FC Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal: 3 talking points from pre-season outing

Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against FC Nurnburg in what was the true definition of a pre-season game in Germany.

Well, we are finally back with football, and while yes it is preseason, seeing Arsenal on the pitch again no doubt brought smiles to the faces of fans everywhere.

Not much was expected out of the club’s first preseason outing, but Bukayo Saka got himself on the scoresheet in the first half, as it is business as normal for the superstar winger (No. 1 in the world, mind you).

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1679622030965063681?s=20

In the second half, Mikel Arteta rang the changes, and naturally, a dip in performance followed, and Nurnberg grabbed an equalizer, albeit fortuitously, as Jorginho’s own goal saw the hosts draw level.

The returning Folarin Balogun had a chance at the death to win it for Arsenal, but his shot was blazed into the side netting.

FC Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal: 3 talking points from pre-season outing

It wasn’t flash, it wasn’t pretty, but there were some talking points to come out of the game; here they are.

1. Saliba starting eases the nerves

The French international starting the first game of preseason was no doubt a welcome sight when the teamsheet dropped. After missing the back end of the Premier League campaign due to a back issue, seeing Saliba getting meaningful minutes already surely means he is over what was troubling him.

Saliba slotted straight into the heart of thdefencese and picked up where he left off last season, and having him fit and firing for the beginning of the season will be music to the ears of Arsenal fans everywhere.

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