Arsenal's first post-Wenger preseason gets B as new manager Unai Emery brings cautious optimism

Here’s a look at how Arsenal have fared this summer.

RESULTS

Boreham Wood 0-8 Arsenal

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal (Atletico won 3-1 on penalties)

Arsenal 5-1 Paris Saint-Germain

Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea (Arsenal won 6-5 on penalties)

Arsenal 2-0 Lazio

Arsenal have been unbeaten in preseason, not counting the penalty shootout loss to Atletico, which is positive. However, it’s hard to read too much into the results. There was an obvious quality gap against Boreham Wood, and PSG, Chelsea, and Atletico were all missing a few key players – though so were Arsenal on occasion.

The big plus point is the players seem to have adapted to their new manager’s methods fairly quickly, even though it’s a radical departure from what they were used to under Wenger. However, training at Emery’s desired intensity during the slog of a full domestic season will be a different beast, so it’s best to reserve judgment until then.

TRANSFER BUSINESS

Key ins: 

Matteo Guendouzi, Lorient, £8.0m

Bernd Leno, Bayer Leverkusen, £18million

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus, Free

Sokratis Papastathopoulos Borussia Dortmund, £17.6million

Lucas Torreira, Sampdoria, £26million

Key outs: 

Santi Cazorla, Villarreal, Free

Jack Wilshere, West Ham, Free

Emery wasted no time in stamping his authority on the side, reinforcing the spine with a new goalkeeper, central defender, and central midfielder. The last of those, Torreira, comes with the most excitement, as Arsenal have been crying out for a midfielder with some defensive ability since Gilberto Silva left in 2008.

However, the other key takeaway from this summer window is that Emery came in, surveyed the squad, and made no high-profile culls – Wilshere and Cazorla have been allowed to leave because of their injury history, and though they are big names there’s no sense that those are shock departures.

Emery’s approach gives credence to the belief Wenger was no longer getting the best out of a talented group of players. Whether the new manager can rectify that remains to be seen.

TWO GOOD

Attack on song

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the ground running at Arsenal, scoring 10 goals and adding four assists in 13 league appearances after signing in January.

A full summer with his new team under his belt will only help him improve, and he’s looked sharp in pre-season. More than the four goals he’s scored – three of which came against Boreham Wood – his link-up play with Mesut Ozil and Henrik Mkhitaryan has been ominously good.

Speaking of Ozil, he’s looked settled since linking up with the rest of the squad, putting the disappointment of the World Cup, and the subsequent fallout as he hit back at racist criticisms of his performance, behind him. He captained the side against PSG and looked at ease with the responsibility – not something anyone would have expected of him.

But of the established attacking players at Arsenal, the real standout has been Alexandre Lacazette. He endured a difficult debut campaign, but looks much more relaxed heading into the new season. And scouring four goals will no doubt have boosted his confidence.

Young players shining

Arsenal’s famous youth set-up has almost become a parody in recent years, with plenty of players impressing either in pre-season or in the early stages of cup competitions without truly making the grade. Hopefully, the current crop breaks the pattern.

Eddie Nketiah, who’s made a handful of first-team appearances, has been among the goals, while young recruit Matteo Guendozi has shown flashes of supreme talent.

Yet the most eye-catching displays have come from 18-year-olds Emile Smith-Rowe and Reiss Nelson. The former scored a stunning goal against Atletico Madrid and looked lively against Chelsea and PSG. Nelson, meanwhile, has been excellent all summer, scoring once and tallying three assists in his last three games. Both should see first-team minutes this season

TWO BAD

Defence still shaky

Emery has prioritised making the defence more solid, knowing it’s been a problem area for Arsenal for quite a while. But the struggles have continued this summer.

Shkodran Mustafi remains a weak link, with his positional sense again coming under scrutiny. New recruit Sokratis hasn’t quite impressed, and his lack of pace will be a vulnerability in England. There’s still a possibility he can excel as a Per Mertesacker-type defender, making up for the pace deficiency with good reading and positioning.

Meanwhile, the way Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi ran rings around Hector Bellerin was alarming. Stephan Lichtsteiner has been brought in to provide the young right-back some guidance as well as challenge him for a starting XI spot. At this rate, the veteran will fancy becoming the first-choice player.

Ramsey’s future unresolved

Aaron Ramsey‘s contract negotiations hang over Arsenal like a cloud. He has been identified as a potential captain under Emery, and at times over the last 11 years he’s been the club’s best midfielder.

But there’s a sense he’s never quite kicked on to become the player he’s capable of being. He doesn’t produce his best consistently enough, and he can look out of place when there’s no defensive cover for him.

Which means, at 27, his career is at a crossroads. His contract runs out in a year, he’s yet to put pen to paper on a new one, transfer rumours are hovering over him constantly, and there’s a sense both club and player are not sure what will happen next.

VERDICT: B

It’s been a solid preseason from Emery and Arsenal. The new manager has reinforced the squad in the areas most glaringly in need – although verdict is still out on centre-back signing Sokratis, and that back-line is still a cause for concern.

However, there is a sense the Spaniard himself is settling in nicely in North London, getting players to buy into his philosophy and rejuvenating a squad that had stagnated. Whether he can maintain that once the Premier League begins is the key question.