Arsenal started the pre-season with an impressive 4-1 victory over Girona, in which Max Dowman became the most prominent name with one goal and one assist.
Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis and Gabriel Jesus also got their names on the scoresheet, while Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori all left their mark on the offensive front.
The biggest highlight belongs to Max Dowman. The 16-year-old midfielder appeared in most dangerous attacking situations of Arsenal in the first half. In addition to assisting Havertz, he also created breakthroughs many times with personal technique and ability to handle in a narrow range.
Stepping into the second half, Dowman had an unreasonable handling when he did not pass to Viktor Gyokeres in a favorable position, but quickly corrected the mistake with a beautiful goal from outside the penalty area.
Before leaving the field in the 60th minute, this young player also had some retreats to support defense and was recorded by camera in a rather long exchange with coach Mikel Arteta. Although still in need of improvement, Dowman continued to prove that he is one of Arsenal's most anticipated talents.
Another positive sign comes from the understanding between Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis. The Italian defender often pushes into the center to create a numerical advantage, while Tzolis exploits the space in the wing corridor. This coordination has created Arsenal's second goal and promises to become a noteworthy attacking option in the new season.
Besides the bright spots, The Gunners' defense still leaves many worries. "The Gunners" have repeatedly let Girona create opportunities after simple combinations and especially made mistakes in corner kick situations leading to goals conceded. Right from the beginning of the match, Ben White also had some inaccurate handling, while the defense system has not maintained the certainty expected.
Arteta's replacement of Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Piero Hincapie right from the 30th minute also shows that he is managing his fitness very cautiously for players who return late after the World Cup. This is likely to be a consistent approach throughout the preparation period to avoid repeating the overload situation that once affected Arsenal in the second half of last season.
Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze have not yet returned from the post-World Cup break, forcing the Spanish strategist to use situational options.
In that context, recruiting Bruno Guimaraes is becoming even more urgent. If the deal worth about 80 million pounds is completed on schedule, the 28-year-old midfielder is likely to join Arsenal instead of returning to Newcastle United.
What Arteta needs is not only a quality contract but also time for Guimaraes to integrate into the playing style, get acquainted with new teammates and adapt to tactical requirements. The sooner he arrives at Emirates, the greater the opportunity for the Brazilian midfielder to reach his best condition when the season begins.
The English Super Cup match with Manchester City is only more than two weeks away. This will be a completely different test than Girona when Arsenal faces stars like Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki or Elliot Anderson.
Therefore, Arteta needs to have the strongest squad in hand as soon as possible, and Bruno Guimaraes is considered an important piece to help Arsenal enter the new season with perfect preparation.
