With the 2025-26 Premier League marketing campaign attributable to kick off on Friday, Aug. 15, many golf equipment are deep into their preseason preparations, having spent the previous few weeks limbering up with coaching camps and a smattering of pleasant fixtures.
A number of the high golf equipment have been in motion all around the world, with exhibition video games and miniseries going down all over the place from the USA to Hong Kong and Singapore. Certainly, a key a part of this summer season’s preseason itinerary has been the Premier League Summer time Collection, which noticed Manchester United, Everton, Bournemouth and West Ham competing in New Jersey, Atlanta and Chicago.
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Manchester City and Chelsea are but to start their schedules after collaborating within the FIFA Club World Cup (although each have friendlies penned in for later this week), however a good variety of Premier League golf equipment have warmed up with friendlies performed dwelling and overseas — noncompetitive video games that always see new signings, acknowledged senior gamers and youth staff prospects rub shoulders whereas making an attempt to catch the supervisor’s eye.
The outcomes do not depend for a lot in isolation, however a number of gamers have impressed, together with a few teenage academy prodigies who’ve created a wave of hype with particular person performances that may simply rocket them up the pecking order in time for the brand new season.
Fulham have slogged by friendlies in opposition to Aberdeen, Nottingham Forest, Al Ittihad and Sheffield United in latest weeks, with a closing fixture in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt subsequent weekend.
Whereas Emile Smith Rowe and Raúl Jiménez have discovered themselves among the many targets for the Cottagers, the standout performer has been Wilson. The Wales worldwide midfielder scored 5 targets in 4 video games (together with consecutive braces in opposition to Aberdeen and Forest) whereas drumming up a bonus help in opposition to Sheffield for good measure.
It is maybe price noting that Wilson has additionally been discovering the online in spectacular style throughout preseason. A nifty lob and a curling 25-yard free kick in opposition to Forest out in Portugal signify the decide of the bunch thus far.
Danny Welbeck scored 4 targets in Brighton’s opening pre-season pleasant in opposition to Wycombe Wanderers, but it surely was O’Riley, a 24-year-old central midfielder, who put within the Participant of the Match efficiency in opposition to Spanish aspect Las Palmas the next week.
The Denmark worldwide featured sparingly for the Seagulls final season however discovered himself pulling the strings in Marbella as he arrange Yasin Ayari for the opening objective after which scored himself with a intelligent 25-yard effort to seal the 2-0 victory. Brighton then made it 4 preseason wins in 4 once they returned to the U.Ok. They beat Coventry in a pleasant at their coaching advanced, with O’Riley as soon as once more laying on an help for Ayari to open the scoring in a routine 2-0 victory over their Championship opponents.
It could possibly be the beginning of a really productive partnership underneath head coach Fabian Hürzeler, or it could possibly be the sporting equal of a summer season vacation romance. We guess solely time will inform.
Ruben Amorim’s aspect endured a woeful marketing campaign within the Premier League final trip, however the head coach has already praised his aspect for trying “stronger and sooner,” with a number of senior gamers like Mason Mount and Dorgu trying sharp out within the States.
Regardless of the torrential downpour that engulfed MetLife Stadium, Dorgu caught the attention through the Summer time Collection exhibition sport in opposition to West Ham out in New Jersey. The nimble full again teed up Rasmus Højlund to move dwelling the opener, earlier than including the second objective himself after breaking freed from the Hammers’ protection and forcing a shot beneath the goalkeeper.
Whereas established trio Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Füllkrug and Lucas Paquetá have all in advantageous fettle for West Ham out within the States through the Summer time Collection, the shock package deal has arguably been Diouf, who was signed from Slavia Prague in July.
To not be confused with former Liverpool striker and fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf, the 20-year-old Senegal wing again performed pivotal roles in a number of targets. His whipped crosses led to each targets in his aspect’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth.
Regardless of near-constant hypothesis linking him with a summer season switch, Watkins has been laser-focused for Villa, with the England striker scoring three targets in three video games through the membership’s Stateside sojourn.
After sitting out defeats in opposition to Walsall and Hansa Rostock, Watkins returned to the fold for the journey to the U.S. and hit the bottom working throughout Villa’s opening sport in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring the opener in a 2-2 attract Louisville. He then scored his second objective in two video games in a 2-1 win over St. Louis earlier than including his third in three in one other 2-2 draw, this time heading dwelling in opposition to Nashville.
It is also price mentioning Watkins’ strike associate Morgan Rogers, who additionally discovered the online in opposition to Frankfurt and St. Louis, and Netherlands winger Donyell Malen, who registered three assists and a objective throughout Villa’s U.S. mini tour.
Palace have had a busy preseason itinerary, squeezing in six video games (together with doubleheaders in opposition to German sides Mainz and Augsburg) prior to now few weeks. They’ve additionally scored 10 targets in that length, with striker Mateta grabbing the lion’s share.
Certainly, final season’s high scorer seems to be rolling over his kind into 2025-26. The 28-year-old ahead has scored 4 targets in 4 appearances for the Eagles over the summer season, additionally scoring the opening objective for his aspect in three of these fixtures.
After blended outcomes throughout their post-season tour of Asia, Man United bought again on monitor by going unbeaten by the Summer time Collection in the USA to carry the trophy in Atlanta.
With new signings being launched and children given precious minutes, it was the dependable Fernandes who proved the catalyst. The Portugal playmaker scored twice within the opening win over West Ham earlier than burying a penalty in United’s third and closing fixture in opposition to Everton.
Tottenham must muddle by with out membership hero Son Heung-Min subsequent season after the South Korea worldwide introduced his intentions to maneuver on after 10 years of esteemed service. Nevertheless, the staff may need stumbled upon a brand new supply of targets within the unlikely guise of Pape Sarr.
Regardless of not being famend for his goal-scoring prowess, the 22-year-old midfielder chipped in three targets in three video games for the membership in July, together with the winner in opposition to Arsenal out in Hong Kong in a match that noticed Spurs register their first ever North London derby victory on international soil — albeit in an exhibition tie.
The Senegal worldwide wrestled possession from Myles Lewis-Skelly, appeared up, noticed David Raya off his line and proceeded to wallop an impressive long-range effort on the stroke of halftime. Spurs then held on to carry their second piece of silverware in as many months, including the Herbalgy Trophy to their assortment.
Whereas it was Bukayo Saka who proved the distinction in Arsenal’s opening pre-season pleasant in opposition to AC Milan in Singapore, it was a fellow Hale Finish academy product who stole the present in opposition to Newcastle just some days later. Already touted as a possible first-team star by these within the know, 15-year-old Dowman has risen shortly by the youth ranks at Arsenal whereas skipping age teams. He even turned the youngest objective scorer in UEFA Youth League historical past when he discovered the online aged 14 whereas enjoying for the Gunners’ under-19s final season.
In pre-season motion, {the teenager} initially caught the attention with a quick cameo in opposition to the Rossoneri earlier than firmly placing himself within the highlight with spectacular performances in opposition to Newcastle and Tottenham.
Taking part in with the form of poise and composure that belie his youth, the attacking midfielder entered the fray on the hour mark and instantly impressed by holding his personal in opposition to seasoned senior opposition, then did the identical within the closing stretch of the Gunners’ defeat in opposition to rivals Spurs.
Noncompetitive first-team debuts are one factor, but it surely definitely appears like larger issues are simply across the nook for Dowman.
Whereas Darwin Núñez and new signing Florian Wirtz have been pitching in with a number of objective contributions throughout Liverpool’s pre-season frolics, most of the headlines have been grabbed by a 16-year-old who joined from Chelsea final summer season.
After beginning within the 3-1 win over Preston at Deepdale, Ngumoha maintained his place for the pleasant in opposition to Stoke at Liverpool’s coaching facility, and the energetic winger promptly scored his first objective for the senior staff in a 5-0 victory.
He was then deployed in opposition to Milan in Hong Kong and proved a continuing energetic risk down the left flank earlier than capping off his advantageous run of kind with a superb solo objective within the Reds’ 4-2 comeback victory in opposition to Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan to conclude the Premier League champions’ tour of Asia in advantageous style.
Again on dwelling soil, Nguhoma maintained his preseason momentum within the first of Liverpool’s back-to-back friendlies in opposition to Athletic Membership on Monday, as soon as once more seizing the headlines by scoring the opener with a wonderful solo strike to gentle up Anfield earlier than creating the second for Nunez.
Nguhoma is already the youngest participant to ever begin a first-team sport in Liverpool’s lengthy historical past after being fielded in opposition to Accrington Stanley within the FA Cup third spherical final season (16 years, 135 days). With Luis Díaz out the door and Cody Gakpo in want of a younger deputy on the left wing, Nguhoma appears to be primed for somewhat extra sport time in 2025-26.