Nice way to spend a summer's evening watching us play Liverpool in my adopted home town of Philadelphia.

Great atmosphere....70,000 sell out enthusiastic crowd....if I had to guess about 55:45 in favour of Pool. Not sure how many of that 70k were ,like me, at Wembley 54 years ago to watch the cup-final...very few I expect!

Pretty competitive for a pre season....thought they shaded the first...scored two decent goals....first should have been avoided/would have been if William S was playing... but (until mass substitutions)we were far the better in the second without really threatening their gk

Our best player(and on the pitch)was Odegard....sharp,intelligent...looks on top of his game... the rest didn't tell me anything much ....Havertz looked a bit ponderous/rusty but scored....Zinny...some terrific cross field passing marred by defensive lapses....Jesus huffed and puffed but little product....Nelson...he's not got it at the level we seek....not worth persevering with ....Partey was tidy in midfield but occasinal brain fart...

Good workout though for the lads

Thanks for that Andy - appreciated.

I thought you moved back to England? I was in Philly this past January for a quick visit to see family. Only way I'd move back is if I had to for family sake.

So for fun let’s say..

Out

Eddie 23
Kiwior 25 loan with obligation
Emile Smith Rowe 27 (done)
Biereth 4 (done)
Nelson leaves on loan (can’t see anyone going for him)
Patino 2

82 million quid ish in the coffers

In

Raya 27 ( or would he count against last years)
Merino 25
Calafiori 37
Striker 70 (speculating)
Winger 50 (speculating)

209m Hmmn that’s a 127 net spend I can’t see that given our recent spends in the summer (although last summer was 133m)

Feels like it’s either going to be a wide player or a striker but probably not both unless we can sell Nelson or Zinchenko which looks unlikely. After Merino the next transfer will be the most interesting as it’s the attempt at a needle mover.

Nice write up Andy, thanks! Right we need a forum correspondent at each game now please!

“But were you at the cup final 54 years ago??” is a pretty unbeatable flex!!

Bit “name droppy” on my part…..maybe I am sub consciously trying to burnish/promote how long I’ve supported the team “look at me I’m a good supporter”
Suspect Parker Knoll DHD OMOH could put me in my place

Calafiori looks a right unit. Can't see him being bullied by anyone.

It feels like the absence of a proper 9 is something that needs resolving.

Jesus and Havertz are not the answer.

I think it’s a striker or winger but not both. Depending which we sign will determine where Jesus plays most of his minutes.
Right now the defence is set even if we move on Kiwior. The playmaking defensive midfielder is the big move I’d like us to make. Sign a top class player there and a striker and we’re set for the season.
Really interesting how much Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly are involved this year. Thinking of players who occupied the bench last year who will almost certainly not be there this year….Elneny, Cédric, Emile Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Nelsen there feels like there is space in the squad for them.
If we get Merino and follow that up with Zubimendi and Gyokeres (£130m combined) I’d be very happy.

Hey Rich, I'm a big fan of Zirkzee, very dynamic and I think he's tailor made for our style of pacey attackers. That said, I'm hoping he's not successful with them. Hojland is injured I think, isn't he? So, he may get more minutes that anticipated. He is a regular on the bench for them. That's huge. He'll be subbed in supposedly a lot, that's huge. We can't offer him that. My worry for him personally is at 16, usually you have either be physically ready (Wayne Rooney) or gifted enough way beyond your years if you aren't (Fabregas).

Can't fall the lad. Huge club, promised to be 3rd striker at 16, money, it would turn any great young player's head.

There are 2 or 3 on this site that will try.

Thanks for the write up Andy. Haven’t been to Philly yet must visit.

Off stateside tomorrow to San Diego. Ever been? Little known fact, San Diego was Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina.

I’ m sure you get a respected veteran statesman pass, not that you’d necessarily want it!! You’re as young as you feel…

I was in San Diego a few years ago… stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado which was terrific.
My recollections are : the climate/ weather was fabulous
Downtown SD … the Gaslight district is crammed with bars restaurants etc… great buzz
Forgetting the rights and wrongs of caged animals the SD Zoo is terrific

Farewell Emile Smith Rowe
Sad to see you go, but all the better for all parties

May you get lots of goals for Fulham, except when playing against us

We've got our defender and midfielder. All of a sudden we are linked to multiple strikers. My guess is we are playing one club against the other. We have our list and making sure we are linked to someone else to get our price.

I know its preseason but both Liverpool and Man Utd look better. Liverpool's 3-0 preseason win wasn't as definitive as the scoreline may have indicated. Man Utd were very unlucky not to score minimum 2 or 3 goals.

I'm curious to see how Villa do this season. They have managed to keep their main players I think and have added. Man City hasn't strengthened and look likely to lose Alvarez but they are still one of the 2 or 3 best clubs in the world as is.

Defensively at full strength we are better. We could stand to use a top striker or a good one. Nketiah was a useful sub. Jesus seems back to his original self and I have a suspicion we'll see the previous best out of him close to his first 6 months. We have decent multiple scoring options anyway. Saka, Ødegaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz, Jesus. Yes, we could use a number 9 but we should be able to put 2 or more past almost the entire league.

We already had the best defense. Strange saying that about an Arsenal side for some time. With additions in our back line and midfield its better. It's the nil nil games against the likes of Villa, Newcastle, Brighton, etc with low block etc that we'll have to figure out. And its the defense when we play Liverpool, Tottenham, Man Utd, City and Chelsea we'll have to keep scorlines to niil or 1.

I can understand us not pulling the trigger yet on Osimhen or Gyokeres.

Both would be very expensive and whilst Osimhen is a powerful player with lots of attributes we crave (height, power, pace etc) he is not the most clinical.

Meanwhile Gyokeres has been scoring and making bucketloads of goals and assists but in a much weaker league. He looks a clinical finisher but could he replicate that in the PL?.

The overall package for either would be huge, more so for Osimhen, and it would still be a big gamble.

Is Osimhen such a big upgrade on say Ivan Toney who is PL proven?


If we opt to buy a winger then finding a goal scoring one is not so easy. I suspect we might have pulled the trigger on Neto (PL proven) but for his injury record, plus he's not really a goalscorer.

I quite like the idea of Joao Pedro from Brighton who I've seen linked. So long as it's not a stupid price.

What stuck in my mind was what Mourinho said about Osimhen.
" (Osimhen) is of the same level as Drogba, but Didier didn't dive. If Victor changes, then OK. I'd buy him if I was at a club with a lot of money."

Not the diving part. We don't have a big target man in our squad. I worry about his finishing just like Lukaku, he scores goals but not when you need it often times. Meaning the game is already won you are up by 2 goals and its nice to be up by 3 or 4 goals but I want the tying goal, leading or winning goal more out of a number 9. He misses too many chances. As for Gyokeres, the pressure to match his goal scoring record in Portugal would be immense. Anyone we buy, if they an get us between 15 and 20 league goals I'll be happy. This figure assumes we're still getting double digit goals out of other attackers.

Anybody ?

Sorry Warrior I don't get to many games myself these days.

Gyokeres would be the one for me

I'm taking my dad to the Emirates cup game v Lyon, it's been 8 years since I lived in London, can anyone recommend a decent pub for lunch before the match. We're coming in on the piccadilly line from Cockfosters - so somewhere down that line would be ideal and ideally not a pub that will be full of Arsenal fans drinking before the match - as much as my Dad and I would enjoy that I think a quieter pub would be better! Any thoughts?

I’m not going to this one but not sure what time kick off is.

I don’t come from that direction but Anyway a few options.

Get there earlier maybe, get off at Caledonian Road instead and go to the Canonbury. You’ll need to book and yes It'll be full of Arsenal fans but the foods ok and it has an atmosphere. If it’s hot it has a great garden. George Orwell wrote a chapter of one his books in it.

https://www.thecanonbury.co.uk/

Is Holloway tube open that day ? You could try the Duchess of Kent another TG haunt. A brisk walk away. Again you’ll need to book but I think the vibe is decent. Yes again there’s fans but it isn’t rowdy.

https://www.theduchessofkent.co.uk/

Cheers TG

Alvarez looks like he might be off to Atletico from City for £70m

Surprised that they haven’t made any big moves yet. Feels similar to last season when I thought they had a poor window losing Mahrez, Gundogan, Laporte, Palmer and Phillips and I didn’t think Kovacic, Nunes, Doku and Gvardiol had made them better. Turns out they always find a way.

Smith Rowe scores within seven minutes of being subbed on.

Every since I've been an Arsenal supporter, the table before the first game was always alphabetical and Arsenal were always the first team listed. Not that its always been that way in history (Accrington Stanley).

I thought Bournemouth would be listed below us but one table lists Bournemouth first. Their official name is AFC Bournemouth. Kinda sad not seeing Arsenal first.

Slightly counter intuitive, but if you stay on the Tube to Kings Cross, the Betjemans Arms on St Pancras concourse is usually an oasis of relative calm - decent food in a really nice dining room. Easy access back to the stadium.

All good now - Sorted
Thanx ...

Zinchenko takes the number 17 shirt for the new season - as he wears for Ukraine. Surely means he’s not going anywhere (and Kiwior might be?)

Zinchenko has become one of those players where fans remember every mistake and forget all the good stuff he does. He still has an important part to play in the squad, we have more players that means he won’t have to play v Salah for example but he’s still a very useful player in many games

He’s on 150k a week. He won’t get that contract anywhere else. This will be one where it plays out next summer or he sees out his contract.

He can be used for cup games and lower premier league sides but honestly if you put him up against a top class wide player and you have issues. It’s odd because it’s so quick but we have moved on.

They are so deluded.

I like Zinny for his energy. Perhaps Arteta should convert him into a full fledge midfielder. We have enough cover at left back now and do not need Zinny there to mess us up defensively. He might be a great turnaround player, playing where Xhaka used to play.

3 weeks until the window closes. Feels like there’s a lot of unresolved scenarios that haven’t played out.

Ramsdale, Nketiah, Nelson, no attacking reinforcements.

Liverpool being strongly linked to zubimendi. A player Arteta has wanted for ages. If he’s on the move and we aren’t interested that’s somewhat interesting

Over in the US. Embarrassing having to explain to people why there’s rioting in the UK. The dumbest people in our society have decided to smash stuff folks etc etc

He has a £50m release clause, apparently both us and Barca have tried to convince him to move but he wants to stay at Sociadad.....If Liverpool get more encouragement then we have to go back in. It is one of the key positions we lack something
1. Jorginho is great for a back up, but his legs can't cope with high tempo games he can get overrun - Bayern games were a good example
2. Partey is our best quick passer and line breaker, but he can be sloppy with his passes and throws in absolute stinkers of games occasionally, and cannot be relied on to stay fit, I also have concerns on his tracking back ability
3. Rice no concerns defensively in this deeper position but probably the weakest distributer of the 3, doesnt take the ball quickly on the half turn and beat a man like Partey can. Plus he was brilliant breaking up play in the higher positoin

I'd like us to buy Zubimendi and find a buyer for Partey - but currently Partey looks like he'll stay and run down his contract and Zubimendi wants to stay in Spain. Do you wait a year to get who you want or go to the second option.

I don't think Merino is necessarily the player to come in and play deep either

Arsenal playing a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen at 6pm UK time

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Ødegaard, Jorginho, Havertz; Vieira, Jesus, Trossard

Subs: Ramsdale, Setford, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Nichols, Partey, Rice, Nelson, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah

No Hein as he looks like sealing a move to Valldolid
No Calafiori in the squad yet
No Kiwior in the squad - looks ominous for him
No Tomiyasu - he stayed back from the US tour with a niggle - becoming an annoying regularity for him
No Timber as he nurses a knock - expect to see Timber used sparingly in the first half of the season and expect a number of these minor knocks which is very typical for a player coming back from an ACL
4 defenders down currently

After figuring it out last year I hope Arteta doesn't return to the Havertz at 8 as he did in the last friendly and this one - hopefully it's just waiting for Rice to come back in.

I still think we're light of at least 1 CM and at least 1 wide attacker or striker as the bare minimum for the season