Arsenal 4-1 Watford: 4 talking points from pre-season win

Arsenal have secured back to back victories in pre-season! Not only that, they’ve netted eight goals en route! You know what they say about home comforts, eh? Might be worth asking if London Colney can host instead of the Emirates next season…

It’s another win for Mikel Arteta’s side and another 4-1 success. Watford very kindly made themselves available to take on Arsenal following the cancellation of their USA tour, hopping over the fence to their neighbours’ home on Wednesday.

Most notable from the starting lineup were outings for both new signings, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who given their chance to impress alongside Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.

It was the latter who fired the hosts in front in with a fine individual effort. Willian had fed Nketiah down the line and the striker, playing on the left wing, cut inside his man before curling a lovely low effort in off the post.

Arsenal 4-1 Watford: 4 talking points from pre-season win as Arteta watches Nketiah, Lacazette, Tierney and Azeez get on the scoresheet

Watford were gifted a route back in when Mohamed Elneny got caught in possession inside his own area before Philip Zinckernagel converted from close range.

Arsenal dominated after the break but were unable to convert that into meaningful opportunities, having to wait until the 70th minute when Alexandre Lacazette tucked away from the penalty spot after Ainsley Maitland-Niles was felled.

Shortly after, Emile Smith Rowe sent a dangerous cross in from the right wing that found its way into Kieran Tierney’s path, with the Scot setting himself before slamming a half-volley into the roof of the net.

The win was wrapped up via the left foot of Miguel Azeez, who bent a delightful effort on his weak foot into the far corner to make it all smiles down at Colney.

An enjoyable day all round, with a few talking points that followed.

1. Nuno Tavares is Still Very Raw

There is a tactical tweak that usually involves Granit Xhaka that has been entrusted onto Mohamed Elneny during pre-season, one designed to free up the left-back to play as an auxiliary winger.

Dropping into a left centre-back slot in a back three it allows, in this case Nuno Tavares, to play very advanced and support his fellow forward.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have a strong 45 minutes and was actually guilty of quite a lot of sloppy play on the ball, especially in the opening 20 or so minutes. For someone who arrived being labelled as a player with high technical quality, he disappointed. Some of his footwork looked clunky.

You know what else? It doesn’t matter. It’s very early days and only his second start in red and white. He’s a talent who is still very raw and when you’re buying someone to come in and be developed into a potential starter in the future, or even to make some profit on him, these sorts of issue iron themselves out.

There is still real strength in his strides and some of his flicks did pull off, while he also made one very strong recovery challenge.

As his fitness improves and confidence grows, so will his ball control. As for positioning and the like, that’s what these matches are for. He’s learning.

2. Chance Creation Changes With Special Emile Smith Rowe

Despite utterly dominating the second half, the second goal came via a penalty and not much else went down as a clear chance until the third.

Put Emile Smith Rowe on the ball, however, and things change. Seeing Willian in the No. 10 role and trying his very best to make himself available to either winger didn’t pay off at all in the first half, and while he improved after the break, it was Smith Rowe’s introduction that changed the threat.

He immediately lifts the technical level on the pitch. Supporters saw how brilliant he was last season and the improvements from week to week, setting him up for a season in which he will explode.

It’s impossible to see him not owning that No. 10 shirt in the coming campaign so long as he stays fit. Such is his trajectory and his sky-high ceiling, the confidence the 21-year-old has (happy birthday!) transfers into all those across the pitch.

The tempo lifts and the movements of those around him become more fluid. Watford are facing a tough season ahead having just been promoted and it wasn’t their strongest side yet there is no doubting how special of a talent he is.

Smith Rowe will be spoken of in glowing terms by those across the division. In the same vein as it took until the Euros for other supporters to realise who glorious Bukayo Saka is, ‘The Smith’ will blow spectators away.

3. USA Tour Cancellation a Blessing in Disguise?

In pre-season if you’d asked who would you rather be facing to get your team up to speed between Inter and Millwall, nobody would argue against the former.

However, so long as all those who contracted COVID-19 are well and safe, not travelling to Florida may well have been a blessing in disguise for Mikel Arteta.

Playing behind-closed-doors is never ideal and the feeling of supporters in and around the pitch doesn’t compare, but this is extra days of travel the players haven’t needed to make. Two matches at the training ground have meant bonus sessions at London Colney for the players to build up fitness and the results will also do the team no harm.

Back-to-back 4-1 wins, albeit against lesser opposition, will boost the mood in and around the squad and the additional freshness of legs can only benefit.

With both Chelsea and Tottenham to come up for the final two pre-season matches of the summer there will still be top class opposition to face, as well as Tottenham.

There are only four full days between the Toilet Bowl clash and the Premier League opener against Brentford so it should be gung-ho against the Blues at home.

4. Albert Sambi Lokonga is Thomas Partey’s Partner

As it stands, that is.

Everything comes with the pre-season caveats but Arsenal have unearthed a real gem in Sambi Lokonga; an acquisition that will prove to be a masterstroke.

Watching Mohamed Elneny fumble in possession and no other central midfield signings in sight, come Brentford on August 13 if there are no additions by then it should be the Belgian getting the nod.

A bold claim, but looking across the squad there is nobody who stands out as the ideal partner for the Ghanaian more than Sambi. Welcoming pressure on the ball he never looks flustered and as someone to help Arsenal shift up the pitch he’s already shown more progressive positivity than Elneny has in five years.

Ideally, there is someone else. However, the season is little over two weeks away and it doesn’t look like anyone is going to be getting over the line before then. At least not in time to start. Sambi looks fresh, composed and, crucially, comfortable alongside Partey.

There is a fear that Elneny will get the nod if nothing changes yet the amount of minutes Arteta is getting Sambi and Partey to have together does hint otherwise. We know that the manager isn’t going to want to take huge risks at the beginning of the season but as it is opting for a Willock or Ainsley Maitland-Niles partnership feels like the less secure option. If either of them are even here, that is.

Sambi looks the real deal and even without a single minute of Premier League football to his name, if he maintains this level in his outings against Chelsea and Tottenham then there is no reason why he isn’t top of the queue come Friday the 13th.