On the Whistle: Arsenal 2-0 Lyon - "Thoughts on Zinchenko, the No 6 position, & the academy boys"

Hello guys, just checking in after Arsenal 2, Lyon 0. The Emirates Cup is ours. I know it's the one you were all worried about. I did watch the game but then had to speed off to do some family and friends stuff on a Sunday, so only just sitting down now to talk about the game. Both goals from corners, set piece FC right? Declan Rice with those deliveries to the far post. First, William Saliba rose to nod in. I think he could do more of that. Obviously, Gabriel is outstanding, he got the second, but Saliba, when you look at the height, you look at the athleticism, you look at the strength, the power, the intelligence as well. I think he absolutely has the capacity to be more of a threat in those situations, so encouraging that he got his goal. The second goal was really similar, another high cross to the back post and Gabriel was there. All the running was geared around getting men into that back post. We did it and we capitalised. The goalkeeper was pretty stranded, floundering on either goal. Ben White, nowhere to be seen, a few yards away. At this point in time, the aura of Ben White alone is enough to put off some goalkeepers, and so it proved today. What can I say about the starting XI? David Rye in goal, of course. Interesting that Aaron Ramsdale didn't play a single minute in either of the pre-season friendlies this week. I think that tells you something about his future, certainly. Back four, Ben White, Gabriel, Salah, Saliba and Zinchenko again. Calafiore came on for a debut in the second half and got a terrific reception playing in that left-back role. I think Zinchenko has had a good little pre-season period, particularly in these last couple of games at the Emirates Stadium. He has really impressed and there was some incisive passing from him at left-back. Gabriel Jesus is a player who everyone said, maybe he's done at Arsenal. A lot of concerns over him and had the team move beyond him. He's come back and Arteta has spoken many times about the new hunger he sees in Jesus, the sharpness, the motivation he's returned with. If I had been there today in that press conference, I think I would have asked him about Zinchenko, because I'd be very curious to see if he would say something similar. Zinchenko is in a similar situation to Jesus, where I think had a buyer come forward, had there been interest, I think Arsenal probably would have done that deal. Two years remaining on his contract, no talks about an extension yet. I think pretty poor form for the majority of last season, by Zinchenko's own admission. I think he's come back for pre-season looking good. I think he's doing some interesting things positionally, holding the width at some times, at other times really, really pushing into central areas. I think there's a bit more variation about the way Arsenal are building up. I think Arsenal's left-hand side is looking a bit better in pre-season than perhaps it did for the majority of last season. So, interesting times really and with Timber out, they're saying he'll be fit for next week, but are they going to throw him straight into the first league game, having missed the last two friendlies? I'm not so sure. Calafiore, still adapting. Tomiasu, not fit for the start of the season. Chiarantini, who's still with the squad, very much not fit for the start of the season. Zinchenko is the man in possession of the shirt and I'm not sure many people would have had money on that, given the way that the end of last season panned out for him. But when he is fit, when he is available, Mikhail Tatar often goes back to him and I'm intrigued to see. I think he'll certainly be here next year and I'm intrigued to see how big a role he plays. In midfield, Thomas Partey started. It feels like it's very close between him and Jorginho, really, for that number six spot. Declan Rice, as the left eight. Martin Odegaard on the right-hand side of Partey. I do have thoughts about that. We continue to be linked with Mikhail Moreno. My understanding is that interest is still there, but it hasn't maybe progressed quite as far as some of the reports would have you believe. I think there's been a lot of informal contact, but I don't necessarily think Arsenal have presented anything to Sociedad at this point in time. And if he does sign, he's going to play that left eight role, right? If he plays. Maybe he's coming in as more of a squad player, but as a guy who's been playing week in, week out for Sociedad and being one of the better players in La Liga, I can't imagine that at 28 he's coming in to sit on the bench. I think there's a very good chance he'd go into that left eight role. And if he does, then maybe Declan Rice is going to play number six. I have got mixed feelings about that. I know that that's what Declan Rice thinks is his best position, or he's certainly said as much in the past. I'm not sure I agree. I like him when he's got a bit more liberty, a bit more ability to get forward. And if Declan Rice is in that left eight, then I think number six is still a position I have some nagging doubts over. With Jorginho and Partey, I just think they're two players who are probably beyond their peak. And is that going to be enough? If I look at City and they've got Rodri there, maybe their best player, maybe the best player in the league. Jorginho and Partey have been great players in their day. Are they able, are they good enough for a title winning team now in 2024? I'm not so sure. Maybe Declan Rice will be that guy and maybe he is. But I would have liked to have seen it in pre-season, if that makes any sense. I would have liked to have seen Rice play in that role and see what he can do, because it's actually quite a while since he's done that job for Arsenal. Ahead of that, we had Martinelli on the left, Havertz through the middle and Saka on the right. Saka probably should have scored a couple of goals. He had some great headed opportunities. Really fascinating contest on the left between Martinelli and Kai Havertz. No, Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, sorry. I mean, it's true competition for places. I think, I said it's a toss-up between Jorginho and Partey. I think it's a bit of a toss-up between those two for the opening day. Look, Martinelli looked sharp. So did Trossard the other day and he scored, of course. Maybe the decision we made tactically, because they're actually very different players and maybe the kind of defence we like to come up against will inform what Arteta does. Who is it? Wolves at home, I think I'm right in saying. I mean, they're likely to sit in. Is that going to suit a Trossard more than a Martinelli? Probably. I think what we saw today is probably what we'll see against Wolves. I'm just trying to think. With Trossard for Martinelli. So I think we'll see the back four with Zinchenko at left back. I think we'll see Partey. Yeah, I think we'll see Partey, Rice and Odegaard. And then I think we'll see Trossard, Havertz and Saka. But you know, it could be Havertz in midfield. It could be Xejos up top. It could be Martinelli on the left. It could be Calafiore at left back. Calafiore in this game played both left back and then left centre half. Interesting that there were sort of significant minutes there for Miles Lewis-Skelly again as a left back. Eitherin Ranieri was involved as well. So, you know, they were the kind of the two young players, the two academy players who kept their involvement right through until the end of pre-season. Was that a little pat on the back to say well done for this pre-season period? You know, you exceeded expectations. You performed really well. Now, if you pop back to the under 21s, or was it a sign that, look, when I name my Wolves squad, you're going to be involved? To be honest, we need to count up the players, right? We need to count up and be like, what places are available? Well, let's do it quickly now. Right. So if a starting 11 is what I said, right? So it would be Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Sinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard. I'm typing it to help myself figure it out. Saka, Trossard, Havertz. Well, we can start naming the bench. How many subs are you allowed these days? You can use five and you can name nine. Always good to check the rules of football as a journalist. So we know Ramsdale will be one of the subs. We know Calafiore will be involved almost certainly. They say Timber will be available, so let's put him there too. I've not picked Jorginho, so he'll be on there. I've not picked Martinelli, so he'll be on there. I've not picked Jesus, so he'll be on there. One, two, three, four, five, six. That's six subs. Who else have I not got? Kivior, he'll be there, you would think. You've got Fabio Vieira, who was absent today, am I right in saying? Small hip injury. So with Kivior, Jesus, Martinelli, Jorginho, Timber, Calafiore, Ramsdale. That's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Then you might have Vieira, you might have Nelson, you might have Nketiah. That's ten. Okay, maybe something happens with Eddie, maybe he goes, maybe Vieira's not fit, maybe he's not involved. That still would leave only one place for those two academy players. If you've stuck with this through that, then hats off to you. What I'm saying is, as well as those guys have done, when you look at the squad we have, even with a few injuries, there's a very good chance that neither of those players, well there's a decent chance that neither of Lewis Skelly or Ornaneri could be on the bench next week. I hope not. I hope at least one of them is. And frankly, if we're two or three nil up, I hope one of them gets some minutes. I think it would send a really important message about the academy, the pathway, the first team opportunities that are available, Arsenal's commitment to developing players. I hope that does happen. But let's see. Right, I'll leave it there. I've got 11 minutes out of this. Bloody hell, I didn't mean to do that long. Bye! Like and subscribe for more of these throughout the season. I always forget stuff like that. And I'll get them out quicker when they're proper games. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, I'm on Threads. I'm on Threads. Come and find me on Threads. The other place was getting me down a bit. I'm at Gunnerblog. And I'm on there at J. McNick as well, which will hopefully be stuff that's just less about football. Take care. Bye!