Arsenal: Hector Bellerin hits on what’s important in preseason

Many things in preseason don’t matter as much as some think. But Hector Bellerin has hit on what is crucial for Arsenal to understand this summer: Unai Emery’s system.

The Arsenal preseason is well and truly and underway. With just two weeks until the Gunners’ first game, a hosting of the Premier League champions no less, Unai Emery has led his side to Singapore to face Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the International Champions Cup, winning one and drawing the other.

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While the preseason fixtures are always interesting to watch because everyone is desperate for football again, even if there’s been a wonderful World Cup to tide us all over from the end of one season to the start of another, there is actually a lot of fluff that comes with them that often shrouds the valuable elements of the performances.

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The result, for instance, is completely inconsequential to the season ahead. The goal that an experienced, established star scored. Even, to some extent, the level of performance of some individuals entirely. But that does not mean that there aren’t things that are crucial to a successful summer of preparations, are worth watching out for in these friendly ties, and will have an impact on the coming season.

And in a recent interview with Arsenal TV Player, Hector Bellerin, I believe, hits on the most pivotal one for him and his teammates this summer, the system:

"“As I said the other day, it’s all about learning the new system, about getting used to each other again and used to the new players. It felt like things were clicking more today. Slowly we are coming more together – training every day with the new concepts we have is working better.”"

In previous years, understanding the shape and style of the team has not held the same significance. Arsene Wenger demanded his team play the same, or very similar, every season. For those that had been with the club for several years, there wasn’t much to learn. Obviously, with a new manager now at the helm, there are new ideas, new tactics, new strategies and new structures to learn and execute.

In the first friendly against Atletico, for example, Arsenal enjoyed their best period in the 10-15 minutes after half-time. It’s not unreasonable to connect the dots a little and suggest that Emery’s reiteration of what he wanted his players to do at half-time had an effect on the collective cohesion of the team and the subsequent performance level. And as Bellerin states, he and his teammates looked far more comfortable in the shape of the team against PSG than against Madrid, just two days later. The work on the training ground is making a difference.

It will take time for Emery’s plans to come to fruition. Throughout both friendlies, he could be seen gesticulating on the sidelines frantically, communicating with whole units in the team and with particular individuals. He was keen to ensure that his message was understood innately, and that it could then be implemented and executed precisely how he wants it to be.

This, for me, is what is important for Arsenal this preseason. Not the result. Not who scores the goals. Not even who plays well, at least to some extent, but how does the team play, look, feel and work collectively, as a team. That is crucial, and it seems as if it’s working.