The Premier League Champions kicked off their pre-season preparations with a 4-1 win over recently relegated Girona on a warm summer’s evening in Spain.
Despite many of our players going deep into the World Cup with their countries, Mikel Arteta was still able to name a very strong side from the start. Ben White, who missed the final couple of weeks of the season as well as the World Cup, was deemed fit enough to start. There were also starts for Piero Hincapié, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres who had all been knocked out of the World Cup at the first knockout round. There was also a start on the right wing for the mercurial Max Dowman with Ethan Nwaneri playing in a central role.
Arsenal looked sharp from the off and it only took a quarter of an hour to break the deadlock. Max Dowman got away brilliantly from two Girona players and split the defence with an exceptional through ball for Havertz who slotted away calmly into the bottom corner. It will be interesting to see how many minutes Dowman gets over the course of the season. Despite his age, he certainly played his role in our title winning campaign. His cameo won us the game against Everton in March and who knows how differently the season could’ve panned out had we dropped two points that day. At times he makes the wrong decision, but most 16-year-olds make bad decisions although most 16-year-olds don’t play for the Champions of England!
As for Havertz, it’s a big season for him after missing so much of the last 18 months through injuries. He popped up with some massive goals towards the end of last season, and it appears that his finishing has really improved since he first joined three years ago. His goal in the Champions League Final was superb and would be talked about a lot more had we won. Let’s just pray he stays fit.
We doubled our lead on the half hour mark through our only outfield addition, (so far) Christos Tzolis. It took a slight deflection on the way through, but he showed some promising signs that he can provide some big moments for Arsenal. He was prolific with both goals and assists for Club Brugge so let’s hope the fella from Greece can emulate some of that over in N5.
Girona pulled one back five minutes into the second half from a corner which will have, no doubt, annoyed Arteta and Nicholas Jover but it only took a few minutes for us to restore our two goal cushion and, what a splendid goal it was from Max Dowman. He received the ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly, drove inside and flashed the ball home at the near post from about 20 yards out. What a prospect he is, if he continues on his current path.
Moments later, it was four. After a mix up from Girona, Gabriel Jesùs found himself in acres of space and poked the ball home to wrap the game up beyond doubt. It will be interesting to see what happens to him over the next few weeks. He has a year left and is on hefty wages, although he is still capable of producing magical moments on occasion.
Arteta made a raft of youthful substitutions in the final quarter of the game which is always nice to see. There was also a debut for Meslier in goal and whilst he certainly isn’t the most exciting signing we’ll ever make, he made some very impressive saves and his distribution looked up to scratch.
After the game there was a trophy presentation, as there often is for these preseason games. We witnessed arguably the most lacklustre trophy lift of all time. Ben White could barely contain his excitement. At least there was no penalty shootout!
Overall, it was a good workout and whilst you can’t draw any real conclusions from preseason, we appear to be in a good place going into the season. We will face Real Betis in Dublin on Wednesday evening, followed by a couple of games at the Emirates against Borussia Dortmund and then Cesc Fabregas’ Como side in the annual Emirates Cup followed by the traditional Community Shield curtain raiser as the Premier League Champions take on a Manchester City side now managed by a slightly less odious bald man than the last one but still every bit as bald. That will be in Cardiff and not Wembley.
Then five days later the Premier League Champions take on Fat Frank’s newly promoted Coventry City under the N5 lights. Will we have a couple of new Brazilians in the squad by then? Only time (and David Ornstein’s tweets) will tell……
A fine report 21CG. I’ve only seen ten minute highlights but everything looked mighty fine.
I wrote this in the last drinks just as the shutter slammed down on my fingers.
BtM and Matt. With reference to Bruno Guimaraes. Yes he is a cheating little prick whom I have reviled whilst he is in a Newcastle shirt . But he will shortly be OUR cheating little prick, playing in red and white, and I will sing his name and cheer him on with gusto. I hope this is now clear.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Thanks 21CG – I’ve only seen even more brief highlights than C100 but it’s ice to see that Dowman, MLS and Nwaneri all started – plus Ben White, of course. And it’s always fun to anticipate seeing a couple of new Brazilians during a hot summer 😉
An excellent report 21cg. Wherefore Trev’s pair of fine young Brazilians?
Cheers 21CG!
Setting off for Dublin tomorrow. My summer holiday – Arsenal and a shed load of Guinness!
Thanks for a fine report on our first warm up game, 21CG. That was an excellent run out for our players who aren’t still on post-WC R&R.
I thought Dowman had an excellent game with his superb through pass to Havertz, his goal from the edge of the box and a couple of mazy dribbles while if Jesùs was on song, he would have had a second assist – I look forward to seeing some rampaging cameos next season. Tzolis looked a threat on the left and took his goal well while Meslier demonstrated his reflexes with several excellent saves and hopefully will return to the form he showed when Leeds were promoted.
MLS dominated the midfield and showed his propensity for penetrating forward passes several times while Salmon looked imperious in the back 4. Nwaneri was disappointingly quiet but clearly hasn’t had game time for many months while, in contrast, Havertz looked lively and sharp. It was very nice to see White back in harness.and he looked fit. None of the Hale End boys did themselves any harm and Ibrahim who replaced MLS in midfield provided flashbacks to Patrick Vieira whose namesake was entirely anonymous. Hamburg are apparently struggling to put together a respectable bid. A packet of Wotsits, a CurlyWurly and a Mars bar will do nicely, thank you.
21CG, Thanks for filling in the details of a game that, like some others, I have only seen highlights. Your report suggests a satisfactory run-out, but we should read no more into it than that, which seems about right.
Some thoughtful contributions above, and Trev waxing lyrical.
Nice report 21CG
I decided not to buy the access to the game knowing I would see clips of the sexy bits and knowing Arsenal’s history on IT ( spoiler alert ….they’re rubbish at it) . Also I lose the thread of 23 a side games . I can barely count to 11. Ife Ibrahim looked very promising and we need to decide how to develop youngsters who are not prodigies but we think could make PL players albeit not with us . Dowman is already a much more credible alternative to Saka than Madueke , Tzolis looks interesting and Salmon has a nice assuredness about his play.
I haven’t woken up in a cold sweat for several days now after doing so for weeks since we signed Meslier . Can a goalkeeping leopard change his spots? I hope he is third in line not second.
I’ve lost track of our transfer dealings as Guimaraes has either already signed/has agreed terms and we’ve agreed a price with Newcastle/ has agreed terms but we are still fighting over price and add-ons/ the two clubs have not spoken yet/ Newcastle have no intention of selling / Guimaraes wouldn’t touch us with a bargepole. I expect him to sign soon and fingers crossed for Vini 🤞
Breaking news. Former City legend TTG says “I can barely count to 11”
Does he rely on his dog to remember his Swiss bank account number?
🤣🤣
Ned 🤣
C100 – TTG a City legend in his own and most other people’s lunchtimes.
I hear he was a Marketing and Customer Relations guru. He had relations with as many customers as possible … 😳
C100@8: That’s why TTG’s dog’s collar has no name on it, just a string of numbers pretending to be a phone number.
Gentlemen
My legal advisers will be in touch after this unprovoked attack on a ex City minion whose main job was filling in the black squares on the crossword puzzle in the house magazine . I would point out that no charges have ever been laid against me and no suggestions of impropriety made .
And I don’t have a dog . He kept forgetting the combination to the TTG family vault . I’ve been unable to open it for twenty years and my bus ticket collection has remained unsold . But rumours abound it could be worth north of £20 .
🤣
Thanks 21CG, like others I only saw 10 minutes highlights but nice to see some
goals. Girona looked on my highlights to being taking the game very seriously
for some reason but anyway a good run-out and encouraging to see Ben fit
as we’ll need him for the next few months at least.
A good piece in the Torygraph by Sam Dean (£):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/08/02/arsene-wenger-reputation-taint-gianni-infantino-association/
“Wenger, a man positioned by his supporters as a moral compass and faithful protector of the game, is closely associated with those seeking to change the sport forever in pursuit of financial gain. Will he remain on this side of the fence, loyal to Infantino? Or will he, too, make clear that this was a step too far? Much of Wenger’s reputation, which has already been damaged by his relationship with Infantino, may now rest on the direction he takes from here.”
All will wish to congratulate GSD on his firstborn, a son.
GSD’s Dad@15: Indeed we will. Many congrats, GSD. Hope mother and son are doing well.
Bath@14: The key questions are the old Nixonian ones: What did Wenger know, and when did he know it?
I can’t imagine that his silence is accidental. He is too smart and too self-aware not to know that his words on this affair would carry weight — or not to realise that his association with the Infantino regime weighs on his reputation.
I’ve read suggestions that he is seen as a potential interim replacement for Infantino as FIFA president, acceptable to all to steady the FIFA ship and steer it through its governance and reputational crisis, without at 76, being a long-term successor who would cement victory for any of the factions in FIFA’s internal power struggle.
Many congratulations GSD! Now be sure to get him down to the Emirates sharpish (my son was 5 when I first took him to Highbury). Remember what the Jesuits say!
Congratulations GSD ! Wishing health and happiness to all three of you !
Swiss Ramble dissects Infantino’s now moribund FFE plan. Notwithstanding the process failing the smell test, he puts some figures behind the widely held view that FFE was both unnecessary and a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations.
https://swissramble.substack.com/p/fifas-plan-to-sell-football
He also calculates, in passing, that the banks and financiers involved would have trousered $200 million in advisory fees for setting it up. As he says, nice work if you can get it.
His concluding paragraph has a depressing ring of inevitability:
Infantino has proved to be the great survivor, so it is far from certain that this is the end of his terrible reign, but maybe, just maybe, this horrible episode will lead to a change for the better at FIFA, even though I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Swiss Ramble dissects Infantino’s now moribund FFE plan. Notwithstanding the process failing the smell test, he puts some figures behind the widely held view that FFE was both unnecessary and a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations.
https://swissramble.substack.com/p/fifas-plan-to-sell-football
He also calculates, in passing, that the banks and financiers involved would have trousered $200 million in advisory fees for setting it up. As he says, nice work if you can get it.
His concluding paragraph has a depressing ring of inevitability:
Infantino has proved to be the great survivor, so it is far from certain that this is the end of his terrible reign, but maybe, just maybe, this horrible episode will lead to a change for the better at FIFA, even though I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Congratulations GSD!
@14 can’t read the Torygraph article but the point is fair enough.
It’s hard to understand AW’s thinking these days.
Thanks for that link @20 Ned. A very thorough rubbishing
from Swiss Ramble.
Many congratulations, GSD and best wishes to mum and son. Wishing you all health, wealth, happiness and an Arsenal Champions League triumph!
Congrats, GSD! Hope mother and baby are well. Pints of Champagne, the finest lager money can buy, on the bar, to wet the baby’s head.
GSD
What wonderful news . Congratulations!
I think we can pencil in key dates
2026 – GSD Junior born
2032- GSD Junior visits the Emirates for the first time
2035- GSD Junior watches Arsenal complete a World Club Cup / Champions League double
2044- GSD Junior makes debut for Arsenal
In the meantime I hope you are doing the 2 am feed!
The rather farcical situation regarding Guimaraes where he was supposed to be on one hand having a medical in London and on another a showdown with Newcastle in La Manga suggests that a lot of journalists have as much idea about what is going on as we do !
My instincts as a long time observer of transfer tugs of war suggest to me that eventually Newcastle will reluctantly sell and Arsenal will reluctantly pay more than we wanted to. But the Times should ensure that they don’t spread premature misinformation around the internet that the clubs had reached an agreement on price .
I must admit to a certain distaste for the way Arsenal seem to be negotiating. Kia Joorabchian who was playing far too significant a part in our transfer negotiations a few years ago and who seemed to have Sanllehi and Edu on a piece of string ( causing us to buy Willian, Luiz and Soares ) has apparently been doing our negotiating with Newcastle and Berta has only just entered the scene . I don’t like handing negotiations to a third party especially one who has shafted us in the past . Tim Lewis fired Sanllehi over the Pepe deal but has himself been given the heave-ho and one wonders if he objected to the way we are conducting some transfers .
Maybe I’m old fashioned and out of touch but having met a few agents in my professional life I would imagine our negotiations with some clubs are pretty murky . Maybe that’s the way it’s done now but it does seem a tacky way to proceed .
I’m told now that agreement has been reached on Guimaraes some time ago ( Romano confirms this) but Newcastle wanted to sign someone before the departure was announced . This news apparently comes from ESPN Brazil . So make of that what you will
Congratulations, GSD!!💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Congratulations GSD.
TTG@27: Transfer rumours are like a reverse game of pass-the-parcel: they juat get rewrapped and passed on.
Cheers everyone!
As the expression goes… back of the net! 🤣
Mother and Baby Boy are both doing well. I may not be around too much for a while (I’m already bloody knackered!)
Then again, maybe this will become even more of a safe haven!
I’m sure Dave is smiling down, and we really appreciate the good wishes here. Lots of love to you all.
TTG@28 – wouldn’t surprise me. PIF has clearly abandoned the Abu Dhabi sports washing strategy.
GSD@32- Man up! You have no idea what knackered is yet, my friend! We’ll all be here when you need some light relief and stress sharing during the no-sleep baby years!
Just to clarify, I had a glorious head of hair pre- kids.
I’m not blaming 21 CG…
ESPN Brazil is reporting that Real Madrid have upped their offer to Vini Jr to 22 million euros a year — that’s £365,000 a week in the old money — and also that Arsenal has had no contact with Real Madrid, nor with the player’s representatives. So make of that what you will.
https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/real-madrid/artigo/_/id/17075921/real-madrid-oferece-vini-jr-novo-contrato-130-milhoes-reais-por-ano-mas-brasileiro-quer-mais-veja-detalhes-impasse-renovacao
GSD@32: Cherish every minute of it. They grow up so fast. He will change your life, but in a good way.
ESPN Brazil also reports that Arteta has spoken directly with Vini Jr. So perhaps TTG does know as much as they do — or they know as little as TTG…
https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/mercado-da-bola/artigo/_/id/17073966/vini-jr-arsenal-apos-admitir-ambicao-arteta-entra-contato-tenta-convencer-brasilero-mudar-time-jornal
>>>>>>>>>>>>