Arsenal’s pre-season fixtures concluded yesterday with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao within the Emirates Cup.
Listed below are my observations on what we noticed yesterday.
Gyokeres will get off the mark
There was an odd quirk to the Swedish striker’s time at Sporting round headed objectives – he didn’t get that a lot of them. In his last season the place he scored 39 occasions within the Portuguese league, not a single certainly one of them was a header. So, it was good to see him rating his first Arsenal aim in a method not too many individuals would have predicted.
Martin Zubimendi curled in a beautiful cross, Gyokeres’ motion within the field was too good for the defender, and the header powered previous Unai Simon to make it 1-0. We nonetheless await his first aggressive aim for the membership, however hopefully it will ease the stress just a little bit, and assist him really feel extra comfy in his new environment.
I do know we reside in a media world that causes some severe eye-rolling at occasions, however I noticed a headline yesterday that actually mentioned ‘Gyokeres proves doubters fallacious with sensible opening aim for Arsenal’. It’s clearly absurd for all types of causes, however that’s the atmosphere by which gamers are being judged by some mainstream retailers. It’s all concerning the clicks, however it does have an effect on the discourse. Anyway, he scored a great aim and there have been some promising indicators in the way in which he acquired into positions and mixed with others. It’s virtually as if having a bit extra time has proved helpful.
Zubimendi is high quality
I mentioned on the weblog earlier than I felt a bit sorry for Martin Zubimendi. His signing had been telegraphed months beforehand, so among the shine was taken off it and folks have been a bit ‘meh’ about his arrival – notably as the main target was then all on the striker signing. I believe we noticed yesterday what he’s going to carry to this group. Not simply the help, however the all-round midfield play, the intelligence and safety he brings on the ball.
It was fairly fascinating to notice that he and Declan Rice each operated in deep areas, rotating between themselves to drop between the centre-halves, and he regarded very comfy along with his companions in that space of the pitch. On his combos with Rice, Mikel Arteta mentioned afterwards:
With the qualities that they’ve and the way in which they’ll complement one another in that area, we noticed one other evolution at the moment on that and issues that the group can actually profit from to be far more unpredictable and be a way more menace, particularly from these inside positions.
How these two function in tandem this season goes to be fascinating. Rice, for me, is a pure 6 redeployed as an 8 as a result of he has the standard to do this; and whereas Zubimendi’s star has risen as primarily a deep-lying midfielder, it appears to be like as if Arteta sees extra to his recreation than that. There’s a clamour for the supervisor to do issues in a different way, so right here’s a suggestion how a few of which may play out.
Perhaps it’s not fairly worthy of its personal headline, however I don’t assume you may discuss Zubimendi and Rice with out additionally acknowledging the function of Martin Odegaard in that midfield trio. I believe we’ve seen hints that he’s extra like his previous self this pre-season, and he confirmed that yesterday too. It was his ball excessive that allowed Gabriel Martinelli present a tap-in for Bukayo Saka, and there have been some pretty, artful last third passes that opened up area for us to assault the opposition.
Kai Havertz scores once more
I hoped Kai Havertz would get himself a aim yesterday. With the highlight very firmly on Gyokeres, I believe we nonetheless want to recollect he’s going to be a vital a part of this squad. Everybody loves the shiny new signing, however don’t overlook what you have already got. The way in which he took his aim was virtually precisely the way you’d need to script it. We’ve talked a lot about how we’d like channel the Swede’s direct operating in behind the opposition defence, however it was Havertz who confirmed the way it’s accomplished.
He ran onto a ball in behind, saved it underneath management, outpaced the defenders to supply the capturing probability, and completed completely. Not solely was he too fast for them, he was too robust for them – some proof all these gymnasium classes and that extra-muscularity has paid off. If Gyokeres had scored that aim, individuals can be shedding their minds, so credit score the place it’s due and I’m backing each our strikers to attain loads within the season forward.
Gabriel will get necessary minutes
With Outdated Trafford only a week away, it was necessary to get some minutes into the legs of Gabriel. He performed for simply over an hour earlier than being changed by Cristhian Mosquera, and whereas we weren’t particularly troubled defensively, he regarded strong alongside William Saliba and cozy bodily. So too Jurrien Timber who performed 45 minutes, as did Riccardo Calafiori who performed the primary half at left-back.
I do know there’s such a giant ‘if’ over the Italian in relation to his health, however I actually hope he can keep on high of that as a result of there’s such a great participant in there when he’s obtainable. It’s early days for Mosquera too, however to this point I like what I’ve seen. He appears very assured and calm, so let’s hope that augurs properly for aggressive appearances.
Penalties
It’s probably not that necessary, however I really like a great high nook penalty, and a few the Athletic gamers actually put theirs away very properly. It was becoming that Zubimendi’s was the spot-kick to win it for us, however in a pleasant recreation I’m to not churlish to provide a ‘chapeau‘ to the opposition gamers for the way in which they took a few of their penalties.
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Proper, let’s depart it there for this morning. Subsequent week is one the place now we have to get right down to enterprise with the brand new season drawing ever nearer, so for now have a terrific Sunday. We’ll be again with extra right here tomorrow, and an Arsecast Additional.
