FPL pre-season: Trippier at centre-half, Wissa scores, £4.5m midfielders
Four more Premier League sides were involved in pre-season friendlies on Sunday evening.
Aston Villa v Newcastle United and Brentford v Fulham get the Scout Notes treatment as we pick out the main Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points.
Don’t forget that you can follow all the summer friendly results on our pre-season page and check out every single minute played on our pre-season game-time tracker.
ASTON VILLA 3-3 NEWCASTLE UNITED
- Goals: Watkins, Buendia x2 | Anderson, Isak, Wilson
- Assists: Buendia, Luiz, Kellyman | Murphy, Anderson, Gordon
Watch match highlights here
Another all-Premier League contest in America and another goal-fest.
Ollie Watkins (£8.0m), Callum Wilson (£8.0m) and Alexander Isak (£7.5m) carried on where they left off in 2022/23 with a goal apiece but it was two midfielders who caught the eye in Philadelphia.
£4.5M MIDFIELDER ANDERSON IMPRESSES
Fantasy managers were starved of playing £4.5m midfield options when the FPL price list was released, although one or two candidates are starting to make themselves known now.
And Elliot Anderson‘s (£4.5m) goal and assist against Aston Villa would have caught the attention of the FPL community.
The youngster was arguably Newcastle’s stand-out player in the first half, coolly finishing past Emi Martinez (£5.0m) before claiming a ‘Fantasy assist’ when his jinking run and shot was parried into the path of goalscorer Isak.
Eddie Howe was quick to dampen expectations after the match, however, citing the competition for places in the middle of the park and out wide.
I think he’s a potential goalscorer for us, I think he’s a goal creator as well. He’s a very good player [but] he’s in an area of the team where there is huge competition for places with some very, very good players. We really like him, he’s developing nicely, and he’s got a big part to play.” – Eddie Howe on Elliot Anderson
Emi Buendia (£6.0m) played a part in all three Villa goals, meanwhile, teeing up Watkins before bagging a brace of his own.
He’s never quite managed to emerge as a serious FPL asset, failing to make it past 10 attacking returns in each of his three seasons in the Premier League.
A full year of playing alongside Watkins in attack would raise his appeal but the capture of Moussa Diaby (£6.5m) needs highlighting; Unai Emery hailed his big-money signing as being able to play as a “winger or striker”, which effectively also describes not just Buendia but the soon-to-return Leon Bailey (£5.5m), too.
“We are trying to get his quality behind the opponents’ midfield line. Today he did perfectly. His performance was very good.” – Unai Emery on Emi Buendia
Jacob Ramsey (£6.0m) is one less positional rival on the left flank to worry about for now, at least.
“Alex Moreno had surgery and he is going to be ready at the end of August or the beginning of September. Jacob Ramsey as well, he is going to be ready more [after the international break] in September than August.” – Unai Emery
WING-BACK SYSTEM FOR NEWCASTLE
Eddie Howe remained wedded to a 4-3-3 for virtually all of last season, so it was a surprise to see him roll out a 3-4-2-1 against Villa.
With Kieran Trippier‘s (£6.5m) attacking threat negated at centre-half and the Magpies quickly falling 2-0 down, it’s not a system we will expect to see come Gameweek 1.
“We tried something different tonight. We are aware of the amount of competitions we are in next season. There is a feeling that we are going to need to be flexible next season.
“Whether that is a system we look to start with or go with in a game, we just felt it was a good game to trial it in pre-season. That’s what pre-season is for. To look at different things. There were some good bits and bits we need to look at.” – Eddie Howe
Isak and Wilson, who tapped in straightforward rebound finishes, have yet to share the pitch in pre-season, Howe so far using both exclusively as centre-forwards.
Harvey Barnes (£6.5m) made his Newcastle bow as a late substitute, meanwhile.
EMERY STICKS WITH KONSA AND MINGS – FOR NOW
There were no tactical shocks from Emery, who stuck with the old guard of Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) and Tyrone Mings (£4.5m) at centre-half. Pau Torres (£4.5m) and a rusty-looking Diego Carlos (£4.5m) were introduced at the break.
The situation at the back is one to monitor in pre-season, with Emery hinting that he could even start with a third centre-back – perhaps in one of the full-back positions.
“Pau Torres is giving us, defensively and offensively… the build-up was very important last year and I want to improve in it. We can face the season with four really, really high-level centre-backs because I think Konsa and Mings played very well last year and they were amazing, Carlos is also going to be very important next year and Pau Torres is adding a new quality as a centre-back and trying to be strong.
“The idea is to be strong in our build-up and to be strong defensively with our centre-backs, and the idea could change, it depends, but I want to play with two centre-backs, even with three centre-backs, depending on a little bit on how we can build our structure in the build-up. I am very happy because in all competitions which we are going to play and are going to face, we want to be competitive in all competitions. We will need players.” – Unai Emery
