During the post game interview, Mikel Arteta was very aggressive in his defence of Emile Smith Rowe.

Asked if he is determined to keep Smith Rowe despite Aston Villa’s interest, Arteta said: “Without a question, yes. He will stay here, 100 per cent”.

When asked about Joe Willock’s future, his answer was a little more wet.

“Joe is part of our plans, he’s our player and in the time that he is here we will try to make the most out of him.”

Willock was fantastic at Newcastle scoring 8 goals in his 14 league games. In his short spell for them he fell in love with the city and Newcastle fans fell in love with him.

The feeling is he wants to return to Newcastle.

At 21 he needs to make decisions in the best interest of his career.

He can stay at the club he grew up supporting, and continue to be a bit part player or he can join someone like Newcastle and get regular first team football.

In the 6 months in the North East, Willock started 11 Premier League games. In the 4 seasons he was part of Arsenal’s first team, he started just 12.

Were he to stay at Arsenal, he would still be a fringe player. Behind the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and any new signings to play in his preferred advanced midfield.

At Newcastle he would be straight back in the first team. Playing week in week out.

Newcastle fans will cheer his name from day one. Already giving him hero status after he saved them from relegation. The air is different at Arsenal. Fans will grumble when his name is on the team sheet. The online abuse that he is not good enough will not go away.

It is easy to understand why he might want a move away. To really kick start his senior career.

The stumbling block is whether Arsenal and Newcastle can come to a deal.

Everything is up in the air at St James’ as the potential takeover by a Saudi consortium heads for the courts.

With everything going on, it would be surprising if any big transfers were “signed off”.

You also have the impact that Covid19 has had on finances.

A loan deal for Willock is more likely, with an obligation to buy.

I think this summer you will see a lot of deals done on loan with an agreement to buy next summer (similar to Matteo Guendouzi’s move to Marseille). This benefits both clubs:

1) The buying club can ick the debt down the road knowing that in 12 months time they would have had a 2^nd full year of season ticket money.

2) The selling club can access the funds they are due by selling it on to a factoring company.

So if Arsenal agree to loan Willock to Newcastle with a fee of £20million agreed in 12 months, Arsenal could sell that debt to a finance company for £19million which they would get immediately.

In 12 months time, Newcastle would owe that £20million to the finance company who would make an easy £1million on the deal. It is something that happens regularly in football when teams pay in instalments.

So do not be surprised if over the next week Willock joins Newcastle on loan, with a small upfront payment and an obligation to buy next summer.

Arsenal then sell the debt, in the same way they would have done with the incoming Guendouzi fee, and boost their own transfer funds.

I would be very surprised if Willock is not playing in black and white next summer.

Keenos

Imagine if Twitter was around in 2003…

In Arsenal’s first pre-season friendly of the season they lost 1-0 to Peterborough, who were playing in the 3^rd tier of English football at the time.

Next up was a boring 0-0 draw against Barnet. Arsenal gave a trial to Kolo Toure’s younger brother. He was awful. Twitter would have gone mental had we signed him. Luckily we didn’t.

Then it was off to Austria.

Why are we hiding away in the hills of the alps rather than going to America, China or Singapore? Club is a disgrace not taking the club around the world so other fans can get to see us play.

First game in Austria was a 2-2 draw against a team called SC Ritzing. I am not even sure if they are professional.

2-0 down at half time and fans are beginning to question why we have not signed anyone yet. An 85^th minute Freddie Ljungberg penalty snatched a draw.

Following the bottling of the league the season before, Twitter is in uproar after 3 games without a win. #WengerOut is trending.

We finally get our first win of pre-season at the 4^th attempt as we struggle to a 2-0 victory over Austria Wein and followed this up with a 1-0 win against Besiktas.

Back to London for a game against St Albans and fans are in uproar online and in the stands. Wenger Out banners held aloft.

Despite a 3-1 win against the non-league side, Arsenal fans are furious. The club have made just one senior signing – German goal keeper Jens Lehmann who can not even get in the German squad.

A 1-1 draw against Celtic is followed up by a 2-2 draw against Belgium side Beveren. We can not even beat the side we send our African players to until they get their work permit.

ITS TIME TO GOOOOOOO.

By the time we beat Rangers – in our last pre season friendly, we have added 3 young defenders to the squad – 2 Swiss players called Phillipe Senderos and Johan Djourou and a French kid called Gael Clichy.

This could be the season that lot up the road finish above us. They have spent big, adding Portuguese wonderkid Hélder Postiga, as well as Bobby Zamora, Frédéric Kanouté and Jermaine Defoe. They probably have the best striking options in Europe now.

They also sign Michael Brown who will add quality to the middle of the park. Our only midfield edition ends up some 15 year old Spanish kid from Barcelona. He needs a hair cut.

Fans are fed up. Calling Arsenal a joke of a club. David Dein should go. As should Wenger.

Last season he said we could go unbeaten. It shows he has lost his mind. Can not even beat an Austrian amateur team.

Harry Redknapp is available. Get him in.

Keenos

Every season we lose a pre-season friendly I find myself writing the same thing. THE RESULTS DO NOT MATTER.

Pre-season is all about slowly increasing your fitness back to a proper match level.

The thing with pre-season is you are often at a different stage of your preparation in comparison to your opponents. And it this can be further exaggerated if playing a foreign side.

For all intents and purposes, Hibernian were 2 weeks ahead of Arsenal when it came to match fitness.

The SPL begins on 31st July, whilst the Premier League does not start until 2 weeks later – Arsenal’s first game being on 13th August.

Hibs returned to pre-season training on 28th. Arsenal players on July 7th.

So you have a Hibs side who have been back for over 2 weeks, whilst Arsenal have been back for just 5.

This was also Hibs 4th pre-season game against Arsenal’s first.

And it was not really a bad performance by Arsenal.

A mistake from the kid in goal for their first (que the bellends abusing him already) and their second was offside.

We then missed a penalty before a late consolation.

They certainly looked more “up for it” and were quicker to the ball and harder in the tackle. A few naughty ones left on Arsenal players highlighted that this was a big game for them, and a training run out for Arsenal.

Ultimately it was a good run out for the lads and the result really does not matter.

Keenos