Debut goals for Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and Everton’s Wayne Rooney help their new clubs to pre-season wins, while the proposed move of Gylfi Sigurdsson to Goodison Park gathers pace.
Here’s the notes from yesterday’s action.
Sydney FC 0 Arsenal 2
Record signing Alexandre Lacazette marked his Arsenal debut with a goal as the Gunners strolled to victory in Sydney.
The French striker coolly converted Alex Iwobi’s pass after coming on for Danny Welbeck, who had earlier had a penalty saved.
Skipper Per Mertesacker opened the scoring with an early strike in a match dominated by Arsenal, with teenager Reiss Nelson catching the eye at right wing-back in his first senior start for the club.
Significantly, Arsene Wenger stuck with the 3-4-2-1 formation he adopted towards the end of last season, providing further confirmation that this system will be retained.
It meant that another summer recruit, Sead Kolasinac, made his debut on the left of the three-man defence.
The Bosnian international made a number of defensive interceptions and surging forward runs, underlining his suitability to replace Nacho Monreal in that role.
Indeed, Kolasinac’s versatility means that we cannot be certain on Wenger’s plans. While he boasts a stronger end product than Nacho Monreal at wing-back, his strength may yet see him push for a berth in the back three with the Spaniard retained out wide.
It was Lacazette who grabbed the headlines, doing enough in his brief time on the pitch to please the 26.4% of Fantasy managers who have splashed out 10.5 on the striker, with Arsenal’s generous opening schedule (at home at least) helping to justify the outlay.
Handing Lacazeete a central support berth behind fellow sub Olivier Giroud, Wenger was certainly happy with his new man’s debut goal.
“It is important for him to get that (first goal) off his shoulders because you expect to score if you are a striker.”
Arsenal have taken a 25-man squad on their tour of Australia and China, but Alexis Sanchez is not in it. He and Shkodran Mustafi have been given extra time off after the Confederations Cup, with the Chilean still consistently linked with a move away from north London.
Jack Wilshere, the injured Gabriel, Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy, Carl Jenkinson and Wojciech Szczesny have all also been left at home.
Arsenal XI:Cech (Martinez 46); Bielik (Nketiah 68), Mertesacker (Naitland-Miles 68), Kolasinac (Monreal 68); Coquelin (Xhaka 68), Willock (Elneny 68); Nelson (Oxlade-Chamberlain 68), Ozil (Iwobi 68), Walcott (Giroud 68), Bramall (Malen 68); Welbeck (Lacazette 68).
Gor Mahia FC 1 Everton 2
Wayne Rooney’s first start of his second spell at Everton was lit up by a superb long-range strike in Africa.
The forward’s 7.5 price tag in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has persuaded 17.5% of managers to put him in their early team squads, with his potential for mid-price value seemingly trumping the Toffees’ brutal start to the campaign. Everton faces daunting trips to Chelsea and both Manchester sides, as well as a visit from Spurs, before September is done.
Ademola Lookman, playing out wide as part of a 4-3-2-1 formation, set up Rooney with some smart work on the left and the former Manchester United man, employed as a lone striker, lashed home from outside the area.
Manager Ronald Koeman handed new signing Davy Klaasen his debut, the Dutch international forming a midfield trio with James McCarthy and Morgan Schneiderlin, while Aaron Lennon started on the opposite flank to Lookman.
But that midfield looks almost certain to change again, with reports in the local media suggesting it is only a matter of time before Everton sign Swansea City talisman Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Icelander did not travel with the club as they set off on their US tour, and Swans coach Paul Clement seems resigned to losing their star man.
“We had that situation with Jack Cork. In the summer there was no thought of moving Jack on but it got to a point when another club came in with a really good offer. That might end up being the case with Gylfi. We don’t know yet.”
Koeman changed the entire team for the second half, with new signing Michael Keane coming into the heart of the defence alongside Mo Besic, as Kieran Dowell netted the winner from a Tom Davies pass.
Notably, Jonjoe Kenny claimed the right-back berth for the Toffees in the first-hallf, with Matt Pennington replacing him at the break. Mason Holgate was not included the squad following his England U21 exertions.
New arrivals Jordan Pickford and Sandro Ramirez have also been given extended time off and did not travel to Tanzania, while Ross Barkley – who is injured with a groin problem – was also left at home as a move away from Goodison continues to be on the cards.
Everton XI First half: Stekelenburg; Kenny, Williams, Jagielka, Connolly; Schneiderlin, McCarthy, Klaassen; Lennon, Lookman; Rooney.
Everton XI Second half:Hewelt; Pennington, Baines, Keane, Besic; Barry, Gana, Davies; Dowell, Mirallas; Calvert-Lewin.
A reminder that all the pre-season friendly results and key Scout Notes are being captured here, in our Pre-Season Guide.
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