Scout Notes
4 May 2026 40 comments
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Manchester United will be back in the UEFA Champions League next season, with qualification confirmed thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha (£8.1m), Benjamin Sesko (£7.3m) and Kobbie Mainoo (£4.7m).

Here are our Scout Notes from Man Utd 3-2 Liverpool.

SESKO INJURY

Sesko found the net for United on Sunday, but was taken off at half-time, having picked up a shin problem.

“He got a bang on his shin when he fell down the side of the pitch. It’s something that he’s been carrying for a little bit as well, so we’ve had to manage him a bit but he’s certainly had a bang right on the same spot. It’s as simple as that really.” – Michael Carrick on Benjamin Sesko

United are next in action against Sunderland on Saturday, so we should get an update from Michael Carrick later this week.

BRUNO UNLUCKY

United were electric in the first half, with energy and a real purpose about their play.

Cunha’s deflected effort put them in front, before Sesko survived a VAR check for handball to make it 2-0.

Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) banked a Fantasy assist for Sesko’s strike, and very nearly got on the scoresheet himself, with his half-volley zipping just wide of the post.

The Portuguese playmaker laid six chances on for his teammates, including two Opta ‘big chances created’, finishing the match with 1.02 expected goal involvement (xGI).

Above: Players from Man Utd v Liverpool sorted by xGI

Booked in the second-half, Bruno was a bit unfortunate not to register more than five points.

United regained the lead with a fine low strike from Mainoo, who was his side’s standout performer.

Elsewhere, Casemiro (£5.8m) failed to produce an attacking return but did bank defensive contribution (DefCon) points for the third successive Gameweek.

In that time (Gameweek 33-35), his tally of 66 DefCons is at least 14 more than any other player.

SZOBOSZLAI HAUL

Liverpool’s poor first-half display ultimately cost them, but their performance after the break was much better.

Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) scored a superb individual goal, then unselfishly assisted Cody Gakpo (£7.3m), who racked up five shots in total, to claim 13 points.

It consequently took Liverpool just 10 minutes of the second half to pull level.

Szoboszlai was key to that, but having tasted defeat, Liverpool probably still need a few more points to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

Next up is Chelsea, before clashes against Aston Villa and Brentford to finish the campaign.

SLOT ON ISAK INJURY

There was no Alexander Isak (£10.3m) in Liverpool’s squad at Old Trafford.

He missed out with a minor groin issue.

Speaking before the match, Arne Slot said:

“After our last win against Palace, you go into the week and in the start, you already know you’re going to miss out on Mo [Salah], and then during the week we miss out on Alex as well. But that’s not the first time this season. Arsenal away, we had our both No 9s not available as well and we were able to play a good game. So, it is the situation so accept it. Of course, very unlucky and unhappy with the fact Alex picked up a small – really small – injury. That’s why this game came a bit too early.” – Arne Slot

Slot later added:

“It wasn’t much but unfortunately it was too much for him to be able to play. And Alisson [Becker] hasn’t trained with us yet, so that makes it quite simple. We’re hoping for him to be ready next week but we have to wait and see how the week will go. The same can be said about Alex, we’re hoping to have him back next week. But that’s small margins, as it always is in football.” – Arne Slot

With Isak, Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) and Hugo Ekitike (£9.0m) all unavailable, Slot initially played Florian Wirtz (£8.3m) and Szoboszlai as the two most advanced options in a 4-2-2-2, before shifting to more of a 4-2-3-1 after the break, with Gakpo through the middle.

Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m) was a straight swap for Salah on the right, with Curtis Jones (£5.4m) continuing at right-back.


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40 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. The Philosopher
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 27 mins ago

    19 points on the bench. Need a couple no shows to get those jammy points.

    1. Thank you for clarifying

  2. Big Mike
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 22 mins ago

    I thought Tavernier was supposed to be on pens.

    1. The Philosopher
      • 5 Years
      52 mins ago

      Yeah mate. We were robbed. FPL need to allow us to replace Taverneir with Hill/Hinshelwood from the bench.

      1. Atimis
        • 9 Years
        13 mins ago

        This!

  3. el polako
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 19 mins ago

    I’m pretty sure there was a time when Morgan Rogers was compared to Jude Bellingham.

    He’s more like Delle Ali or Ross Barkley.
    Absolutely overhyped and useless.

    1. The Knights Template
      • 12 Years
      1 hour, 2 mins ago

      Ross the Boss linked with Coventry.

      1. el polako
        • 8 Years
        57 mins ago

        Makes sense.
        He played for Luton so their will be no issues with accommodation in Coventry.

  4. PartyTime
    • 4 Years
    49 mins ago

    Manchester utd secured UCL football this season. What a crap league.

    1. Holmes
      • 12 Years
      31 mins ago

      Will taste the same fate as Liverpool in league, wheel will be off soon.

    2. el polako
      • 8 Years
      29 mins ago

      For half of the season the top scorer for the league leaders was called “Own Goal”.

  5. How many players do you have left this GW?

    5 for me with Haaland (c).

    1. Holmes
      • 12 Years
      37 mins ago

      Triple City left

    2. Kno
      • 15 Years
      28 mins ago

      Triple city and pickford. So triple city

    3. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 mins ago

      5. 3 City. Joao Pedro, Palmer. Captained Bruno so expecting a rank drop today.

    4. Big Mike
      • 3 Years
      just now

      Haaland (c), O' Reilly, Semenyo and Palmer.

  6. Joao, palmer, semenyo, NOR, haaland C for me
    Hill 10 pointer on the bench first sub

    1. Reply fail

    2. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 mins ago

      Same

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 min ago

        But not Hill, played Senesi

    3. The same as you but Enzo over Palmer. Sold Palmer for Bruno before deadline. I could have afforded Enzo > Bruno but it would have reduced my funds to get the likes of Gabriel back, Saka/Gyokeres etc.

    4. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      1 min ago

      Everybody has those. Crap template based season

  7. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    35 mins ago

    Stupidly capped DCL... now gonna have to sit behind the sofa for the city game. Might put some money on Haaland to score 2 or more as a hedge

    1. Maybe a hedge would be better to hide behind than the sofa also?

  8. Should I take a -4 to get either Saka or Gyokeres @ West Ham or just do one the following week (h) to Burnley for free?

    1. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      17 mins ago

      Palmer to Saka no Brainer transfer for me.

      1. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        17 mins ago

        I'd take the -4

      2. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        16 mins ago

        Considering Palmer and Pedro to Saka and Gyokeres for free, and getting no CPL

        1. Atimis
          • 9 Years
          11 mins ago

          Same here!

  9. Kno
    • 15 Years
    31 mins ago

    Would you benchboost this lot next gw or wait til 37? Not expecting too much from bowen vs ars and thiago vs city

    Pickford
    Gabriel saliba o’reilly
    Bruno semenyo eze kdh
    Bowen thiago haaland

    Dubravka andersen hill wilson

  10. Atimis
    • 9 Years
    27 mins ago

    Do you think it would be fine to start Mitoma vs Wol?

    1. lilmessipran
      • 13 Years
      11 mins ago

      It would be fine to start my nan vs Wolves

      1. Big Mike
        • 3 Years
        just now

        Agree. She would probably be the standout captain choice as well.

  11. Does anyone else think fpl should start raising players prices at start of season, to make team value actually relevant again?

    1. lilmessipran
      • 13 Years
      16 mins ago

      Or tweak the point scoring system, something has to give.

    2. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      16 mins ago

      Chasing the prices changes is the thing I hate most about this game...

      1. But it’s also best way to get advantage on casual players

        1. el polako
          • 8 Years
          just now

          There are no casual players anymore.
          Everyone is spoon fed by the plethora of content creators who are coping each other.

    3. el polako
      • 8 Years
      14 mins ago

      Set the prices to the 0.1m difference.
      Scrap double captaincy points.
      Make every single point count.

    4. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 mins ago

      I'd be in favour of players prices rises and falling much quicker (0.5's) so they better reflect how popular players are/are preforming in FPL. So we don't ended up with players like Salah this year who is massively overpriced for his output, or Palmer a couple of years back been massively under-priced.