With the top two teams in last season’s Premier League campaign having locked horns in the Community Shield over the weekend, FPL managers will have been keeping a close watch on how potential Gameweek 1 selections fared.
Here we look at four performers who caught the eye in Arsenal’s penalty shootout victory over Man City.
WILLIAM SALIBA
Any defender who keeps Erling Haaland scoreless deserves praise, and that is exactly what William Saliba did throughout Sunday afternoon’s contest. Having formed an excellent partnership with Gabriel last season, Saliba looked comfortable in the heart of the Gunners defence and helped provide them with the platform to compete with the 2022-23 treble winners. Available at just £5.0m, Saliba looks like an excellent route into the Arsenal rearguard and boasts a significantly lower ownership than the aforementioned Gabriel.
JURRIEN TIMBER
One of Mikel Arteta’s summer signings, Timber acquitted himself extremely well on his competitive debut for the North London side, despite the fact he was not playing in one of his favoured positions. Timber’s versatility, though, makes him an attractive FPL prospect and the Dutchman could well find himself occupying left-back once more at the beginning of the Premier League season, especially given Oleksandr Zinchenko’s fitness issues.
KAI HAVERTZ
Another summer recruit, Havertz did not have his finest afternoon in front of goal after spurning a couple of good chances to put Arsenal ahead. However, FPL managers will have noted the fact he was regularly getting himself into goalscoring positions, and with the injured Gabriel Jesus set to miss a few weeks of action, Havertz represents a tempting out-of-position forward. Registered as a midfielder in FPL, the German could become an early bandwagon if he sharpens up his finishing and gets on a roll.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE
The Belgian playmaker may not have started the match, but he certainly made an impact once he took to the field. His 30-minute cameo reminded us all of his ability to make a difference, setting up Cole Palmer’s opener and generally making a nuisance of himself in the final third. Getting half-an-hour under his belt will have gone a long way to improving his fitness ahead of Gameweek 1, and his relatively modest ownership of 13.5% at the time of writing makes him an intriguing differential choice for FPL managers.
