An impressive Manchester City breeze past Spurs and Southampton finally kick into gear under Mauricio Pellegrino.
Stoke City ring the changes to win, injury worries hit Newcastle United and West Brom, while Burnley, Brighton and West Ham were also in action.
Here’s the second instalment of notes from a busy Saturday schedule.
Manchester City 3 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Two words were all that was required to get the competitive juices flowing between Man City and Spurs – Kyle Walker.
The City full-back’s first appearance against his old side had sections of the Nashville crowd booing and prompted a more physical response from some of his former team-mates, but Walker could point to the final score as reason enough for his move.
Pep Guardiola’s team continued their sparkling form of late, with goals from John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Brahim Diaz underlining their superiority.
Indeed, it could have been a lot worse for Spurs, with Gabriel Jesus missing the target from six yards out and his replacement Sergio Aguero twice hitting the post after the break.
Dele Alli and Harry Kane failed to convert good first-half chances for Spurs, while a Christian Eriksen free-kick was well saved by the impressive Ederson, but City were worthy winners.
Guardiola again opted for a three-man defence, with Walker and Danilo operating as wing-backs, and the manager was happy with both the players and the system post-match.
“You have the quality with Kyle and Danilo, they have that physicality. Some days we’ll play that (three at the back), but sometimes we’ll play with four.”
A bald David Silva returned in a midfield anchored by Fernandinho, allowing the Spaniard and Kevin De Bruyne to take up advanced positions.
Silva almost operated in a free role ahead of Fernandinho but behind Raheem Sterling and De Bruyne who were pushed up further in support of lone striker Gabriel Jesus. It was almost a fluid 3-3-1-2-1 and it troubled Spurs, pinning them in their own half for the opening period with the aggressive high press.
Again, it was De Bruyne, oozing confidence, who provided City’s major creative threat. His trademark free-kick delivery was headed home by Stones before Sterling’s goal, following a fine through ball from Samir Nasri, sealed the win and Diaz rounded things off in time added on from a Phil Foden rebound.
De Bruyne, with 20.2% ownership, is now City’s most popular player in Fantasy Premier League. In this kind of form, and afforded greater freedom in attacking areas by Guardiola, it is easy to see why.
Walker (19.5%) is not far behind and impressed against his old side, although Danilo was even more of a threat on the opposite flank. He poured forward and had two attempts on goal.
But both players are premium-priced assets, whereas Stones offers a relatively cheap route into the City defence – he’s 5.5 in FPL (although a rather less attractive 8.9 in the Sky game) – and seems to have finally developed a taste for taking his chances at set-pieces.
His goal against Spurs was his second in a row. Last season, no City defender had more than his 13 attempts in the area, and yet he took precisely none of them. If he can continue to offer a more convincing goal threat when the season starts, he could challenge for some of the owners currently on Walker or Vincent Kompany – two players commanding higher price tags.
City drew glowing praise from Guardiola who went as far as to state that it was the best display under his stewardship.
“Okay it’s pre-season, but our performance – we didn’t have a performance like that last season. Especially the quality and intensity.”
There are two major talking points from Guardiola’s pre-season teamsheets from a Fantasy perspective.
Firstly, we were handed further indication that Jesus is the preferred option for the lone striker role. Sergio Aguero was first to be replaced against Madrid and, on Saturday, he was consigned to a bench role and introduced on the hour.
Much will depend on Guardiola’s formation but, when deploying a single central striker, it appears that Aguero’s start remains under real threat.
Secondly, we have seen little of winger Leroy Sane in City’s two US fixtures. He was introduced with ten minutes remaining in the win over Madrid and earned similar pitch time against Spurs. On both occasions, he replaced left wing-back Danilo. That’s surely not a role he’ll fulfil next season.
Again, Citys’ formation is key here. When Guardiola opts for a three-man defence and wing-backs, Sane seems destined for a bench role. Sterling, floating behind the lone striker, appears to be preferred.
As for Spurs, the post-match talk centred on pre-season being a time for fitness, not results – and rightly so.
But there is a growing feeling that a squad with a new stadium to play in and Champions League football again on the agenda could really do with a couple of new faces to help freshen things up.
Mauricio Pochettino started with a flat back four, starting with a 4-3-3, with Mousa Dembele, Harry Winks and Eric Dier across the middle. They were missing the power and energy of Victor Wanyama who was absent with a knee injury sustained against Paris Saint-Germain.
Spurs shifted formation later in the encounter in an attempt to stifle City, switching to 3-4-2-1 for the second period, and then to 4-2-3-1 to end the match.
Harry Kane played his first full 90 minutes of the summer but enjoyed only 28 touches – only Dele Alli, with 18, had fewer. The striker mustered just a single off target attempt as Spurs were second best throughout.
Man City XI: Ederson (Muric 82), Walker (Tosin 74), Kompany (Mangala 60), Stones (Duhaney 74), Otamendi, Danilo (Sane 74), Fernandinho (Toure 60), Silva (Nasri 60), De Bruyne (Foden 60), Sterling (Diaz 78), G Jesus (Aguero 60).
Spurs XI: Lloris (Vorm 46), Trippier (Walker-Peters 79), Alderweireld, Vertonghen (Wimmer 71), Davies; Dier, Dembele (Nkoudou 55), Winks (Oakley-Boothe 71); Eriksen, Alli, (Wimmer 71), Kane.
St Etienne 0 Southampton 3
Things under new manager Mauricio Pellegrino finally started to fall into place as Southampton recorded their first win of pre-season in some style.
Goals from Manolo Gabbiadini and James Ward-Prowse put the Saints 2-0 up in just two second-half minutes before Maya Yoshida headed home five minutes from time to complete the victory.
Ryan Bertrand made his first start of pre-season at left-back, while Jérémy Píed lined up on the opposite flank and put in a highly impressive performance.
Pellegrino’s selections at the back will need to be monitored further, particularly by the 15.5% of FPL managers who currently have Cedric Soares in their sides. Pied, at 4.5 and with just 0.1% ownership, comes in at a full 0.5 cheaper than Cedric in FPL and is 6.0 to his rival’s 7.9 in the Sky Sports game.
With Cedric still to feature in pre-season due to his involvement in the Confederations Cup, Pied looks set to start against Swansea City in Gameweek 1.
The manager’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation seemed to work a treat in France, with Gabbiadini part of an attacking trio that also included Dusan Tadic and Sofiane Boufal in support of lone striker Charlie Austin. That shifted with Austin’s withdrawal on the hour mark, with Gabbiadini moving to the central role.
The Saints’ early schedule involves a clash with just one of last season’s top seven sides – Manchester United – over the first 11 Gameweeks.
That almost demands that we at least assess Southampton assets, so a goal for Gabbiadini was a welcome sight.
The Italian, who let down so many during a barren end to last season, opened the scoring from substitute Matt Targett’s cross, with the young defender also supplying the assist for James Ward-Prowse’s goal.
The midfielder’s corner set up Yoshida’s late third and Ward-Prowse, at 5.5, could prove to be a very tempting budget option in FPL with his set-piece delivery.
Two more friendlies, and in particular a tough match against Sevilla, will tell us more of Pellegrino’s plans and Southampton’s strengths, but there’s more than a hint of form and fixtures combining to offer real early-season potential from a number of their assets.
Southampton XI: Forster (Taylor 45), Pied (Jones 80), Stephens (Bednarek 80), Yoshida, Bertrand (Targett 57), Davis (Clasie 80), Romeu (Hojbjerg 74), Tadic (Gallagher 85), Austin (Ward-Prowse 59), Boufal (McQueen 57), Gabbiadini (Long 74).
Bolton 1 Stoke City 2
Mark Hughes started with a new-look back three for the first time in pre-season, but it was a blast from the past who turned things round for Stoke City.
The Potters began the match with Glen Johnson and Erik Pieters as wing-backs, while Kurt Zouma, Ryan Shawcross and the versatile Geoff Cameron filled the centre-half spots.
That freed up Xherdan Shaqiri and Ramadan Sobhi to support striker Saido Berahino in a 3-4-2-1 formation which couldn’t prevent Bolton taking a first-half lead.
Hughes’ substitutions after the break turned things around, with forgotten striker Joselu, back from a loan spell in Spain, scoring twice to win the match.
His first came from a Bojan through ball before Mame Diouf’s assist sealed the win.
The manager confirmed post-match that his formation change would be more than a temporary affair.
“The system’s not unknown to us. We’ll use it at some point in the season, and it’s another string to our bow. We shouldn’t be afraid to look at that. In terms of the personnel we had today I think some of them benefit from it and they enjoy it.”
That could make both Johnson and Cameron attractive options at 4.5 in FPL (6.2 and 7.5 in Sky Sports).
But Stoke’s brutal start to the campaign – they face Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea and both Manchester sides in the first eight Gameweeks – suggests any investment in the Potters is for the longer term.
Stoke XI: Butland; Shawcross, Zouma, Cameron; Johnson (Diouf 66), Pieters, Allen, Fletcher; Shaqiri, Ramadan (Bojan 66); Berahino (Joselu 66).
FSV Mainz 05 2 Newcastle United 1
A rare goal from Newcastle defender Gamez wasn’t enough to stop a defeat in Germany for Rafa Benitez’s men.
The Spaniard scored with a hugely deflected shot, having been set up by second-half substitute Christian Atsu.
By then, Benitez had been forced to bring off DeAndre Yedlin – at 4.1% the side’s most popular defender in FPL. The full-back had picked up a knock and was replaced as a precaution by new signing Javier Manquillo.
The most recent addition to the squad, midfielder Mikel Merino, was handed a debut after the break as he replaced the impressive Florian Lejeune at centre-half.
Rob Elliot is currently the asset of most interest in the Magpies squad. He was reportedly “rested as a precaution” for Saturday’s defeat as Karl Darlow earned a start in goal. Nonetheless, Elliot is now widely expected to claim the keeper’s jersey for the season opener with Spurs, providing us with an active 4.0 option in FPL.
Benitez has made it clear that he is still seeking a recruit between the sticks but has hinted that Elliot will get his opportunity.
“I want somebody with more experience in the Premier League. What I have seen from them [Newcastle’s goalkeepers] I decided Rob Elliot is a good option with experience, Karl Darlow knows my idea, and he knows we had an offer and considered it.”
Newcastle United XI: Darlow (Woodman 60); Yedlin (Manquillo 29), Clark (Mbemba 46), Lejeune (Merino 79), Dummett (Gamez 46); Ritchie (Aarons 46), Diame (Shelvey 60), Colback (Hayden 60), Murphy (Atsu 60); De Jong (Perez 60); Mitrovic (Gayle 60).
Bristol Rovers 2 West Bromwich Albion 1
A Craig Dawson goal was too little, too late for West Brom as fellow defender Ahmed Hegazi had a match to forget at Bristol.
The new centre-half reacted too slowly to an early ball over the top ball and his attempted clearance cannoned off home striker Harrison and past a helpless Ben Foster in the Albion goal.
The Egyptian international then crossed for Salomon Rondon to head home, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Dawson’s consolation effort came from a Nacer Chadli corner, but boss Tony Pulis was more concerned post-match at seeing both Chris Brunt and James McClean limp off with injuries, having already benched winger Matt Phillips as a precaution.
“I don’t think Brunty’s is that serious but James McClean, we are worried about James. It’s round his knee, and with the size of the squad at the moment, we don’t want to pick up any injuries. Matt had a tight hamstring before the game, and we think that’s something to do with his back. Matt is quite tight in his back at times so that was a precaution more than anything else.”
West Brom XI v Bristol: Foster; Dawson, Evans, Hegazi, Brunt (Nyom 44); Livermore (Yacob 47), Field; McClean (Leko 47), Chadli, Rodriguez (Robson-Kanu 47); Rondon.
West Ham 2 Werder Bremen 2
Marko Arnautovic marked his first start for the Hammers with a goal, but it wasn’t enough for his new side to wrestle the Betway Cup from their German opponents.
The 2-2 draw meant it was Bremen who took the honours 3-2 on aggregate thanks to their 1-0 win in the first leg of the contest the day before.
Arnautovic scored from Arthur Mausaku’s deflected cross in the first half before Toni Martinez headed home Andre Ayew’s ball to make it 2-1 after the break.
Bremen won it nine minutes from time as Joe Hart made his debut for the Hammers.
The England international keeper touched the ball just four times in the first half, one of which was to retrieve the ball from the back of the net.
The Hammers were without two key players in Manuel Lanzini – who is nursing a knee injury – and Javier Hernandez. The back-to-back friendlies with Werder Bremen came too soon for the Mexican striker who will now hope to see minutes in Tuesday’s meeting with Altona 93.
West Ham XI: Hart; Zabaleta (Byram 60), Fonte (Burke 60), Ogbonna (Collins 60), Masuaku (Cresswell 60); Obiang (Rice 60), Cullen (Makasi 60), Fernandes (Holland 60); Arnautovic, Snodgrass (Martinez 60); Ayew.
Norwich City 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1
New signing Mat Ryan gained his first 90 minutes as a Brighton player but ended up conceding the Seagulls’ first goal of pre-season in a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road.
Playmaker Pascal Gross, who operated behind lone striker Glenn Murray in a 4-4-1-1 formation, opened the scoring with a glancing header from right-back Bruno’s cross before Norwich hit back to ruin Brighton’s 100% pre-season record.
Brighton XI: Ryan; Bruno (Rosenior 71), Dunk, Duffy (Goldson 77), Suttner; March (Skalak 82), Stephens, Kayal (Sidwell 61), Murphy (Bong 46); Gross (Brown 46); Murray (Hemed 77).
Nottingham Forest 1 Burnley 1
Andre Gray scored from a Matt Lowton pass as Burnley came from behind to grab a draw at the City Ground.
The Clarets started with a new-look formation, manager Sean Dyche using Jack Cork in a deep-lying central midfield role behind Steven Defour and Jeff Hendrick, with Jon Walters and Ashley Barnes filling the wider positions in support of Gray.
That’s four pre-season goals for Gray now, although we’ve been down that particular road before when he hit six last summer and failed to translate pre-season form into early competitive returns.
Burnley XI: Heaton; Lowton (Bardsley 73), Mee (Taylor 76), Tarkowski, Ward; Hendrick (Gudmundsson 81), Cork (Westwood 46), Defour (Arfield 60); Barnes (Brady 60), Walters (Vokes 73); Gray (Agyei 81).
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