Notepads at the ready: it’s time for the first batch of pre-season Scout Notes.
There are, of course, few meaningful takeaways at this early stage of the summer.
The focus at this point is on fitness and not form, with the six Premier League teams in action on Saturday only a few days into their pre-season training.
The standard of opposition also has to be taken into account. Can we really learn much from 4-0 wins over non-league sides, something both north-east clubs did today? And what size asterisk do we have to put next to Danny Welbeck’s four-goal haul, given that he was up against League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers?
The notes will be brief at this stage of pre-season, then, with more significant lessons to come the closer we get to Gameweek 1.
- VIEW: Watch highlights from Saturday’s pre-season friendlies
- COMING TOMORROW: The launch of the Pre-Season Minutes Tracker
Crystal Palace 1-0 Millwall
- Goal: Rak-Sakyi
- Assist: Mustapha
Borna Sosa only signed for Palace on Friday but, just a day later, he was making his Eagles debut.
The Croatia international, a bit of a cult hero among World Cup 2022 Fantasy managers, lined up at left wing-back in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Millwall.
The man that Sosa has been brought in to challenge, Tyrick Mitchell, operated (unconvincingly) on the opposite flank in the absence of Daniel Munoz.
No need to worry about the Colombian’s non-involvement: he, along with Palace’s other June internationals like the much-coveted Eberechi Eze, are yet to return to pre-season training.
Players involved on international duty at the end of the 24/25 season are yet to return to training.
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 12, 2025
Probably the biggest takeaway was the sight of Sosa on corners. He has previous at dead-ball situations: he was Stuttgart’s regular taker before relinquishing duties at Ajax and Torino.
The attack-minded defender also whipped in a good open-play cross for Jean-Philippe Mateta to nod wide. He’s one to monitor (especially if Eze leaves and there’s a void at set plays) but, as was the case when Ben Chilwell signed on loan last season, it’s likely Mitchell’s shirt to lose.
Another summer arrival, Walter Benitez, got the opening 45 minutes between the sticks. He got his gloves muddied a few times in an unremarkable contest, with Palace especially looking rusty.
Oliver Glasner named two different sides for each half against the Lions, with fringe and academy players featuring after the break. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who impressed last summer before being packed off on loan, scored the winner.
Crystal Palace first-half XI: BenÃtez, Clyne, Lacroix, Guéhi, Mitchell, Sosa, Wharton, Hughes, Esse, França, Mateta.
Crystal Palace second-half XI: Matthews, King, Ozoh, Jemide, Kporha, Adaramola, Rodney, Ahamada, Rak-Sakyi, Mustapha, Édouard.
Newcastle United 4-0 Carlisle United
- Goals: Longstaff, Joelinton, J Murphy, Parkinson
- Assists: Barnes, J Murphy
We can tell you even less about this contest, as the behind-closed-doors friendly was a) unadvertised and b) not streamable. Match highlights have also yet to materialise, and may never will.
There were at least fitness-boosting minutes for long-term absentee Jamaal Lascelles, as well as others like Joelinton, who had issues at the end of 2024/25. A full pre-season for Sven Botman will also be beneficial.
As was the case with Palace, Newcastle’s internationals have had a longer breather and weren’t involved.
Anthony Elanga was present but only watching from the sidelines. New positional rival Jacob Murphy may have been even more motivated: he scored Newcastle’s third from a Harvey Barnes cut-back before teeing up Ben Parkinson for the fourth.
Sean Longstaff and Joelinton had scored before the break.
Newcastle United first-half XI: Pope, Trippier, Lascelles, A Murphy, Shahar, Longstaff, Miley, Willock, Sanusi, Neave, Osula.
Newcastle United first-half XI: Ruddy, Ashby, Botman, Schar, Targett, Hernes, Joelinton, White, Barnes, J Murphy, Parkinson.
Brighton and Hove Albion 6-1 Wycombe
- Goals: Welbeck x4, Buonanotte, Tasker
- Assists: Slater x2, Rutter, Minteh, Buonanotte
And speaking of previously unadvertised friendlies, Brighton had one of their own.
Danny Welbeck will be pleased it was filmed: he scored four first-half goals as he prepares for the fresh challenge to his place from Greek pair Charalampos Kostoulas and Stefanos Tzimas. He could have had other goals, too, spurning two close-range chances.
Amid talk that Fabian Hurzeler may move to a wing-back system, the eye test seemed to suggest it was the standard 4-2-3-1(ish) of last season.
Overlapping left-back Jacob Slater cut the ball back twice for Welbeck, who, in between, was fed a close-range tap-in by Yankuba Minteh. Welbeck also scored after a blocked Georginio Rutter shot.
Returning loanee Facundo Buonanotte stole possession to score a late fifth before his touch ran to another young full-back, Charlie Tasker, to round off the scoring.
James Milner, who missed most of 2024/25, got half an hour as planned. One summer signing, centre-half Olivier Boscagli, also made his debut.
Brighton and Hove Albion first half XI: Rushworth, Slater, Boscagli, Dunk, Veltman, Mitoma, Baleba, Milner (Moran 30), Minteh, Georginio, Welbeck.
Brighton and Hove Albion second half XI: Rushworth, Cashin, Igor Julio, Webster, Tasker, Vickers, Mullins, Moran, Howell, Sarmiento, Buonanotte.
Chesterfield 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Not much action to report from Forest’s annual friendly at Chesterfield, and not many first-teamers involved either.
Really, only Ola Aina and Callum Hudson-Odoi of the starting XI are what you would call regular starters, while Murillo came on at the interval.
All of the internationals – including supposedly Spurs-bound Morgan Gibbs-White – should belatedly return to training next week.
“Not sure this was worth 99p” was one review on the Forest message board, referring to the price fans had to pay to stream this game.
Hudson-Odoi tested the home goalkeeper with one strike and teed up Jimmy Sinclair for a big chance after the break but, in the sweltering sun after just a few days of training, this was just a bleep test on grass.
Nottingham Forest XI: Miguel (Bott 46), Aina (Murillo 46), Carmo (Abbott 46), Boly (Gardner 46), Richards (Morato 46), Stamenic (Powell 46), Yates (Berry 62), Jota Silva (Whitehall 62), O’Brien (Hammond 62), Hudson-Odoi (McDonnell 62), Taylor (Sinclair 46).
South Shields 0-4 Sunderland
- Goals: Isidor, Mundle, Aleksic, Abdullahi
- Assists: Le Fee, Diarra, Roberts, Mayenda
Sunderland matched their rivals from up the Tyne and Wear Metro system with a 4-0 win over a National League (North) side.
Only one of the Black Cats’ summer signings featured at South Shields, and it was one who will likely carry little Fantasy interest: Habib Diarra, who looked a class act but crucially as the deepest of Sunderland’s central midfielders.
Diarra did at least grab an assist with a through-ball for Romain Mundle‘s goal.
Forwards Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda each got 45 minutes, the former scoring early and the latter teeing up Ahmed Abdullahi.
The big news from the Sunderland camp this week was that a defensive quartet are going to miss the first three Gameweeks.
Aji Alese, Luke O’Nien, Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde will sit out the start of 2025/26. O’Nien and Cirkin were regulars at the back last season.
“Yes [we need to sign defenders]. Short answer!” – Regis Le Bris
Sunderland first-half XI: Patterson, Huggins, J. Jones, Ballard, Tuterov, Browne, Mundle, Isidor, Diarra, Seele, Le Fée.
Sunderland second-half XI: Moore, Neil, Johnson, Roberts, Middlemas, Mayenda, Triantis, Abdullahi, Aleksić, Hume, H. Jones.
Burnley 1-0 Fleetwood Town
- Goal: Edwards
Marcus Edwards scored the only goal of the game as we defeated Fleetwood Town in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Burnley Training Centre earlier today 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NQnKzxSdm7
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) July 12, 2025
No footage or even line-up information exists for this one. Match details were also very brief, although we do know that Marcus Edwards grabbed the only goal of the match.
Quilindschy Hartman made his debut, while Jordan Beyer featured for the first time in 19 months after injury.
