If you did not know, Arsenal fans, the first match of our pre-season schedule will take place against the French club Lens tonight and you can watch the game as it is being streamed live on the Arsenal website and they also have an app so make sure you go to Arsenal.com and are ready for it.
There are three weeks and four more games to go for the Gunners before the opening match of the Premier League season at home to Liverpool, but this is still an important period for Arsene Wenger and for the players to state their case for a part in the serious business to come.
Even at this early stage there is a lot for the manager to consider, especially in the key area of creating and scoring goals. The pressure is on him to sign a striker and with the team facing a tough start without big players like Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and maybe even Alexis Sanchez he will be hoping for some good form from the likes of Theo Walcott and Chuba Akpom and it will be very interesting to see what team Wenger picks to start in Lens.
Will Akpom get the chance in the middle or will Theo be his first choice? Are Campbell and Wilshere fit enough to start? Will Serge Gnabry begin to show that his Arsenal career is not coming to an end. Will Alex Iwobi carry on from where he left off last season?
With no Xhaka or Ramsey I expect Coquelin and Elneny to start but there are other options like Zelalem and we cannot be sure what system Arsenal will play against a Ligue 2 club. The defence is easier I suppose and so this is how I think the Gunners team will look like.
Cech
Chambers, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal
Coquelin, Elneny
Gnabry, Iwobi, Walcott
Akpom
What do you think Gooners, and what do you expect from Arsenal tonight?
Bob.