Morning everyone.
Arsenal will be in Emirates Cup promotion later this afternoon and will compete against Athletic Bilbao. Because this is the last game before the new season starts, all eyes will be on the Mikel Arteta team selection, and whether or not that gives us any instructions about what he could do next Sunday against Man Utd.
As I wrote earlier in the week, I would really like to see Viktor Gyokeres getting some playing time with what you think our first choice of Midfield Trio by Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard will be. Whether the new man starts today is not certain, it can depend on the suitability of Kai Havertz, and it can also depend on who the manager thinks to use at Old Trafford from the start. The reality is that Havertz may be ready, but even if that is the case, Gyokeres will be important for a few minutes with the most important players behind him.
Other things I look forward to: how much can Gabriel play today? He received his first minutes for the season on Wednesday evening and after a long time without competitive football there must be some questions about his match fitness. We have a long season ahead, and I don’t think turning him back is a good idea, but perhaps today’s game is a way to rebuild him. It feels unlikely to me that he is starting the first game, but maybe today will give us a better idea.
Back to the attacking side of things, there should be more minutes for Noni Madueke, and I imagine that Bukayo Saka and Max Dowman Games share on the right, that can mean time on the left for him. That can also mean that one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli is not as difficult as they want. The reality, however, is, Arteta knows those two players at this stage from the inside, and there is probably more advantage to see what he can get from Madueke on the left-hand side, especially because this is the last chance in the preseason to experiment a bit.
The most important care of the preseason is the fact that our attacking game has not been to the level that you would like. Playing well and scoring a few goals is no guarantee that we will go to a new season and do exactly the same, but it really wouldn’t hurt. So let’s see what happens later, and we will bring you a report and post-game quotes Arseblog News then.
In the meantime, there was good news yesterday after the new contract by Ethan Nwaneri was confirmed. He has put pen on paper about a new contract of five years, and his future in red and white is secured. He spoke about the role he wants to play, and said:
It means everything for me, I am so happy that I did it. Here I feel at home and where I will develop best. I’m ready. I am very excited. I see this as my first real season and part of a real team in the dressing room. I am so excited for what I can bring to the team and how I can help the team.
I am a very versatile player, so I think I will play five everywhere at the front and I am ready to do what the manager needs.
His talent is clear, but I am really interested in seeing how he used this season and where we see him play. Is that role so everywhere on the ‘Front five’ something that was discussed when they negotiated new conditions? You have to imagine, with other clubs that circled in the background, Arsenal should demonstrate a kind of plan for one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League. It seems that his future will probably be central, and perhaps this season – after a year under his belt to learn what the senior game is all about and also develops a bit physically – Arteta could consider him the Odegaard – alternative that we missed last season.
What is most striking about him is the fact that he really has end product at such a young age. Last season he almost came into double digits in terms of scored goals, and when you consider that his minutes were at the beginning and towards the end of the campaign, it is good for what he can do while he develops and matures as a player. We often regret the fact that we do not have enough serious Bal Strikers in this team, but he is definitely one of them, and that left foot can cause serious problems for the opposition when he comes into the right positions.
So this is a big season for him, and his renewal contributes to that of Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly, on top of the players we have brought, as Good Business Arsenal has completed this summer. There may be a few more to think about, but we have checked many of the boxes that people had wanted so far. Let’s see what the rest of the window entails.
Exactly, I will leave it there for the time being. Have a great Saturday.
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