Morning all.
Arsenal are in Emirates Cup action later this afternoon, taking on Athletic Bilbao. As this is the last game before the new season begins, all eyes will be on Mikel Arteta’s team selection, and whether or not that gives us some clues as to what he might do against Man Utd next Sunday.
As I wrote earlier in the week, I would really like to see Viktor Gyokeres get some playing time with what you imagine will be our first choice midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. Whether the new man starts today is not certain, it might depend on the fitness of Kai Havertz, and it might also depend on who the manager is thinking of using from the start at Old Trafford. The reality is that Havertz might well be more ready, but even if that’s the case, giving Gyokeres some minutes with the key players behind him will be important.
Other things I’m looking out for: How much can Gabriel play today? He got his first minutes of pre-season on Wednesday evening, and after a long time without competitive football, there have to be some questions about his match-fitness. We have a long season ahead, and I don’t think rushing him back is a good idea, but maybe today’s game is a way of building him back up. It feels unlikely to me he’ll be starting the first game, but perhaps 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 with Bukayo Saka and Max Dowman sharing games on the right, that could mean time on the left for him. Which might also mean one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli doesn’t feature as heavily as they might like. The reality is though, Arteta knows those two players inside out at this stage, and there’s probably more benefit to seeing what he can get out of Madueke on the left – especially as it’s the last chance in pre-season to experiment a bit.
The main concern from pre-season has been the fact our attacking play hasn’t been at the level you would like. Playing well and scoring a few goals isn’t a guarantee we’re going to go into new season and do exactly the same, but it really wouldn’t hurt. So, let’s see what happens later on, and we’ll bring you a report and post-game quotes on Arseblog News afterwards.
Meanwhile, there was good news yesterday after Ethan Nwaneri’s new contract was confirmed. He’s put pen to paper on a new five year contract, and his future in red and white is secured. He spoke about the role he’s set to play, and said:
It means everything to me, I’m so happy to have got it done. This is where I feel at home, and where I’m going to develop the best. I’m ready. I’m very excited. I see this as my first real season, and part of a proper squad in the changing room. I’m so excited for what I can bring to the team and how I can help the team.
I’m a very versatile player, so I think I’m going to play anywhere across the front five, and I’m ready to do what the manager needs.
His talent is obvious, but I’m really interested to see how he’s used this season and where we see him play. Is that role as anywhere across the ‘front five’ something that has been discussed when they negotiated new terms? You have to imagine, with other clubs circling in the background, Arsenal would have had to demonstrate some kind of plan for one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League. It does look as if his future is likely to be more central, and perhaps this season – after a year under his belt to learn what the senior game is all about and develop a bit physically as well – Arteta might view him as the Odegaard alternative that we lacked throughout last season.
What most stands out to me about him is the fact he has real end-product at such an early age. Last season he almost got into double figures in terms of goals scored, and when you consider his minutes were more scant at the start and towards the end of the campaign, it augurs well for what he can do as he develops and matures as a player. We often bemoan the fact we don’t have enough serious ball-strikers in this squad, but he is definitely one of them, and that left foot can cause serious problems for the opposition when he gets into the right positions.
So, this is a big season ahead for him, and his renewal adds to that of Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly, on top of the players we’ve brought in, as good business Arsenal have completed this summer. There are maybe a couple more to think about, but we’ve ticked a lot of the boxes that people would have wanted thus far. Let’s see what the rest of the window brings.
Right, I’ll leave it there for now. Have a great Saturday.
