FPL pre-season: Nkunku + Haaland goals, £4.0m Barco on corners

As we approach the final days of July, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are starting to pay more attention to pre-season friendlies.

While fitness is the main order of the day, we’re starting to see a few tactical clues ahead of 2024/25.

Here, the standout Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from the midweek friendlies are covered in this latest Scout Notes article.

• READ MORE: FPL 2024/25 pre-season minutes tracker: Every player, every game
• READ MORE: FPL 2024/25: Premier League clubs’ pre-season friendlies by date

Chelsea 2-2 Wrexham

• Goals: Christopher Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu
• Assists: Armando Broja

In their first game under new head coach Enzo Maresca, Chelsea were unable to match last summer’s 5-0 win over Wrexham.

But, consistent with his time in charge of Leicester City, Maresca asked the left-back to tuck in centrally – which Ben Chilwell (£5.0m) didn’t look comfortable with – while his inverted right-back options Reece James (£5.0m) and Malo Gusto (£5.0m) moved into central midfield.

None of these offered any attacking threat in this Santa Clara clash but the Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m) hype train is about to overfill with passengers.

Reclassified as an FPL midfielder, he netted here after a first-half scramble. One of the biggest pre-season questions regards where the Italian will use Nkunku – here it was as a central, attacking number eight but the plans sound fluid.

“He can play everywhere. These kinds of players can play as a winger, as an attacking midfielder, as a number nine, they can play in different positions. That is the way I see the forwards and it is the way I like to work every day, to try to improve players and help them play not only one position but in different positions.” – Enzo Maresca on Christopher Nkunku’s versatility

With 36 goals and 21 assists during his final two Bundesliga campaigns, a fully-fit, potentially out-of-position Nkunku could become an FPL cheat code. A great way to cover the Blues’ attack, if Cole Palmer (£10.5m) is deemed too expensive.

“What I can say is Robert [Sanchez] did very well tonight and did very well since we started. For sure – the way we want to play – the goalkeeper is very, very important, one of the main positions. And I don’t want to talk about players that are not Chelsea players but I am very happy with Robert.” – Enzo Maresca on being linked with buying another goalkeeper

Speaking of Palmer, recent international players like him, Marc Cucurella (£5.0m), Conor Gallagher (£6.0m) and Enzo Fernandez (£5.0m) played no part against the League One side. Additionally, minor knocks kept Nicolas Jackson (£7.5m), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.0m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (£6.5m) away.

However, one positive is that long-term absentees Romeo Lavia (£4.5m) and Wesley Fofana (£4.5m) were handed 45 minutes.

Chelsea XI (first half): Sanchez; James, Tosin, Badiashile, Colwill; Chukwuemeka, Lavia, Nkunku; Madueke, Guiu, George

Chelsea XI (second half): Bergstrom; Gusto, Fofana, Acheampong, Chilwell; Chukwuemeka, Andrey Santos, Ugochukwu; Sterling, Broja, Angelo Gabriel

*With thanks to Louis/FPL Reactions for his notes on the Chelsea game

Manchester City 3-4 Celtic

• Goals: Oscar Bobb, Maximo Perrone, Erling Haaland
• Assists: Nico O’Reilly, Oscar Bobb (x2)

24 hours earlier, in North Carolina, an inexperienced Pep Guardiola line-up narrowly lost to Celtic. Alongside this batch of academy graduates was a 68-minute runout from Erling Haaland (£15.0m) – free from all tiring international tournaments.

He scored here to remind FPL managers that, despite the dizzying price increase, it’ll still be tough to submit a serious Gameweek 1 squad that doesn’t include this freakish goal machine.

Meanwhile, Guardiola spoke about goalkeeper Ederson‘s (£5.5m) potential departure to Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t know – he has to see maybe now other options. Of course, I’d like him to stay. Depends now on the clubs. I don’t know the situation, no contact in the last days. A question of training and being with us until the transfer window finishes and we see what happens.” – Pep Guardiola on Ederson’s future

Should it happen, FPL managers will be disappointed to see Stefan Ortega also priced at £5.5m rather than last season’s £4.0m.

Those looking for budget midfielders will be keeping an eye on transfers. Will another Palmer situation happen, where a cheap, elite backup gets sold and suddenly becomes a first-team regular? One potential route for this is Oscar Bobb (£5.0m).

The young winger was lively here, delivering a goal and two assists. If the club opts to loan him out somewhere, the Norwegian could become an absolute bargain.

Manchester City XI: Ortega (Ederson 46′); Lewis, Simpson-Pusey (Katongo 63′), Mbete (Doyle 46′), Wilson-Esbrand (Wright 63′); Phillips (Ndala 46′), O’Reilly (Susoho 46′); Bobb, McAtee (Perrone 46′), Grealish (Hamilton 68′); Haaland (Knight 68′)

Arsenal 1-1 Bournemouth

• Goals: Fabio Vieira – Antoine Semenyo
• Assists: Reiss Nelson

In Los Angeles, goalkeeper Karl Hein (£4.0m) was the hero as Arsenal overcame Bournemouth on penalties. He also pulled off an impressive early save to deny Dominic Solanke (£7.5m), before Reiss Nelson‘s (£5.0m) cross picked out Fabio Vieira (£5.5m) for a back-post volley that put the Gunners 1-0 up.

Similarly to Bobb, it’s worth keeping tabs on rumours linking Nelson with a move to either Leicester or West Ham United.

Mikel Arteta already confirmed post-match that “there are things happening in the background” for Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m). He looks set to join Fulham in time for their promising early fixtures.

The boss also seems confident that big names like Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Declan Rice (£6.5m) will be ready for Gameweek 1 after their gruelling international exploits. It led to him naming a weak line-up, changing all 10 outfielders later on.

Whereas Bournemouth began with a strong XI containing Solanke, Illia Zabarnyi (£4.5m) and Marcos Senesi (£5.0m). At half-time, Antoine Semenyo (£5.5m) entered proceedings. His equalising shot took a big deflection, looped upwards and eventually dropped past Hein.

Just like Nkunku, FPL changed him from forward to midfielder.

Arsenal XI: Hein; White (Nichols 78′), Timber (Rekik 62′), Heaven (Kiwior 62′), Lewis-Skelly (Zinchenko 62′); Oulad M’Hand (Odegaard 46′), Partey (Jorginho 62′), Vieira (Sagoe Jr 62′); Nelson (Trossard 62′), Nketiah (Jesus 62′), Nwaneri (Gower 84′)

Bournemouth XI: Neto; Aarons (Smith 46′), Zabarnyi, Senesi (Hill 81′), Kerkez (Adu-Adjei 81′); Scott (Christie 64′), Cook (Kilkenny 88′); Anthony (Ouattara 46′), Faivre (Billing 64′), Tavernier (Semenyo 46′); Solanke (Jebbison 64′)

Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton & Hove Albion

• Goals: Yankuba Minteh, Jeremy Sarmiento, Yasin Ayari, Amario Cozier-Duberry (x2)
• Assists: James Milner, Jensen Weir, Simon Adingra, Facundo Buonanotte

The main takeaway from Brighton’s opener is that they have a lot of competition out wide. Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m) played his first game since February’s back injury, Ibrahim Osman (£5.0m) has arrived, Simon Adingra (£5.5m) came on to assist and Solly March (£6.5m) will eventually return from injury.

Furthermore, club record signing Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m) broke the deadlock with a solo goal, Jeremy Sarmiento (£5.0m) doubled the lead and free transfer Amario Cozier-Duberry (£4.5m) scored twice in his cameo.

Instead, shrewd Brighton investment could be provided via left-back Valentin Barco (£4.0m). Linked with some of the world’s biggest clubs before his January transfer, the 20-year-old could start the season in Pervis Estupinan‘s (£5.0m) absence and comes at the lowest price possible.

As well as that, he seems to be on a share of set-pieces too. His corner led to Sarmiento’s strike.

Tactically, there was a lot going on. A 4-4-2 off the ball turned into a wing-back system on it, although as with his predecessors, there was much fluidity with the shape. Midfielder Carlos Baleba (£5.0m) dropped into defence, while Mitoma and Tariq Lamptey (£4.5m) were effectively wing-backs on it.

Brighton XI: Steele; Lamptey (Veltman 46′), van Hecke (Weir 46′), Baleba (Ayari 46′), Samuels (Barco 46′); Milner (Sarmiento 46′), Moran (Buonanotte 46′); Minteh (Offiah 46′), Osman (Adingra 46′), Mitoma (Cozier-Duberry 46′); Welbeck (Sima 46′ (O’Mahony 80′).

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Millwall

• Goals: Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi
• Assists: Nicolas Dominguez, Ryan Yates

The differential potential of Chris Wood (£6.0m) is starting to get noticed, after bagging his second pre-season goal during a narrow win over Millwall. He scored 14 times last season yet only became a regular starter in December. Will Forest really axe Wood for Taiwo Awoniyi (£6.0m)?

Our Season Ticker believes they have the nicest opening three matches – versus Bournemouth, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers – meaning investment in either him, Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m) or Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.5m) is gathering momentum.

The latter put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side 2-0 up with a calm one-on-one finish. But big-money arrival Elliot Anderson (£5.0m) was forced off in the first half.

Nottingham Forest XI (first half): Turner; Moreira, Boly, Murillo, Toffolo; Sangaré, Danilo, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Wood, Anderson (Hudson-Odoi 43′)

Nottingham Forest XI (second half): Sels; Williams, Abbott, Milenkovic, Omobamidele, Aina; Yates, O’Brien; Elanga, Ui-jo, Hudson-Odoi

Southampton 3-2 Bordeaux

• Goals: own goal (Clement Michelin), Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Sekou Mara
• Assists: Tyler Dibling (x2)

Like Forest, newly-promoted Southampton are playing in Spain. Tyler Dibling isn’t yet in the Fantasy game but he assisted twice here in an impressive display, first for an own goal and then for Sekou Mara (£5.0m) against his former club.

Fellow 18-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (£4.5m) ran with the ball and curled a lovely left-footer inside the far corner. His price tag appeals and he’s started pre-season very well, although having just turned 18 there’s a big question over just how much game-time he’ll get this season. He was afforded barely any in 2023/24.

Otherwise, this match had very little of note for FPL managers.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£4.0m) started, with Adam Armstrong (£5.5m) and Charlie Taylor (£4.0m) entering just after the hour mark.

Southampton XI: Lis; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning; Dibling, Charles, Alcaraz; Amo-Ameyaw, Mara, Robinson

Southampton XI (from 62nd minute): Lis; Sugawara, Boot, O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Taylor; Smallbone, Downes, Aribo; Kamaldeen, Armstrong, Edozie

Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Leicester City

• Goals: Stephy Mavididi, Kasey McAteer
• Assists: Abdul Fatawu, James Justin

Steve Cooper has confirmed that backup goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk (£4.0m) will be injured for approximately six months, meaning that Danny Ward (£4.0m) could be the new understudy.

He was the only player to last 90 minutes in Tuesday’s win at Shrewsbury Town, where Cooper used Stephy Mavididi (£5.5m) as a central number 10 just behind Patson Daka (£5.0m), rather than last season’s left-wing position.

And it was Mavididi who gave Leicester the lead when his deflected free-kick wrongfooted the goalkeeper. Not long after summer signing Caleb Okoli (£4.0m) contributed an own goal, a curled James Justin (£4.5m) pass set up Kasey McAteer (£5.0m) to make it two.

Curiously, popular enabler Harry Winks (£4.5m) almost scored directly from a corner.

Leicester XI: Ward; Ricardo (Justin 46′), Nelson (Okoli 46′), Coady (Souttar 46′), Thomas (Cover 63′); Ndidi (Choudhury 46′), Winks (Soumare 46′); McAteer (Golding 63′), Mavididi (Alves 63′), Fatawu (Marcal 46′); Daka (Cannon 46′)

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