FPL pre-season lessons: Kamada impresses, Muniz on target

The Scout pinpoints the main takeaways for managers in Fantasy Premier League from the latest batch of pre-season friendlies.

Big-hitting forwards finding form

Erling Haaland (£15.0m) and Alexander Isak (£8.5m) both scored their second goals of pre-season as they continue to profit from their lack of international commitments over the summer.

Haaland’s effort in Manchester City’s 3-2 loss to AC Milan was his second goal in as many matches, having also scored against Celtic earlier in the week.

Despite his record-breaking price tag in Fantasy, the Norwegian’s form is clearly giving many managers in Fantasy second thoughts over going without him in their opening squads. After starting the week at 32 per cent ownership, Haaland has risen to almost 35 per cent thanks to his two goals.

Newcastle United’s Isak has also scored in both his appearances. The Swede’s strike in a 2-0 win over Hull City has earned him a rise in popularity – selected by 55 per cent, he is now tied with Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) as the most-picked player in the game.

Crucially, both Haaland and Isak have early fixtures against promoted clubs to provide strong captain options from the outset.

Isak entertains Southampton in Gameweek 1, while Haaland hosts Ipswich Town the following weekend.

Kamada stakes a claim

In a summer that has been notable for the number of in-form budget midfielders, Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada (£5.5m) became the latest to throw his hat into the ring.

The Japan international produced a goal and an assist in a 6-3 win over Crawley Town, with winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (£4.5m) scoring twice.

Crucially, Kamada’s summer move to the Eagles reunites him with his former head coach Oliver Glasner and indicates he will be a direct replacement for Michael Olise, who has departed for Bayern Munich. Kamada produced the best goalscoring season of his career under Glasner while at Eintracht Frankfurt, combining nine goals with six assists in the Bundesliga in 2022/23.

Similarly, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m) has made an immediate impact at his new club after moving from Newcastle earlier in the summer. 

The winger’s effort in a 4-2 win over Tokyo Verdy takes his tally to two goals in the Seagulls’ opening two matches.

He’s not short of competition, though - central midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento (£5.0m) has also scored in back-to-back contests, while wide man Simon Adingra (£5.5m) netted his first of the summer on Sunday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rodrigo Gomes (£5.5m) also appears to have settled quickly following his own summer move from Braga. The winger scored twice to seal a 3-1 win over West Ham United, with Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) netting the consolation for Julen Lopetegui’s side.

Newcastle's Jacob Murphy (£5.5m) and Man City’s Oscar Bobb (£5.0m) have both profited from increased pitch time due to the recent summer tournaments.

Nkunku nets again

Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m) was again selected in his new No 8 role by Enzo Maresca as Chelsea lost 4-1 to Celtic.

The Frenchman profited from the absence of Cole Palmer (£10.5m) by converting a late penalty to score for the second successive match and highlight his terrific value in 2024/25 Fantasy.

Those performances have not gone unnoticed, either – Nkunku has established himself as the most-owned midfielder at £6.5m and under, found in over 14 per cent of squads.

Meanwhile, in the premium midfielder bracket, Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Son Heung-min (£10.0m) both collected their first attacking returns of the summer.

Liverpool's new head coach Arne Slot opted for a 4-2-4 formation against Real Betis, a set-up that was mainly due to the number of players yet to return from a summer break. Deployed in his usual role on the right, Salah supplied the assist for Dominik Szoboszlai’s (£6.5m) decisive goal.

Son helped Tottenham Hotspur claim their third successive victory this summer, scoring in a 3-2 win over Japanese side Vissel Kobe. Owned by only nine per cent, the South Korean could be the ultimate differential against promoted Leicester City in Gameweek 1.

His team-mate Pedro Porro (£5.5m) was also among the scorers for Ange Postecoglou’s side, a timely reminder of his attacking potential. The Spaniard’s 53 shots last season were more than any other defender in Fantasy.

At the opposite end of the defender price scale, Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis showed why he will be a very handy pick for managers’ benches this season. The centre-back – who is among a host of regular starters among the promoted clubs who cost only £4.0m – scored in a 3-1 win over French side Montpellier. 

Differential forwards

Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) and Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund (£7.0m) scored their first goals of the summer to underline their appeal as low-owned assets in Fantasy.

Muniz – who is found in just five per cent of squads - delivered a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win over Watford, while the six per cent-owned Hojlund scored Manchester United’s goal in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal.

Both have kind starts to the campaign to make their mark as big differentials. 

After visiting Hojlund’s Man Utd in Gamewek 1, Muniz has back-to-back encounters with promoted pair Leicester and Ipswich. As well as hosting Fulham, Hojlund also faces Brighton and Southampton in the first four Gameweeks. 

Elsewhere among forwards, Gabriel Jesus (£7.0m) and Odsonne Edouard (£5.5m) have stepped up their output recently.

Jesus’ effort against Man Utd took his tally to two goals and an assist over the Gunners’ three summer friendlies. But it remains to be seen whether he can replace Kai Havertz (£8.0m) in their starting XI when the season gets under way.

Edouard scored once and supplied two assists against Crawley, with the forward benefiting from his rival Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) being at the Olympics with France.