Morning all.
There was soccer yesterday night which I watched whereas I used to be making Chille con carne within the kitchen. Regardless of shedding Martin Odegaard within the warm-up, it was a robust first half crew, and good to see William Saliba again on the pitch.
Bukayo Saka scored a really Bukayo Saka objective, and with a nod to the season forward, he additionally bought booted round just a few instances. Every considered one of them scares me. Not fairly the ‘OMG somebody’s simply jumped out from behind a door and shrieked at me’, however have you ever ever seen a stray canine unfastened round a most important highway paying no consideration to visitors? That form of worry. He was all proper in the long run although and bought 45 minutes below his belt.
The second half noticed the introduction of Kai Havertz, our first glimpse of him in pink and white, and the extra modifications we made, the extra ragged it bought. Nurnberg’s equaliser got here when goalkeeper Karl Hein performed a cross that wasn’t actually on, and it regarded a bit like a Jorginho OG, however it doesn’t actually matter.
Folarin Balogun had a few good possibilities, hitting the submit with one, then firing broad with the objective at his mercy in the direction of the very finish. After his goalscoring exploits in France final season he’ll be disenchanted, however his motion to get on the tip of these alternatives was superb. We introduced on Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, the 2 scholarship lads, and each had some eye-catching moments. My solely different actual commentary is that Ruell Walters is a UNIT at simply 18, and I’m wondering if defensive additions may permit him to go on mortgage as a result of he seems to be bodily able to play.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was comparatively happy with how issues went, saying:
Loads of issues that I noticed within the first half and particularly as just a few of the boys have solely had three coaching periods so simply to offer them minutes and publicity to grasp and begin connecting with one another once more. I’ve seen some actually good issues regardless of the quantity of modifications we made and that’s the reason the sport declined, particularly in high quality and in management however we knew that was going to occur.
There have been just a few damage worries. Odegaard selecting up a knock within the warm-up isn’t very best, Rob Holding had some muscle tightness, and whereas the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Takehiro Tomiyasu are nonetheless working their method in the direction of full health after accidents, there was no signal of Oleksandr Zinchenko. He’s a hell of participant however his damage document is longer than an inventory of horrible songs by Maroon 5. It was attention-grabbing to see Jakub Kiwior enjoying that position within the first half yesterday, maybe one other indication of Kieran Tierney’s place within the left-back pecking order, however after all it’s nonetheless early days on this pre-season.
Talking of Rob Holding, David Ornstein final evening reported a bid from Besiktas for the centre-half, however one which Arsenal will reject. Not, I think, as a result of they’re unwilling to promote the participant, however as a result of the payment is ridiculously low – simply €2.5m. I’ve written earlier than about Rob, and what lies forward for him at this level of his profession, however that provide is nowhere close to adequate. Clearly should you promote outdoors the Premier League the cash can be decrease, however that doesn’t even come shut.
It stays to be seen if there’s Premier League curiosity in him. I feel he may do an honest job for mid-lower half crew, and I think about he’d be extra inclined to remain in England than go overseas. Then once more, perhaps he’s up for an journey, however for that to occur Besiktas – or whoever else – want to come back again with a a lot better bid than that.
Lastly, when Arteta was requested about potential new arrivals after the sport final evening, he took a leaf from the Huge Ebook of Arsene, and mentioned:
In the mean time we’re working with the group of gamers that’s right here. We’ve nothing to announce but, and when it’s performed you may be the primary to know.
Everyone knows. It’s only a matter of once they’ll be confirmed, however hopefully we are able to try this so the gamers will be a part of the tour the US which leaves on the weekend, I feel. Let’s see what the subsequent couple of days brings.
Proper, that’s it. I’ll have an Arsecast for you this morning, stand by for that – it ought to be out round 10/10.30 or so.
Till then.
