With five pre-season fixtures in our bag and the summer schedule in the rear view mirror, everyone is looking forward to the big Premier League kick-off on Sunday when we face Manchester United.
There are plenty of fresh faces for Mikel Arteta to select from for that trip to Old Trafford, giving him some new weapons at his disposal depending on how he wishes to play.
Adrian Clarke has watched all five matches to see how they've settled in, and what we can expect from them at times during 2025/26:
THE GYOKERES EFFECT
He has only made two starts, but right from the outset, Viktor Gyokeres is providing a new dimension to our attack. Always on the move, looking to run down the side of central defenders, the Swedish international stretched Athletic Club and Villarreal with some explosive running, with and without the ball.
He has a penchant for driving down the left, and this will allow the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Leandro Trossard to slip into infield spaces down that side.
Gyokeres’ style also means we can now play longer passes into space with greater confidence.
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In focus: The Gyokeres show vs Athletic Club](https://www.arsenal.com/news/focus-gyokeres-show-vs-athletic-club?utm_source=arsenaldotcom&utm_medium=embedded-article&utm_campaign=news)
GOING DIRECT
Throughout pre-season, we have seen plenty of our usual pretty passing patterns, but there has also been a clear desire to get the ball forward a little bit earlier.
Seeking out Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in particular, the likes of David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel have all struck several accurate passes over long distances. Whether it is to bypass the opposition press, gain territory quickly, or simply to stretch our rivals, this direct tactic has largely been a success.
Long diagonal switch passes to Saka have really caught the eye, especially early on in games. They have got him onto the ball a bit faster, with opponents unable to double up as easily when he runs at them in a 1v1. This example from our 3-0 win against Athletic Club sees Gabriel pick out Saka with an angled pass. Able to isolate the left-back, he went past him before fashioning a shot on goal.
In addition to causing problems in 1v1s, this type of pass also has the effect of making rival teams drop off by five to 10 yards, for fear of being caught out with a ball over the top. When that happens, it will give our midfielders extra space to pass and move.
STRONG PRESSING
We have become one of the Premier League’s most ferocious pressing outfits under Mikel, and that approach has been evident across all five friendlies. From goal kicks, five Gunners have locked on in advanced areas, squeezing up to apply pressure in unison.
We have also created numerous high turnovers in open play. This example from our victory against Newcastle United in Singapore shows a 5v4 numerical advantage, which forces a loose square pass across his own box from Joelinton. From Trossard’s interception we fashioned a chance for Saka, who hit the target with a bicycle kick.
At home to Villarreal, a terrific press also forced a turnover from a 5v3 in the visitors’ left back domain. Rice regained possession, and just moments later the impressive Max Dowman – who enjoyed four strong substitute appearances this summer - was tripped inside the box to earn a penalty. Pressing remains a key weapon for Arteta’s men.
ONE-TOUCH CROSSES
Nine top-flight teams registered more successful open play crosses than us last term, so this is something the squad appears to have worked on in pre-season. Catching defenders off-guard with earlier deliveries is often the best way to be productive, and we have had some joy in that department.
Our first goal of pre-season stemmed from a one-touch Kiwior cross for Saka against AC Milan, with the Pole hitting the ball first-time from a gentle setback:
We saw a very similar pattern against Athletic Club when Martin Zubimendi whipped an unplayable cross straight onto the head of Gyokeres. It was a wonderful goal, created and scored by two of our stellar summer signings.
MIDFIELD MODIFICATIONS
We only have a small sample size, but in pre-season Rice seems to be playing as more of an orthodox central midfielder. Dropping deeper to receive passes, he and Zubimendi forged an interchangeable double pivot against Athletic Club, and it was a tactic which worked outstandingly well.
Left-back Calafiori took up left-sided no. 8 positions in that contest, allowing Rice to get more frequent touches of the ball as we played through the thirds. The knock-on effect has led to Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri (who have both looked sharp) taking up more central no. 10 positions, instead of heavily leaning towards the right.
From the middle of the pitch, Odegaard exchanged passes with Gyokeres before lobbing a great through ball over the top for Martinelli to chase in our Emirates Cup triumph, who set up Saka for a quality goal.
WHITE & SAKA IN SYNC
With Jurrien Timber being gently nursed back from long-term injury, Ben White has enjoyed plenty of game time this summer, and he’s made the most of that opportunity.
The right-back combined magnificently with Saka in each of his appearances, either flying around him on the overlap or slipping passes in behind the last line:
With the English duo looking so smooth in their combination play, White must be a contender to start against Manchester United on Sunday. It feels as if Timber and White will provide great competition for one another in 2025/26.
SET-PIECES TAKE SHAPE
All eyes have been on set-piece coach Nicolas Jover to see how he will develop our successful dead-ball strategy. First surfacing against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong, we have seen some corner kicks that begin with five players lined up on the edge of the 18-yard box:
Hard to mark in those starting positions, three or four of those attackers have then made late runs into the danger zone from distance. We have not scored from one yet, but it is an interesting concept that we could utilise in 2025/26, or maybe we have other tricks up our sleeve.
New midfielder Christian Norgaard has already made his presence felt from dead-ball situations, scoring with a quality far-post header against Villarreal. No individual had more chances from set-pieces in 2024/25 than the former Brentford man, so he will be another great asset for us at corners and wide free-kicks.
LAST WORD
Losing a couple of friendlies was not ideal, but vital lessons will have been learned from the way we conceded goals in those matches. Pleasingly, all six of our new signings have settled in very well, and the team saved their best, most comprehensive performance, for the last contest against Athletic Club.
The quality of our football in that clash should provide the group with lots of confidence ahead of our opening weekend trip to Old Trafford.
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