There were more pre-season friendlies contested over the past few days, so we’re bringing you the headline Fantasy Premier League (FPL) updates from each one in this piece.
These articles will get more detailed – and more useful – the closer we get to the start of the 2023/24 season as preferred formations, favoured personnel, injury concerns and form assets become apparent.
We’re also keeping tabs on the minutes played in all of these warm-up fixtures where possible, with Premium Members of Fantasy Football Scout able to access this information at the bottom of this article.
MAN UTD 2-0 LEEDS
- Goals: Emeran, Hugill
- Assists: Hansen-Aaroen, Emeran
Manchester United got their pre-season off to a winning start with a 2-0 win over recently relegated Leeds United in Oslo.
Mason Mount (£7.0m) played his first minutes since joining the club and was used as a no. 8 in Erik ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Buzzing around midfield, he was withdrawn at half-time but played a part in some of United’s best attacking moments. He also took ownership of set-pieces.
“I really liked that role today. Being able to drop in and get on the ball and start the play from a bit deeper, but also having that freedom to be able to get forward and get in the box. I tried to make the runs in behind and help the press from the front. I had that chance just by starting off the press.” – Mason Mount
Discussing Mount’s debut, ten Hag said:
“Ah, great. First time but we could expect this [level of performance]. I think for him it’s just his first because he has so much skills and I’m sure we will take so much joy from him and he will contribute to our performance, absolutely. We need players who net [free-kicks].” – Erik ten Hag
“He will bring dynamism into our game and that was one of our conclusions last season. His vision is to play the offensive. But also, he wants to be multi-functional, he wants to be complete. When you’re playing in midfield, you have to attack, but you also you have to defend. We need to be more dynamic in the midfield department. I’m sure he will contribute to the success of United because he is a quality player.” – Erik ten Hag
Second-half goals from youngsters Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill secured the win for United.
With David De Gea gone, Tom Heaton (£4.0m) started in goal, with academy product Matej Kovar brought on for the second half. In his post-match interview, ten Hag did say Dean Henderson (£4.5m) was an option to play in goal next season if a new goalkeeper can’t be signed, but he did not make the trip to Norway and apparently wants to leave the club.
Ten Hag’s starting XI was a mixture of youth and experience with Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m), Raphael Varane (£5.0m), the fit-again Lisandro Martinez (£5.0m) and Jadon Sancho (£7.0m) complementing the likes of Kobbie Mainoo (£4.5m) and Hannibal Mejbri (£4.5m).
Sancho played as a false nine in the first half, before 11 changes were made at the break.
United are still to welcome back 15 internationals, with most of them expected to return for pre-season on Saturday, although they are unlikely to be involved in the friendly against Lyon in Edinburgh next week.
Manchester United XI (first half): Heaton; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Fernandez; Mainoo, Mount; Amad, Hannibal, Forson; Sancho
Manchester United XI (second half): Kovar, Jurado, Fish, Bennett, Williams, Gore, Hansen-Aaroen, Savage, Emeran, Shoretire, Hugill
BOREHAM WOOD 1-1 BRENTFORD
- Goals: Dervisoglu
- Assists: Henry
Brentford kicked off their pre-season with a 1-1 draw at Boreham Wood on Wednesday.
Budget forward Halil Dervisoglu (£4.5m) scored their only goal after a fine Rico Henry (£4.5m) assist, with the full-back driving a low cross into his path from the byline. Henry almost got on the scoresheet too, when his 30-yard drive went narrowly over.
Elsewhere, Keane Lewis-Potter (£5.0m) was lively on the wing, having endured an injury-hit first season at the club.
Thomas Frank made mass changes at the interval, with only Michael Olakigbe reappearing for the second half.
“Looking at the more experienced team in the first half, we saw a lot of things we’d worked on, trying to add layers to the offensive play, especially trying to control it a bit more but also getting more in behind. The goal came from one of those balls in behind, and then a nice ball under for a tap in.” – Thomas Frank
Brentford XI (first half): Balcombe; Roerslev, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Maghoma; Lewis-Potter, Dervisoglu, Olakigbe
Brentford XI (second half): Cox, Crama, Kim, Bech, Farr, Baptiste, Trevitt, Yogane, Peart-Harris, Olakigbe (Brierley 70), Young-Coombes
SC FARENSE 0-1 WOLVES
- Goals: Fraser
In their second behind-closed-doors game of the week, Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Portuguese second-tier outfit SC Farense 1-0.
Very little detail has been supplied so far, but we do know Nathan Foster scored their only goal after some good work by Matheus Cunha, who is yet to be priced up by FPL.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.5m) played a more advanced role ahead of Hugo Bueno (£4.5m) on the left, with Julen Lopetegui apparently turning to a more youthful side after the break.
Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (first half): Bentley; Jonny, Kilman, Dawson, Bueno; Sarabia, Nunes, Hodge, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Fraser
BURNLEY 3-1 PORT VALE
- Goals: Brownhill x2, Westley
In another behind-closed-doors friendly, Burnley won their third successive warm-up game with a 3-1 victory over Port Vale.
Josh Brownhill (£5.0m) scored twice before academy product Joe Westley added a third with a late tap-in.
No line-up or assist information has been made available so far.
BARNET 1-0 CRYSTAL PALACE
Crystal Palace opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat at National League side Barnet on Tuesday.
The Eagles used a combination of old and young players, fielding separate teams in each half. They were, however, without any international players, who had only returned to training on Monday.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.0m) had the best opportunity to score in the first half before senior first-team players such as Joel Ward (£4.5m), Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m), Will Hughes (£5.0m) and Odsonne Edouard (£5.5m) got involved after the break.
20-year-old winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi also did well having impressed on loan at Charlton Athletic last term. Discussing his performance, assistant manager Paddy McCarthy said:
“Jes is an exciting young player riding on the crest of a wave at the moment after a great season at Charlton, and we were pleased with him tonight, amongst others.” – Paddy McCarthy
Crystal Palace XI (first half): Matthews; Clyne, Tomkins, O’Brien, Rodney; Riedewald, Banks; Ahamada, Phillips, Ebiowei; Mateta
Crystal Palace XI (second half): Whitworth, Ward, Balmer, Grehan, Mitchell, Hughes (Boateng 89), Ozoh (Gordon 89), Wells-Morrison, Edouard, Rak-Sakyi, Plange
BOREHAM WOOD 1-4 WEST HAM
- Goals: Ings, Swyer, Bowen, Kodua
- Assists: Laing, Fornals, Coventry, Bowen
West Ham United ran out comfortable 4-1 winners at Boreham Wood on Monday.
Plenty of senior players started the match, including Lukasz Fabianski (£4.5m), Kurt Zouma (£4.5m), Aaron Cresswell (£4.5m), Pablo Fornals (£5.0m), Danny Ings (£6.0m) and Gianluca Scamacca (£6.0m), with Emerson Palmieri (£4.5m) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.0m) coming off the bench.
Ings and Bowen were among the goalscorers, with the latter also supplying an assist after his lofted pass found Gideon Kodua.
David Moyes’ side will now step up pre-season preparations with a tour of Australia, where they will face Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham United XI: Fabianski (Anang 46), Laing (Luizao 62), Zouma (Emerson 46), Ogbonna (Kasey 62), Cresswell (Potts 46), Downes (Chesters 79), Coventry (Forson 87), Swyer (Earthy 46), Fornals (Kodua 79), Ings (Bowen 46), Scamacca (Mubama 46)
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