**Arsenal**rounded off their preseason prep with a 3-0 win over **Athletic Club**to clinch the Emirates Cup. Much more important than the trophy are the bonds built on the field, and fans would have been delighted to see Mikel Arteta talk about two midfielders acting as a "complement" in their success.
‘A different kind of threat’
Efficiency in both boxes is the topic that decides duels of football. The manager made clear his group got the detail right on this occasion, and they earned a three goal triumph at the Emirates Stadium.
“Yes. Especially with the result because we did a lot of things very well on Wednesday, but we did a few things that cost us goals in a really naive way. Today, we eradicated that much better and I am very happy with some big performances individually against a Champions League opponent.”
The first goal of the game went to Viktor Gyökeres. It should be the first of many in North London.
“Yes. For sure: that goal is always very important, the way he took it was really, really well.”
The striker scored 97 times in 102 matches for Sporting. He might have been facing frailer defences for most of his time in Portugal, but Arteta assessed why his strengths should translate to England.
“His goals, his threat, I think he pins both center backs. He's a player that in the moment you leave him with the space, one against one, he's going to destroy you. So he’s going to create a lot of space as well for us. The moment that in any situation there is a player there who can score a goal.”
Gabriel Jesus and **Kai Havertz**had earned the trust of the Spaniard as central forwards in his setup since 2022. The Swedish striker should contribute a different dynamic to the offence with his profile.
“It’s going to add a different kind of threat and options to score goals from situations that we didn't have the opportunity to do so. There is a real value there for us. His movement, the way he times his runs, the way he predicts the next move and where the space can be and the ball is going to land.”
Jesus is absent with an ACL injury for a few more months. However, Havertz will still be an asset for the squad: he scored a goal off the bench and could operate in the midfield or along with Gyökeres.
“I think we have some big performances. We developing certain connections with the new players, Kai Havertz coming in as well. The goal he scored I think it was top as well. So everybody raising the level is going to help us because at that level we're going to need our very best from everybody.”
Another acquisition, Noni Madueke, moved onto the left flank in place of Gabriel Martinelli. The £52 million man has been under fire as a former **Chelsea**attacker, but he has the backing of his boss.
“You can tell the quality every time he's on the ball in and around the box and 1 v 1. The ball lands to a player in our colour inside the box and that's a massive quality to have. He can play left and right.”
Leandro Trossard, who has traded the role of the left winger with Martinelli, has been one of the most respected finishers on the side. He should be available soon after suffering from a groin injury.
“I think it's going to be in a few days. He had a little niggle in his groin but he should be fine.”
‘You’re constantly learning and evolving’
Another major difference from the defeat to **Villarreal**was the balance in the middle of the park.
In midweek, Christian Nørgaard sat at the base of the midfield, and Mikel Merino played to his left. In this game, Martin Zubimendi, the £55 million arrival from Real Sociedad, sat as the six, and Declan Rice was closer to him in a double pivot than he has been in some appearances as the eight.
“Yes. Especially with the qualities they have and the way they can complement each other in that space. We saw another evolution today and things the team can really benefit from to be much more unpredictable and to become much more of a threat especially from these inside positions.”
Arteta was also happy with how his men were willing to be direct and hit the last line of their guests.
*“Having threat from all areas of the pitch in the last line is a weapon we need to continue to develop and it can be from David Raya, it can be from the last line, it can be from people playing on the base and we had from many situations a lot of feeling at we can attack their backs and be very dangerous.”*
Different ideas and relationships will be part of the process of maximising the options in the squad. Martin Odegaard, Ethan Nwaneri, and **Max Dowman**can all act as the number ten from the right, while **Riccardo Calafiori**came in for **Myles Lewis-Skelly**and he bombed forward from left back.
But the 43-year-old embraces having so many selection headaches. He has to put up with a string of injuries to the pillars of his starting eleven last season and shall try to manage minutes better this year.
“This is exactly what we need. We never had the demands that we have this season in terms of the competition we have to play in the amount of games already that these guys have to play. So, this is very much needed. It is nothing different to any of the top teams in this country. Nothing different.”
Preseason ends with three wins, against AC Milan, Newcastle United, and Athletic Club, and two losses, to Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal. But results are not the be-all and end-all at this stage of the schedule. The manager mentioned how his players pulled up their physical standards this summer.
“I think on the physical part, we are in a really good place. I think we have competed against very different opponents in different contexts in different countries. It's been a really complete preseason.”
He will take the lessons from these five fixtures to finish the preparation for the trip to Man United.
“You're constantly learning and evolving the team. That's not going to stop because this is the last test of preseason. On Monday we continue to work on things we have to develop and improve and things we want to do, the integration of new players to make sure we create a bond and spirit in the team.”