Arsenal were beaten 3-2 by Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly earlier but there will be a lot of positives for the fans and Mikel Arteta.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang produced a spectacular performance and bagged a brace against Dean Smith’s side. Meanwhile, the new signings William Saliba, Willian and Ceballos looked in good touch as well.
Arsenal needed to tighten up at the back this summer and the additions of Gabriel and Saliba will stand them in good stead. Saliba was quite impressive against Villa and he showed his ability in the air and on the ground. The youngster looked comfortable playing out of the back and the initial signs seem very encouraging.
Meanwhile, the likes of Willian and Ceballos have played in the Premier League before and they will be raring to go once again.
Fringe players like such Mohamed Elneny looked determined as well. The Egyptian had fallen out of favour at the club last season and he was expected to leave by now. However, he was impressive against Villa and it seems that he is up for the challenge and he will look to fight for a first team place next season.
German midfielder Mesut Ozil has not played for Arsenal since March but he returned to action against Villa as well. It will be interesting to see if he can convince Arteta with his performances and win back his place in the starting lineup. On his day, Ozil is a world class player and if he manages to recapture his fitness and confidence, it would be a massive boost for the Gunners.
Arsenal will be hoping to get back into the top four this coming season.