RC Lens 1 – 1 Arsenal
Wasn’t the ideal result anyone would have wanted but to be fair to the boys and the club, getting fitness and forming partnerships is primarily the reason why clubs play pre-season friendlies especially the games that come early on.
Later on, like all things in modern football, marketing determines who they play, where they play and why they play. I miss the days when everyone camps in Austria, train for solid two weeks and start the season strong. Over the next month or so, we are going to witness loads of players flying around the world, lots of folks dancing in the streets and chasing buses, lots of in-plane and in-bus player pictures and some football.
To be fair, all these have become part of the modern game as the Premier League has become a global product and it’s only expected that teams will seek to travel far and wide to milk money from sponsors and fans.
I caught final parts of the game first half and the second half of the match against RC Lens and as expected, it’s not the kind of game you will want to watch again except you are Oxlade-Chamberlain. After doing a lot of running around, he finally chose technique over power to slot home a very very beautiful goal. With Oxlade, we have been here several times, great pre-season and then disappearing act when the season starts. I hope this is the year we finally see the abundance of talent he has in him.
Theo showed us why doubts would continue to surround his being usefulness at Arsenal Football Club. His overall play did not do anything to justify the amazing workout videos he has been posting on Instagram lately. I think I have lost hope in Theo ever delivering for Arsenal. Having lost out on Vardy, I think the club should be doing more to get Mahrez to lock down our right side of midfield.
Nothing else really caught my eye, maybe Serge Gnarby’s hairdo. Like many Arsenal young players, I have a bias for him. However, competition for places at Arsenal is very stiff and to break into the first team requires an enormous amount of talent. Same goes for Chuba Akpom, at some point either the club or the players will decide that they need something more, and the relationship will come to an end. Hopefully, I am wrong.
My best player on the night was Krystian Bielik, and I think he has a future at the club if he keeps developing at this pace.Hopefully, we see more of him as preseason rolls along.
Cheers for now. Have a splendid day.
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