Madjo Scores Four as Semenyo Tallies Five Assists in Premier League Preseason

Brian Madjo netted four goals for Aston Villa during the Premier League preseason, including a strike in a 2-1 UEFA Super Cup loss to PSG.

Aston Villa teenager Brian Madjo scored four goals during the Premier League preseason following a successful appeal of a FIFA regulation regarding international transfers for players under 18. Madjo, who joined Villa from Metz for £10 million in January, netted twice against Walsall and added strikes against Real Sociedad and an Indonesia league All Stars team. He also scored Villa’s lone goal in a 2-1 UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG in Salzburg. Meanwhile, Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo provided five assists across three matches, contributing to a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan and 3-1 victories over both the K-League All-Stars and Atlético Madrid. Semenyo previously recorded 17 goals and four assists in 37 appearances split between Bournemouth and City last season.

Arsenal’s 16-year-old winger Max Dowman recorded one goal and one assist in a 4-1 victory over Girona. Dowman, who recently completed his school exams, earned a PFA Young Player of the Season nomination despite having only one Premier League start. Liverpool’s 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 win against Wrexham during a U.S. tour. Ngumoha started three of Liverpool's four preseason fixtures while Cody Gakpo remained absent following the World Cup. Nottingham Forest striker Igor Jesus also found form, scoring four goals in consecutive matches, including a strike during a 2-1 loss to Sporting CP. Jesus made 37 appearances last season, scoring six times under four different managers: Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, and Vítor Pereira.

Managerial Transitions and Squad Availability

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, appointed in May, began his tenure officially on July 9. Under his leadership, João Pedro scored five preseason goals, including a hat trick against Western Sydney Wanderers and two goals in a match against AC Milan. Despite these individual performances, Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in Sydney and a 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong. Alonso has utilized a squad featuring Estêvão, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, and Robert Sánchez.

In contrast, new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca faced limited time with his squad as City players totaled nearly 5,000 minutes at the World Cup. Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku, Rodri, Marc Guéhi, Nico O'Reilly, and Elliot Anderson were among those making deep tournament runs. Despite these absences, Maresca secured victories in two of City's three preseason games. The club enters the new season following a campaign where Arsenal finished ahead of Manchester City for the title and Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided relegation.

Injury Reports and Defensive Concerns

Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi faces up to four months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery for a foot injury sustained during a tour of Austria. Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana suffered a ruptured ACL in July, while teammate John McGinn is expected to be fit for the season opener despite a knee injury. Switzerland international Johan Manzambi is also nursing a knee injury from the World Cup. Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga avoided serious injury after a tackle by Valencia’s José Gayà, who received a red card; Elanga was diagnosed with a bruised shin.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola enters the season with defensive shortages. Right back Conor Bradley has a knee injury, Joe Gomez is sidelined with a muscle issue, and Jérémy Jacquet has not played since his €60 million arrival due to a shoulder injury. To address these gaps, Liverpool secured Ronald Araújo on a season-long loan from Barcelona. Virgil van Dijk, now 35, played 6,051 minutes across 68 appearances last season. Additionally, James Maddison has not played this preseason due to a hip issue following an ACL injury that cost him most of last year, while Jack Grealish remains under contract at Manchester City until 2027 but spent the preseason training in Manchester to recover from a foot injury.