FPL pre-season lessons: Salah and Havertz get first summer goals

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

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Kai Havertz (£8.0m) both scored their first goals of pre-season as Liverpool and Arsenal went head-to-head.

Salah’s opener in the Reds’ 2-1 victory follows on from Son Heung-min’s (£10.0m) two goals for Tottenham Hotspur as the midfield big-hitters in Fantasy start to find form.

Similarly to Son, who has a trip to Leicester City on the opening weekend, Salah faces a promoted club in Gameweek 1 and is among the standout armband picks when Liverpool visit Ipswich Town.

Salah’s strike also comes at a point when Manchester City forward Erling Haaland (£15.0m) is struggling with muscle problems and lends more weight behind the idea that more managers could start to shift their funds into midfield.

Indeed, Haaland’s ownership has dropped by one per cent over the last 24 hours after he was replaced at half-time for the second match in a row, while Salah and Son have climbed by one per cent.

Salah’s team-mate Harvey Elliott (£5.5m) also turned in an impressive display to become the latest budget midfielder to make an impression. He assisted both his side’s goals, also teeing up Fabio Carvalho (£5.0m) for the Reds’ second strike.

Liverpool have one of the very best opening runs of opponents that look conducive to attacking returns. According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of their first six matches score only two.

Havertz, meanwhile, was handed his first start of pre-season after his late return to training due to his involvement in UEFA EURO 2024. The German needed just 40 minutes to get on the scoresheet from a Martin Odegaard (£8.5m) assist. 

Although Havertz started as one of two No 8s, Fantasy managers shouldn’t read too much into this as Mikel Arteta utilised his squad by retaining Gabriel Jesus (£7.0m) as the lone striker.

Havertz’s success as a centre-forward for Arsenal last season shows why he is expected to lead the line again in 2024/25. After being moved up front in Gameweek 21, he was involved in a team-high 18 goals, scoring nine and assisting a further nine. 

Mid-price midfielders Rashford & Nkunku star

Marcus Rashford (£7.0m) claimed his first attacking returns of the summer in Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Real Betis.

The England star was involved in two of those efforts, converting a penalty and assisting Casemiro’s (£5.0m) goal before being forced off with an ankle issue.

Rashford’s output was matched by his team-mate Amad (£5.0m), suggesting the Red Devils’ attack should not be overlooked for their kind early schedule.

According to the FDR, three of Man Utd’s first four matches – against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton – score only two.

Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m), meanwhile, continues to show why he’s the most-popular pick in the mid-price midfielder bracket in Fantasy.

Owned by almost 16 per cent, the Frenchman converted a penalty and was then fouled in the box for another spot-kick, which was converted by Noni Madueke (£5.5m), in a 3-0 win over Club America. 

Nkunku's penalty

Nkunku has now scored in all three of the Blues’ matches under new head coach Enzo Maresca, albeit two of those strikes have been penalties in the absence of their No 1 taker Cole Palmer (£10.5m).

Nonetheless, there’s no denying that Chelsea’s early schedule offers every encouragement that Nkunku can maintain that momentum when 2024/25 gets under way in just over two weeks’ time.

Similarly to Liverpool, five of the Blues' first six matches score just two in the FDR. 

All eyes on Chelsea's goalkeepers

At the back, Robert Sanchez (£4.5m) started between the posts for the third successive match before being replaced by new signing Filip Jorgensen (£4.5m) at half-time.

Given their budget price tags and favourable opening fixtures, managers in Fantasy will be hoping for more clarity on Maresca’s first-choice stopper before the season begins.