Eight Premier League teams were in action over Monday and Tuesday as the friendlies schedule continues to pick up pace. Olivier Giroud found the net once again for Arsenal, Nicolas Anelka struck twice for West Brom, Man United lost for the second time in three games under David Moyes, while Shola Ameobi scored for the second match running as Newcastle managed a draw in Portugal. Here’s a brief round-up of the action, with some relevant quotes thrown in:
Nagoya Grampus 1 Arsenal 3
Olivier Giroud took his pre-season haul to six goals in three games by notching the Gunners’ opener with just three minutes on the clock, courtesy of a Tomas Rosicky assist. A foul on the Frenchman allowed Ryo Miyaichi to score from the spot, while Theo Walcott scored the third – his second strike in three appearances. Wojciech Szczesny (back) and Laurent Koscielny (knock) missed out for the visitors and with Thomas Vermaelen absent from the tour with a back injury, Bacary Sagna filled in at centre-half alongside Per Mertesacker. Wenger also confirmed that Nacho Monreal “looks likely” to miss the start of the season with a back problem, leaving Kieran Gibbs as the only cover for the left-back berth.
After the match, the Frenchman spoke to the club’s official website and attributed his flourishing form to an increase in self-belief:
“Confidence makes all the difference. Confidence is the first thing you have to work on, you have to work on your mental [side of the game] and keep going. It is something you must have when you are a football player. “I don’t really feel different compared to last year but maybe I know my teammates very well now so I am more confident and I feel ready on the pitch. I do things naturally and we find each other better on the pitch. We have a better relationship now and I really want to do my best for this season.”
Puskas FC Academy 0 West Brom 3
Nicolas Anelka was at the double as the Baggies swept aside their Portuguese opponents on Monday afternoon. Having rolled out a 4-3-1-2 formation for the previous game against Hamburg, Steve Clarke changed system again and began the game with a 4-3-3, fielding Shane Long and Markus Rosenberg on either side of the Frenchman. Clarke made seven changes just after the hour mark and tinkered with his team’s shape once more, moving to a 3-5-2 for the last 30 minutes. Graham Dorrans slotted home the third from the spot late on but it was Anelka who was the recipient of Clarke’s post-match praise; an indication, perhaps, that the 5.5 priced Fantasy Premier League (FPL) forward is set to play a significant part for the midlands outfit in the season ahead:
“I never had a doubt about Nicolas because I’d worked with him at Chelsea. I was with Avram Grant when we bought him in the January. So I knew the type of person he was, the type of player he is. I’ve one or two good contacts around the football world and I checked him out when he was at Juventus. The fitness statistics and information I got about his fitness was that he was one of the best trainers. He was one of the top performers, in terms of fitness stats, at Juventus. If you can do that at Juventus then you’re fit enough for us…Where he’s been in the football world and what he’s done in the football world tells you that he’s a top quality player and we’re just happy to have him in our group this season.”
Yokohama 3 Man United 2
David Moyes’ side suffered their second pre-season defeat yesterday afternoon. The United boss left out the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, while Robin Van Persie lasted 45 minutes before being withdrawn as a precaution. Youngster Jessie Lingard continued his impressive form with a third goal in the last two matches, with the visitors’ second coming courtesy of an own goal from centre-half Masakazu Tashiro. Moyes was able to hand Chris Smalling and Ashley Young their first taste of action after both recovered from injury, while Shinji Kagawa climbed off the bench to make his first appearances of the summer after an extended break. After the game, the United boss rolled out an update on the injury situation up front:
“We’ve got a couple of wee worries. Robin just felt his thigh in the first half and we didn’t want to take any chances. Danny Welbeck felt his groin when he came on and we’ve just got to make sure they’re all okay especially with so many games coming up. We’ve still got a few games to play before the season starts when we get back home. As far as we know Wayne [Rooney] is coming on, He’s started light jogging and the feedback I’m getting from the physios is that he’s progressing. Hopefully those dates are still on track.”
Hamburg 1 West Ham 3
The Hammers bounced back from their weekend thrashing at the hands of Mainz 05 to register the fifth win in six pre-season matches. Sam Allardyce started Razvan Rat and Guy Demel in the full-back roles, while James Collins returned after being given the weekend off for personal reasons. Up top, Ravel Morrison and Matt Jarvis were given the nod on either side of Modibo Maiga and Jarvis proved hugely instrumental in the result, supplying assists for all three of the visitors’ goals. Alou Diarra opened the scoring and was quickly followed by James Tomkins before Morrison added the third after his fellow wide man had been fouled in the box – Diarra has now notched twice in pre-season, the same number as Kevin Nolan, while Morrison has found the net on three occasions; more than any of his team mates.
Ahead of a strong run of opening six fixtures, Jarvis – who is 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League – earned the post-match praise of Hammers assistant boss Neil McDonald:
“Matt Jarvis was in excellent form. He got at his man, he crossed the ball, he took his man on and he drove into the box. That’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do since he came to the football club. Hopefully the penny’s dropped and we’ll have a few more performances like that where he’s creating goals and setting chances up for everybody.”
Sporting Braga 0 Hull 0
The Tigers registered their second successive goalless draw in Portugal last night. Steve Bruce’s side had failed to find a way past Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and, despite handing new boy Danny Graham 60 minutes as he builds up his fitness, Hull once again toiled up top. Sone Aluko impressed after climbing off the bench at the break in a game that saw Bruce utilise South African midfielder Daylon Claasen as a trialist.
Luton 2 Aston Villa 0
Having drawn their opening four matches, Paul Lambert’s side slipped to a first pre-season loss at Kenilworth Road last night. The Villa boss named a second-string starting XI aside from Christian Benteke, who was making his first appearance of the summer as he builds up his fitness. The Belgian lasted 45 minutes before making way, but despite changing the remaining 10 starters on the hour mark, Lambert watched his side fail to turn around the deficit. With many fringe players handed game time, the Villa boss wasn’t too concerned over the result; instead, he took time out to focus on Benteke’s return and revealed he is optimistic over the fitness of a number of omissions ahead of Villa’s next match against Crewe:
“The pleasing thing was Christian being back. Some of his touches were brilliant. He had 45 minutes. He’s only done a bit of training. He’s still got to work on match fitness but that 45 minutes will do him the world of good…We have too many injures at the minute. When you look at the ones missing – the likes of Okore, Tonev, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Helenius – there are a lot of big players absent. We want to get them back. Hopefully there might be one or two back for Friday. We will have to see how that progresses and see how it goes.”
Pacos de Ferreira 1 Newcastle 1
Shola Ameobi scored for the second consecutive match as the Magpies scraped a draw after going down to 10 men. Alan Pardew handed Fabricio Coloccini, Mathieu Debuchy and Hatem Ben Arfa their first game time of the summer, though the Argentine failed to make it to the interval after receiving his marching orders in a bad-tempered affair. Moussa Sissoko was once again fielded behind a lone striker as Pardew rolled out a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa at left-back and Steven Taylor in the centre of defence. Davide Santon – fielded in an advanced position as a sub for Ben Arfa at the break – supplied the assist for Ameobi’s strike, with Pardew making seven changes in total as the game progressed.
Gillingham 0 Crystal Palace 3
Ian Holloway handed new boy Jose Campana his debut, while the Palace boss fielded four trialists in a comfortable win last night. Campana was afforded corner kick duties in the first 45 minutes and had a hand in the opener, when his delivery was cleared by the hosts only for Dean Moxey to find the net. Holloway then changed his entire starting XI at the break and saw Stephen Dobbie contribute with a goal and assist, while Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (trialist) settled the matter with the Eagles’ third.
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