FPL pre-season lessons: Managers react after Haaland hat-trick

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

Erling Haaland (£15.0m) has forced managers in Fantasy to immediately revise their opening squads after scoring a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 4-2 win over Chelsea.

The Norwegian’s popularity had dipped over the last few days after he was replaced at the half-time in each of his two previous two summer outings due to a muscle problem.

But Haaland has climbed to 39 per cent ownership on the back of his treble which, coincidentally, came against the side he is set to visit on the opening weekend of 2024/25.

Highlights of Man City's win against Chelsea

Haaland produced 16 points at Stamford Bridge last season, scoring twice and supplying an assist in a 4-4 draw. With a home encounter against Ipswich Town in Gameweek 2, his recent performance is a big reminder of his potential for huge captaincy hauls in Fantasy from the outset.

While Haaland enjoys a surge in ownership, Cole Palmer (£10.5m) is heading in the opposite direction.

The Chelsea midfielder – who has yet to play a part in pre-season due to his exertions with England at UEFA EURO 2024 – has dropped by three per cent, with his current ownership standing at just over 50 per cent.

Intriguingly, Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m) was deployed as the Blues’ centre-forward, having previously been picked as a No 8 by Enzo Maresca.

Despite his blank, the Frenchman has been Chelsea’s top performer under their new head coach, with three goals and an assist in four appearances. That has helped Nkunku cement his place as the go-to mid-price midfielder for many managers, with over 17 per cent ownership.

Both Chelsea and Man City also have in-form budget midfielder options to add to the wealth of sub-£6.0m options.

Man City’s Oscar Bobb (£5.0m) has matched Haaland’s five goal involvements, scoring twice and assisting a further three, while Noni Madueke’s (£5.5m) two goals and an assist have come in the last two matches.

Consistent Salah on the rise

The idea of doubling up with Haaland and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) continues to gain momentum after the Egyptian delivered an attacking return for the third successive match.

Salah’s assist for Curtis Jones’ (£5.5m) goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Manchester United took his tally to a goal and two assists in his last three outings for Arne Slot’s side.

Salah's assist for Jones against Man Utd

That all-round potential for attacking returns has taken the Reds’ talisman to almost 35 per cent ownership and it seems only a matter of time before he overtakes Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) as the second most-popular midfielder in Fantasy.

Salah’s lack of international duties over the summer is a key factor to consider when assembling your midfield.

At present, five of the six most-owned midfielders were involved with the England squad in EURO 2024 – Palmer, Gordon, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze (£7.0m), Man City's Phil Foden (£9.5m) and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (£10.0m).

Whereas Salah approaches the campaign with a full pre-season behind him, it remains to be seen whether the host of England stars will immediately be handed starting roles for their clubs in Gameweek 1.

Liverpool’s very favourable opening run adds to the Egyptian's appeal, offering him every opportunity to thrive as an armband option. According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of his six matches at the start of the season score a mere two, which includes a visit to promoted Ipswich Town in Gameweek 1.

The Reds are another side who offer in-form budget-friendly midfielders.

Fabio Carvalho (£5.0m) has seized his opportunity to impress new head coach Slot, scoring in back-to-back encounters against Arsenal and Man Utd. Diogo Jota (£7.5m) staked his own claim for a regular role in the first season of the post-Jurgen Klopp era, supplying two assists against the Red Devils as Liverpool claimed a third successive victory.