This weekend’s wave of pre-season friendlies got underway on Friday evening, with Crystal Palace and Brentford the two Premier League teams in action.
A £4.0m defender caught the eye for the Bees, while the usual suspects scored for Palace in a 3-0 win.
Here’s what we saw in those two kickabouts.
GIL VICENTE 1-1 BRENTFORD
- Goal: Thiago
- Assist: Damsgaard
We got our first look at a Keith Andrews-led Brentford side on Friday.
It seemed to be more evolution than revolution – and perhaps the continuity you’d expect given that the head coach has been promoted from within.
Same sort of tactics, similar personnel, with a few tweaks here and there.
Outside of the club, the doom-mongers have been out in force this summer. Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) and Christian Norgaard (£5.5m) have exited, while Yoane Wissa (£7.5m) may follow suit.
But Brentford have been very good at contingency planning over the years. They’ve also got several players coming back from long-term injuries that they were without for much of 2024/25.
THIAGO ON TARGET
Take Igor Thiago (£6.0m) as an example. Let’s not forget that he was effectively bought as Ivan Toney‘s replacement last summer, only for knee issues to all but wipe out his debut Premier League season.
Here he was looking pacy and powerful in Portugal, tapping in Mikkel Damsgaard‘s (£6.0m) cut-back and going close to nodding in a second from another of the crafty Dane’s deliveries. A further goal nearly arrived larer in his 45-minute outing, only for a superb touch from a backtracking defender to deflect Thiago’s goalbound shot onto the woodwork.
The front four looked effective and fluid, and all played a part in Thiago’s goal. Kevin Schade (£7.0m) was on the left, as he was last season, while Fabio Carvalho (£5.0m) took over Mbeumo’s right-wing slot, although the former Liverpool man had more of a freer, floating role. Michael Kayode (£4.5m), impressive in his short stint at the end of 2024/25, held the width from right-back.
£4.0M HICKEY IMPRESSES, NEWLY RECLASSIFIED LEWIS-POTTER ‘OUT OF POSITION’!
Central midfielders Jordan Henderson (£5.0m) and Antoni Milambo (£5.5m) had solid debuts on either side of the break, with fellow new boy Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) beaten by Gil Vicente’s opener but repelling another shot later in the first half.
Sepp van den Berg (£4.5m) was to blame for the hosts’ opener, being dispossessed 30 yards out. A rare error from the centre-half, who looked so good alongside Nathan Collins (£5.0m) last season.
Probably the most eye-catching display at the rear came from Aaron Hickey (£4.0m). Both he and Rico Henry (£4.5m) missed virtually the whole of 2024/25 through injury but are fit again, each getting a 45-minute run-out.
Hickey impressed up and down the right flank, having taken over from Kayode at half-time. Andrews has a welcome headache now, with Kayode and Hickey options at right-back, and Hickey, Henry, Keane Lewis-Potter (£5.0m) and even Jayden Meghoma (£4.0m) all possibilities on the other side. One to keep an eye on, given Hickey’s price.
“It feels amazing to be back out there with the boys. It’s been very difficult, but thankfully I’m now back playing. I’m just looking forward to the season now.” – Aaron Hickey
Speaking of Lewis-Potter, he was recently reclassified as an FPL defender – and, almost inevitably, he was used on the left wing on Friday! He’ll have to get past Schade (could the German move over to the right?) if he’s to start there longer term, of course.
The Bees lost winger Gustavo Nunes (£5.0m) to what looked like a hamstring injury, meanwhile.
Brentford first half XI: Kelleher; Kayode, van den Berg, Collins, Meghoma; Henderson, Jensen; Carvalho, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago.
Brentford second half XI: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Ajer, Arthur, Henry; Milambo, Yarmoliuk; Nunes (Donovan 58), Trevitt (Konak 82), Lewis-Potter, Peart-Harris.
CRAWLEY TOWN 0-3 CRYSTAL PALACE
- Goals: Mateta, Eze, Munoz
- Assists: Sarr, Mateta, Mitchell
MATETA, EZE + MUNOZ ALL ON TARGET
Palace’s key FPL assets carried on where they left off in 2024/25.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m), Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) and Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) were the Eagles’ most popular Fantasy picks of last season, with their contributions on Friday – admittedly at lowly Crawley Town – a reminder of their knack for returns.
Mateta opened the scoring after latching onto a miscleared Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) pass, before the striker teed up Eze for the Eagles’ second.
In between was almost a sensational strike from the sought-after Eze. The midfielder beat three home defenders before attempting to ‘Cantona’ the hosts’ goalkeeper, who got back to tip over.
Sarr and Mateta, amongst others, had further opportunities before the break, with half-time substitute Munoz – like Eze, featuring in his first friendly of the summer – rounding off the scoring by finishing well from Tyrick Mitchell‘s (£5.0m) cross-field pass.
For a side renowned for their slow starts to seasons, the Eagles looked uncharacteristically sharp.
SOSA ON CORNERS AGAIN
Attacking returns for Mitchell and Munoz underscored the threat that wing-backs pose under Oliver Glasner.
In the first half, it was Naouirou Ahamada (£4.5m) and Borna Sosa (£4.5m) down the flanks. Ahamada is very much a makeshift option but Sosa has been brought in to compete with Mitchell.
The first impressions, as the transfer reports suggested, are that Sosa offers that bit more threat than his positional rival. Volleying over Sarr’s cross, he also delivered the ball on a plate for a Mateta sitter. And, as was the case a fortnight ago, he was on a share of corners.
The question is whether Glasner trusts him enough defensively, at least initially. The betting money at this early stage would be on Mitchell retaining his place, with Sosa being brought on if Palace are chasing a result.
Crystal Palace XI: Henderson (Benítez 46), Ahamada (Muñoz 46), Clyne (Jemide 76), Lacroix, Lerma (King 76), Sosa (Mitchell 46), Kamada (Wharton 46), Hughes (Devenny 46), Eze (Esse 64), Mateta (Edouard 64), Sarr (Rak-Sakyi 64 (Rodney 89)).
