez are all gone from last season. They still managed a couple of clean sheets, however, so don't completely write them off defensively, though you would absolutely back Liverpool to beat them comfortably on Friday night. They've just signed Diakhite for about £30m.
Evanilson has 2 goals and 1 assist, the exact same output as Dango, though Dango is not nailed, of course, so avoid him. Evanilson, Semenyo, Senesi, and Petrovic are four good options for GW1. The 4.5m keepers are much of a muchness. Senesi is excellent for defensive contributions per 90. Semenyo and Evanilson should score a fair share of goals this season. 4.5m forward Kroupi Jr played in 3 of those matches. The teenager scored 22 in 33 games in the French second tier last season, so there's a chance he gets the odd minutes off the bench here and there if they don't loan him out. 4.5m midfielder Traore played every game except the two squad split against Real Sociedad, though they do have injuries in midfield contributing to that. There are likely better 4.5m midfielders, which we'll uncover in a minute. 👀
Brentford 🐝
Brentford have kept their pre-season short and sweet with three games: 1 win and 2 draws. They are certainly a team going through a major transition, with Frank, Mbeumo, and captain Norgaard all gone, and Wissa likely to also depart before the window closes.
This has brought 6m forward Thiago into the conversation. He's had a really stop-start time at Brentford, signed last season and seriously injured twice, so he has been very unlucky in that respect. It's slim picking in that 6m and under bracket for forwards: Fullkrug, maybe Muniz. Schade has been out injured, which has seen Lewis-Potter playing out of position on the left wing. I say out of position like he's a defender; his natural position is left wing, but he filled in at left back a lot last season because of injuries. He is a very risky pick, though, unless Schade has a setback. I would avoid him as it's an inevitable headache as soon as Schade is available. Kelleher missed their final game with injury; keep an eye on that if you have him or were considering him. Valdimarsson played in goal. 🥅
Brighton 🐬
Brighton have been extremely busy, a stark contrast to Brentford. They played 8 games, though some of those were a two-team split across each game, having played Southampton and Wolfsburg twice. Welbeck bagged 4 goals, though all 4 came vs Wycombe in their first match. He's 34 now, of course, and not getting any younger. Hürzeler was asked about the competition at CF (Welbeck vs Rutter) and said the following: "No. It is not a decision between him and Danny. They played last season together. Georginio is always an option. He is very playable in this position." He's a solid pick for 6.0m in midfield. Minteh is also 6m and has 2 goals and 1 assist, though he could share minutes with Rutter. Whereas Rutter could be the more logical pick since he's so versatile and can play as a 10, 9, or on the right wing. 4.5m De Cuyper scored from a tight angle in their final match; he's their new left back signing to replace Estupinan. Brighton went the entire pre-season unbeaten, impressively. 👏
Burnley 🔥
I won't bore you with the details with Burnley updates, there is very little to report on here. Esteve signed a new contract, he's a completely nailed 4m defender which makes him a really handy pick and should actually pick up defensive contribution points a fair bit, but clean sheets will be few and far between. Edwards scored 3 times, though he's a bit of a minutes risk. Avoid Burnley assets entirely, besides Esteve and of course Dubravka, who I almost forgot. To play devil's advocate, Burnley aren't afraid to use young keepers; see Trafford last season, and Weiss saved a penalty after coming on at half time. Dubravka wasn't in the squad. He's still our best bet as far as 4m keepers though. 🧤
Chelsea 🔵
World Champions Chelsea had a short two-match pre-season due to the competition, with wins over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan. The games were played 2 days apart and were very split. Joao Pedro came off the bench the first game and scored, he started the second one and scored. Delap scored a brace, one of which was a penalty it should be noted. Big respect to Estevao who has really impressed, what a talent he looks. He scored in their first game and he won the penalty, which he was within his right to want to take but gave it to Delap. Sanchez, Cucurella, Palmer, and Joao Pedro would be the extent of Chelsea players worth considering in my eyes. 👀
Crystal Palace 🦅
The most in-form player title belongs to Mateta, he's made it increasingly difficult to look past him over the last month with 5 goals and 2 assists. Of course, in the Community Shield itself, Palace beat Liverpool on penalties, and he was assisted by Sarr, who also scored that match. That's 4 goal involvements for 6.5m Sarr over pre-season too, he's my favorite of the 6.5m mids as he knocks the others out of the park for underlying data, expected goal involvement, and shot frequency, though he can be a wasteful player. 2 goals and 1 assist for Eze. Will he still be a Palace player when the window closes? The same could be said for Guehi, in fact, with the two linked with Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Could be a valid reason to grab Guehi for 4.5m actually; he'll be a game-breaker if he goes to Liverpool for that cheap. Failing that, he's a sound pick at Palace anyway. So last season there was a hokey cokey between Eze and Mateta when they missed penalties, and we assumed Eze was on them now having buried the last one, but in the Community Shield, it was Mateta who took the one won by Sarr and scored it, which further adds to his appeal. It's just a shame the opening fixtures aren't as generous.
Everton 🍬
Dewsbury-Hall had a really good debut in the match against Roma, playing like he has a point to prove, which he does in fairness. He played in the #10 role, was taking set pieces, and created 4 chances during that match. For 5m, he instantly becomes a really interesting option with a lot of promise. If you can squeeze the .5m out of somewhere, he's infinitely better than any 4.5m midfielder. No in-form players really. Ndiaye has emerged as a popular 6.5m midfielder given he'll probably remain on penalties, he scored a nice half volley, his only return from pre-season. 🎯
Fulham ⚪⚫
Wilson has been in phenomenal form as well, with 5 goals and an assist. Is he worth it for 5.5m? The catch is he's very rarely a 90-minute player; he played 90 twice all last season and has competition for the right wing spot, so I'd actually look elsewhere despite the numbers. Wonderkid King has been getting good minutes, he's certainly not a 90-minute man either and will be an impact sub most likely, but he's only 4.5m and scored twice. Muniz didn't play in their final match; Jimenez did and scored a brilliant free kick. The Fulham striker situation is too murky to go there right now. This could be a tough season for Fulham initially; Robinson is not fit for the start of the Premier League and they've not really signed anyone. 😔
Leeds United ⚪🟡
Leeds next, we're mostly looking towards them for their super budget defenders. Gudmunsson and Rodon are both 4m and will be regular starters for them. This was how Leeds lined up for their final game vs AC Milan. Struijk was in LCB in preparation for GW1 given Bijol is suspended for the first game; thereafter he's expected to come into the 11. New signing Nmecha scored twice in pre-season, he's competition for Piroe, which again makes the cheap forwards really slim pickings. The Darlow dream is over after Perri arrived during the transfer window. 🤝
Liverpool 🔴
Liverpool have given us loads to think about. A really quiet pre-season from Salah, but never rule the Egyptian King out. There's been a couple of moments where he was clearly trying to get teammates on the scoresheet whereas in a PL game he'd take the selfish option and shoot. His creativity has been absolutely stellar though, he has been playing brilliant passes and he'll get plenty of assists again. That said, it was a bit of a disaster in the Community Shield, with no goal involvements, no chances created, no take-ons, and no accurate crosses. He missed his penalty in the shootout as Palace went on to beat them. Gakpo has been their top scorer with 4 goals and an assist, and is only 7.5m which is tempting a lot of managers. He's another case of high upside but a minutes risk, mainly if Isak arrives, which seems to be probable. Wirtz has a goal and 3 assists; he'll be fantastic for Liverpool this season and should hit double-digit goals and assists. Frimpong scored in the Community Shield, it looked like an intended cross inadvertently lobbed Henderson. Bradley wasn't in the squad for the Bilbao or Palace games. Let's see what we hear on the issue there, of course if he has an ongoing issue then Frimpong becomes significantly more tempting, he's 28% owned as it is and it's a question of minutes security for me. At 6m you need him playing every single game without fail. Slot was asked about how they'll handle Salah going to AFCON mid-season, to which he answered they've got Frimpong who will play there. Imagine out of position right wing Frimpong for 6m! That will be a cheat code. Ekitike has looked really sharp, Slot's got a real headache on his hands if Isak comes. 🤯
Manchester City 🔵⚪
Man City just played the two games after the Club World Cup, vs Preston and Palermo, which were both wins. Reijnders caught the eye of lots of managers in that Palermo game, and Club World Cup really. He came on at half time and scored a brace, and should have had a hat trick. Pep says that Rodri won't be really fit until after the international break. This may not necessarily be good news for Reijnders as an FPL asset if Pep uses him as a 6, as he's better as an 8. He had 10 goals and 5 assists in 37 games in Serie A last season and he's a 90-minute man. He'll be an incredible pick if he ends up nailed. I am strongly considering him myself. We can't draw too many conclusions from just the two games, Haaland scored once. Scout's minutes and goal involvement tracker includes the Club World Cup which you will find useful too. Ait-Nouri has played a lot. For the Palermo game, Foden and Gvardiol didn't travel, due to some kind of injury in Foden's case and fitness in Gvardiol's. There's still a very good chance Gvardiol starts GW1 realistically but it is worth a mention. 💪
Manchester United 👹
How does this new-look Man Utd attack look? Cunha and Mbeumo are still settling in; Sesko joined too late to be involved in pre-season. They were undefeated in their 5 games played, with Bruno the stand-out performer with 3 goals and 2 assists. He's finally got some serious talent in front of him, which is making him irresistible for me, plus the pens, free kicks, set pieces, and consistent output over the years. We'll have to see how they all fit in together, whether Bruno plays deeper where he's not as effective, but has a higher chance of DC points. Cunha and Mbeumo might be a wait and see; just find the extra money for Bruno if you want a Man Utd attacker. Dorgu has 1 goal and 1 assist, which all came in one game. Amad has the same output, he's been playing right wing back/right winger and could still be a good option for 6.5m. I know we all love a 4m defender, but Heaven is too risky; he won't start every game despite getting the nod in their final pre-season game. 🔴
Newcastle United ⚫⚪
It's been a transfer window to forget for Newcastle fans to put it lightly. In their pre-season, the goals have been shared between the wingers, which makes them all avoids. It's very unclear who's first choice if anyone, and none look nailed. Murphy vs Elanga on the right wing, Gordon vs Barnes on the left wing. Isak didn't go on their pre-season tour due to his request to leave. There's no one tempting me from Newcastle besides one of the 5m defenders perhaps, such as Livramento or Burn, though it's unlikely I'll end up with anyone from GW1. Does Isak actually do better if he goes to Liverpool? He'll lose penalties and the goals could be more evenly shared among the attackers there. 🤔
Nottingham Forest 🌳
Encouragingly, Forest have kept 5 clean sheets, if you have Sels or a defender. Less encouragingly, they literally found the back of the net once in all 7 pre-season games, which was Wood and assisted by Williams. You can't help but ask if Wood is the best 7.5m forward, or is a Mateta or Joao Pedro more sensible? Wood was absolutely class last season, with consistent xG overperformance, but can he maintain that? How will Forest get on after losing Elanga and now having Europe to juggle? 🥅
Sunderland 🐈⬛
Marc Guiu was absent from both Sunderland squads (split in half for final two friendlies), but he does seem the most promising of the 4.5m forwards. Don't ever start him, unless he genuinely breaks through into the 11. In the meantime, he's just useful on the bench if you're running with a 3-5-2 every week. 1 goal and 1 assist for Adingra, which came in the Augsburg and Hull games. In other words, he was involved in their last 2 goals scored. The big dilemma for us all is whether to go for a defensive contributions player like Anderson or Caicedo, or a winger such as Adingra or Arias, who are less consistent points but have a higher ceiling. 📈
Tottenham Hotspur ⚪
Solanke hasn't made the last 4 squads for Spurs, which has all but ruled him out as an option for GW1, unless of course he starts in the Super Cup vs PSG and gets solid minutes. Maddison injured his ACL in the 4-0 loss to Bayern and will unfortunately miss a significant amount of the season. We might see Porro on corners and the odd free kick as well, which is noteworthy, as it happened last season when Maddison was out. You get what you pay for with Spurs' defence. Romero has more aerial threat than Van de Ven and probably does better over the season for DCs. Porro is really advanced and will get a few goals and assists over the season from right back. Sarr is their most in-form player for output, with 3 goals. Son is gone, and Maddison, Kuluveski, and Solanke are injured. 🤕
West Ham United ⚒️
The headline with West Ham has been talisman Bowen reclassified as a forward, but don't rule him out as an option just yet, despite one less point per goal and no clean sheet point. He's still the main man, and nothing has changed in that respect, and he has 2 goals and 2 assists. Sunderland on the opening day for them could be the whipping boys this season. Fullkrug has 3 goals; he's the other 6m that has potential. My concern is his minutes longer term. He did complete 90 in their final game, though West Ham have Wilson and Bowen that can play up top, so I'm not convinced 90 minutes will be a regular thing, perhaps not even nailed starts every game. The appeal is there though, isn't it, with that opening fixture. Diouf has impressed, a new signing at left back who has an unbelievable cross on him, with 7 goals and 3 assists in 24 games for Slavia Prague last season. He's the differential 4.5m alternative to the very popular Wan-Bissaka, who is the most owned defender in the game at 30%. 4.5m midfielder Potts started in their final game, which looked like a full-strength team, another potential 4.5m midfielder. 🔨
Wolves 🐺
Wolves next, and then we'll review the goal involvements final table. Their pre-season came to an end with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Celta Vigo. Arias scored the match, he looks lightning fast. No one created more than his 18 chances at the Club World Cup, where he was playing under Fluminese still. He looks lightning fast and a really tricky dribbler, with lots of potential for 5.5m. My rule of thumb is to generally avoid new signings that are yet to prove themselves in the Prem, but it's low risk for that cheap, isn't it. Agbadou is my favorite of the Wolves defenders; he had one of the best defensive contributions per 90 last season. 🐺
Lastly, let's look at the final standings, sorted by goal involvements across all players and teams. 📊
- Mateta is #1 with 7 goal involvements.
- He is followed by Harry Wilson and Watkins with 6 each.
- Bruno, Malen, and Gakpo have 5 each.
So if you wanted to maximize form, you could go Mateta and Watkins up front, with Bruno in midfield. Malen is an option if you're willing to accept the minutes risk, otherwise Rutter or Sarr. Crystal Palace's Sarr, that is, Tottenham's I'm less keen on even though he's just 5m. Some other notable names showing up: Wirtz, Evanilson, Saka, Gakpo, and Bowen.