Several Premier League sides have already begun their pre-season campaigns, with new signings, managers and tactics all being put to the test. But is there anything important that’s been figured out already?
Arsenal:
Arsenal began their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against Championship side Watford, before drawing 1-1 with German outfit Nurnberg, in which Bukayo Saka’s seventh minute strike was cancelled out by a second-half equaliser. The Gunners have now travelled to the USA, where they will face MLS All-Stars on July 20th. New signings Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber could feature for the first time in an Arsenal shirt in the game.
Aston Villa:
Unai Emery’s Aston villa drew 1-1 in their first match, as Ollie Watkins’ goal levelled for the Europa Conference League side. Villa’s next match comes against Newcastle United, in the USA.
Bournemouth:
Bournemouth put in a strong performance against Scottish outfit Hibernian, with the Cherries winning 4-0. Their second game in pre-season came against Maccabi Tel Aviv, in which Bournemouth lost 1-0.
Brentford:
Brentford faced non-league side Boreham Wood in their first match of the campaign, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. The Bees will travel to the USA next, where they will face Brighton, Fulham and Aston Villa.
Crystal Palace:
Despite playing two matches, the Eagles are yet to win a match. A 1-0 loss to Barnsley was followed by a 2-2 draw against Swedish side Brondby. A quick turnaround in their next two fixtures, sees them play Crawley Town and Watford in the space of three days.
Everton:
Sean Dyche’s Toffees earnt a 2-1 win against Stade Nyonnais in their opening pre-season fixture. Two Everton XI’s play on the same day next, with one side playing Tranmere Rovers and the other facing Wigan.
Manchester United:
Manchester United kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win against rivals Leeds United in Oslo. New signing Mason Mount featured for 45 minutes, with positive early signs from the English international. Goals from youth academy players Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill secured Erik ten Hag’s first win of pre-season. The Red Devils will face Olympique Lyon in Scotland next, before travelling to the USA to face Arsenal, Real Madrid, Wrexham and Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester CIty
European champions and treble winners Manchester City commence their pre-season later than their Premier League rivals, having finished last season later with the Champions League final on 10th June. City are due to open their pre-season schedule in Japan against Yokohama F Marinos on 23rd July, before playing Bayern Munich three days later in Tokyo.
Newcastle United:
Newcastle United managed to come from 2-0 down to win against local side Gateshead in their first pre-season match. The Magpies scored three goals in the second-half to seal the win.
Nottingham Forest:
Nottingham Forest managed to defeat fellow Nottingham side Notts County in their opening game. The match saw the Premier League side win 1-0, thanks to Hwang Ui-Jo’s strike. Steve Cooper named a strong first-half XI for the away side and they broke the deadlock after half time.
Sheffield United:
Recently-promoted Sheffield United managed to beat 2-0 Chesterfield in their first game of the summer. In the Blades’ next game, they travel to Portugal where they face Estoril.
West Ham United:
An eight-goal thriller in Australia saw Europa Conference League winners West Ham United win 6-2 against Perth Glory. Jarrod Bowen scored a brace for the Hammers, along with Gianluca Scamacca scoring from the spot, as he looks to improve on a poor first season for the London side. A five-goal contest saw West Ham win 3-2 against Tottenham, with Spurs levelling 2-2 after being 2-0 down, but Scamacca secured the win late in the second-half.
Some teams are yet to begin their pre-season, including Chelsea who travel to the USA, Manchester City who travel to Asia, and Liverpool who will play in Germany and Singapore.
