Scout Notes – Pre-Season – Part One

A decidedly old school Chelsea brush aside a more youthful Arsenal in China, while Crystal Palace and West Brom get feisty in Hong Kong and Wayne Rooney scores again for Everton.

Elsewhere, there’s double rations for both Burnley and Huddersfield Town and victories for Bournemouth and Brighton.

Here’s the first set of Scout Notes from Saturday’s packed pre-season programme.

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3

Chelsea were far too strong for Arsenal in Beijing.

Two excellent goals from Michy Batshuayi and an equally fine strike by Willian underlined the Blues’ superiority, although a touch of gloss was taken off proceedings when Pedro had to be taken off in the first half following a collision with Gunners keeper David Ospina.

The Spanish midfielder spent the night in a Chinese hospital with suspected concussion, with coach Antonio Conte not overly concerned about the seriousness of the injury.

“Pedro went to the hospital and for sure he should be okay but I think he had concussion. For this reason, our doctor preferred to take him to the hospital and check him in the right way.”

The player himself later took to social media to reassure his fans, but he has now flown back to London for a further review while his team-mates travel on to Singapore for the rest of their pre-season tour.

Goalkeeper Willy Caballero was the only new signing to feature for Chelsea, coming on at half-time for Thibaut Courtois, but the core of last season’s title-winning squad still impressed in what was their first major match of the summer after breezing past Fulham in a behind closed doors run-out last week.

Willian (7.0) scored a hat-trick in that encounter, and the 12%-owned midfielder continued his fine form with a well-taken goal to make it 2-0 in China. His stock continues to rise at pace, presenting an obvious 7.0 solution for our midfields – at least until Eden Hazard is fit to put the Brazilian’s starting role under threat.

Batshuayi’s appeal is more difficult to justify.

He provided the assist and hit two goals of his own, curling home from an N’Golo Kante pass to open the scoring and then superbly finishing off a fast break with an excellent first-time shot from a Marcos Alonso cut-back.

The young Belgian striker will need a lot more goals to convince both Conte and Fantasy managers that he is the man to lead the Blues’ attack, however. Despite only signing late last week, the 10.0-priced Alvaro Morata already boasts 5.9% Fantasy Premier League ownership. Batshuayi (8.5) is owned by just 1.7%.

The encounter was Arsenal’s fourth of a gruelling pre-season, and it showed, with a mini-farce over the half-time introduction of Olivier Giroud – who hadn’t been named among the substitutes – an indication that this was perhaps a match too far for the Gunners.

The Frenchman did eventually get on to the pitch, replacing record signing Alexandre Lacazette, who was mainly a peripheral figure for 45 minutes – hardly encouraging for his 23.7% ownership base.

Arsenal XI: Ospina (Martinez 74); Maitland-Niles (Koscielny 46), Mertesacker (Elneny 46), Monreal (Kolasinac 46); Oxlade-Chamberlain (Willock 69), Ramsey (Nelson 69), Xhaka (Coquelin 46), Bramall (Welbeck 46); Ozil (Malen 74), Iwobi; Lacazette (Giroud 46).

Chelsea XI: Courtois (Caballero 46); Azpilicueta (Kalas 75), Luiz (Christiansen 75), Cahill (Clarke-Salter 75); Moses (Tomori 69), Kante (Scott 75), Fabregas (Pasalic 75), Alonso (Kenedy 69); Willian (Baker 75), Pedro (Boga 30); Batshuayi (Remy 69).

Crystal Palace 2 West Brom 0

Making a major issue out of finishing third in the Asia Trophy is akin to two bald men fighting over a comb.

But that didn’t stop Palace and West Brom going toe-to-toe in an ill-natured affair settled in favour of the Londoners by goals from Luka Milivojevic and Bakary Sako.

Eagles’ midfielder Wilfried Zaha spent much of the match enduring the close attentions of West Brom full-back Allan Nyom, with Palace boss Frank de Boer sufficiently displeased to suggest post-match that his man had been deliberately targeted.

”They were looking for him, to injure him. He’s one of the exciting players in the league. I don’t want to think he’d be out for two weeks or months.”

Tony Pulis was taking notes and storing that early shot from the Dutchman.

FPL managers will certainly be keen that Zaha is protected – part of 21.4% of squads, he is easily the side’s most-owned asset.

Elsewhere, Milivojevic continues to simmer as a budget option.

His finely finished free-kick, following an almost inevitable foul on Zaha, broke the deadlock and showcased his dead-ball prowess. The 5.0-priced Milivojevic is also the side’s penalty-taker, but is currently owned by just 0.5%.

But Milivojevic is unlikely to be considered in light of the Ruben Loftus-Cheek (4.5) option. Found in 16.2% of squads, the Chelsea loanee was given a 45-minute run-out by De Boer. Milivojevic was used as part of a three-man defence to make way for Loftus-Cheek in midfield.

The Serb was happy to comply, but still sees himself playing further up the pitch.

“He (de Boer) tried me there when we played a game against each other and it was a position that I was playing for the first time in my life. I don’t feel very comfortable there but I am there for the team and I will try and give my best for them, but my position is as a midfielder. I think I did OK but hopefully, in the future I will play as a midfielder!”

Andros Townsend was again used as a wing-back, while on the other flank Jeffrey Schlupp was preferred over Patrick van Aanholt once more.

West Brom boss Tony Pulis shrugged off suggestions that Nyom had been targeting Zaha, insisting simply that ‘Allan likes defending’.

And he had other things to worry about when Jonny Evans, who had been handed an unfamiliar midfield role, was forced off with an ankle injury, although Pulis played down the extent of the problem after the match.

“Jonny got a twist of his ankle but could have carried on and was happy to. But there was no point taking any chances, and we kept him out of it. As I have said all along, the key thing from pre-season is to avoid injuries.”

Evans’ erstwhile centre-half partner, new signing Ahmed Hegazy, played the full 90 minutes and missed a great chance when he blazed over from close range in the second half.

Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey (Speroni 46); Milivojevic (Cabaye 60), Delaney (Tomkins 60), Kelly; Townsend (Wan-Bissaka 75), Puncheon (Williams 75), Loftus-Cheek (Ward 46), Schlupp (van Aanholt 46), Zaha (Kirby 69); Benteke (Ladapo 75), Sako (Phillips 60).

West Brom XI: Foster; Dawson, Evans (Yacob 22), Hegazy, Nyom; Livermore (Field 68), Chadli (Roberts 75), Phillips (McClean 61), Rodriguez (Leko 61), Brunt (Wilson 62); Rondon (Robson-Kanu 61). Subs not used: Myhill, Harper, O’Shea, Melbourne.

KRC Genk 1 Everton 1

Wayne Rooney notched his second goal of pre-season and linked up well with new signing Sandro Ramirez, who provided a sublime assist to cap a promising Everton debut.

Another new boy, Jordan Pickford, also made his Toffees’ bow, while Mason Holgate returned to first-team action as Ronald Koeman’s men stepped up their preparations for Thursday’s Europa League tie with Slovakian outfit MFK Ružomberok.

Koeman opted for a 4-3-3 formation in which Rooney and Kieran Dowell operated either side of Sandro up front, the England eventually assuming the central role when Kevin Mirallas was introduced on the left at half-time.

The interplay between Rooney and Sandro caught the eye. Both forwards are available for 7.5 in FPL, but it is the former who has won hearts and minds thus far, with 20.7% ownership to Sandro’s 2.0%.

Another new signing, Cuco Martina, played the second half as the 4.5-priced defender attempts to secure a right-back role that currently remains very much up for grabs.

But we’ll be handed a considerably more authoritative indicator of Everton’s likely Gameweek 1 team when the Toffees take the field for Thursday’s European encounter.

Everton XI: Pickford (Stekelenburg 46); Holgate (Martina 46), Keane, Williams (Besic 73), Baines (Connolly 67); Gueye (Davies 73), Schneiderlin (Barry 67); Klaassen (McCarthy 73), Dowell (Lookman 67), Sandro (Mirallas 46); Rooney (Calvert-Lewin 79).

Portsmouth 1 Bournemouth 2

Lys Mousset and Benik Afobe scored to see off Bournemouth’s south coast rivals as boss Eddie Howe handed debuts to new signings Asmir Begovic and Jermain Defoe.

Afobe set up Mousset for the first while full-back Simon Francis was allowed to burst into the area and set up Ryan Fraser, whose mis-hit shot eventually fell to Afobe to back-heel home from close range to seal the victory.

The attacking threat of left-back Charlie Daniels has persuaded 20.2% of FPL managers to include him in their squads, making him the Cherries’ most popular pick.

He was introduced at half-time, while the 14.4%-owned Defoe was handed just over 31 minutes of action. But there was no Adam Smith, who is currently nursing a thigh problem. Francis started at right-back, with Mings at left-back.

Bournemouth XI: Begovic (Federici 59); Francis, S Cook (Worthington 46), Cargill (Ake 59), Mings (Daniels 46), Gradel (Pugh 59), Surman (Gosling 59), Arter (L Cook 59), Fraser (Ibe 59), Mousset (King 59), Afobe (Defoe 59).

Crawley Town 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 6

Premier League new boys Brighton had way too much quality for their League Two hosts Crawley Town, with six players getting on the scoresheet at the Checkatrade Stadium.

Solly March, in for the injured Anthony Knockaert on the right wing role, opened the scoring from Beram Kayal’s pass before new signing Markus Suttner’s cross was volleyed in by his former Bundesliga club team-mate Pascal Gross.

Tomer Hemed then tapped in after March hit the post and Jamie Murphy bagged the fourth from a Lewis Dunk assist.

Connor Goldson headed home a Jiri Skalak corner before Glenn Murray rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot.

Brighton lined up in a 4-2-3-1, with Chris Hughton’s back five looking suspiciously like a first choice unit. As expected, Duffy was preferred alongside Dunk with Hünemeier – a 4.0 option owned by 8% of FPL managers – replacing him on the hour mark.

Brighton XI First half: Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner; March, Norwood, Kayal, Murphy; Gross; Hemed. Subs: Sanchez, White, Molumby.

Brighton XI Second half: Maenpaa; Rosenior, Goldson, Duffy (Huenemeier 62), Bong; Skalak, Sidwell, Stephens, LuaLua; Towell; Murray.

Burnley v Kidderminster 1-0 & v Alfreton 3-2

Burnley boss Sean Dyche opted to split his squad cross two Saturday matches in a bid to get as many players as possible a 90-minute workout.

Dyche himself went to Derbyshire to see Andre Gray net a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Alfreton, while assistant manager Ian Woan and first team coach Tony Loughlan took charge in the 1-0 victory at Kidderminster thanks to Robbie Brady’s free-kick.

At Alfreton, James Tarkowski limped off on the half-hour mark, and Chris Long and Ben Mee also made way in the second half. The latter’s fate was of particular concern – with 13.7% ownership the defender is the most popular Burnley player in FPL.

But Dyche insisted that all three were precautionary moves.

“Jon Walters is another one we’re being careful with, he’s new to us, he’s getting used to what we do and how the team operates. We’re being cautious with him.”

Striker Sam Vokes didn’t feature in either game, with Dyche adding:

“He got a knock on his ankle, it’s nothing major, but at this stage we’re being ultra cautious.”

Burnley XI v Kidderminster: Pope; Lowton, Ward, Westwood, Anderson; K Long, Ulvestad, Hendrick, Agyei, Brady; Barnes.
Subs: Stone, Hendrie, Leitch, Bayode, Flowers, Howarth, Metz.

Burnley XI v Alfreton: Heaton; Darikwa, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Cork, Defour, C Long, Walters; Gray.
Subs; Mitchell, Birch, Whitmore, Limb, Thomas, Chakwana, O’Neill.

Huddersfield Town v Barnsley 1-0 & v Girona 1-0

Huddersfield Town were another club to plump for two matches – a behind closed doors run-out against La Liga opponents Girona and a trip to Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.

Elias Kachunga set up Kasey Palmer’s winning goal against the Spaniards, the midfielder hitting home sweetly from 15 yards out.

At Barnsley, club record signing Steve Mounie grabbed his third goal in four matches to secure the victory.

Huddersfield’s line-up in South Yorkshire included 22-year-old Dimitri Cavaré – a right-back on trial from Ligue 1 side Rennes.

A number of players missed out altogether, including Tommy Smith (foot), Scott Malone (glute), Nahki Wells (ankle), Jon Gorenc Stanković (knee) and Michael Hefele (Achilles).

Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy is yet to play a single pre-season minute, but is now back in training having been given extended leave following his participation in the Confederations Cup.

Huddersfield Town XI v Barnsley: Lössl; Löwe, Schindler, Zanka, Cavaré; Billing (Scannell 72), Hogg; Ince, Lolley (O’Brien 82), Quaner; Mounié

Huddersfield Town XI v Girona: Coleman; Booty, Cranie, Hudson, Bunn; Williams, Whitehead; van La Parra, Palmer (Payne 60), Kachunga; Depoitre.

A second instalment of Scout Notes will be published later today after what was a hugely busy Saturday of pre-season matches.

A reminder that all the friendly results and key Scout Notes are being captured here, in our Pre-Season Guide.