GDS English Football Squad Preview: Part 4

Welcome to the fourth, and penultimate, edition of our English Premier League club previews for GameDay Squad’s (GDS) brand new Football platform. For those who missed the previous editions, these articles will review all twenty Premier League teams with a brief club season recap & preview, and analysis of each team’s star player, GDS hidden gem (excluding promoted teams) and key transfer.

The fourth edition has previews for Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. You won’t want to skip over all the key transfers in this one, as they’re sure to be GDS hits!

Man City

City came up short in their attempts to win a fifth straight Premier League title, as they dropped below not only Arsenal but a refreshed Liverpool team. Resuming their rivalry with Liverpool, early in the season, as Haaland’s form dropped away, so did City’s. City picked up an unwanted habit of conceding to mid-to-lower table teams and went on a run that included one singular win over a nine-game span. While City refreshed their squad in the winter transfer window, it became too little too late as they failed to make up ground in time, finishing third for the season.

●     Star Player - Erling Haaland

One of the stars of not only the Premier League but world football. After a fiery start to the season, which was rivalling record-breaker Mo Salah, Haaland’s form went patchy with multiple spells of goalless runs. This was highly unusual for one of the most prolific strikers in world football. While Haaland did manage to recover his form (going on a run of scoring in 5 of a 6-game period), his season was essentially ended early by an ankle injury. While fit, Haaland managed 22 goals (3rd in the league) and three assists in his 31 games and finished second for shots on target (60). Haaland is back fit and firing off the back of four goals in four games for Norway in the World Cup Qualifiers. He’ll be an essential part of any serious GDS coach’s forward line.

●     Hidden Gem - Jeremy Doku

Another pacy winger in a very similar mould to Adama Traoré. Doku matches his speed with his dribbling ability, which was his key asset in season 24/25 and led to him sharing the most successful dribbles title with 90. Much like Adama Traoré, Doku’s problem was lack of starts, as he started only 16 matches and came off the bench 13 times. Doku’s lack of game time was far more rotational than due to form, given City’s depth in quality on the wings and in attacking positions. 2025/26 may be another year that Doku can’t nail down a starting spot in this stacked City team, but if he’s able to consistently start, he becomes a unique option for GDS coaches.

●     Key Transfer - Rayan Ait-Nouri

Oh boy, this is a big one. Ait-Nouri was already performing reasonably well in a 16th-placed Wolves team in a GDS-friendly wingback role. With a move to City, who kept the equal second most clean sheets last season, he is capable of being a top 5 GDS defender. Ait-Nouri finished equal sixth for successful dribbles (61), was 16th for successful tackles (86), and was four successful crosses shy of the top 25, proving he can do it at both ends. He’s one player coaches will want to get their hands on early.

●     Other Notable GDS Players: Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, Bernardo Silva

Man Utd

In what was one of their worst seasons in recent history, United sacked Erik Ten Hag in late October 2024. Having come into the season under pressure, a poor start condemned him to his fate. His replacement, Ruben Amorim, didn’t fare much better other than being runners-up in the Europa League. United finished the season in 15th, with the only bright sparks being their captain, Bruno Fernandes, and young gun Amad Diallo (who succumbed to a 10-game injury towards the back end of the year). United have begun planning for their rise back up the table by adding Wolves star Matheus Cunha and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

●     Star Player - Bruno Fernandes

United’s head-and-shoulders best player did what he could in a terrible season for the club, despite a lack of support around him. This form resulted in the fourth most GDS points last season. His unbelievable individual season produced eight goals, 10 assists, 29 shots on target (=29th in the league), 81 key passes (1st), 44 successful crosses (=5th), and 83 successful tackles (=19th) in a mixed role between deeper-lying midfielder and attacking midfielder. The only way is up for United, and with Cunha and Mbeumo around him, Fernandes could improve even further.

●     Hidden Gem - Amad Diallo

Fernandes’ main supporting act in Diallo had a chunk of his season wiped out through an ankle injury, only returning late in the season. When fit, Diallo played in a number of roles, which ranged from attacking midfielder to right winger and even right wing-back. In what was Diallo’s breakout season, he managed eight goals (including one hat-trick), eight assists, 44 successful dribbles (18th), and was one key pass short of the top 25 in the league. With the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo, Diallo may find himself in the right midfield spot or as a wingback more permanently.

●     Key Transfer - Matheus Cunha

A huge signing for United is Wolves’ leading attacker, Cunha, who finished last season as the fifth-highest GDS points scorer. Cunha’s season was only dampened by a four-game suspension towards the end of it. He finished equal eighth for goals with 15, while also managing six assists. He was another who stuffed the stat sheet, as he was equal 11th for successful dribbles (51), fifth for shots on target (44), equal second for fouls drawn (71), and equal 16th for key passes (50). Joining, arguably, a better team in United could lead to an even better season from Cunha.

●     Other Notable GDS Players: Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui & Bryan Mbuemo

Newcastle

A stunning season by Newcastle culminated in a spot in the UEFA Champions League, with an FA Cup victory along the way. At stages, Newcastle looked as if they could challenge Liverpool for the title, as they popped up numerous times throughout the season as the in-form team of the league. With key players on every line in Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Hall, and Nick Pope leading the way, the unstoppable force eventually ran into injury troubles as Isak, Hall, and Pope missed a combined 162 days through injury during the season. Having already added a major addition in Forest’s Anthony Elanga, Newcastle should continue to be in or around the top four teams of the league.

●     Star Player - Alexander Isak

Isak was the main catalyst for Newcastle’s season finishing second for goals behind Mo Salah with 23. The elusive striker reached a new level playing 34 games and adding 6 assists. Other impressive stats for the year included being 23rd for successful dribbles and fourth for shots on target. Oh and did I mention he was the sixth highest GDS scorer last season? Arguably now the best striker in the league a mooted move to Liverpool hasn’t materialized… yet. He will be one of the leading attacking candidates for GDS coaches teams this season whichever of the two he plays for.

●     Hidden Gem - Bruno Guimarães

The performances of Guimarães were another reason why Newcastle locked in Champions League football, as he played every game on his way to five goals and six assists as a defensive and central midfielder. He was hard to stop by the opposition, as evidenced by his league-leading most fouls drawn (107), which was a massive 36 ahead of the second most fouled player. Guimarães finished equal 22nd for key passes (46) and equal 23rd for successful tackles. He's a player that can do it all in midfield for Newcastle — and your team.

●     Key Transfer - Anthony Elanga

Newcastle have made the big-money move for one of Forest’s key players from last season. The talented former Manchester United winger is likely to take over from Jacob Murphy, despite his good performances. Elanga was third for assists last season (11) and also scored six goals of his own in a supportive role to lead man Chris Wood. Elanga’s 43 successful crosses were good enough for eighth in the league, while he was also close to the top 25 for successful dribbles, fouls drawn, and key passes.

●     Other Notable GDS Players: Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall & Jacob Murphy

Nottingham Forest

The surprise packet of the season was Forest, as they were in and around the top four for the majority, on the back of stringent team defence, excellent management, and Chris Wood. Heartbreakingly, every neutral's favourite team could not hang on, and a string of poor performances against mid- to lower-table teams resulted in a 7th-place finish and no UEFA Champions League. In further misfortune for Forest, they have begun to be raided during this transfer window, as tends to happen for teams who overperform expectations. Anthony Elanga has already headed to Newcastle, while Morgan Gibbs-White is all but confirmed to Tottenham (after some supposed shady business).

●     Star Player - Chris Wood

Wood could not stop scoring in 2024/25 as his 20 goals (=4th) led Forest's push for European football. Wood simply scored goals (as well as three assists) and not much else — which is all that Forest needed. The only other relevant statistical category Wood appeared in was for his shots on target, as he finished equal 11th with 35. The 33-year-old is in the twilight of his career but could continue aging like a fine wine, if Forest reinforces this transfer window.

●     Hidden Gem - Neco Williams

Williams started 28 of his 35 games last season after eventually winning and maintaining the left-back position (while also covering at right-back). As part of a backline whose team kept 13 clean sheets (=2nd), Williams performed well individually with his 87 successful tackles (=13th), 30 interceptions, and 120 clearances.

●     Key Transfer - Igor Jesus

The 24-year-old Brazilian striker lit up the earlier stages of the Club World Cup as the Brazilian teams were on fire. Jesus scored two goals across four games, with one coming against European champions PSG. While not a prolific striker in Brazil, he may well hit his peak in England and be the eventual replacement for Chris Wood at Forest.

●     Other Notable GDS Players: Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi & Matz Sels