FPL pre-season: Five for Chelsea + Arsenal, Jota + Eze impress

More pre-season friendlies took place on Wednesday, so we’re bringing you the headline Fantasy Premier League (FPL) updates from each one.

This time it’s the outings of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United.

We’re also keeping tabs on the minutes played in all of these warm-up fixtures, with Premium Members of Fantasy Football Scout able to access this information at the bottom of this article.

• READ MORE: FPL pre-season 2023/24 guide: Tips, best players, fixtures + more

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CHELSEA 5-0 WREXHAM

• Goals: Maatsen x2, Gallagher, Nkunku, Chilwell
• Assists: Jackson, Chukwuemeka, Sterling, Casadei, Angelo

Match highlights

Of all 20 Premier League teams, it’s arguably Chelsea’s pre-season that FPL managers are most fascinated by. Now under Mauricio Pochettino, new names have arrived at Stamford Bridge alongside the many January arrivals that have had time to settle.

His first match in charge saw a 4-2-3-1 formation against Wrexham. 19 players were used, including the removal and later reappearance of Marc Cucurella (£5.0m).

16.7% of managers have Christopher Nkunku (£7.5m) in their current drafts and – despite assumptions that he’ll be playing behind a striker – the Frenchman replaced centre-forward Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) at half-time, scored and spoke afterwards about it being his favoured position.

“For me I like to play this position, to be free to move and to have the ball into my feet and into space also. This is my position. I was very happy.” – Christopher Nkunku on playing as the central forward

Other goals came from Ben Chilwell (£5.5m) and Conor Gallagher (£5.5m), as left-back Ian Maatsen scored twice from his start on the wing.

Reece James (£5.5m) isn’t in America with the squad, allowing Malo Gusto (£4.0m) to impress at right-back. That’s definitely a situation worth keeping tabs on.

Additionally, Enzo Fernandez (£5.0m), Levi Colwill (£4.5m), Noni Madueke (£5.5m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (£6.5m) are around but had a later return to pre-season training. The unused substitutes were Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5.0m) and Thiago Silva (£5.0m).

With all this in mind, it’s too early to really make judgements on Pochettino’s preferred line-up. Remaining friendlies versus Brighton and Hove Albion, Newcastle United, Fulham and Borussia Dortmund will gradually help the FPL community.

Chelsea XI: Cumming (Bergstrom 75); Gusto (Gilchrist 46), Chalobah (Cucurella 85), Humphreys, Cucurella (Chilwell 46); Casadei, Santos (Hall 62); Moreira (Angelo 46), Chukwuemeka (Gallagher 46), Maatsen (Sterling 46); Jackson (Nkunku 46)

KARLSRUHER 2-4 LIVERPOOL

• Goals: Darwin, Gakpo, Jota x2
• Assists: Salah, Jota, Gakpo, Mac Allister

Match highlights

Also kicking off their pre-season was Liverpool, christening Karlsruher’s new stadium with a 4-2 victory.

It confirmed two things: their inverted full-back strategy is continuing and it’ll be tough to predict who joins Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) up front.

That’s because Darwin Nunez (£7.5m), Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) and Diogo Jota (£8.0m) all got on the scoresheet – the latter two assisting each other before summer signing Alexis Mac Allister (£6.0m) set up Jota’s other stoppage time goal. Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) was another to make his first appearance

FPL managers will be curious to see Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.0m) starting in their midfield, although that’s likely due to a couple of midfield injuries plus the transfer speculation over Jordan Henderson (£5.0m) and Fabinho (£5.0m).

In that first half, before the whole line-up was replaced, Conor Bradley was inverting from right-back. With Kostas Tsimikas (£4.5m) later doing the same from left-back, it seems this tactic isn’t Trent-specific.

Liverpool first-half XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Alexander-Arnold, Szoboszlai, Clark; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

Liverpool second-half XI: Jaros; Gomez, Quansah, Matip, Tsimikas; McConnell, Mac Allister, Gakpo; Doak, Jota, Scanlon (Koumas 79)

MLS ALL-STARS 0-5 ARSENAL

• Goals: Jesus, Trossard, Jorginho (pen), Martinelli, Havertz
• Assists: Saka x2, Jesus, Odegaard, Marquinhos

Match highlights

24 hours after being mocked online for becoming the first player to ever score zero in the MLS All-Star Cross and Volley Challenge, Kai Havertz (£7.5m) bagged his first Arsenal goal.

The £65 million arrival converted a Marquinhos (£4.5m) cross to seal an emphatic 5-0 win against an all-star side led by Christian Benteke and managed by Wayne Rooney. Post-match, Mikel Arteta confirmed thoughts that he’ll initially be alongside Martin Odegaard (£8.5m) but has the versatility for various roles.

“He gives us something different. his height for example where he can be a target man if we need to beat the press. He’s playing at centre-attacking midfield for now but I’m sure throughout the season he’ll be used in different positions.” – Mikel Arteta on Kai Havertz

This strong Arsenal line-up emphasised why some FPL managers intend to double-up on the Gunners’ attractive early fixtures, starting at home to Nottingham Forest.

Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) casually chipped a long-ranger into the top corner, Gabriel Martinelli (£8.0m) scored from an Odegaard pass and Bukayo Saka (£8.5m) assisted two to be named as the match’s MVP.

New names Declan Rice (£5.5m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.0m) were handed 25 minutes, briefly moving Ben White (£5.5m) into central defence. The main absentee was Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.0m)

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale (Hein 46); White (Trusty 80), Saliba (Timber 65), Gabriel (Tomiyasu 65), Kiwior (Tierney 65); Jorginho (Rice 65), Trossard (Martinelli 56), Vieira (Marquinhos 65); Saka (Havertz 46), Nketiah (Odegaard 46), Jesus (Balogun 65).

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 LYON

• Goals: van de Beek
• Assists: Gore

Match highlights

Before joining other teams stateside, Man United’s youthful side defeated Lyon 1-0 in Edinburgh. Dan Gore‘s cross into the box was volleyed home by Donny van de Beek (£5.0m).

All 10 outfielders switched at half-time, with goalkeeper Matej Kovar not facing any shots on target during his full 90. We await the price of Andre Onana upon his addition to the game.

Mason Mount (£7.0m) played the first half, with Kobbie Mainoo (£4.5m) impressive and Jadon Sancho (£7.0m) used as a fluid forward. After the break, short-term signing Jonny Evans made his first Man United appearance since 2015.

From an FPL perspective, there wasn’t much to note from this runout. Star names like Marcus Rashford (£9.0m), Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m), Casemiro (£5.5m) and Luke Shaw (£5.5m) will join the squad in America, meaning we’ll get to see more of Mount and Fernandes together.

Man United first-half XI: Kovar; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, A Fernandez; Mainoo, Mount, Hannibal; Antony, Sancho, Amad

Man United second-half XI: Kovar; Jurado, Fish, Evans, Williams; Gore, Fred, Van de Beek; Hansen-Aaroen, Forsen, Hugill

CRAWLEY TOWN 0-4 CRYSTAL PALACE

• Goals: Mateta x2, Eze, Ahamada
• Assists: Eze x3, Riedewald

Match highlights

Eberechi Eze (£6.5m) ended the season in fantastic form once Roy Hodgson returned to the Selhurst Park dugout. Six goals in the final nine matches, placing him joint-eighth of all FPL midfielders.

And here he is again, assisting three times and scoring a wonderful goal for himself as Crystal Palace found themselves four up after 24 minutes. This is why 11.9% of managers currently own the midfielder for Gameweek 1’s trip to Sheffield United.

Elsewhere, a Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.0m) brace puts the forward on three summer goals compared to Odsonne Edouard‘s (£5.5m) none. It also brought more joy to Naouirou Ahamada (£4.5m) after his two assists against Brondby.

Crystal Palace XI:  Johnstone (Matthews 45); Ward (Marjoram 84), O’Brien, Richards (Tomkins 72), Riedewald (Mitchell 45); Doucouré (Ozoh 72), Hughes (Marsh 84), Eze (Ayew 45); Edouard, Ahamada (Rak-Sakyi 72), Mateta (Gordon 72)

ESTORIL 0-0 SHEFFIELD UNITED

Match highlights

Newly-promoted Sheffield United followed up their 2-0 win over Chesterfield with a goalless draw in Portugal.

Recent signing Anis Slimane (£5.0m) was one of three Blades players to hit the woodwork, as manager Paul Heckingbottom named a different team for each half.

Injury-wise, cheap defender George Baldock (£4.0m) recovered from an ankle knock to feature but Oli McBurnie (£5.5m) missed out with a foot problem.

Sheffield United first-half XI: Davies; Basham, Francis, Robinson; Sachdev, Osborn, Neal, Fleck, Larouci; Jebbison, Ndiaye

Sheffield United second-half XI: Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Freckleton, Egan; Baldock, Norwood, Berge, Slimane, Lowe; Brooks (Marsh 76), Osula

WOLVES 2-0 BLACKPOOL

WOLVES 0-4 BLACKPOOL

• Goals: Sarabia, Cunha
• Assists: Fraser

Pablo Sarabia’s (£5.0m) goal | Matheus Cunha’s (£5.5m) goal

Not much is known about these two 60-minute training matches. Wolves’ website states that “a more senior line-up started the opening hour” whilst the other mostly featured under-21 and fringe players.

Sarabia’s free kick and Cunha’s strike ensured Julen Lopetegui’s side won the first game, although Blackpool hammered the second lot 4-0.