Three more pre-season friendlies from Thursday and Friday get the Scout Notes treatment.
The key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points are below.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION 1-2 NEWCASTLE UNITED
- Goals: Welbeck | Anderson x2
- Assists: Mitoma | Murphy
ANDERSON STAKING A CLAIM
A mostly second-string Newcastle XI secured a last-gasp victory over Brighton in both clubs’ final stateside friendly.
Of the Magpies on show, there was only Nick Pope (£5.5m) and Bruno Guimaraes (£6.0m) who are guaranteed starters (barring injury) in Gameweek 1.
Elliot Anderson (£4.5m) is certainly doing his best to make Eddie Howe’s life that bit harder.
The budget FPL midfielder’s brace took him to seven attacking returns in pre-season; no-one else in Howe’s squad has more than two.
A start against Aston Villa on the opening weekend was a fanciful idea a month ago but with Joe Willock (£5.5m) and Sean Longstaff (£5.0m) rehabilitating after hamstring injuries, it’s now four into three with Anderson, Guimaraes, new boy Sandro Tonali (£5.5m) and Joelinton (£6.0m) tussling for game-time.
“He came back for our fitness testing as the fittest player – and by some distance. He looks stronger, leaner and fitter. You don’t have the strength to score goals like that in the last minute if you’re not superfit. The goals are no accident.
“Have I picked my team for Villa on the first game of the season? No way. You want players to force their way into your eyesight and Elliot has certainly done that.” – Eddie Howe
Callum Wilson (£8.0m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.5m) were part of this line-up in New Jersey, with Alexander Isak (£7.5m) and Anthony Gordon (£5.5m) – who impressed against Chelsea in midweek – looking like they are a mite ahead of their positional rivals at present. Two more pre-season friendlies are still to come, however.
FERGUSON BENCHED AGAIN
The prospects of Evan Ferguson (£6.0m) starting in Gameweek 1 took another blow when he was again named among the substitutes in a strong-looking Brighton line-up.
Danny Welbeck (£6.0m) led the line for the Seagulls and scored their only goal, with Ferguson and Joao Pedro (£5.5m) introduced from the bench later on.
Ferguson even admitted himself that he expected to be “rotated a lot” this season.
“I think it’s going to be rotated a lot with the three strikers. We have a lot of games, the cups, the Premier League and Europe. There are a lot of games so we have to wait and see.
“I need to keep going, listen to the gaffer and train every day. He’s been teaching me things and telling me what to do and if I keep going I can keep improving. I think it’s just little bits in training we’ve been doing, little movements and things like that to tweak. With the formation he plays we want to fit it all into one role.” – Evan Ferguson
This was pretty much as strong an (outfield) line-up from Roberto De Zerbi as he could manage, deprived of the injured Lewis Dunk (£5.0m) and Solly March (£6.5m). Julio Enciso (£5.5m) reportedly took a knock in midweek and was also absent but wasn’t mentioned by De Zerbi in his injury round-up. Adam Webster (£4.5m) was rested.
“Yes I think [they are close].
“For James [Milner], there is a problem. Solly March the last part of the season was injured and I do not want to take any risks. For Dunk, the same.” – Roberto De Zerbi
Mitoma was probably the brightest he’s been in pre-season in this match, while Pervis Estupinan (£5.0m) made his first start of the summer.
Pascal Gross (£6.5m) was deployed at right-back, meanwhile.
Newcastle United XI: Pope, Ashby (L.Miley 59), Lascelles (Savage 81), Dummett (A.Murphy 75), Targett, Ritchie (Turner-Cooke 80), Guimaraes, Anderson, J. Murphy, Wilson (Parkinson 75), Barnes (J.Miley 89).
Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Gross (Weir 62), Veltman (Turns 59), van Hecke (Lamptey 80), Estupinan (Samuels 62), Caicedo (Ayari 59), Dahoud (Gilmour 71), Buonanotte (Peupion 58), Lallana (Ferguson 59), Mitoma (Adingra 62), Welbeck (Joao Pedro 71).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0-2 LEEDS UNITED
Brennan Johnson (£6.0m) and Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.0m) are closing in on playing returns after failing to play any part in pre-season so far.
Johnson has been injured, while Gibbs-White has had a delayed return to training after featuring for the England under-21s this summer.
“It was too soon for Ola [Aina] and Morgan [Gibbs-White] to play. They’ve only done a couple of sessions so it wasn’t a risk worth taking. They’ll for sure feature against PSV on Sunday, it’ll be good to get them involved – for Morgan back involved, for Ola it’ll be the first time. It’s what we need, a stronger team and squad than last season. The more players we can bring in and be available too, the better chance it’ll give us.” – Stev Cooper
“He’s hopefully back training next week. He’s working very hard, he’s doing long days, he’s really committed to his rehab and his recovery. He’s as frustrated as anybody not to be a part of pre-season, because he’ll want to be ready as quickly as possible. We hope he’ll be back next week. It’s going to plan in terms of his recovery.” – Steve Cooper on Brennan Johnson
The unavailability status of those two players has been a reason why we’ve seen Ryan Yates (£5.0m) more advanced in pre-season. He was again pushing up to support Taiwo Awoniyi (£6.5m) here but will no doubt be shunted back when his team-mates return to playing contention.
Awoniyi was substituted at the break after a “kick to the ankle” that Steve Cooper doesn’t think is too serious.
Anthony Elanga (£5.0m) looked sharp on his debut and a cut-price Chris Wood (£5.0m) made a return from injury as a substitute.
Nottingham Forest XI: Horvath (GK) (Shelvey 60’), Worrall, Mangala (Aurier 60’), Williams, Kouyate (Aguilera 60’), Awoniyi (Ui-Jo 45’), Yates (Elanga 60’), Freuler, Danilo (Scarpa 60’), Boly (Panzo 75’), Powell (Wood 60’).
REAL BETIS 1-1 BURNLEY
- Goal: Beyer
- Assist: Al-Dakhil
One of Burnley’s £4.0m FPL defenders scored and another claimed an assist as Burnley drew in Spain.
Jordan Beyer (£4.0m) nodded home after Ameen Al-Dakhil (£4.0m) flicked on a Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£5.0m) corner, a lead that was cancelled out in spectacular fashion when James Trafford (£4.5m) was beaten from the halfway line.
Vincent Kompany spent many a year playing under Pep Guardiola and his mentor’s creative methods are rubbing off on him.
Here, we saw Vitinho (£4.5m) playing at right-back, Al-Dakhil ‘inverting’ from left-back into midfield and Connor Roberts (£4.5m) playing the Rodri role in front of the back four. In case you’re unaware, left-back, centre-half and right-back are their usual positions.
Defenders have scored all three of Burnley’s goals in their ‘proper’ pre-season friendlies so far, a lack of potency up top perhaps no surprise given that they are now without 2022/23 goal contributors Nathan Tella, Ashley Barnes and the injured Manuel Benson (£5.5m).
Lyle Foster (£5.0m) looked bright up top, at least, and he will be one of the cheapest starting forwards of Gameweek 1 unless Kompany pulls the rug from under our feet against City – and there’s clearly a decent chance of that from the Guardiola wannabe.
Burnley XI: Trafford, Vitinho (Trialist), Beyer, O’Shea (Taylor HT), Al-Dakhil (Ekdal HT), Roberts, Brownhill (Twine HT), Gudmundsson, Zaroury (Cork HT), Amdouni (Koleosho HT), Foster
