Arsenal continued their preparation for the new Premier League season by taking on Aston Villa in a friendly game earlier today.
The Gunners have been busy in the transfer window and after signing the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and Willian in this window, Mikel Arteta will be hoping that they will fit into his philosophy ahead of the new season.
The Spaniard has won the Community Shield this season already but none of his new signings featured in the win over Liverpool and neither was there a space for the likes of Mesut Ozil.
If they are to be involved from Arsenal’s first game, it was important that these players played a warm-up game with their teammates and the Gunners organised the game against Villa.
The match ended in a 3-2 win for Villa, here are some things you need to know.
Mesut Ozil might be back in the starting XI soon
Ozil has been axed from the Arsenal first team since the start of the year and he didn’t play a single minute on the restart of the Premier League, but he featured in the game.
Aubameyang keeps showing his importance
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains a key player for the Gunners and he proved that yet again in the game with two goals for the club.
Arsenal has a big squad
Despite missing some key players who are on international duty, Arsenal still managed to field the likes of Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe, Mohamed Elneny, Joe Willock and Emiliano Martinez.
Lets see how Arteta uses Ozil. I know before the lock down,Ozil started a lot of games but didn’t start any game after the lock and we were impressive nonetheless. Well it all depends on the manager and the formation he wants to deploy but I feel away from home esp against a decent side, we won’t be needing ozil… against smaller teams that love to sit back and defend tight, we may need his creativity if we can still find some of them
Whatever the case maybe, we want harmony in the team and we want a good start to the new season and ensure the team and crew are ready for the task ahead
I figured there was going to be some kind of match review in this article on how individual players fared. I honestly would have liked to know how ozil played in his first game back since post covid lock down. Would have liked to know how Willian fared in his first game for us. Also would have liked to know how we shipped in 6 goals in the last 2 matches, even though they were friendlies. We have a large squad, good to know, but can they do the job when the other players are not available? I hope we do not have an injury crisis but this almost feels like playing with one, I really would like for our subs to be able to put in a good shift even when we’re without certain first team players. 6 goals in 2 games doesn’t bode well. I hope that ends in pre season.
Kstix, fair comment, particularly given the quality/status of the opposition, even though friendlies, the goals against column is a concern.
Hopefully it ends in pre-season
Shipping 6 goals in 2 games is a worry, Kstix…especially when you think it was against QPR and Villa!!
Well hopefully we’ll fare better on Saturday! At least we have some players to return from international duty – phew!! 😅
Just saw that the spuds lost 2-1 to Watford yesterday and West Ham lost 5-3 to Bournemouth!!
Sue i wouldnt read to much into the score line and I’m definitely not worries about shipping 6 goals in 2 behind closed doors friendly games
👍 Next week is when it matters!
Haha Sue, let’s just hope they didn’t want to wear themselves out before the start of the new season was why they didn’t really try to defend. Hopefully we will be up and running in the Fulham game.
Yes, fingers crossed! Looking forward to it 👍 Roll on!!
Unfortunately as it was behind closed doors, information on the game is rather scant but I do know one of Aubameyang‘s goals was a penalty. I think the game was more about attaining match fitness than anything else but shipping goals like we are is a big worry.
Exactly! for the 2 games there was a lot of young players including defenders,first game for Saliba, yesterday was the first game for players like Pepe,Ceballos,Wilian…. others like Eddie,AMN,Saka…didn’t play so it is completely pointless to make assumptions or conclusions !
Let’s hope the players are ready for the new season and the goals shipped in where just 2 one-off games
What this game does prove, is that nobody can predict 100%. what MA is going to do.
It seems that the only player who is still being given the cold shoulder is a certain Guendouzi and I cannot see any future for him at the club now.
It is a pity that we couldn’t see any of the game, but next week is when the businesses end starts.
We might have two new signings, Auba confirmed and three /four players transferred out.
Gouendouzi was captaining the France under 21s ken, no cold shoulder as you put it. He may or may not be on the way out but he cant play in two places at once. Plus the game was a friendly again so results are unimportant but the run out is.
I believe Arteta is a pragmatic coach.He wont channel all the scoring thru Abu. It will be folly to depend on one guy all or most of the time.Wright was the main attacking threat during his time.
So once he was stifled by 2/3 defenders,Arsenal became impotent.
Spot on! As much as we love Aubameyang we should not depend on him this much.
James, your basic premise regarding Aubameyang is correct; however Ian Wright in his latter years played along side one Dennis Bergkamp, who did score the odd goal.
I would like to see Lacazette and our other forwards score on the regular basis. God forbid Aubemayang get injured I am afraid where will our goals come from.
I hope the loss to Villa at the Ems by Arsenal though in a friendly match but nevertheless showed something needed correcting in the team before Arsenal opener away to Fulham in the PL next Saturday.
An Arsenal’s season opening match the Gunners dare not lose nor drawm. Therefore, Mikel Arteta should hurry up to fix whatever needed fixing in the team and fix it very fast and properly to make the necessary corrections to the team, so that it doesn’t loose to fall away during Arsenal match at Craven Cottage against Fulham.
I don’t want to insinuate any insinuations. but a Gunner who was axed from the team after the lock-down played for Arsenal in the friendly. But Arsenal lost the match. Did that loss tells us something to do with bad luck that Arsenal should be avoiding to have in the team for their matches next season?
If we have a bad game Fulham are gonna lose three nil. If we have a good game I don’t see us scoring less than five.
HH, like a lot of people, you under rate how tough the Championship is.
Fulham will be fighting for their lives and there are no easy games in the EPL.
I don’t underrate the Championship it is my favorite after the Premier League. May be one will say I am overrating our strength but I don’t see anything less than a humiliating defeat of Fulham.
I hope the loss to Villa at the Ems by Arsenal though in a friendly match did not cause any damage to Mikel Arteta in his Arsenal plans, but nevertheless showed something needed correcting in the team before Arsenal opener away to Fulham in the PL next Saturday.
An Arsenal’s season opening match the Gunners dare not lose nor drawn. Therefore, Mikel Arteta should hurry up to fix whatever needed fixing in the team and fix it very fast and properly to make the necessary corrections to the team, so that it doesn’t loose to fall away during Arsenal match at Craven Cottage against Fulham.
I don’t want to insinuate any insinuations. but a Gunner who was axed from the team after the lock-down played for Arsenal in the friendly. But Arsenal lost the match. Did that loss tells us something to do with bad luck that Arsenal should be avoiding to have in the team for their matches next season?
Weather friendly or competative match, losing is biter, those lads in the field should ajust to the coach way of play and learn to be never die atitude, everyone team member should try to be a game changer in his position, such laxity that drewd the club back in recent time will not be tolarated
“biter”, was Suarez trialling for Arsenal? 😁🤔
Our U23s played a friendly against the spuds, at their training ground. Ended 2-2… Balogun and George Lewis with the goals..
Sue, scores the OD goal does our Balogun.
What’s the situation on balagon contract?
There are about 8 or 9 clubs interested in him, Kenya… failed to reach an agreement, so will have to sell him now or lose him for nothing next summer..
Sue, asking price is reportedly £8 million. Any contract better have buy back and sell on clauses. 💷🙄
Too right, Ozzie!!!
I think Arsenal need a very strong DM in the mode of Party because we are too light in the middle and sincerely even though our match was friendly, am not happy with the result at all, conceding 6 goals in 2 games with our promising defenders too… It is not encouraging at all, we still need to work on that defence and our midfield…. Arsenal are not depending on Aubameyang but his pace and position is the one helping him to score most of our goals, other attackers too need to work hard and score goals for us. … Best of luck in the coming season…..Up gunners.
It would be delusional to think Saliba will be World Class from day 1 and he along with Gabriel will add the defensive steel immediately cutting the goals we concede. The truth is it might not be till Jan next year that we will actually see the two pairing this season. Once Mari is recovered, he is more probable to take a place in the team.
Arsenal is poor in the Midfield, they badly need a physical dominant ball winner and player like Partey . He has the pace to curtail counter attacks(which Xhaka badly lacks ) and physicality ,technique to win balls all over the midfield. If we have only 1 purchase to make it is definitely Partey and not Aour at this moment . I would be glad to have them both , but knowing Stan and Arsenal i am just hoping they bring in Partey.
👍
I’m not reading anything into the score line at all. It’s like playing in the international games right now – nobody wants to get injured before the season starts in earnest
Come the 12th and we ship goals, then I’ll be concerned but warm ups and experiments are what it’s all about now.
@SueP Good point there. Could also be Arteta is trying new formations and whatnot. So I am not worried about the goals either.
We have proved we can play good against Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea when it mattered.
Exactly deluded
Arsenal women kick off their campaign today – good luck to them 👍
Great win 👏
I remember smashing pre-season friendlies in the past then having an awful start to the season.
Friendlies mean nothing and even better that they are away from cameras so players can avoid unnecessary scrutiny and prepare in peace.
Spurs lost 2-1 to Watford too yesterday.
Good for MA for not holding the grudge. Regardless of personal feelings everybody should think of Arsenal’s well being first. Artera is smart enough to know that he needs more creativity up front. Hopefully he will make an exception and play to Ozil’s strength. That’s a sign of success to come.
Along with strength, comes the weaknesses.
i read basically the same thing here from multiple ppl, MA must do this and do that we need to correct this we shipped 3 goals against Villa blah blah blah.
Jesus ppl get over it!
its a pre season friendly in a time that over half our 1st team squad is away with their national teams!
Some players have only just come back from Holiday, quarentine, trip to the moon etc.
Results don’t mean sod all, its about getting players sharp for the season opener and nothing else.
IMHO Internationals should have been delayed by 2 weeks instead of having them this week.
all the games i watched were pretty crap and really boring, england were well off the pace.
Playing competitive games like that before players are upto the standard required to compete is stupid, they could have extended the next international break and added these 2 fixtures there
A big squad with a massive hole in the middle?
You either fill the hole or find a way around it. Mikel has already done that. Arsenal are going back to their birthright place.
Maxcat, Arsenal has become a “doughnut” (with a hole in the middle or a chocolate covered marshmallow, hard on the outside, soft in the middle.