Arsenal brought their pre-season campaign to a close with a 2-0 win over Lyon in the Emirates Cup on Sunday.
Arsenal had a busy pre-season period, which included a tour of the US. Not only that, but Mikel Arteta and his players also got back to work early.
Before the official start of pre-season, Arteta hosted a training camp in Marbella. There was also plenty of work done away from the training pitch, as the manager was keen to use this time to bring his squad together.
Arteta encouraged his Arsenal players to bond, and took action to prompt connections to forge within the group.
However, even if attention was only paid to what went on during the friendly matches, there were still plenty of lessons to learn about Arsenal over the course of the summer.
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New set-piece routines
Both of the Gunners’ goals came from corners against Lyon. On each occasion, Declan Rice delivered the ball into the box for one of Arsenal’s centre-backs to head home. William Saliba nodded in the first, before Gabriel Magalhaes grabbed the second.
Arsenal were dangerous from set-pieces last season, and that trend looks set to continue. However, there does appear to have been a tweak. For instance, Rice aimed the majority of his corners to the far post, where Arsenal had amassed an overload of players. Last season, the Gunners were far more likely to target the near post.
This change shows that set-piece coach Nicolas Jover is still evolving and remains vital to Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta shows faith in Ayden Heaven
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly grabbed most of the attention and headlines, but Arteta also showed faith in teenage centre-back Ayden Heaven. The 17-year-old is still a long way from competitive first team action, but is highly thought of within the Hale End academy system, and the manager has clearly taken note of his impressive attributes.
Jorginho shows signs of decline
Jorginho was hugely important to Arsenal last season. His experience and leadership make him a prominent figure in the dressing room, and at his best he can still provide a vital function in the middle of the park.
In the past, Arteta has described Jorginho as the most intelligent player he has ever worked with. The Italian will still have his footballing brain, but his body is beginning to fail him. Even in pre-season, Jorginho has looked to struggle with the pace of matches at times.
This could simply be a case of him needing a few more outings to build up his sharpness, or it could be a sign that he is heading into an irreversible decline.
Gabriel Jesus has a point to prove
This summer, Gabriel Jesus convinced Arteta that he can still be a key player for the Gunners. The Brazilian striker certainly needs to improve on his showing from last season, when he only netted four Premier League goals. He also needs to prove that he can stay fit.
The former Manchester City man has a point to prove, and his form in pre-season has suggested that he is up for the fight.
Fabio Vieira is not the answer to Bukayo Saka problem
In the first half of the Gunners’ recent friendly against Bayer Leverkusen, Fabio Vieira started on the right flank ahead of Bukayo Saka. Over the course of his 45 minutes on the pitch the Portuguese ace was a largely peripheral figure.
Tucked away on the right wing, Vieira lacks the space he needs to roam and seek opportunities to create opportunities. On top of that, he also lacks the pace to beat his opponent in a one-on-one duel.
Arteta needs to find a back up option for Saka, but Vieira is not that player. If the former Porto man is to have a long-term future at the Emirates Stadium then he needs to nail down a role that suits him.
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