Bit of a later blog than normal today. Blame it on a couple too many beers last night.
It is not like you I missed much though by being a bit later than normal. There really isn’t much happening in Arsenal-world right now.
Our incoming transfer business is done. I do not expect us to sign anyone else unless someone big leaves. And as it stands Thomas Partey is going nowhere.
Regardless of how it ended, Wenger is an Arsenal legend deserving is his statue.
7 FA Cups, 3 Premier League titles and an unbeaten season. He is a huge reason we are what we are now.
If it was not for Wenger, we could have easily become an Everton level club in the late 90s/early 00s and fallen further behind.
Whenever a new statue is unveiled, it always comes with some fans saying “XYZ player should have a statue”. It is usually George Graham or Rocky and Wrighty.
I agree they should have statues (although Graham did manage that lot). And just because they do not have one now, does not mean they will not get one in the future.
Recently I went to Oslo and they have the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. I walked over an hour from my hotel in Central Oslo to visit it. Around 2 million visit it a year.
I can definitely see a time when we have 15-20 statues around the stadium celebrating legends and key figures in our club. It will then become an “attraction” with fans coming from all over to take a walk around the “Arsenal statue park”.
World’s largest football statue park has some ring to it.
Enjoy your Saturday. Watch cricket and relax. that’s the plan.
I am not sure why, but a couple of weeks ago I read some Arsenal fans questioning the future of Leandro Trossard.
It baffled me, and I still don’t understand the point they were making.
It was something about him not being good enough for us. Not quick enough to play on the wing, not technical enough to play inside and not strong enough to play up top.
With 3 goals in America, he comes home as our “top scorer” for this stage of pre-season.
Trossard is the Mr Versatile in our attack.
He provides brilliant cover and competition for Gabriel Martinelli, can also cover Bukayo Saka and is an option in the middle both as a number 9 and someone to play deeper.
This season Trossard will be a super sub. He has the ability to change a game from the bench.
In America, he showed his fabulous ball striking from the edge of the area. You can certainly see him making an impact to help unlock deep defence.s.
Kai Havertz
He started the tour of America by being kicked by Arsenal fans for his performance in a charity skills challenge.
It was clear to anyone with a brain that he was taking it easy so that Arsenal did not run away with the competition.
In actual games of football, he showed what he is all about.
He did struggle early on as he adapts to Mikel Arteta’s way of playing, but the way he performed against Barcelona shows that he is improving at a rapid rate.
Havertz was influential in that game, a controlling force on the left hand side, and scored a great poachers goal. Granit Xhaka would not have been in the position Havertz was at that far post to tap in.
The German will only grow and get better. He will prove himself to be a fantastic option when we want to be more attacking.
Bukayo Saka
Missed penalty aside, Bukayo Saka was the best player on the pitch everytime he was out there.
If anyone thought last season was just a hot streak, then they are in for a rude awakening.
Saka looks to have added even more to his game, and he is now up there with Mo Salah for his ability to come in off the left and strike the ball.
When he cuts in on the left, he can bend it into the far top corner, or roll it into the bottom. He can smash it hard to the near post or clip over a cross for a teammate. This will keep goal keepers guessing and in that split second of hesitation Saka has scored.
By the end of this season, there will be no discussion. Saka will be the best right winger in the world.
Losers
Olexsandr Zinchenko
Zinny is clearly a wonderful football, but he failed to play a minute in America due to injury.
Last season he had two extended spells on the sidelines with calf problems. Throughout his Manchester City career he has always had niggling problems.
I was concerned when we signed him if he had the “man strength” to play a full Premier League campaign. He had never played more than 1500 minutes in a single Premier League season.
He played 2135 Premier League minutes last season, missing close to 40% of the game time.
Zinchenko’s injuries are a worry and he is not starting this season in a positive manner.
Kieran Tierney
Despite Zinchenko not playing a single game, our other left back in the squad also failed to start a game.
Kiwior, Tomiyasu and Timber all started the 3 US games at left back. Tierney was off the bench on all 3.
Now I get that pre-season is about trying new things out, but you would think our 2nd choice left back would have started at least one game.
Has his lack of starts shown that he is set to leave? And what Arteta was doing was looking at the options to replace him as back up left back this season?
Folarin Balogun
Flo would have been hoping for a staring role in the country of his birth.
He is all about building this “all-American hero” persona, for marketing purposes of course.
Balogun did not see a second of play time during the trip to America. That will disappoint him considering he made the decision to abandon his country for this summers Gold Cup.
He put himself before his nation to focus on pre-season and put himself in the shop window for a big summer move.
Instead, he failed to play a minute in the two more competitive games and when asked why he was not playing, Arteta was short and sharp in his response: “he first needs to be fit and available to play minutes.”
There have been no reports about Balogun being injured, so you have to assume that it is a conditioning issue.
I do not think he will get the big move he hopes for. He will end up at West Ham, Crystal Palace or Fulham. Maybe even a move to Spurs to replace Harry Kane?
So there we have it, our 3 winners and losers from the tour of America.
Ultimately, you can not read a huge amount into individual performances as you never know where a player is in their fitness and development.
On Wednesday we are back in Islington for the game against Monaco, before our final friendly of the season against Manchester City at Wembley.
Have a good Friday.
Keenos
Bukayo Saka signs his new Arsenal contract!
I would honestly be surprised if anyone has a bigger Saka inspired collection than us!
As the second half began, so did the subs with Smith Rowe replacing Havertz. Trossard than have Arsenal the lead for the first time with a brilliant finish across the keeper.
More subs would come as Gabriel went off for Holding. Then the young and exciting Cozier-Dubbery came on for Saka.
On the 88th minute, Barcelona made it 4-3 through Torres before Vieira secured the match with a rocket of a strike.
We win 5-3 after losing to Man U 2-0. Plenty of players got some game time. And we now head back to London for the Emirates Cup and then in 10 days, the Charity Shield.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 