Here’s the second of our Fantasy Premier League preseason match reviews. We look at the lineups of each team and monitor the various players of interest. There’s also a match report and you tube highlights for each game
fantasy premier league preseason 20/21 – Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August matches
I outline my FPL strategy along with 10 other FFGeek contributors in our new EBook.
A reminder of the additional Patreon content
$2 plus Vat per calendar month
* Weekly podcasts with myself and the FFGeek Contributors
* All the articles on www.fantasyfootballgeek.co.uk advert free
$3 plus Vat per Calender month (plus the above)
* access to the FFGeek Contributor tracker team incl live transfers (52k OR in 19/20)
*access to Joseph Crilleys transfer planner and points projection tool
* access to the the Patreon Planner team runs from Joe’s planner projection tool incl live transfers (32k OR 19/20)
* Imaginary wildcard articles
*Bandwagon and Sinking Ships articles
*Slack Channel access
*access to private FPL leagues
$10 plus Vat per calender month (plus the above)
* Entry to a watts app group with myself including weekly RMTs and general FPL discussion (limited to 10 people)
No Commitment beyond 1 Calender month
https://www.patreon.com/fantasyfootballgeek
Introduction
See also our first pre-season article
In this article our main focus is to establish value players and the likelihood of those players being in the GW1 lineup. Also form is a focus but less so as preseason form isn’t necessarily an indication of form once the season starts
Friday August 28
Goal Fleck
Blades: Ramsdale, Baldock (Slater 71), Basham (Mousset 75), Egan (Jagielka 67), J Robinson (Bryan 67), Stevens (Norrington-Davies 67), Norwood (Rodwell 71), Berge (Brunt 71), Fleck (Osborn 67), Sharp (Hackford 81), C Robinson (Gordon 85).
Unused: Foderingham.
Looked like a full strength team apart from the injured Jack O’Connell. The forwards are where we need clarity and £6.0m Sharp and £5.5m Robinson have started both games. £5.5m McGoldrick is injured and not sure where £6.0m McBurnie is so still some clarity to be gained.
Spurs 4-1 Reading
OG, Alli, Son, Lamela
Spurs: Lloris (c) (Hart 46 (Gazzaniga 74)), Gedson (Aurier 46), Alderweireld, Dier (Carter-Vickers 46), Davies (Sessegnon 46), Hojbjerg (Bowden 75), Dele (Clarke 62), White (Sissoko 46 (Devine 86)), Lucas (Lamela 46), Bergwijn (Cirkin 62), Son (Scarlett 81).
£5.0m Def Davies starts again no sign of Rose as competition. Son and Dele start both giving us our AM options. No sign of Kane
Saturday August 29
Spurs 1-0 Birmingham City
Goal: Bergwijn
Spurs: Hart (Lloris 46), Aurier, Dier (c) (Davies 46), Carter-Vickers, Cirkin (Bergwijn 46), Gedson, Sissoko (Hojbjerg 61), White (Dele 46), Clarke (Son 70), Sessegnon, Lucas. Substitutes (not used): Gazzaniga, Kane, Bowden, Scarlett, Devine.
A game a day later so a pretty second string team starts. Kane unused on the bench
Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1
Goals; Aubameyang Minamino
This was the Community Shield. Nothing surprising about the Liverpool lineup. Alexander Arnold fitness needs monitoring
Loads of surprises about Arsenals. No £4.5m Saliba but £4.5m Martinez starts in goal. £6.0m Nketiah plays CF and £5.5m Saka plays RW with no Pepe or Willian. Aubameyang stays as a LW.
This appears to be Arsenals last friendly according to the Premier League schedule but surely it won’t be.
Brighton 1 Chelsea 1
Gross pen
Brighton: Ryan (sub Walton 62 (sub: Sanchez 80)), Veltman (Lamptey 46), White (Duffy 62), Webster (Burn 62), Dunk (Bernardo 62), March (Connolly 62), Bissouma (Stephens 62, (sub: Sanders 73)), Alzate (Molumby 46), Lallana (Mac Allister 46), Maupay (Gross 62), Trossard (Jahanbakhsh 62).
A £4.5m defender of which White Veltman and Webster all played. £4.5m Mid Bissouma or Stephens and £6.5m Fwd Maupay and £6.0m Mid Trossard
Chelsea: First-half (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga (caballero 45) | Alonso, Christensen (Azpilicueta 45), Clarke-Salter (Rudiger 45), James | Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Kante (c) | Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Ziyech (Gallagher)
60-65 minutes team (4-2-3-1): Caballero | Maatsen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Lawrence | Baker, Ampadu | Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, Hudson-Odoi | Giroud
£5.0m James would be value for the defence and he started. How that fits with the injured Chilwell and Azpilicueta we may not know before GW1. I imagine an injury free Front 3 would be Pulisic Ziyech and Werner with Havertz a 4th in 4-2-3-1 if signed
Match report 1 Match report 2 Youtube
Burnley 3 Tranmere 0
Goals Vydra Gudmundsson Thomas
BURNLEY: Peacock-Farrell, Peiters, Thomas, Dunne, Bardsley, Brady, Benson, Brownhill, Gudmundsson (Conn-Clarke 78), Vydra, Rodriguez.
Subs: Rain, Rickard, Richter, Richardson.
Burnley 1 Shrewsbury 2
Wood pen
BURNLEY: Pope (Jensen HT), Lowton (Elva-Fountaine 75), Tarkowski, Taylor, Glennon, Tucker (Trialist HT), Westwood, Goodridge, McNeil, Wood, Thompson (Mumbongo HT). Substitute: Harker
Taylor as a £4.5m defender is the main attraction and he started game 2 which seemed to be the more serious match. After that it’s only £6.5m Fwd Wood who’s of interest and not really with their GW1 blank. Him taking a penalty is a positive.
Crystal Palace 3 Charlton 0
Goals: Ayew 2 Zaha
Palace: Hennessey, Ward (Kirby 64), Kouyaté (Woods 78), Dann (Inniss 78), Mitchell (Kelly 64), Townsend (Pierrick 78), Riedewald (Jach 78), McArthur (Malachi Boateng 78), Eze (Schlupp 45), Zaha, Ayew (Gordon 83).
£4.0m def Mitchell is the attraction here and without no return date for Van Aanholt is a positive
Fulham 2 MK Dons 2
Goals: Kamara Cairney
Fulham first half team: Rodák, Odoi ©, Hector, Le Marchand, Bryan, Sessegnon, Johansen, De Cordova-Reid, Knockaert, Jasper, Kebano
Fulham second half team: Bettinelli, Christie, Mawson, Ream, Robinson, Onomah, Cairney ©, Carvalho, Francois, Kamara, Cavaleiro
Only £6.0m fwd Mitrovic who was a no show is of interest here unless you want a £4.5m defender in which case Hector is probably the safest bet
Leicester 0 Sheffield W 0
£4.5m Defs Justin and Thomas are the attractions here. Justin until Pereira is fit in October and Thomas until a LB is bought to replace Chilwell
£10m Vardy and £7.0m Barnes depending on gametime are of interest. Maddison is injured
Newcastle 2 Barnsley 1
Goals: Carroll Murphy
Newcastle United: Karl Darlow (Mark Gillespie 46), Emil Krafth, Federico Fernández (Florian Lejeune 60), Ciaran Clark (DeAndre Yedlin 61), Paul Dummett (Javier Manquillo 61), Jeff Hendrick (Jacob Murphy 61), Isaac Hayden (Henri Saivet 74), Jonjo Shelvey (Daniel Barlaser 74), Matt Ritchie (Christian Atsu 61), Sean Longstaff (Miguel Almirón 61), Andy Carroll (Allan Saint-Maximin 61)
Lascelles although he didn’t start here is the natural £4.5 defender to go for. The injury to Gayle opens the door for £5.5m Andy Carroll with Joelinton not around and on the left side towards the end of last season.
Southampton 7 Swansea 1
Goals: Ings 2 Ward Prowse 2 1 pen, Adams Bertrand, Redmond
SAINTS XIs
First & second 30 mins: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Redmond; Adams, Ings.
Third 30 mins: Forster; Valery, Vestergaard, Klarer, Vokins; Slattery, Smallbone, Djenepo, Boufal; Long, Obafemi.
Fourth 30 mins: Forster; Valery, Vestergaard, Klarer, Vokins; Jankewitz, Smallbone, Djenepo, Boufal; Long, Obafemi.
The first and 2nd 30 mins looked like a first choice team and is good news for £4.5m def Walker Peters, £5.5m mid Armstrong and £6.0m fwd Adams. £6.0m mid Ward Prowse takng pens is a big plus for him.
WBA 0 Notts Forest 1
I couldn’t find a lineup unfortunately. Only £6.0m mid Pereira is potentially of interest
West Ham 2 Brentford 1
Goals: Yarmolenko 5, Soucek 61
West Ham United: Fabianski, Fredericks (Johnson 58), Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Masuaku 46), Noble (Cullen 46), Wilshere (Soucek 46), Diang (Bowen 46), Fornals (Lanzini 46), Yarmolenko (Felipe Anderson 46), Haller (Antonio 46 (Coventry 74))
Subs: Randolph, Baptiste
Other posts
More FFGeek Contributors teams
The FFGeek Contributors first draft team
For more fantasy premier league preseason articles follow FFGeek on twitter and facebook and instagram for article updates and news