Pre-season is officially over, so what’s up with the 20 Premier League clubs just days away from starting the season? Sky Sports selects some talking points from the team. . .
Mikel Arteta asked if Arsenal’s intense urgency showed they were fit to start the Premier League season. “He looked like me,” he replied.
Since the Gunners returned from their excursion around the United States in early August, we can see the envy of the Gunners in their eyes. Without the ball, they looked exceptional.
In their 4-1 victory over Leverkusen, Arsenal scored twice in one minute because Leandro Trossard put pressure on Leverkusen almost from the kick-off and scored the second goal. The same thing happened against Lyon with Declan Rice winning the ball, but this time Arsenal. missed the opportunity to make it 2-0.
The Gunners must kill games from the start as they try to evolve this season. They look alike: they score on set pieces and give nothing to their conflicting parties, but the margins to beat Manchester City are so small that perfection is almost required. Arsenal, it turns out, need her more than ever.
An additional touch could come from Riccardo Calafiori, whose physical presence in defence looks like a stylistic choice for Oleksandr Zinchenko’s aerial game.
And there may be more young products coming out of Arsenal this season, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri impressing at inverted left-back and attacking midfield respectively.
For Arsenal to have better results this season, they still want to evolve. The first symptoms are promising.
24 July: Arsenal 1-1 (5-4 penalties) Bournemouth; 27 July: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United; 31 July: Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool; 7 August: Arsenal 4-1 Bayer Leverkusen; August: Arsenal 2-0 Lyon
Aston Villa have played seven pre-season games and have only won one of the last five. The defeat against Columbus Crew was a surprise, but more importantly, the defeats against RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund suggest that inexperience in competing with Europe’s elite may simply be a fear ahead of the League. of Champions.
One positive is the form of Morgan Rogers, who finished last season in great form and continued that momentum in the offseason. The striker started each and every one of the preseason games and scored three goals in his first two games. Lately he is in the race to start the season with Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins in attack.
Villa lost Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby in the move window, but the additions of Ross Barkley, Amadou Onana and Enzo Barrenechea, a full pre-season for Jacob Ramsey, as well as the returns of Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer mean they are covered in either of the two. positions. .
In fact, the same can be said for the team as a whole. Villa’s move activity has seen two smart players compete for each position, hinting that Unai Emery will carve out a new position among the club’s most sensible Champions League four. League exploits.
17 July: Walsall 0-3 Aston Villa; 20 July: Spartak Trnava 0-3 Aston Villa; 27 July: Aston Villa 1-4 Columbus Crew; 31 July: Aston Villa 0-2 RB Leipzig; August 3: Aston Villa 0-1 Club América; 7 August: Aston Villa 3-2 Athletic Bilbao; 10 August: Aston Villa 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
How will Andoni Iraola upgrade the outgoing Dominic Solanke? As back-up striker Enes Unal recovers from foot surgery last month, it will be a challenge for the Bournemouth boss to face at the start of this season.
In Bournemouth’s first game without Solanke, their last pre-season game against Girona, many things were tested. Phillip Billing led the line for the Cherries, while young forward Daniel Jebbison came off the bench to score the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win.
And there are still plenty of goals left in this Bournemouth team. Justin Kluivert and Luis Sinisterra also found the net in this match, while Antoine Semenyo will look to continue his positive crusade last time out, in which he scored eight Premier League goals.
Keep an eye on attacking midfielder Alex Scott, who last suffered a cruciate deyet injury on the south coast. Bournemouth’s attack is the same without Solanke, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be effective.
20 July: Wrexham 1-1 Bournemouth; 2 July: Arsenal 1-1 (5 penalties) Bournemouth; August: Bournemouth 1-0 Rayo Vallecano; 10 August: Bournemouth 3-2 Girona
While Ivan Toney’s long career remains in play, Brentford’s pre-season has shown how they can adapt should their talisman leave.
The club’s record-breaking signing Igor Thiago, considered Toney’s natural replacement, scored a brace in a 5-2 win over AFC Wimbledon, but the Brazilian striker was ruled out until the end of the year after suffering a meniscus injury in that match.
But while Thiago has suffered a major blow in his career with the Bees, the attacking form of Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa has been a fundamental advantage for Thomas Frank.
All three forwards found the net in Brentford’s first and final pre-season games against AFC, Wimbledon and Wolfsburg, and Toney’s return against the latter suggests he will join that attack for another season.
However, while the offense is in full swing, the defense is feeling uncomfortable. Aaron Hickey, Ben, myself and Rico Henry, who missed much of last season, played a slightly one game against each other in the preseason, most likely a makeshift 4 of Mads Roerslev, Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock and Kristoffer Ajer pitch the campaign.
But the imminent arrivals of midfielders Jens Cajuste and Fabio Carvalho will boost morale at the start of the season. With goals galore and defence far from convincing, Brentford can simply be an entertaining watch for the neutral.
July 20: AFC Wimbledon 2-5 Brentford; July 25: Benfica – Brentford 1-1; July 30: Estrela da Amadora – Brentford 3-1; August 3: Brentford 1-1 Watford; August 9: Brentford 4-4 Wolfsburg
If pre-season is any indication, Brighton enthusiasts can include Yankuba Minteh in the list of promising young wingers from the south coast.
The 20-year-old needed little time to get started after his £30m transfer from Newcastle United, finding the net in front of Kashima Antlers, Tokyo Verdy, Queens Park Rangers and Villarreal with a sharpness befitting his clawed celebration.
In fact, the 4-0 win over Villarreal showed Brighton’s attacking depth. Danny Welbeck scored twice, while Joao Pedro joined Minteh on the scoreboard. Kaoru Mitoma is back after his long injury with Simon Adingra and Jeremy Sarmiento, who inspired last season at Ipswich, also set for big campaigns.
The Seagulls have also hit the market to secure Ibrahim Osman and Arsenal’s highly rated winger Amario Cozier-Duberry. If Celtic’s Matt O’Riley joins them, then the Seagulls will have the ideal replacement for the late Pascal Gross, one of the league’s most artistic players last season.
Under new coach Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton are going strong. They have won each and every one of the pre-season matches, the task now is to convert that friendly result into points for the league.
July 24: Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton; July 28: Tokyo Verdy – Brighton 2-4; August: QPR 0-1 Brighton, Brighton 4-0 Villarreal
Chelsea’s pre-season crusade has arguably left Enzo Maresca with more questions than answers. As the new boss tries to organize his bloated team into something cohesive, or at least recognizable, new additions keep arriving at his door.
Pedro Neto, the architect of Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Inter, is the latest addition to the club and the tenth signing of the summer window (the eleventh if Maresca himself is included).
As for football, it turns out to be confused. The Italian has an apparent taste, evident when Leicester won the league title last season, but that taste, or identity, has yet to carry over to Chelsea.
The ‘bleus’ have conceded thirteen goals in six preseason games. Of those six, they only achieved one victory, against the Mexican team Club América. Maresca’s team is, at best, defensively naive; at worst, absolutely chaotic. Not what you need when Manchester City are the first visitors to the city on the opening weekend.
The coach has already been forced to protect his patience with a top line, which has caused Chelsea all kinds of disorders in a confusing pre-season. Defensive errors saw them concede two goals against Wrexham, four against Celtic, before sending another four to Manchester City, a bad omen given the way the fixture schedule has unfolded.
Maresca simply has more players than it knows what to do with: 41 are indexed on Chelsea’s website. The question of where all those Americans are compatible — a term used intentionally — is Maresca’s biggest and biggest challenge, and that’s even before a competitive ball is thrown.
July 24: Chelsea 2-2 Wrexham; July 27: Chelsea 1-4 Celtic; July 31: Chelsea 0-3 Club América; August 3: Chelsea 2-4 Man City; August 6: Chelsea 1-2 Real Madrid; August 11: Chelsea 1-1 Inter Milan
Crystal Palace were a joy to watch under Oliver Glasner last season but this pre-season has been dominated by transfer talk.
Michael Olise has jumped to Bayern Munich, Marc Guehi is being courted through Newcastle, while Eberechi Eze’s long career may be on the line until the August 30 deadline.
But Palace’s astute recruitment policy under sporting director Dougie Freedman shows Palace are ready. Defender Chadi Riad, winger Ismaila Sarr and attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada arrived to melt the blow of Palace’s 3 stars from last season.
Pre-season results in Kamada, who worked with Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt, bringing a new lead to Crystal Palace’s attack, scoring in Palace’s win over Crawley and draw against Nantes on Sunday.
Odsonne Edouard looked lively up front with a few goals, while even Jeffrey Schlupp found the net playing an improvised role in the centre of the attack. Neither did Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored five goals to help France win silver at the Olympics.
However, there are some considerations behind it: Joachim Andersen’s notorious mistakes highlight the desire to remain calm in this formula of ownership and urgent style. This makes Guehi’s role in Palace even more important, but will he stay?
27 July: Crawley 3-6 Crystal Palace; July 31: Crystal Palace 3-1 Wolves; 3 August: Crystal Palace 3-1 West Ham; August: Crystal Palace 1-1 FC Nantes
Everton sold Amadou Onana and his replacement, Tim Iroegbunam, put in positive performances that hurt their chances of starting the Premier League opener against Brighton.
A kick-off in the final pre-season friendly against Roma in particular knocked fans out of their seats, with Iliman Ndiaye picking up a pass from Jesper Lindstrom to escape an opponent and be fended off with a fingertip save.
This is the only time Everton’s new signings have shone together. O’Brien and Lindstrom clashed on the scoreboard in the 3-0 win over Preston and after years of wasted spending and transfer fees, Evertonians will be hoping to see a lot more in their final season at Goodison Park.
The match against Roma would end in a 1-1 draw thanks to a beautiful disguised shot near the post by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Such composure reminded us in time of the importance of the striker that Sean Dyche always wanted. To him.
The fact that his team won just one of their five pre-season friendlies did not fear him, but underscored a desire to harness existing firepower, not weaken it. Looking to make a quick buck before the Aug. 30 deadline, even if Calvert-Lewin’s contract expires next summer, would seem like a foolish decision.
July 19: Sligo Rovers – Everton; July 27: Salford City 2-1 Everton; July 0: Coventry -0 Everton; August: Preston 0- Everton; August 10: Everton 1-1 Roma
Emile Smith Rowe has regained his form after swapping north for west London. The 24-year-old has scored two goals in two preseason games and looks set for a good season.
Marco Silva’s formula bears similarities to the one contracted through Mikel Arteta in the 2021/22 season, that of Smith Rowe with the Arsenal shirt.
He adapted well to Silva’s tactical demands and began to form interesting partnerships with his teammates. His connection with Antonee Robinson is powerful.
Fulham’s flying left-back was named Player of the Season last season, and his trademark will create an area for Smith Rowe to move up the pitch when operating on the left.
Robinson delivered the beaten cross as Smith Rowe headed in an opener in the 2-1 defeat to Sevilla, while former striker Alex Iwobi set up his shot against Hoffenheim, hinting at the start of a thrilling run down the left side in west London. .
August 2: Benfica – Fulham 0-1; August 5: Fulham 1-2 Sevilla; August 10: Hoffenheim 0-2 Fulham
Ipswich Town are set to make a comeback, just 15 months after becoming a League One club. Six new signings have arrived so far, but manager Kieran McKenna is right to be careful about upsetting the unity of the dressing room.
His team finished their preseason crusade with a 1-0 victory over Nice last Saturday. The Tractor Boys are known for their utmost urgency: they were the second team in the league to win the ball and create goal attempts in those conditions, but they also did their homework on set pieces.
Axel Tuanzebe scored the goal from set pieces, a week after Jack Taylor scored the goal against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga with a free kick.
Ipswich have scored 19 goals in these conditions in 2023/24, only Cardiff City. This path to goal may prove important for Premier League newcomers over the next nine months.
McKenna will have learned lessons from previous clubs and will have perished from not being able to adapt his taste to a higher level.
“There’s no doubt about it, I’ve talked a lot about how we’re going to have to try to maintain our identity and at the same time adapt,” he said. “We’re not going to open up the game as much every time” and each and every minute of each and every game, like we did last season. “
Greater power from set pieces will be important, but back-to-back blank sheets against the Europa League groups this season will have pleased McKenna as well. Courage, intensity and aggressiveness are the buzzwords of the coach, who has used his friendly matches to control other workers in other positions.
Sometimes he played with a three-man full-back, wingers and two number 10s. McKenna felt progress had been made in his final preseason game, but cautioned: “The reality, going from the department we were in to the department we’re moving into in two years is a leap. “
Ipswich is in a position to take the next step in its journey.
20 July: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Ipswich; 27 July: Ipswich 1-2 Fortuna Düsseldorf; August: Hoffenheim 1-0 Ipswich; 10 August: Ipswich 1-0 Nice
Steve Cooper has the new season ahead of him.
Jamie Vardy, who looked destined to be Leicester’s first-choice No. 9 this season, suffered a knock after scoring against Villarreal in the first pre-season match and has played or trained since.
Meanwhile, Patson Daka had hoped to update him, but he limped off early in the 3-0 loss to Lens when Leicester ended their pre-season with a 3-0 defeat and noticed with his leg in a protective boot.
Wide player Stephy Mavididi is next in line to start with young striker Tom Cannon as a lightly used reserve option, and given that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall joined Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, the Foxes’ forward line looks a bit brutal.
Cooper and Co solved this challenge in the moving market by loaning Bobthrough DeCordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte, while Leicester received their challenges from PSR, which meant the impressive Abdul Fatawu did not want to be sold, but is it enough?
July 20: Villarreal 1-2 Leicester; July 23: Shrewsbury 1-2 Leicester; July 26: Leicester 0-1 Palermo; August 3: Leicester – Augsburg 0-1; August 10: Lens 3-0 Leicester
There are new opportunities for midfielders as Arne Slot steers Liverpool towards a more controlled style of play. Dominik Szoboszlai scored the winning goal against Real Betis, a sign that he is thriving in a freer role.
Curtis Jones was injured in that game after expressing enthusiasm for Slot’s new approach, of which he said “I’m more me. I can touch the ball better. I can ‘do myself’ more. “
Slot has been experimenting with his at number 6, fielding Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Szoboszlai in that role in his pre-season matches.
The Dutchman has praised Gravenberch’s performances and Alexis Mac Allister is an unproven option, however reports recommend that a player will be targeted for the role as Slot contemplates his first signing as Liverpool manager.
Gravenberch, who managed just 12 league starts in 2023/24, inspired the Reds’ 4-1 victory over Sevilla, despite Spanish foreigner Martín Zubimendi being on the club’s radar.
On the other hand, Mohamed Salah seems to be returning to his most productive electrical level. The Egyptian striker enjoyed a quiet end to the season after injury limited him to just two league games between New Year’s Eve and March 10, but he cruised to out-of-the-box victories over Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United, and looked hungry against Sevilla.
Less established players have also made their mark, the most recent being England U18 foreigner Trey Nyoni, who scored against the Kop against Sevilla, suggesting that Slot will take the lead from Jurgen Klopp and continue to integrate promising academy products.
26 July: Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis; 31 July: Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal; 3 August: Liverpool 3-0 Man Utd; 11 August: Liverpool 4-1 Sevilla and Liverpool 0-0 Las Palmas
Pep Guardiola was inspired by City’s academy graduates during his pre-season trip to the United States and may accept it as true to fill the offensive void left by Julian Alvarez’s move to Atletico Madrid.
Oscar Bobb has arguably been their most productive player in the preseason. The Norwegian scored against rivals Celtic and Chelsea, making him a step up in City’s team this season. He faces a higher festival with the arrival of Savinho, who has shown a flash of quality in the Community Shield, but Guardiola seems willing to put his faith in the 21-year-old, who “is still at a higher level “.
After a successful season on loan at Sheffield United, James McAtee is another person looking for more consistent playing time and his taste for the game may point to him as an imaginable replacement for Alvarez, who occasionally played just behind Erling Haaland up front.
Guardiola is also pleased with Jack Grealish, who is fit to bounce back after a disappointing third season in the sky blue and a “heartbreaking” exclusion from the European Championship.
“I think he comes back better, with the same joy and the same attitude with the group,” his coach said.
It is a question whether Grealish will be able to find the form at the start of the season to carve out a place in this team, with Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, Savinho and Bobb as rivals.
July 2: Man City -4 Celtic, July 27: Man City 2- AC Milan, July 0: Man City 2-2 (1-4 pen) Barcelona, August: Man City 4-2 Chelsea, 10 August: Man City 1 -1 (7-6 pens) Man Utd – Community Shield
The additions of Matthijsde Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui can provide the defensive reinforcement that Erik ten Hag needs.
United have conceded seven goals in their last three pre-season games and their team’s intensity has already been tested at this early level of this season.
Ahead of the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City, Ten Hag said there is a “question mark” over the fitness of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw, while Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia are ruled out due to long-term injuries.
United will be hoping their defence can be strengthened, after a dismal defensive record last season in which they conceded 20 shots consistent with the game in normal fashion.
The positive news has seen Amad Diallo impress and score in several games, while pre-season has also shown that there is a path towards normal involvement for Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho. Alejandro Garnacho’s solitary goal at Wembley demonstrated his reliability, while even Antony is promising more attacking strength this season.
This raises questions over Marcus Rashford’s role in the team after his terrible mistakes against Manchester City at Wembley. Is his position in the United team seriously threatened?
July 15: Man Utd – Rosenborg 0-1; July 20: Man Utd 0-2 Rangers, July 27: Man Utd 1-2 Arsenal, July 1: Man Utd -2 Real Betis, August: Man Utd 0- Liverpool, August 10: Man City 1-1 (7-6 pens) Man Utd – Community Shield
Eddie Howe and the Magpies faced a PSR this summer: selling a great player like Alexander Isak or Anthony Gordon, or tactical components with their exciting young players.
They chose the latter and Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, both adored by Howe, went to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively.
Despite the sadness of wasting two young stars, this turns out to be the right choice. Friday night’s defeat to Girona in the Champions League proved that.
Newcastle Gordon and Isak combined for the first time in pre-season and the Magpies led 3-0 after 15 minutes, with Gordon getting on the scoreboard. With Jacob Murphy also scoring five goals in the preseason, Howe has 3 purrs forward. of the new campaign.
A day later, another Newcastle eleven covered up to beat Brest, also in the Champions League this season, 1-0. Still in this team were Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar, Kieran Trippier and Harvey Barnes.
With Europe to face this season and with the likes of Marc Guehi in their sights, Newcastle could finally have the intensity to fight for the top four or five again.
27 July: Hull 0-2 Newcastle, 31 July: Newcastle 1-4 Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 August: Newcastle 0-2 YokohamaMarines, 9 August: Newcastle 4-0 Girona, 10 August: Newcastle 1-0 Stade Brestois
There is a growing feeling among Nottingham Forest fans that their third season in the Premier League could be free of the dreaded R-word.
A productive warm-weather educational camp in Spain was followed by a trip to Greece to face UEFA Conference League champions Olympiacos, where a brace from Ryan Yates enabled Nuno Espírito Santo’s side to win a decisive seven-goal match in Piraeus. It was a useful training session against the club was also owned through Evangelos Marinakis.
Trentside’s talisman is Morgan Gibbs-White. Espirito Santo has built a team around him and, after a full first preseason, Gibbs-White’s goal now is to add more goals to his game.
Once again, Forest established themselves at the top of English football, with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi showing signs of greater consistency in their attacking performance towards the end of last season in the service of forwards Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi.
After finishing 16th and 17th in the last two seasons, the biggest challenge has been forging a solid defense. The arrivals of Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic for £12m and goalkeeper Carlos Miguel will be looking to end this ongoing quest for defensive stability, while the £35m signing of Elliot Anderson from Newcastle reflects the club’s continued youth.
This pre-season so far has been much less chaotic than the last two since Forest won promotion. A mandatory management renewal in the moving market has seen only six players signed. Quality rather than quantity was at the forefront of the recruitment drive.
13 July: Chesterfield 0-3 Nottingham Forest; 19 July: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Sunderland; 23 July: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Millwall; 27 July: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Elche; 2 August: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Villarreal; August: Olympiacos 3-4 Nottingham Forest
Russell Martin is a principled guy. He has developed a taste for the game that he believes is best suited to Southampton and its players, and will maintain it while playing at St Mary’s or Anfield.
“We may not go to Manchester City or Liverpool to camp, we just might not,” says the manager.
Admirable or reckless? Only time will tell. But if you let the preseason pass, Martin’s team seems well trained and in a position to make a triumphant comeback after a year of absence.
Their only friendly defeat came against Oxford United, where they looked fragile playing out from the back, something that will need to be adjusted before traveling to Newcastle on the opening weekend.
As for those who have impressed, Adam Armstrong looks elegant, while new signing Ben Brereton Diaz scored in his first start in the 1-1 draw against Lazio.
Martin says Saints intend to “surprise some people” but the former Norwich defender would be wise to heed some lessons from the club’s recent past, where the patience of a faltering taste ultimately saw them relegated to 2022 -23.
The 38-year-old is also making his appearance in a Premier League for the first time and his intensity can envelop even the most seasoned and experienced coaches. There are many reasons to be positive on the south coast, but also to urge caution. .
July 24: Bordeaux 2- Santos; July 27: Montpellier 1- Santos; 1 July: Oxford Utd 2-0 Saints; August: Millwall 0-1 Santos; August 7: Santos 1-1 Lazio; 10 August: Santos 0-0 Getafe
Dominic Solanke has Tottenham’s star signing this summer, but he joins a Spurs forward line that is firing on all fronts.
Dejan Kulusevski’s brace against Bayern Munich as a centre-forward demonstrates the Swede’s ability to perform no matter where he is. Heung-Min Son has also scored 3 goals and will purr to play with a new center forward in Solanke. James Maddison has also shown signs of genius ahead of a season for him.
But in addition to that, several teenage scorers highlighted the offensive potential of the Spurs’ youngsters. Will Lankshear and Mikey Moore found the net against Hearts and 20-year-old Dane Scarlett scored against Queens Park Rangers before Lankshear and Moore added to their tally against the K League side and Vissel Kobe respectively.
Further down the field, teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were equally impressive in front of their new fans, highlighting the potential role they will play ahead of Postecoglou’s second season in charge.
But one unlikely youngster who inspired Postecoglou was Djed Spence, who was back on the radar with a strong pre-season campaign. The winger scored and provided a very good hand in Hearts’ 5-1 defeat and solid performances. He continued the Spurs’ preseason excursion to Asia.
17 July: Hearts 1-5 Tottenham; 20 July: QPR 0-2 Tottenham; 27 July: Tottenham 3-2 Vissel Kobe; 31 July: Liga K – Tottenham 3-4; 3 August: Bayern Munich 2-1 Tottenham; 10 August: Tottenham 2-3 Bayern Munich
Lucas Paqueta will start the season despite being accused of breaking FA rules, which will be music to the ears of West Ham fans.
If there was any doubt about the influence of the Brazilian in this Hammers team, Sunday’s friendly against Celta Vigo cleared up any doubts. In his first outing under Julen Lopetegui, he provided a superb assist to Jarrod Bowen, then combined brilliantly with the English winger and Michail Antonio to score another goal.
But that 2-2 draw against the Spanish side sums up the Hammers’ prospects at the other end of the line. New £40m signing Max Kilman has been guilty of some defensive mistakes since leaving Wolves. , the imminent presentations of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo solve those problems.
But it turns out that the most important component of this team is Paquetá. Hammers enthusiasts hope any potential sanctions could limit his and West Ham’s seasons.
15 July: Ferencvaros 2-2 West Ham; 20 July: Dagenham
The loss of Pedro Neto to Chelsea was excellent preparation for Wolves’ new season, but have they found his replacement before the summer?
Rodrigo Gomes signed before Neto moved to Molineux for west London and shows Wolves fans what he is capable of by scoring twice in the 3-1 win over West Ham.
Gary O’Neil is willing to “not get carried away” by the extreme, but the first symptoms seem encouraging.
The Wolves boss expects the rest of his attack to intensify after wasting Neto, with Hee-Chan Hwang having a full preseason. But the start of Matheus Cunha’s crusade was slowed down due to injury.
The striker is expected to return ahead of the Premier League opener against Arsenal, but O’Neil admits Cunha is unlikely to be fit yet for the 90 minutes.
July 27: Wolves 3-1 West Ham; July 31: Wolves 1-3 Crystal Palace; August 3: Wolves RB Leipzig 3-0; August 10: Lobos 0-1 Rayo Vallecano