The latest pre-season defeat for Arsenal prompted a typically disproportionate AFTV meltdown – but what were the key takeaways for Fantasy managers?
That’s what we’ll be looking at in this article as we continue our summer friendly Scout Notes.
We also dissect Nottingham Forest’s latest goalless draw.
ARSENAL 2-3 VILLARREAL
- Goals: Norgaard, Odegaard pen
- Assists: Martinelli, Dowman
ARTETA ON GYOKERES
Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) made his first Arsenal start on Wednesday, getting through an hour in the defeat to Villarreal.
While on paper it was a ‘6/10’ kind of full debut, there were some encouraging signs. His first thought does seem to be to drive forward and head towards goal: note his chance on the hour mark when he and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) were heading towards the same ball and Gyokeres unceremoniously took control of the situation to fire a powerful shot at visiting goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
A bit like Ollie Watkins (£9.0m), he loves the left channel, too. There were a couple of bursts and decent cut-backs from the striker in the inside-left position in the first half, while there was plenty of the Gabriel Jesus-style (£6.5m) swapping of positions with Arsenal’s left winger. In this case, that was Gabriel Martinelli (£7.0m), who didn’t really advance his claims towards regular starts.
Above heatmaps from Sofascore
That tactic is one to watch though in case the Gunners do stumble on a convincing left winger who regularly starts (Noni Madueke (£7.0m) or maybe a new arrival?).
“He’s been with us only a week or so, but I really saw a lot of things and a lot of purpose, especially the way he was attacking certain spaces. So in general, for a lot of players that haven’t played many minutes, we have a lot now that they’re going to be ready for Saturday in a much better condition.
“On his fitness level, I think he hasn’t trained really with the team for two months, so he’s done now six or five sessions I think before today, so I think on Saturday again he will take another step and he will be in a better condition.” – Mikel Arteta on Viktor Gyokeres
HAVERTZ, TROSSARD + CALAFIORI MISS OUT…
Another boost to Gyokeres was the absence of positional rival Kai Havertz (£7.5m), although it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out for long.
“Yesterday in training, he felt something and this morning he wasn’t quite right, so we decided to rest him. I think it’s going to be a matter of a couple of days, hopefully the weekend, if everything goes to plan, I think he will be fit.” – Mikel Arteta on Kai Havertz
Also missing were Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m) and Leandro Trossard (£7.0m), who again only have minor issues.
“For Saturday, I think both of them have a chance, if everything in the next few days evolves in the way that it’s been evolving in the last few days.” – Mikel Arteta on Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard
…BUT GABRIEL + TIMBER RETURN FROM INJURY
Offsetting those personnel losses was the return of Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.0m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.5m).
Both hadn’t kicked a ball in pre-season before midweek but the premium pair came on after the hour mark at the Emirates.
While Timber faces a hell of a tussle with Ben White (£5.5m) at right-back, Gabriel’s own Gameweek 1 game-time prospects look rosier. Jakub Kiwior (£5.5m) was rickety alongside the more assured William Saliba (£6.0m), so there’s little question about whether the Brazilian comes straight back in – so long as he’s fit. Kiwior definitely has to cop the blame for Villarreal’s first goal.
And having hobbled off against Spurs last week, guess what? Saka was absolutely fine to start here.
It wasn’t a vintage performance from Saka but then it wasn’t from Arsenal in general. With a second-choice midfield three starting the game, Martinelli on a long run of so-so displays and a new striker to get accustomed to, we have to cut some slack.
Max Dowman was again a standout off the bench. Just to make you all depressed, the teenage winger was born the day before the 2010s started.
ODEGAARD PENALTY
One of the big discussion points around Arsenal is their penalty-taker. Saka is the nominal first choice but he occasionally hands over responsibility to someone else. Gyokeres comes armed with a healthy record from 12 yards, too.
Martin Odegaard (£8.0m) took Wednesday’s penalty – but it likely means little, as Saka and Gyokeres had gone off by then.
Arsenal’s other goal came from a dead-ball situation, too, with Christian Norgaard (£5.5m) nodding in Martinelli’s corner.
Two balls in behind the full-back did for Arsenal for Villarreal’s second and third goals, but you’d fancy their normally solid backline to tighten up when Gabriel and Timber are fully fit and firing.
Arsenal XI:Â Raya (Kepa 63), White (Mosquera 46), Saliba (Timber 63), Kiwior (Gabriel 63), Lewis-Skelly (Zinchenko 77), Nwaneri (Rice 63), Norgaard (Zubimendi 46), Merino, Saka (Dowman 63), Gyokeres (Odegaard 63), Martinelli (Madueke 77).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0-0 FIORENTINA
ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET FOR FOREST
Pre-season bodes well for the Forest defence… not so much for their attack.
Tuesday’s stalemate with Fiorentina was the Tricky Trees’ fourth 0-0 draw in six pre-season friendlies. The rest of the Premier League has only combined for two goalless draws this summer!
Neco Williams (£5.0m) was back in the starting XI to assuage any fears over his fitness. He’d been an unused substitute in Saturday’s defeat to Birmingham City.
There was again no Ola Aina (£5.0m), though, a minor issue keeping him sidelined.
Jair Cunha (£4.5m) instead lined up at right-back for the second game running but don’t expect that to continue for much longer, with Aina not thought to be seriously injured and another full-back reportedly being targeted.
It was a solid showing against a Fiorentina side that finished sixth in Serie A last season, with the defence stout for the main part. When they were breached, Matz Sels (£5.0m) – as was the case last season – was there: he made a handful of smart stops here, including from a one-on-one with Moise Kean.
JESUS UP TOP WITH WOOD
This was quite an attacking selection from Nuno Espirito Santo, with Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m) and Elliot Anderson (£5.5m) in central midfield, Ibrahima Sangare (£5.0m) benched, and Igor Jesus (£6.0m) playing off Chris Wood (£7.5m).
Dan Ndoye (£6.0m) caught the eye on his first home appearance, producing some shimmering footwork and stinging David de Gea’s palms.
Wood was quiet (he often is, then pops up out of nowhere to score), with Jesus the livelier, and unsurprisingly more mobile, of the two.
There was more encouragement from an attacking sense in this friendly than there was in the five that preceded it (especially from the attacking trident behind Wood) but, ultimately, there weren’t too many clear-cut chances and a nil-nil at the end of it.
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Williams (Morato 72), Murillo (Carmo 72), Milenkovic, Cunha (Yates 65), Hudson-Odoi (Sangaré 65), Anderson (Jota 65), Gibbs-White (Boly 65), Ndoye (Abbott 65), Igor Jesus (Awoniyi 72), Wood (Stamenic 72).
