Five wins from five. 24 goals. four conceded. No new players injured and plenty to get excited about. The perfect pre-season.
Depending on whether a game is won or lost, fans will decide the importance of pre-season. If their team loses, it is “just preseason” and mainly for conditioning. If their team wins, pre-season is an accurate indicator of performances to come when the season starts.
Regardless of the weight given to it, pre-season does at the very least provide interesting talking points and topics for discussion. While numerous Arsenal players have shown their quality this summer, some particularly made fans sit up and take notice.
3 standout players from Arsenal’s impressive pre-season
Here are three standout players from Arsenal’s impressive pre-season.
3. Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah will be vying for a starting berth in the Premier League. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
The player that was too good for academy football and who was stuck behind Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finally got a chance to show his quality. A sparkling finish to last season saw Eddie Nketiah rewarded with a new bumper contract and the number 14.
While some fans certainly rated the Englishman, others viewed him as substandard and a serviceable, if average, backup. This pre-season, he has elevated his level once again.
Nketiah has not shown any new traits in the build-up to an exciting new campaign. He has merely demonstrated that he can consistently replicate the qualities he teased last season.
The centre-forward has shown his clinical edge, pouncing on loose balls in the box. He has also shown his ability to turn away from clumsy defenders, tip-toeing around them with quick feet before releasing runners into space. Nketiah’s dribbling has gone from a major weakness to an integral part of his all-around game.
Gabriel Jesus’ move to north London will not signal Nketiah’s permanent relegation to the bench as previous transfers have. There are plenty of minutes to distribute around the squad and although the Brazilian will surely catch headlines, Nketiah has shown his exceptional pedigree game after game. Hopefully, he can bring his form into the Premier League.
Continued on the next slide…
Ben White can cover for Takehiro Tomiyasu</a>. This is revolutionary as it allows Arsenal to play in their desired structure with the right back tucking into midfield. Although White may not be as comfortable as Tomiyasu, the technical security and defensive nous across the backline remain dependable, unlike when Cedric suits up.</p>
<p>Saliba is ready to announce himself to the Premier League and the world. It’s time for people to sit up and take notes.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/02/3-standout-players-arsenal-impressive-pre-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The most impressive pre-season performer </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>1. Gabriel Jesus</h2>
<div id="attachment_127967" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-127967 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/02/3-standout-players-arsenal-impressive-pre-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1410538259.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410538259.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410538259-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Gabriel Jesus has got many Arsenal fans believing… (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<p>Both Arsenal and rival fans saw the glaring weakness that was the centre-forward position last season. Aubameyang departed midway through the season, while Lacazette functioned like an unathletic central midfielder who rarely entered the box. Nketiah, for all his good work down the stretch, was anonymous for the vast majority of the season (although that was certainly not his fault).</p>
<p>Arsenal played some exceptional football last season, with the wide and attacking midfield players proving devastating. Yet everyone knew if the right striker could be brought in, productivity in the final third could explode. And explode it has.</p>
<p>Gabriel Jesus has been astonishing throughout pre-season. His mobility and intelligent movement have terrorised defences. He drifts wide, drops deep and bursts forward. Crucially, he does this at the right time. The Brazilian has combined his off-the-ball excellence with brilliant finishing. Near-posts smashes, perfectly timed headers and delicate chips are just a few of the moves he’s pulled off during the recent friendly games.</p>
<p>His professionalism and winning mentality are nothing to be scoffed at either. He’s a <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/02/3-standout-players-arsenal-impressive-pre-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/key-area-jesus-improves-arsenal/">relentless runner</a>, both during games and in training. Jesus has forced others wearing red and white to raise their level as well.</p>
<p>The Arsenal attack is clicking and so much of that is down to the astute signing of Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal fans have to only wait a few days to see if the attack continues to click at Selhurst Park.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="yIPIBNfxZF"><p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/02/3-standout-players-arsenal-impressive-pre-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/01/excitement-arsenal-palpable-rightly-so/">The excitement at Arsenal is palpable – and rightly so!</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/02/3-standout-players-arsenal-impressive-pre-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/01/excitement-arsenal-palpable-rightly-so/embed/#?secret=yIPIBNfxZF" data-secret="yIPIBNfxZF" width="500" height="282" title="“The excitement at Arsenal is palpable – and rightly so!” — Pain in the Arsenal" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div>
<p>Arsenal have had an excellent pre-season. New players and the re-emergence of old faces alike have raised the level of a young but extremely talented squad. Mikel Arteta has transformed this squad and Arsenal fans have much to be excited about. Bring on Crystal Palace.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
