Gunners turn on the style

Arsenal had quite the day.

The Gunners made Bayer Leverkusen look like a mid-table German team, despite being the reigning Bundesliga champions.

Mikel Arteta’s side got off to a fast start, scoring two goals in two minutes thanks to an Oleksandr Zinchenko strike and a fine finish from Leandro Trossard.

From that point forward, it was simply a precession.

Gabriel Jesus added a third before Kai Havertz scored four against his former team. Leverkusen pulled one back with 15 minutes remaining, but there was no way back.

Based on that performance, Arsenal will undoubtedly be in contention for another title in the following season; they look fantastic.

Anyway, time for me to leave. Don’t be depressed, though; the Premier League season is just over a week away.

I’ll see you all there, and probably before then.

Adios!

Mikel Arteta insists Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice ‘have to be ready’ for start of the Premier League season as England stars return in dominant friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen

Mikel Arteta vows to throw in Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka from the start of the Premier League season, owing to the demands at play.

Both Rice and Saka made substitute appearances in Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening after an extended rest due to their part in the Euros final.

The pair have played lots and lots of football this year, which could risk burnout, but the gruelling nature of the league — which starts next Saturday against Wolves — leaves no room for easing players in.

Arteta said: ‘The season starts in nine or 10 days so they (Rice and Saka) have to be ready. These are the demands they have right now.

‘We really look after them when they are with us, when we have the ability to give them days off we do. We gave them days off before the start of the Euros and we have given them the rest that they needed.

Mikel Arteta vows to throw in Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka from the start of the Premier League season

Arteta wants both returning England international stars to be ready for the start of the season

Saka made a substitute appearance in the 4-1 pre-season friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen

‘The best thing to do is to look in their faces and there is that spark in their eyes, to come back and say: “I don’t want to miss it because I know how hard it is going to be”. That is the best sign, that the players want it.’

On whether he will ease them in, he added: ‘They will tell us how they are. You throw them in and we will see how they deal with everybody and what they have. They certainly want to be involved.’

Arteta confirmed Timber has had a ‘little discomfort in his foot’ and was rested tonight as the Spaniard didn’t want to take any risks.