The main Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from Manchester United v Fulham kicks off our Gameweek 1 Scout Notes.
GARNACHO TO ZIRKZEE
Joshua Zirkzee (£7.0m), the £36.5m summer signing from Bologna, came off the bench to score the winner in Friday’s Premier League opener at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman was brought on as part of a double change on the hour with Alejandro Garnacho (£6.5m), whose cross he prodded home with just three minutes to spare.
“Yes [he gets involved in build-up] but scoring, for a striker, is important. He should be there, where he was, to finish, to kill. But yeah, he has more qualities, so he has to get the right balance. We have to work with him, I think that’s one of the things I spoke with him about, that he has to be arriving in the box to get his finishes, but, of course, we want him to link up. Therefore, also, for that attribute, we bought him. And he has great qualities to make that link-up play and we have some great midfielders around him who can make combinations so we can take hold of the game.” – Erik ten Hag on Joshua Zirkzee
Up until that point, United had been left frustrated.
False nine Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) had a match-high six shots but missed two big chances. First, he took advantage of an error by Bernd Leno (£5.0m) to have a shot on goal, before getting on the end of a super Casemiro (£5.0m) through ball.
On both occasions, he shot straight at the Fulham goalkeeper.
In the final moments, Garnacho also missed a sitter, having been teed up by an under-par Marcus Rashford (£7.0m).
However, United did at least create some decent chances in their fluid 4-2-4 shape, even if it was steady rather than spectacular for the most part.
Above: Man Utd’s average position map v Fulham in Gameweek 1, featuring Amad (16), Mount (7), Fernandes (8) and Rashford (10), plus substitutes Garnacho (17) and Zirkzee (11)
UNITED CLEAN SHEET
Noussair Mazraoui (£4.5m) made his United debut just three days after signing for the club, scooping up maximum bonus after a solid display.
The 26-year-old, who featured at right-back, coped well with Fulham’s pace in wide areas and often came quite central to get involved, with Amad Diallo (£5.0m) supplying the width in front.
“He’s a great defender, but, as I said before the game, also very composed on the ball; attacking. He’s not in full condition in this moment. When he gets 100 per cent fitness he can do much more, but I’m very pleased with his performance. He kept going for 70-75 minutes, and now he has to build his fitness.” – Erik ten Hag on Noussair Mazraoui
Fulham posed a threat on the counter and United were far from perfect, but they were better defensively than they were last season, restricting Marco Silva’s side to 10 shots and 0.42 expected goals (xG).
Centre-back Lisandro Martinez (£4.5m) added aggression, left-back Diogo Dalot (£5.0m) recovered well after a shaky start, while Matthijs de Ligt (£5.0m) appeared as a second-half substitute, adding further depth to Erik ten Hag’s backline.
After so much chopping and changing in 2023/24, which was largely down to injuries, consistency will now be key.
“We know how important it is to keep clean sheets. Two seasons ago we kept the most number of clean sheets in the Premier League. When we have our consistent back four, we will defend properly with a high line and the midfield and wingers can get forward. Without a consistent back four, there is no pattern and routines and that’s when gaps appear.” – Erik ten Hag
SMITH ROWE’S DEBUT
All eyes were on Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) at Old Trafford, with his FPL ownership rising to 16.5% before deadline.
Overall, he showed glimpses of quality, finding pockets of space between the lines.
However, he was starved of possession for long periods, forcing him deep to the point where team-mate Andreas Pereira (£5.5m) comfortably led for final-third touches and passes received in the final-third.
He also failed to register a shot or key pass in 63 minutes of football, but making conclusive calls on him based on this performance would be silly, especially when Marco Silva has said it will take time for the midfielder to find his best physical level.
With Leicester City and Ipswich Town up next, he certainly has the platform to deliver.
“Emile, it was important for him. He’s still not in his best shape. We need to give him minutes. He was a bit more tired at the time when we took him off. Some good moments.
“You know the quality he has going to give us. If he can arrive with the ball in certain areas, he can be decisive. He’s going to be — I’m 100 per cent sure — a really important player for us. We are going to make him better every single day, and he will show that during the matchdays.” – Marco Silva on Emile Smith Rowe
