Arsenal won the Emirates Cup with a 2-0 victory over Lyon, marking the end of their preseason training.

Mikel Arteta’s powerful team took an early lead with a header from William Saliba after nine minutes.

The Gunners extended their lead just before the half-hour mark, with Saliba’s centre-back partner Gabriel leaping high from another corner.

Meanwhile, £42 million summer signing Riccardo Calafiori made his debut, coming on as a substitute for Oleksandr Zinchenko in the second half.

Mail Sport’s Isaan Khan was present at the Emirates, and these are his key takeaways.

Arsenal completed their preparations for the new season with a 2-0 victory over Lyon.

First-half goals from William Saliba (left) and Gabriel were enough to see the Gunners win.

Calafiori received a warm reception.

Riccardo Calafiori signed for Arsenal for £42 million two weeks ago, and he made his debut today.

The Gunners greeted their new signing enthusiastically as he stood on the touchline.

The fact that he is the north London club’s only summer addition this season added to the enthusiasm.

The Italian made a strong start, coming on in the 64th minute. He had the bit between his teeth, closing in on his opponent with determination and running hard to regain defensive position.

The crowd noise during his passes and tackles also had an impact on him.

Calafiori was eager to get on the ball and motioned to his teammates when he was open on the left flank. A few drives upfield and an incredible sprint back on the break were enough to deter a Lyon attacker, aided by David Raya’s save.

It’s early days, but the signs for a 26-minute run out were positive.

Summer signings Riccardo Calafiori appeared promise throughout his 26-minute run out.

Rice and Saka are ready to go.

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were, of course, key to Arsenal’s title hopes last season. They made their first starts of the preseason and demonstrated their higher gears.

The pair appeared as substitutes in Wednesday’s 4-1 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen. Saka appeared sharper then, but there were still levels to go until the new season.

That was demonstrated this afternoon. Saka quickly caused issues for left back Abner, weaving him in and out and causing chaos as he rushed towards the box.

His menace to the Lyon backline shone, providing motivation for Arsenal to break the lines early on.

Rice, who was still adjusting to full match preparation the previous time out, demonstrated a significant improvement and signs of readiness.

His passing was clean, and he made regular attempts to advance the ball. He also made some good tackles.

To top it all off, two of his well-executed corner kicks were spot on, resulting in goals.

Levels rose as expected, but were nevertheless welcomed.

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are nearly back to full sharpness following recent friendlies.

Set piece kings

The Gunners won one particular table. Not the league, but on set pieces. The North London club scored 20 goals in the 2023-24 season, more than any other Premier League squad.

They had scored none during their preseason tour of the United States, but they broke their drought today with two goals from Declan Rice corner kicks against Lyon.

The first goal, scored by William Saliba, appeared to come directly from set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s playbook. With the exception of Saliba, who wandered to the center of the goal, the majority of Arsenal players in the area began on the back-post before moving forward to the front.

The Frenchman got a soaring header on the ball and sent it into the goal. Gabriel scored the second goal, rushing in from the edge of the box and emphatically heading goalwards.

Mikel Arteta will be aware of how vital set-piece goals have been for him and his side, and he hopes to ensure the same is true again.

Arsenal failed to score from set-pieces throughout their US pre-season tour, but broke their drought with two goals against Lyon.

Will Mikel Arteta give youth players a chance?

Arsenal returned to form following a pre-season tour of the United States, during which young players were given playing time.

Their most promising young players, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ayden Heaven, and Josh Nichols, all made the bench. The previous two were given a run out after 78 minutes.

Saka was substituted at that point. It seemed prudent to remove him before the end, given the number of minutes he will play in the coming months.

It was encouraging to see Arteta giving these youth guys an opportunity at the Emirates. there wasn’t exactly the same as starting them or substituting one or two at halftime, but there was a minor change in tune.

As shown in the previous campaign, the Spaniard rarely employed his young players, even in dead-rubber matches.

Arsenal’s young players, Ethan Nwaneri (right) and Myles Lewis-Skelly, made their debut on 78 minutes.

By playing some of them here, they get hope that there is a path to the first team.

It is critical because players will depart, like Amario Cozier-Duberry and Reuell Walters did for Brighton and Luton Town, respectively.

This was announced over the tannoy. The announcer announced the comeback of Lyon’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The stadium announcer said that Maitland-Niles entered Arsenal’s academy at the age of six and made his first-team debut at 17.

It demonstrates how one avenue can lead to another.

Preseason comes to an end.

Arsenal’s preseason matches are concluded, and their season begins next Saturday against Wolves.

They were well prepared when they chose Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayer Leverkusen as their rivals.

Though the outcomes of such games have little bearing on the larger scheme of things, this is the time when much can be drilled, learnt, and calculated.

It can be tempting to play against weaker teams. Arsenal has done the opposite.

As a result, the Gunners should be able to start the Premier League season strong once more. It’s a harsh competition that doesn’t give you time to adjust.

 

Mikel Arteta’s men should hit the ground running once again after a competitive pre-season

 

Arsenal experimented during pre-season, with Kai Havertz being deployed in numerous roles.

The north London club has also used a diverse group of players and experimented with position changes.

Kai Havertz, for example, started against Liverpool in Philadelphia as a left midfielder. Today, the German was played as a false nine.

After 30 minutes, he sent a fantastic pass through the pitch to Gabriel Martinelli, who raced to the goal, tumbling in the box under defensive pressure.

Overall, things are looking well for the Gunners.