Well that results has put a few people on their places…

I have not really understood the negativity around Arsenal this summer. We have spent close to £150m, signed a fantastic new left winger and one of the best midfielders in the league. We have also kept hold of key players.

Last season we won the league. And we would have won it comfortable were it not for key players getting injured – remember, we had the second most injuries of any Premier League club.

Despite being Champions, and strengthening, many fans and pundits were writing us off. All because we missed out on Vinicius Jr.

Meanwhile, every one of our title rivals has lost key players. From Rodri to Cucerella, Mo Salah to Bernardo Silva, our opponents have lost leaders. We have not.

The most laughable criticism has been that aimed at Andrea Berta.

On social media, a small minority have fans have begun getting very noisy about our Director of Football and calling for him to be sacked. These same people have probably spent the last 4 years shouting “Arteta Out”.

The only conclusion I come to is these people are unhappy, and will always look for someone to abuse at Arsenal. We win the league, they can no longer criticise Arteta so go onto Berta. We win again next season, they will probably move onto the Kroenke’s, the medical department or Gunnersaurus. They will always find someone to try and reflect their own misery onto.

So we won 3-nil, against Man City’s strongest XI, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi being on the bench, and William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Martinelli not being in the Squad.

Myles Lewis Skelly showed that he is ready to play more in midfield. Martin Odegaard looked sharp. And Christos Tzolis looks like he could become the signing of the season.

On the Greek-man, it is interesting.

Having missed out on Vinicius Jr, a lot of online wannabe scouts have moaned that we would not be buying the best left wingers available. We should be targeting the next Vinicius Jr, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola. Is that not what we have done with Tzolis?

At just 24, he looks ready to explode into superstardom. A mixture of Leandro Trossard and Santi Cazorla with some Alexis Sanchez thrown in. He has looked scintillating in preseason and the only way is up. Why a find.

So we lift the shield. I am very much in the “glorified friendly” camp. Same with the European Super Cup and Word Club Cup. But teams and fans are increasingly putting value on these.

Were the Community Shield named the “English Super Cup”, I wonder if it would be viewed differently. We now have 18 of them, and Arteta has won his 3rd.

For Super Mik, that is now 1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup and 3 Community Shields. More will come and I am here for it.

UTA

Keenos

There is a lot to like about Jarell Quansah.

Still only 23, he is homegrown with top level experience in both the Premier League and Bundesliga at centre back and right back.

At 6 3, Quansah is strong and athletic. He is is very good in buildup, comfortable under pressure, receiving from the keeer and progressing the ball through the midfield. He is certainly a lot closer to what William Saliba gives us compared to Cristian Mosquera.

A rumoured fee of £40-45m feels a lot more sensible than the £70m Aston Villa are demanding for Ezri Konsa, who is nearly 29.

Quansah has the added bonus of also having played a lot of games at right back. I still expect Ben White to stay, but Quansah would give us additional cover there.

Mosquera has shown himself as more of a Gabriel than a Saliba. A player who wants to be aggressive, feel contact and attack the ball. Defences are all about partnerships and we have seen in pre-season that Gabriel and Mosquera doesn’t really work. I think the Spaniard will move to the left side and become Gabriel’s understudy.

Some will say “Marli Salmon deserved a chance”. No. He is just 16. Let him continue to develop. He is the future. But he is not ready now. Let him make his mistakes in the U21 and then out on loan. He has another 4 or 5 years of development ahead of him.

Keenos

Said El Mala is a player who came onto my radar when looking into what young wingers we might recruit this summer.

Now I am still reluctant to go into this season with Christos Tzolis and a young, raw talent. That feel like a backwards step in comparison to having two Premier League proven stars last season in Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

However, the proven left wingers currently available on the market do not excite me. They have all proved that they are either not at Martinelli’s level, or not a big enough upgrade for the price they will cost.

So we return back to looking at “the next big thing”.

Fans have pointed out that we had opportunities to sign the likes of Kvaratskhelia, Barcola and Doue when they went to PSG. That perhaps we do then need to look at “the next big talent” of an oven ready talent is not on the market.

El Mala was expected to move to Dortmund this summer. But the deal fell through at the back end of last week.

The 19-year old German is considered one of the hottest young Bundesliga talents and someone that Jurgen Klopp may consider promoting as he looks to bring through the next generation and revitalise the national team.

Quick, strong and direct, his ability in 1v1 situations would be an upgrade on Martinelli. He reminds me a lot of Alexis Sanchez in the way he likes to pick up the ball and drive towards the goal.

This could be one to keep an eye on…

Keenos