After a summer of watching their team from afar, the Arsenal faithful were eased back into action as Mikel Arteta’s side returned to north London.
This was not the all-action, relentless intensity of a title race, the prize the Emirates Cup rather than the Premier League trophy, and it showed in a relatively low-key 1-1 draw with Monaco.
Youssouf Fofana took advantage of some questionable Arsenal defending to put the visitors in front, before Eddie Nketiah, as ever, was alive in the box to equalise before half-time.
A penalty shootout was guaranteed, regardless of the result, but the level scoreline at least added a semblance of jeopardy to the occasion. Monaco’s insistence on sending their spot-kicks down the middle was eventually one that Aaron Ramsdale noticed, with his save setting the stage for Gabriel to roll his penalty home for a 5-4 win.
Rice delivers on hype
With Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz named on the bench, and the security of Thomas Partey behind him, Declan Rice had a fair degree of freedom on his home debut. He lined up on the left of midfield, as Granit Xhaka did last season, and like his predecessor was urged to shoot by the crowd whenever the Monaco goal was within binocular range.
Rice showed more restraint in that respect than Xhaka often managed, but this was a hugely promising display. The midfielder combined superbly early on with Gabriel Martinelli, twice getting to the byline and putting in balls that should really have been finished.
That threat in forward areas was not something that he was regularly required to produce in a West Ham shirt, but on this evidence there is plenty to come for the Gunners. A burst into the box was very nearly rewarded when the ball fell to him late in the first half, but a brilliant block denied him a first Arsenal goal. This was a display to whet the appetite.
Captain Nketiah steps up
Those arriving late at the Emirates after work could be forgiven for not immediately looking in Nketiah’s direction in their search for the captain’s armband, but it was the striker who led the side out.
It was a particularly important evening for Nketiah as Gabriel Jesus missed out with a knee injury, one that will keep him sidelined for weeks after a procedure. As he did for much of last season when Jesus was out of the side, Nketiah impressed.
The Englishman’s goals early in his Arsenal career were better measured in centimetres than yards, but there is now far more to his game. Nketiah dropped in and combined well, and he made a number of runs in behind that the likes of Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe should really have picked out. The inevitable close-range goal did come, following in at the back post from a corner.
Leandro Trossard as a false nine is an option with Jesus out of the Community Shield and the start of the Premier League season, but Nketiah will feel he did enough here to keep his place.
Shaky defence remains a concern
The pre-season tour to the USA highlighted that all is not necessarily well in the Arsenal backline. Two goals conceded against Manchester United and three against Barcelona made that clear, with the Gunners not able to control play as Arteta wants.
Potentially only William Saliba of the Arsenal back four against Monaco is a guaranteed starter, but he was a long way from his best. Had this been a competitive friendly, or referee Anthony Taylor rolled out of bed on the opposite side, the Frenchman would likely have seen red in the first half. A trip from Saliba came when he was already booked, but he escaped further punishment.
Monaco did not offer a huge threat, but there was enough in their counter-attacks, particularly out wide, to give Manchester City plenty of encouragement ahead of the Community Shield. There is a sense that Arteta does not yet know his first-choice full-backs, and there are questions too at the base of midfield, and it has shown in what at times have been disjointed pre-season displays.
