Arsenals’ 2023/2024 home debut on Wednesday was no master class, however, it was a chance for Mikel Arteta to see some of his back-ups players log serious minutes as the Gunners won the club’s 7th Emirates Cup. After a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes, Arsenal won the penalty shoot-out thanks to a big save by Aaron Ramsdale and a winning penalty kick from Gabriel Magalhaes.
Arsenal finished the preseason with 3 wins, 2 draws and one defeat. It wasn’t the team’s best preseason, however, the addition of the three new signings gave the lads a chance to gell before the real season begins.
Two concerns from preseason:
- Gabriel Jesus will miss a few weeks following minor knee surgery earlier this week. Will Eddie Nketiah be the solution, or will Edu and Arteta pull back on any attempt to sell Folarin Balogun during this window as an insurance policy to back-up Nketiah? Personally, I think that would be the smart thing to do since we really don’t know if Jesus will be 100%, even after he comes back from injury.
- The defense has become a little leaky. The Gunners have given away too many easy goals this summer. This has to be seriously addressed before Sunday.
Now, with all of that said, Sunday’s Community Shield match will shine a bigger spotlight than normal. Why, you aksk? Well, the top two clubs from last season go toe-to-toe in Wembley, and both Mikel and Pep hope to set an early tone for the Premier League season ahead.
Who will be the big dog in2023/2024? Sundy might just give us an early peak to the answer of that very question!
COYG!
Gunneer1953
Mikel Arteta said on Friday Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are all in contention to be in the squad for Sunday’s match.
According to Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk, Arsenal has intensified their interest in Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams as a top summer priority. 
Fabrizio Romano is reporting Calum McFarlane will be the Chelsea interim manager until the end of this season.
Arsenal Women have confirmed Manu Zinsberger will leave the club at the end of this season. The Austrian goalkeeper has totaled 51 cleans sheets in 143 appearances for the Gunners.
Stat of the Day: David Rays has made 53 saves and had 15 cleans sheets in 33 appearances this season for Arsenal.
American movie star Anne Hathaway on the Gunners title chances, “They better. I believe in Arsenal.”
Gabriel Magalhaes, “We need to be strong on Sunday, We are at this club to play these kind of games.”
Ten Premier League managers have been sacked this season, including three at Nottingham Forest, and two each at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Yes sometimes it is good to see things early so as to allow you to adjust it is well known even with Gabriel Jesus arsenal have no potent striker as man city if I were Arteta I look for one even though he can keep Folarin Balogun but every big club go for strikers that can score 20 goals plus Man city have in the person of Haaland though our players can score collectively but no potent striker with a potent striker we can win the premiership but who knows if Folarin Balogun can be one I know he is very good in the junior team and prove to be good in his loan to French league last season may be this is the chance he is waiting for to show case his value let’s keep our finger cross.