There is some concern among the Arsenal fans about the chances of the Gunners firing from the get go and starting the Premier League season well, with good reason as well after we lost Per Mertesackerand Jack Wilshere to injury problems after already having to do without Danny Welbeck, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny.
Being Arsenal, though, and having a place in the Champions League group stage every year as well as hoping to do well in the three domestic competitions, Arsene Wenger needs a large squad with strength in depth, so the Frenchman will have been pleased that the players he does have available for the start of the EPL season have been doing so well in pre-season.
After the Gunners destroyed the Norwegian side Viking FK by eight goals without reply last night, and that was without Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and new boy Granit Xhaka playing, Wenger played down the result but talked up the importance of the pace and physical aspects of the match against a club well into their own league season.
He told Arsenal Player, “What was very pleasing was that we played at the pace we wanted to play and we were very quick. Our collective game was very good and we were able to give confidence to all the players.
“Some of the players who needed a goal scored a goal, we didn’t have any injuries, Santi Cazorla had 90 minutes, so it was a positive night for us. The score is the score and we do not take too much from that. What is important is that we focus on the way we want to play football and we did that well.
“At this stage I’m looking at how ready we are physically, how fit we are physically, how well we play the game we want to play, our mobility, the quality of our movement and passing, and the quality of our penetrations in the final third.
“I’m also very pleased with the focus, the dedication and the unity of the group. I look at that a lot and also how good the spirit is because we know that will be vital in the Premier League and we need to be strong mentally. How united we behave, how much we take care of every detail when it comes to performing will be vital.”
Even without some of the key players, will Arsenal be too strong for Liverpool next Sunday?