The new campaign is just around the corner and with a Community Shield clash against Manchester City coming up, the Gunners have the annual Emirates Cup preseason tournament to contend with. In recent times, other clubs have been going home with the trophy instead of the hosts but many fans would hope that in the spirit of the FA Cup triumph, the Gunners would turn up today.
So what should the fans expect from today’s game against Portuguese heavyweights, SL Benfica?
The first and of course, most exciting, would be the non-competitive debuts of the newest Gunners in town, Alexis Sanchez, Matt Debuchy, David Ospina and Calum Chambers.
The fans would be particularly interested to see how the Chilean superstar fares in the Emirates sunshine. With his versatility on show, the fans would be wondering where Arsene Wenger would deploy him, bearing in mind that he can play up front alone or on the flanks. I hope he gets a goal or two today, because despite the fact that it’s only a friendly competition, it would be good for confidence.
Another person that would be keenly monitored would be Joel Campbell, the Costa Rican footballer that had a great World Cup by his standards. After several loan spells across Europe, Arsenal has finally added him to their ranks and he’s going to wear the jersey recently departed by Kieran Gibbs. Like Sanchez, Campbell is a center forward that can also be deployed on the wings, and it would be interesting to see how he handles the situation.
Calum Chambers is another lad I’d want to see strut his stuff, especially with the fact that Carl Jenkinson has been shipped off to West Ham for a season-long loan. Would Chambers get a run out as a right back, center back or holding midfielder. That’s definitely Arsene Wenger’s headache.
Finally, I expect the youngsters to get a run out as well and I have particular interest in the performances of Gedion Zelalem and Chuba Akpom. Zelalem played in an unfamiliar right wing role against New York Red Bulls and it kinda affected his influence on the game. He still managed to execute a neat one-two with Jack Wilshere but the Englishman’s finish didn’t match the buildup. Akpom on the other hand, had a great chance he spurned and I’m hoping that he grabs a goal or two as well.
The Emirates Cup promises to be an exciting encounter and I hope it lives up to the high expectations I and many Arsenal fans out there have for it.
Sayonara
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