In their most recent preseason encounter, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team easily defeated Bayer Leverkusen.
The Gunners put on an emphatic display at The Emirates to beat Leverkusen 4-1 in what was their penultimate pre-season game.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard gave Arsenal the lead within ten minutes, and Gabriel Jesus gave them a further advantage shortly after the half-hour mark. At the half, Mikel Arteta made four substitutions, and Kai Havertz, a former Leverkusen player who was hailed by the German media following the game, helped Arsenal increase their lead. Failing to lose in the Bundesliga the previous year, the German champions managed a comeback through Adam Hlozek with fifteen minutes left.
Xabi Alonso on Mikel Arteta.
Arteta put up a strong performance, and the Gunners appear ready to mount another championship assault this year. Following his hiring in 2019, Arteta, who has used some odd coaching techniques at Arsenal, has completely changed the North London team.
Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso played alongside Arteta before the duo entered management, and he was asked to describe what characteristics made his former Spain teammate a good manager.
Alonso replied with just one word: “Competitive.”
He added “He has always been a competitive animal. Here you can see how he has developed a great project.
“But at a young age you could see that he wanted to win and he was preparing for that. It’s a fruit of many decisions that he has taken to reach the level he has reached at Arsenal.”
Is this Arsenal’s year?
Despite Manchester City’s two consecutive Premier League championship victories over Arsenal, the Gunners aren’t going to give up. A few weaknesses in Arsenal’s roster have been filled by the arrivals of David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori, and Arteta’s team appears solid as they get ready to face City once more this summer.
Arteta’s team appears to be growing stronger and more confident that this could be their year after learning painful lessons from the previous two seasons. Everything will become clear soon, starting on Saturday when they play Wolves in their season opener.
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