New signings Declan Rice and Kai Havertz joined captain Martin Odegaard in Arsenal's midfield in the 0-2 defeat to Manchester United. This result caused a lot of controversy about the appearance of the "Gunners' new midfield".
Despite it being a friendly match, Mikel Arteta was still cautious after his team's defeat. The Spaniard admitted that Arsenal need to improve many problems when they sold Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen.
Speaking before Arsenal's match against Barcelona in the US, Arteta once again called for patience. The Emirates team needs more time to achieve the right balance in midfield.
"We have to find the right balance but we will try to complete the work. Arsenal have played with four midfielders and three of them have never played together," Arteta said.
The defeat to Manchester United was a physically intense encounter that lasted 90 minutes. Since then, many have questioned whether Arsenal are fit enough in midfield, especially after the departure of Xhaka. But Arteta has maintained he is happy with the choices he has.
"You use the word 'physical' but if I put Granit and Kai Havertz together, who is physically better? , said Arteta.
"Physicalally, it's about running, running behind, running up front, blocking, defending. Havertz will definitely fit the qualities we have and the good thing is that we have options in midfield."
Arsenal will aim to go further after leading the Premier League for 248 days last season. But in the end, they were still overtaken by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
That was the third consecutive season that the Emirates team was left empty-handed. Despite the disappointment of not winning the title, Arsenal still have their first return to the Champions League since the 2016-2017 season.
Speaking at a press conference in the US, Gabriel Jesus admitted that Arsenal were "afraid" of losing to Man City in the championship race. But the Brazilian believes the "'Gunners'' have accumulated a lot of experience.
The Brazilian striker said: "Sometimes at the end of the season, we are a bit worried. Man City won, so that made the difference. This season we have experience and that is a big improvement".
Arsenal have had a busy summer by investing £200 million in Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
Currently, Arsenal's focus is on determining the future of Nicolas Pepe, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Cedric Soares.
Inter Milan are continuing to push for a deal with striker Folarin Balogun, while full-back Kieran Tierney is also expected to leave the Emirates this summer.
However, Arteta revealed that the Scot is still in the plans as Arsenal want depth.
Another player in Arteta's plans for the new season is Emile Smith Rowe. Last season was difficult for the 22-year-old as he struggled with injuries. However, Smith Rowe has recently played impressively and helped England U21 win the European U21 Championship.
Arteta hopes Smith Rowe can often start and make a big impact for Arsenal next season.
"Smith Rowe has worked very hard to get the best results with England U21. We were all happy to see him lift the trophy," Arteta added.
