After an encouraging and easy-on-the-eye performance against a sorry looking Benfica, we will face a tougher opponent in Sevilla today, another 16.20h kick-off. Of course, these games are all about giving players match fitness and trying out combinations of players as well as giving some promising talents a chance to shine. Nelson and M-Niles did indeed impress and it would be good if we get to see more of them today. Especially Nelson’s wing-play caught the eye and that is an area on the pitch where a youngster could break through this season.
As others pointed out in the previous post’s comments, our game is strongly focussed on using the wings as much as possible, and this passed by Iwobi at times. Kola and Nelson really helped us keeping the width and that left space in the box for our attackers to pounce. Benfica were left chasing the game and losing their discipline and that was the biggest achievement on the day.
We had many chances and they were put away with the coolness you would expect in a friendly game. Giroud was the familiar HUB in attack and he cracked open the by nature conservative, deep-sitting defence with his strength, height and fine lay-offs. It was a mini-masterclass of ‘hold-up striker play’. We all know that Theo can have a good day once in a while, and he was impressive yesterday. We also know that he struggles to keep this sort of intensity in his game going throughout the season but there is hope he will turn a leaf this time round. He knows he will have to keep performing as competition in attack is strong. My money is still on him leaving this summer though.
And with likely starts for Lacazette and Welbeck today we will be able to judge how strong our alternatives in attack are. It should also be a proper game for Mesut to get himself going again and he will be looking forward to feeding the runners and movers up-front.
The line up for this game is very likely to be the bench-starters of yesterday’s game:
I look forward to another start for Martinez and he could well become our nr.2 goal keeper this season. We can also look forward to a more solid ‘three at the back’ with likely starts for Nacho-Koz-Chambers. Ox and Bellerin to provide the width and raw injections of speed, and Rambo and Elneny to link defence with attack, with the Egyptian likely to be deployed a bit deeper.
A strong line-up against a proper football playing opponent at the home of football…. happy dayz!
By TotalArsenal
Bergkampesque 
Sorry am late. Tonight’s game is a better test to our defense compared to yesterday.
We cannot offer too many favours to Sevilla, as they are one of the top teams in Europe and their attack cannot be underminded.
Talking about Reiss Nelson, he caught my eye when I watched highlights of one of the under 23 games last season.
He was deployed centrally, and he reminded me of Alexis. That is how good he was then. The past few games reminded me of that and he is definitely game to be in the first team this season.
Arsenal need more two or three signing which are thomas lemar, william cavalho and mahrez inorder to do away with injury problems. arsenal team will propel with the introduction of this players.
how i wish alexis could be in that game against sevilla, but without withstanding i believe we shall win
almost on with the line up. Mo at CB. flanked by Kos n Nacho, Joe n Ramsey holding the Mid fort.
Elneny at CB is a major mistake. We should have won the game but the second goal that we conceded was sloppy by everyone and none had the mentality to defend well.
Our main weakness is the will to win.
I know we seem to fall in love with at least one youth player every pre-season, but this time it’s the real thing, I swear it ! Lol.. last year was both Jeff Reine Adelaide and Iwobi. Iwobi is getting plenty of game time already.
This time around,it’s Nelson. His tricky skills remind me of Mahrez a bit, though we have no idea if he is strong enough for top level, or if he knows how to score goals. But there does seem to be much talent there. It is exciting to watch him with the ball, especially around the opponents box. I always am calling for players like him, or Ox, to draw more penalties with their footwork around defenders.
He is an exciting prospect, El Johno.
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