FPL friendlies round-up: Nketiah scores, budget Bailey up front

With the FIFA World Cup slowly winding its way to a conclusion, preparations for the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) restart are ramping up.

All Premier League clubs bar Bournemouth, Manchester City and Southampton have already contested mid-season friendlies since Gameweek 16 ended, so let’s have a look at how these 17 teams have got on over the last month.

We concentrate on Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea in this first round-up.

It’s less about the (partly meaningless) on-field action when it comes to these Scout Notes, with more focus on tactical tweaks, injury news and key manager quotes.

More friendlies and Carabao Cup ties will follow before we reach Gameweek 17, so for a full rundown of when and where your Fantasy assets might be in action, check out our complete guide to the FPL restart.

ARSENAL

DEC 3: Arsenal 2-4 Watford

• Goals: Marquinhos, Nketiah
• Assists: Tierney
• Arsenal XI: Hein (Graczyk 58), Cedric (Walters 46), Holding (Foran 46), Gabriel (Monlouis 46), Tierney (Sousa 46), Elneny (Lewis-Skelly 46), Lokonga (Nwaneri 46), Odegaard (Smith 46), Nelson (Butler-Oyedeji 46), Marquinhos (Sagoe Jr) 46), Nketiah (Cozier-Duberry 46)

DEC 8: ARSENAL 3-0 LYON

• Goals: Gabriel, Nketiah, Vieira
• Assists: Odegaard, Vieira, Nelson
• Arsenal XI: Hein, Cedric (M. Smith 67), Holding (Lewis-Skelly 67), Gabriel (Foran 67), Tierney (Nwaneri 67), Elneny (Walters 67), Odegaard (Cirjan 67), Lokonga (Sousa 67), Vieira (Marquinhos 46), Nketiah (Butler-Oyedeji 67), Nelson (Cozier-Duberry 67)

The game-time prospects of Eddie Nketiah (£6.5m) have been elevated after Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) picked up a knee injury while away with Brazil and subsequently underwent surgery.

Nketiah has scored in both of Arsenal’s mid-season friendlies contested so far, leading the line on each occasion. His performance against Lyon was well-received, even if it was ultimately just a fitness-building kickabout.

Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m) will soon return from Qatar to offer Mikel Arteta an alternative option as the spearhead of the Gunners’ attack but it’d be a real snub to Nketiah, who was persuaded to stay in north London in the summer, if the striker is overlooked during Jesus’s absence. We’ve also seen very little of Martinelli through the middle in 2022/23 to date.

Arteta, true to form, offered precious little of use when interviewed after the Lyon game.

“We look at the squad and we consider every option obviously, with the players that we have available. There are things that we can try if we have the need to do so.” – Mikel Arteta on whether he’d consider playing Gabriel Martinelli down the middle

There’s no official timeline for Jesus’s recovery, with media reports and one of his teammates suggesting the Brazil forward could be out for three months.

“It’s a shame because you saw in the first round of the Premier League how important he is for us. I don’t know how big the injury is, maybe two or three months, I think.” – Granit Xhaka on Gabriel Jesus’s injury

If that turns out to be true, then the Gunners may dip into the transfer market for reinforcements, something else to watch out for regarding Nketiah.

“No [return date yet]. We know that he needed some intervention in the knee. We’ll have to take it day by day, week by week and see [where] it takes us.” – Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Jesus

“What it affects is who we are as a team because he gives us so much, so what we can do after that, when we know the timescale [of his recovery] and when we can have him back, we will look at the options and try to make the right decision” – Mikel Arteta on whether Gabriel Jesus’s injury affects Arsenal’s winter transfer window plans

With 10 players away on international duty or resting after it, Arteta named about as strong a starting XI as he could for both matches against Watford and Lyon.

In the behind-closed-doors friendly against the Hornets, the introduction of the academy players at half-time saw a 2-1 advantage turn into a 4-2 loss.

Lyon, however, were despatched 3-0 in a dominant display, with a Martin Odegaard (£6.4m) corner headed in by Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.2m), Nketiah finishing a fine breakaway move and Fabio Vieira (£5.7m) lashing in from distance.

Other than the 10 players involved in Qatar, there has been no Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.0m) or Emile Smith Rowe (£5.6m) involved in the mid-season friendlies.

“With Emile, he has returned to training and he’s in that process after we rehab, after a period where he had some real discomfort. So we are giving him time – he’s getting closer and closer. So hopefully in the next few weeks, we’ll be able to see him.” – Mikel Arteta on Emile Smith Rowe, speaking after the Lyon game

“You know, I have a little muscle tightness, but I’m nearly there, so don’t worry about this. Obviously, I’m also working hard to get my fitness back and to be with the team as quickly as I can.

“It’s the worst feeling to be fair… for every footballer to be out of the team. And yeah, in the last couple of months, I was struggling a lot but I hope everything is in the past already. And now, I’m fully focused and so excited for the rest of the season.” – Oleksandr Zinchenko speaking to Sky Sports, December 11

ASTON VILLA

Nov 30: Cardiff City 3-1 Aston Villa

• Goal: J Ramsey
• Assist: Luiz
• Aston Villa XI: Marschall, Young (Bogarde 46), Chambers (Feeney 67), Mings (Konsa 46), Revan (Digne 46), O’Reilly (Raikhy 46), Nakamba (Young 67), Kamara (Luiz 46), Buendía (Ramsey 46), Archer (Bailey 46), Watkins (Ings 46)

Dec 8: Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

• Goals: Ings, own-goal
• Assist: Raikhy
• Aston Villa XI: Olsen, A Young (Chambers 63), Konsa, Mings, Digne (Augustinsson 63), McGinn (Nakamba 81), Kamara (Raikhy 81), Luiz, Buendía (K Young 81), Bailey (Archer 63), Watkins (Ings 63)

Dec 11: Aston Villa 1-0 Chelsea

• Goal: McGinn
• Assist: Watkins
• Aston Villa XI: Olsen, A Young, Konsa (Chambers 63), Mings, Digne (Augustinsson 63), McGinn (T O’Reilly 84), Kamara, Luiz (Nakamba 84), Raikhy (K Young 46), Bailey (Archer 63), Watkins (Ings 63)

Unai Emery’s reign at Aston Villa got off to a positive start in Gameweeks 15 and 16 and the former Sevilla and Arsenal head coach has now had the benefit of a mini pre-season with his troops, something that mid-season managerial appointments don’t usually enjoy.

The soundbites have been positive from all concerned, as they always are, but there is a suggestion – via some barbed comments from players like Tyrone Mings (£4.3m) below – that the Villa squad is being exposed to more top-drawer tactical insight under their new boss than they did under Steven Gerrard.

“On the sidelines during the [Brighton] match, the Spaniard was as fiercely invested in this friendly as any of the three competitive games he has overseen since leaving La Liga side Villarreal back home for Villa.

“Emery was constantly re-positioning players during the match, using a mixture of both English and Spanish instructions and frantic hand movements. When Villa tried to build from the back, he coached them through every sequence.” – Reporter Gregg Evans in The Athletic

“We spend longer on video sessions now. The manager is really big on positioning, things like telling the centre-halves exactly where they should be positioned, even when the ball is in the opposition box. There’s more detail, so it’s a little different.” – Ollie Watkins on Unai Emery’s management

“I feel like you’ve really got to be switched on in training sessions because there is a lot of information to take in, but a lot of information I’ve never been exposed to before.

“A real high-level of coaching, and my job is slightly different to the roles I’ve played under previous managers.” – Tyrone Mings

A weaker-looking Villa side lost 3-1 in the Peter Whittingham Memorial Match at the back-end of November, with Jacob Ramsey (£5.2m) bundling home a Douglas Luiz (£4.8m) corner for his club’s only strike of the game.

Since then, the Villans have been in the Middle East and have emerged undefeated from games against Brighton and an admittedly under-strength Chelsea.

Missing only four of his players because of the World Cup (just two of whom are definite starters), Emery named strong teams in the United Arab Emirates and made just one line-up change across those two matches against Premier League opposition. Even that was enforced, with youngster Arjan Raikhy coming in for the injured Emi Buendia (£5.7m).

Emery again rolled out the 4-2-2-2 set-up we saw in the final two Gameweeks before the mid-November break, with budget FPL midfielder Leon Bailey (£4.5m) starting both matches up top alongside Ollie Watkins (£7.1m). The bright Bailey spurned clear openings in both matches, with positional rival Danny Ings (£6.6m) coming off the bench in each game and pouncing with an opportune goal against the Seagulls.

While most Fantasy interest will be in an ‘out of position’ Bailey, it’s worth adding John McGinn (£5.1m) to the cut-price midfielder watchlist. Often maligned by fans for his non-performances in Gerrard’s three-man engine room, he looks much more at home playing as one of the two more advanced attacking midfielders in Emery’s system. It was McGinn who struck the winner against Chelsea, finishing off a well-worked move after Watkins’ lay-off.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, with Brighton scoring two soft goals and a youthful Chelsea going close to finding the target on a handful of occasions, but some progress looks like it is being made.

CHELSEA

Dec 11: Chelsea 0-1 Aston Villa

• Goals: None
• Assists: None
• Chelsea XI: Bettinelli, Brooking (Elliott 73), Humphreys, Gilchrist (Mothersille 64), Cucurella, Webster, Jorginho (c), Hall, Hutchinson, Broja (Rankine 25) (Burstow 88), Aubameyang (Casadei 64)

There’s not a great deal we can take from the on-field performance of Chelsea’s squad in the defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, as it could be argued that not a single member of Graham Potter’s first-choice XI was available for selection in Dubai. Marc Cucurella (£5.1m), Jorginho (£5.8m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£8.7m) might take exception to that, mind.

The headline news came off the field and involves some high-profile absentees, who are making their way back from injury and Qatar.

The Blues who exited the World Cup at the group stage and round of 16 will return this week when their team-mates jet back from their Middle East training camp.

“They’ll report back when we return. It’s important after the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup that there’s time to psychologically get their heads straight and have a bit of time with their family and friends.

“Then they can come back refreshed, we’ve given the players some time to have a break and to be ready for a tough long second part of the season.

“They’ll be returning next week and we’re looking forward to seeing everybody.” – Graham Potter on his players who exited at the group stage or last 16 of the World Cup

As for team news, there’s plenty to report – including a serious-looking new injury to Armando Broja (£5.3m).

Most Fantasy managers will be interested in Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.5m) and Reece James (£5.8m), however, neither of whom featured against Villa.

“We’ve got a full week’s training when we get back and then we have a friendly the following week so that will be good. There’s a few more guys coming back from the World Cup so it’s moving nicely.

“We’ll be able to have a few more players back in full training with us. Reece James has moved forward, Wesley Fofana is moving forward, Carney Chukwuemeka is moving forward so that’s positive.

‘Hopefully Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ben Chilwell can also take a step forward in their rehab next week so we’re optimistic about that.” – Graham Potter, speaking on Sunday

There’s no mention of Kepa there but Potter had said last Wednesday that the Spanish shot-stopper was “not quite with the team yet” but “stepping up his rehab”.

There’s plenty to clear up before Boxing Day, then, as Fantasy managers contemplate Chelsea assets ahead of their Double Gameweek 19.

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

Dec 8: Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

• Goals: Undav x2
• Assists: Moran, Gross
• Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Steele, Veltman, Webster (van Hecke 34), Dunk, Gross, Lallana (Hinshelwood 45), Moran, Enciso (Offiah 75), March, Undav, Welbeck (Peupion 25)

Brighton’s Denis Undav (£5.1m) still awaits his first Premier League start but a brace against Aston Villa and a possible new injury to Danny Welbeck (£6.5m) in the same game will raise the German striker’s hopes ahead of Gameweek 17.

Undav – whose longest run-out in the league was half an hour in Gameweek 16 – was given a helping hand by Villa’s defence but took his goals well, briefly nudging Brighton in front before Lewis Dunk (£4.7m) put through his own net.

“(The mid-season break) is an opportunity for me to be even more ready than before and, if I get the chance, to play. It’s not the farmers’ league, it’s the best league in the world. I have to give everything now I know the league and maybe be even more ready than I was.” – Denis Undav

Roberto De Zerbi said it was too soon to know the full extent of the injuries to Welbeck and Adam Webster (£4.5m), both of whom limped from the field of play in the first half.

“We will see what the problems are in the next few days” – Roberto De Zerbi

Clean sheets have been hard to come by since Potter departed (some tough fixtures partly explain that), with De Zerbi-ball bringing with it its own risks at the back. Solly March‘s (£5.0m) error for Ings’s first goal was more of the individual calamity variety but it underscored the fact that his manager likes to play out from the back.

BRENTFORD

DEC 10: Brentford 1-2 Bordeaux

• Goal: Gilbert
• Assist: Trevitt
• Brentford XI: Cox (Winterbottom 68); Crama, Zanka (Roerslev 46), Mee (Pinnock 46), Trevitt; Yarmoliuk, Gilbert, Dasilva (Janelt 46); Olakigbe, Toney (Wissa 46), Lewis-Potter (Canos 46)

It remains to be seen whether Ivan Toney (£7.4m) will be available for selection come Gameweek 17 but the striker at least kept his fitness levels ticking over with a 45-minute appearance against Bordeaux in Girona on Saturday.

This was Brentford’s first mid-season friendly of the World Cup break, with a mixture of first-teamers and youth products used against the French outfit.

Two academy players indeed combined for the Bees’ only goal of the match, as Alex Gilbert nodded in a superb cross from Ryan Trevitt (£4.5m).

Two self-inflicted goal concessions turned the match around for the Ligue II side, with both strikes – the second a harsh penalty – coming about after losses of possession inside the Brentford half.

Head coach Thomas Frank used a 4-3-3 for this encounter, his formation of choice for most games outside of those involving a ‘big six’ club.

Six Bees have been on duty in Qatar over the last month, while at least five senior players are currently on the injury list.

“Aaron Hickey is doing very well; he’s ahead of schedule. He is not with us here in Girona, but he will join the group, part-training, from Monday, at least that’s the plan. He is expecting to train very hard with the guys back at Jersey Road.

“The three Danish guys [Christian Nørgaard, Mathias Jensen and Mikkel Damsgaard], Saman Ghoddos and Bryan Mbeumo got this week off to get a bit of rest and, most importantly, refresh the head. David Raya, unfortunately, went out a couple of days ago and he will be back around Thursday next week.” -Thomas Frank, speaking on December 8