PRE-SEASON HUB 2020/21
Introduction
Gone are the days of Premier League teams jetting off to China, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia for their pre-season preparations – at least for this pre-season. Here’s hoping things in the world are again on the right side of normal this time next season and I for one will never again take the Premier League Asia Trophy for granted.
In this shortened period between the 2019-20 season ending and the 2020-21 season beginning (consider that Manchester United & Manchester City players will not even be through passport control with their families as they head on holiday whilst Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham commence a stretch of their legs with their first pre-season matches), I will again document the ins and outs and ups and downs of all 20 Premier League teams pre-season on this article as we hurtle towards the new season.
Below is a guide to the matches CONFIRMED so far – there will be more. For instance, as you’ll see, there are clubs who have not yet announced any matches. Seeing as all games will be behind closed doors anyway, I would expect the clubs to be transparent about their matches, not least to let their own supporters know what’s going on and I’ll be there to take advantage.
As is the norm – if you feel comfortable in doing so – please record any and all pre-season news here under the relevant team comment. I’ll round up each day with anything missed relating to line-ups, goals, assists, injuries, playing positions etc.
You’ll find a comment relating to each of the 20 teams below.
25th August
MK Dons 1-4 Arsenal
29th August
Arsenal 1-1 (5-4 pens) Liverpool (Community Shield)
5th September
Arsenal 2-3 Aston Villa
5th September
Arsenal 2-3 Aston Villa
29th August
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Chelsea
5th September
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
29th August
Burnley 1-2 Shrewsbury Town
Burnley 3-0 Tranmere Rovers
1st September
Burnley 0-0 Preston North End
5th September
Burnley 4-1 Heart of Midlothian
Burnley 4-2 Mansfield Town
29th August
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Chelsea
25th August
Crystal Palace 2-1 Oxford United
29th August
Crystal Palace 3-0 Charlton Athletic
1st September
Millwall 0-1 Crystal Palace
5th September
Crystal Palace 1-1 Brondby
22nd August
Blackpool 3-3 Everton
5th September
Everton 2-0 Preston North End
29th August
Fulham 2-2 MK Dons
1st September
Stoke City 3-0 Leeds United
5th September
Leeds United 3-1 Pacos de Ferreira
26th August
Leicester City 2-0 Birmingham City
29th August
Leicester City 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
5th September
Leicester City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
22nd August
Liverpool 3-0 Stuttgart
25th August
Red Bull Salzburg 2-2 Liverpool
29th August
Arsenal 1-1 (5-4 pens) Liverpool (Community Shield)
5th September
Liverpool 7-2 Blackpool
25th August
Newcastle United 3-0 Crewe Alexandra
29th August
Barnsley 1-2 Newcastle United
1st September
Middlesbrough 5-1 Newcastle United
5th September
Newcastle United 0-1 Stoke City
25th August
Dundee United 0-1 Sheffield United (abandoned at half time)
28th August
Heart of Midlothian 0-1 Sheffield United
1st September
Sheffield United 2-0 Derby County
4th September
Sheffield United 2-2 Preston North End
Southampton 7-1 Swansea City
22nd August
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Ipswich Town
28th August
Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Reading
29th August
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Birmingham City
5th September
Watford 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
28th August
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Nottingham Forest
5th September
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
25th August
Ipswich Town 1-4 West Ham United
Wycombe Wanderers 1-5 West Ham United
29th August
West Ham United 2-1 Brentford
5th September
West Ham United 3-5 Bournemouth
Thanks for reading FANTASY FOOTBALL PRE-SEASON HUB 2020/21
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Mitro
Kane or son?
WhoIsRonaldo
Son for me
Loud Atlas
Son – cheaper and he got a couple of goals in their first pre-season game at the weekend.
Smash
Kane
GoalMachine
Depends on rotation as well……Kane is less rotated. I am not sure about Son, but will have reduced minutes.
In Sep, Spurs has 7 matches from 12-29. Evenif I assume the two Carabao cup matches might be with B team, still its tough. The October is even more condense.
constantine
Kane. He’s is a steal at 10.5m
Rosco
Harry :good:
GentleBenAKA
Kane. Easily drop down to Martial GW2.
AJW
There’s a saying in Central Queensland – ‘When the Son starts shining brightly, and things are getting hot, the Kane is ready to be cut!
Bit of downunder wisdom there – ‘ridgie-didge’! 
AmateurOpinions
Hi. Some of you guys are ridiculously knowledgable about players, most haven’t even heard of.
Anyways, my question, even if Leno is fit, will he play in front of Martinez?? Post lockdown Martinez was outstanding.
Loud Atlas
If both are fit then the Community Shield on Saturday will reveal all; see which one Arteta picks. That should give us some indication – perhaps!
Gallant Pioneer (@MitchellC_FF247)
Yeah it’s exactly this.
Smash
I find it quite hard to believe they will both be there come the start of the season. Leno played pretty well last season but Martinez proved he’s too good to be sitting. On the bench. That’s a tough call and community shield will be interesting
AmateurOpinion
And I am right in saying that Lloris had the best returns of all the keepers for the games he played last season? (Not sure I’ve done my maths right?)
But at 4.67 points per game? I think that’s ahead of Pope.
Has he been quite consistent over the seasons: and with Jose managing…?
WhoIsRonaldo
Yes he had a higher points per match than Pope and had his most bonus pts although only played just over half a season minutes wise so has the potential to offer good value if Spurs can take their end of season form into new season. They also have the fixtures to boot
Smash
At 5 million I would have been interested. 5.5 no way. Can probably get a defender at 5 million
MattX
You can get Dier for 5.0 mln and he’s in my team at the moment
constantine
Matt. Do you think Dier would get better game time this season?
Smash
Yeah Dier is a good option I think
MattX
Jose seems to like him there and was playing at CB until his suspension at the end of the season ruled him out.
constantine
Cheers. One more option to consider now. :good:
WhoIsRonaldo
Is Diet going to be nailed this season ? Don’t want to be spending early transfer. Lloris is even though 0.5 more and a set n forget
WhoIsRonaldo
Dier not diet lol
MattX
I’m not sure if he’s nailed so I might take him out for a sure starter until we know for sure
Rosco
According to James from Planet FPL (who’s a Spurs season ticket holder) Dier will be their first choice Centreback ahead of everyone this season, I trust him implicitly :good:
Rosco
Oh and he’s also in my side! He was a great asset when he was a defender 3 seasons back, dominated bonus in low scoring games which has become the new norm for Spurs :good:
MattX
That’s what I’d heard but didn’t have any confirmation! Feel better about having him now
Rosco
Rest easy brother he is a solid pick! :good:
Smash
Interesting you must have changed your set up Rosco. Dier and Bellerin are interesting at 5 million for me
Rosco
I’ve changed it so much I’ve had to sign out and leave it be for a few days!!
Horse
Glad to hear that. I got Dier too. Some really tasty home fixtures at the start of the season. Any news of Aurier?
MattX
Bellerin is interesting I just can’t seem to find that .5 just yet
Supposedly Aurier is on his way out but don’t know how much truth is in that right now
Rosco
All the cool kids have Dier!!
Smash
Yeah going round in circles think I need something else to fall into place or give up on someone
MattX
But what if the cooler kids have both? 😯
Smash
I’ll go and stand in the corner then as I have neither, Dier has crossed my mind if I give up on Greenwood
MattX
Just a thought I had and felt it would be interesting to get everyone’s thoughts. Maybe throw the cat amongst the pigeons a little.
With Trent carrying an injury and not participating in the Austrian preseason games, if he doesn’t make any sort of appearance in the Community shield on Saturday at all… how comfortable would people be to still have him in their GW1 team? :popcorn:
Gallant Pioneer (@MitchellC_FF247)
Unless he’s confirmed out by the manager or the club, he’ll take his place in mine.
Elleffcee
I will have him. At the moment its just a knock but if any news does come out that he could be out, i think it will be Robbo in and have a plan to get TAA in.
Smash
I don’t think it’s serious:
MattX
Yeah he’s been the first name for me and I don’t plan on that changing but with people already planning on benching United, Burnley or City assets with possibly Davis as a 4.5 fwd, that could be leaving them sweating over him starting.
WhoIsRonaldo
Until he is confirmed out I think he will be in my team, his price will rise quickly if confirmed out and has lower ownership to start with.
Rosco
Are you flexing your inner Mito bro!?
MattX
Shhhhh! (Trying to get people to sell him 😉 )
Rosco
Oh yeah urm I er heard he had broke his flopiknocki or Suttin :yes:
MattX
Yeah it’s not connected to his yokeymabob anymore so could be out for years :wacko:
Rosco
Ahh bloody typical, just what we didn’t need!! :hippo:
MattX
Exactly! I just wanted to let everyone know. Hate to see people get caught out :hippo:
constantine
What formation are you guys planning to start the season with? With tight money situation, is 5-4-1 or atleast 4-4-2 a viable option? We could have better 4.5m playing defenders than mids, and there’s no sure forward at that price. What say?
MattX
GW1 is looking like a 532 or 442 with 442 being the formation after that. Pretty sure 442 will be how I go and try move into a 352
Horse
532 for me at the moment Constantine. Got Greenwood on my bench ready and rested for GW2
Rosco
442 for me, been locked to that from the day the fixtures were released :good:
constantine
Thanks for sharing your plans guys. I am leaning towards 5-3-2 as well. Will bench Greenwood/Foden. Cheers
Tornado
Hey everyone!
I’ve been quite busy lately and haven’t had the chance to properly tinker with my squad. I had a look but struggled to fit most of the players I have in mind. It was my bd yesterday, and I hoped that I’d be somehow wiser and it’s gonna be easier to build a well-balanced team but it still seems like mission impossible. Currently on 4-4-2 with Bruno on the bench but the team definitely needs more work. I will wait for some more pre-season news and more knowledgeable comments here before I come up with a proper draft.
I just realised my comment is long and meaningless…my point was that I need more info, so I really enjoy reading the insightful and useful content on here!
Long story short- thank you! :good: :laugh2:
MattX
Happy belated birthday Tornado! :drinks:
Think everyone is in the same boat to be honest mate
Tornado
Thank you, MattX! :drinks:
Well, I see people with some advanced planning and different strategies. I am a tad behind ATM but I will try to catch up once I have the opportunity to do some proper research
Rosco
Happy belated birthday mate! I think benching a Man U player like say Greenwood is fine, benching Bruno feels like a lot of money wasted and you may end up playing catch-up to those who invest the money and move to him in GW2.
Tornado
Cheers mate!
It does feel like a lot of money sitting on bench. It’s bugging me but I am not a fan of an early WC, and ideally, I’d like to have 3/4 MUFC & MC players, so trying to think of the best possible way to achieve that. I will get there, eventually.
Rosco
You could bench Greenwood and then have a contingency for Bruno? A City player can wait till GW3 I think given their GW2 fixture. I think sometimes it’s good to plan, but you can plan whilst also mitigating potential losses that may force you into that Early WC you would rather avoid perhaps?
Tornado
I completely agree. Having Greenwood on the bench is probably the more sensible thing to do here. Just that Bruno & KDB are 2 of the 3 players that are in my set and forget team and that BGW1 is messing up my plans haha
I am trying to avoid an early WC but that leads me to a very possible early -4 hit which is also not ideal.
I will need to put my thinking cap on for this conundrum. I will have more data after I see some games (friendlies, community shield, etc).