As Arsenal manage their second penalty shootout win after not winning in 90, my hope that this season is 'handbrake off' doesn't look like it's going to be from matchweek 1....
Como Draw
The performance may even be secondary to getting minutes in the legs, but there doesn't appear to be an evolution from the 2025/26 campaign. I wanted to see a change in how Arsenal attack, the runs players make, the decisions on the ball. Sadly, it is still chaos from corners and possession over genuine threat.
I do need to caveat this by saying that, like most of the country, I was trying not to be blinded by a partial eclipse. Having experienced the total eclipse in '99, the slight drop in light levels didn't really hit the same. Due to this, I forgot about the first half and switched on just in time to see Como smash home an equaliser after great skill from the wide position, and questionable play from Kepa? No need to go in two-footed; the spotlight at Arsenal shines brighter than an August sun not quite covered by the moon.
Positives of Preseason
The youngsters getting on the pitch, and looking the part. Marli Slamon had an outrageously good second half (maybe first too!). The composure with players around him was well beyond his years, and it's good to know left-back has a fourth willing participant when the annual fullback crisis hits.
Christos Tzolis is also a player who looks like he's been in red and white for years. Direct, efficient, and probably upset not to get a G/A today – you can see how he managed 51 goal contributions at Brugge. I would expect to see him out there for the Community Shield, particularly after having a decent amount of time to acclimatise to his new teammates.
Finally on the positives, we saw Bruno G. Get ready for 'Cringe' shouts of Bruno every time he smashes through a player who slightly touched him 10 seconds earlier – he did show us a bit of that today! We will also be reinstating the 'If Xhaka had done that...' for any decision that we don't get, substituting in the Brazilian enforcer's name this time. The embarrassment of riches available to Arsenal in midfield, on paper at least, is a joy to behold.
Thoughts Turn to Sunday....
The Emirates Stadium – Cymru edition, also known as the Principality Stadium, awaits for the final test before our defence gets underway against Coventry a week Friday. I really don't know about this one.
You can write it off, but winning it stops any chatter about a poor preseason flowing into a tricky opening five fixtures. My concern is that this is 25/26 Arsenal + minor upgrades.
If I had to predict a starting XI now, it would be Raya, Mosquera, Big Gabby, Cala/Hincapie, MLS, Bruno, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Tzolis and Big G.
Do I love it? No. Does the RB/2nd CB/LB have the potential to be completely wrong? For sure! If Ben White ends up alongside Mosquera (RB or CB???) it may suggest a concern about City's left side, and the Norwegian goal machine.
In terms of play style, I want to see confidence and players making good options, with more than one possible ball – preferably not always backwards and square! Any game against City is a yardstick, and this will be no different, despite their poor finish to the season and Maresca's (semi) competitive debut at the helm.
Final Ambitions for 2026/27
Agbonlahor has already anointed us Champions now Bruno G has been confirmed, so that's nice. No chance that's just an expectation to beat us with if we aren't running away with it by Christmas.
Merino is the LANS, and the genuine new signings should hit the ground running. I have great faith that Tzolis can match Leo's 18 G/A (which Martinelli also achieved across all competitions). We need a new Mr Clutch to drag three points out of a stale draw. Merino's emergency Pseudo-9 role can be re-established; his ability to score goals was sorely missed and made the title a much more nervy endeavour.
We're all praying that Saliba gets back as soon as possible. He has his moments of getting away with 'aura defending', but generally he does so well and brings the best out of his CB partner.
In the same way we had to be champions last year, we HAVE to defend our title this year. No one has the title nailed down. We played better in two of the previous three years, but that was the year we won it – this year we need to improve, as everyone else around us appears to have.
The UCL possibly now becomes more important. The heartbreak of penalties in 2026, the what-could-have-been in 2025; 2027 could well be the year we get that one over the line. PSG have won enough now, it's getting boring! Someone else can have a go, and a sharp Arsenal have the experience and squad depth to overcome any obstacle not from Paris.
Let's throw in a domestic cup too. Really time we got a League Cup in the cabinet for the first time in over 30 years. It will also help clear that awful day at Wembley from the memory, where we thought 10 minutes of mild effort was enough to stop a left-back grabbing a brace!