Pre-season is supposed to be about building fitness, experimenting with tactics and easing players back after the summer break. Results are usually forgotten within days. Yet every now and then a match tells you something about where a team is heading, and Arsenal’s convincing 4-1 victory over Girona felt like one of those afternoons. Yes, the opposition have been relegated from La Liga, and yes, nobody should be getting carried away in early August, but there was a freshness and purpose about Arsenal’s performance that suggested Mikel Arteta’s squad has evolved once again.
The biggest talking point, however, wasn’t one of the expensive new signings. It was Max Dowman. At some point we have to stop introducing every discussion about him with the phrase “he’s only sixteen”. Arsenal clearly aren’t treating him like a child, and neither should we. What made his assist for Kai Havertz so impressive wasn’t simply the quality of the final pass but everything that happened beforehand. Receiving possession with a defender tight against him, Dowman spun away on the half-turn with remarkable strength and composure before releasing Havertz with perfectly judged weight. It was a piece of play that combined technique, awareness and physicality in a way you simply cannot teach.
His goal later in the match merely reinforced the impression. There was no panic, no rush to snatch at the opportunity, just a calm, measured finish into the bottom corner that many seasoned professionals would have been proud of. Young players inevitably make mistakes, and Dowman’s decision-making will continue to improve, but Arteta’s response afterwards was revealing. Asked whether expectations around the teenager were becoming too high, the Arsenal manager simply welcomed them. Quite right too. This is Arsenal Football Club. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
Christos Tzolis also enjoyed an excellent first public outing in an Arsenal shirt. The Greek winger arrived with a strong reputation from Club Brugge, but supporters always want to see how new signings adapt to Arteta’s demanding system. His goal was one of real quality, cutting inside before firing low into the far corner with the kind of finish that already looks like a trademark. More encouraging still was his movement throughout the first half. Whenever Arsenal were searching for a way through Girona’s compact defence, Tzolis was looking to stretch the back line, making intelligent runs beyond defenders rather than simply asking for the ball to feet. That willingness to attack space could prove invaluable against Premier League sides who sit deep against Arsenal this season.
The partnership between Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres was another fascinating aspect of the afternoon. Many supporters assumed the Swedish international had arrived to replace Havertz as Arsenal’s central striker, but Arteta appears to have different ideas. Instead, Gyökeres occupied the centre-backs while Havertz drifted into pockets of space behind him, making the late runs that have become such an important part of his game. It worked extremely well. Havertz scored the opening goal and repeatedly found dangerous positions, while Gyökeres demonstrated that his influence isn’t measured purely by goals. Even Arsenal’s build-up looked slightly different, with Kepa Arrizabalaga occasionally looking long towards the powerful striker instead of insisting on playing short every time. It’s another tactical option that opponents will now have to prepare for.
Further back, Piero Hincapié quietly went about his work with the minimum of fuss, which is often the greatest compliment you can pay a defender. He read danger well, covered intelligently whenever Christian Mosquera ventured forward and looked entirely comfortable during his first public appearance. Defenders rarely dominate headlines unless something goes badly wrong, and Hincapié’s unobtrusive display suggested Arsenal may have made another astute addition to their squad.
Ethan Nwaneri also deserves mention after a difficult few months. His loan spell at Marseille never developed as anyone had hoped following managerial upheaval, but rather than returning disillusioned, he looks to have come back more mature. Operating in central midfield, he continually found intelligent pockets of space, linked play neatly and showed an impressive appetite to win the ball back when possession was lost. There were no unnecessary flourishes, just an increasingly rounded performance from a player who appears to have learned valuable lessons from a challenging experience abroad.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the afternoon was remembering who wasn’t even involved. Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke are all still absent following their World Cup commitments, yet Arsenal already look fluent, balanced and tactically flexible. Genuine competition exists across almost every position, and that is precisely what title-winning squads require over the course of a long season.
Nobody is suggesting Arsenal should be crowned champions because they comfortably defeated a second-tier Spanish side in pre-season. That would be absurd. But football often offers little glimpses of what’s to come, and this performance hinted at an Arsenal side with greater depth, more attacking variety and an exciting blend of established stars and fearless young talent. Dowman looks increasingly ready to make the leap, Tzolis has made an immediate impact, Gyökeres has added a completely different dimension to Arsenal’s attack, and Arteta suddenly finds himself with the kind of selection headaches every elite manager craves. If this was merely the opening act, Arsenal supporters have every reason to look forward to what comes next.
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