Three things we learned from Arsenal’s pre-season – by Alan Alger

Plenty of reasons to be cheerful…

I feel the fanbase got over the disappointment of coming so close last season quite quickly.

Which is a huge positive.

The mood around the club is superb, regardless. Gooners are looking forward to another campaign and we have full trust in the manager and the players. Relations between us and them are at a great level.

Bookmakers have paid us even more respect this season and many pundits – from the shrewd to the trolling crude – have actually pencilled us in as their idea of the Premier League title winners for 2024-25.

I doubt there will be any over-confidence or complacency, because the hunger to put actual silverware next to those compliments should still burn fiercely.

We’ve looked sharp in pre-season, barring a Liverpool game where I think we were a little under-prepared and in transition (with players coming back into the squad after varied breaks for other commitments). Better there than in the real games where it counts, eh?

Slick passing moves, great overlaps, goals from all over the pitch and intelligent use of set-pieces have all been continued from last season and into the majority of our friendly performances.

But are we ready?

Cards on the table… I hate everything about how transfers and rumours dominate the pre-season.

Yes, I’m old, but I definitely preferred the days when signings were almost rumoured, announced and revealed within the same 48 hours. Preferably on Teletext – yes, I said I’m old.

All that considered, I’d certainly have preferred a little more news and rumour around the continual improvement that Mikel Arteta has tried to drive into this squad since he became our boss.

It’s factually correct that the direction under the boss has been an upward trajectory for a very long while. We came close last season, and I conceded that it might be just a tiny change of luck rather than signings that make the difference.

I still can’t help feeling that the condensed summer, due to the Euros, has suddenly thrust us into the new season without catching breath. I also disagree entirely with doing business after the first competitive game. Everything should be done by then.

But we are led to believe that Arteta, along with Edu, still feel new arrivals are required. I’d have to agree.

While Jurien Timber will feel like a new signing, Riccardo Calafiori is one. Both will be huge assets in defence, although that’s a part of the pitch we were already very strong in.

Which brings us on to the attack…

False strikeforce could leave us short again…

One goal every 374 minutes was an abysmal return from Gabriel Jesus last season. Eddie Nketiah’s rate of one every 207 minutes is only marginally better, but starts to fall apart when you remove one good home game against Premier League whipping boys Sheffield United.

The club have now had about ten consecutive transfer windows where Nketiah has supposedly been used as a makeweight in deals.

Push might finally come to shove soon, but you’d expect that to be in the form of a straight transfer rather than the kind of swaps that the media say are likely, but often fail to materialise.

I’ve said it before but I think for a club of our size Nketiah is a perfect third-choice striker. We (hopefully) play well over 50 games per season.

He’s entirely adequate for minutes at the end of matches and cup games against lowly opposition. He shouldn’t be relied on for a berth as main striker of one of two out and out strikers at the club.

Arteta has made some nice noises about Gabriel Jesus during the pre-season matches, yet reliance on him would still look a huge gamble.

We, of course, have Kai Havertz and a range of attacking midfielders (and even defenders) ready to contribute.

But surely we’d all feel much more comfortable with a marquee singing up top.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left nearly 1000 days ago. We can’t still be searching for his successor?

If so, let’s get it done.