Wednesday Odds and Ends

Here are a few odds and ends for “Hump Day”…

Arsenal has now won their last two preseason matches with identical 4-1 final scores. Today, the Gunners played Watford at London Colney in a match that was a last minute make-up game for the matches cancelled in Florida.

Overall, the Gunners controlled the vast majority of the match at both ends of the pitch. The Arsenal players who stood out the most for me today were: Eddie Nketiah, Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney, Nicolas Pepe and Thomas Partey. Next up on the preseason schedule is The Mind Series on August 1st v Chelsea, and August 8th at Tottenham Hotspur. As the team continues to take shape, and as the season opener draws closer, these two derbies will be very important matches to determine who will be in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI on August 13th at Brentford.

It was good to see Bernd Leno back in action this afternoon, however, who will be the German’s back-up(s) this season? Will Alex Runarsson stay in London, or will Arsenal look to replace him with either Aaron Ramsdale or Sam Johnstone to fill-out the goalkeeping squad for 2021/2022?

Multiple sources and reports coming out of London indicate Ben White has finished his medical and his paper work at London Colney and will be introduced as a new member of the Gunners in the next few days. It would be great to get some preseason playing time under his belt prior to the August 13th match at Brentford.

And finally…Happy Birthday to Emile Smith Rowe! Today he turns 21!

Cheers!

Gunner1953