According to Football London, Mikel Arteta can show some change of plans for his squad after Arsenal defender shine in the pre-season. The pre-season is finally over, and almost every Premier League club is looking ready for next season. Clubs like Liverpool did not lose a single match of the preseason. Despite having a new manager this season, the Reds do not look like they will stop anytime soon. Liverpool also conceded only one goal in their preseason without their star defender, Virgil Van Dijk. This defensive performance in the absence of the Dutch star is a big thing for Liverpool.
Manchester City, after having a shaky start to their preseason, are back to their old selves. There were concerns about a potential injury to Erling Haaland. However, these rumors were proved wrong after the Manchester City striker scored a hat trick against Chelsea. Jack Grealish is another player who is looking in great form. Manchester United are still in a doubtful state for the next season. They managed to sell Rafa Varane and Caseimiro after their poor performances last season. However, Manchester United have still not managed to sign suitable replacements for the players. There are links to Matthijs De Ligt and Manuel Ugarte. However, there is no official statement currently.
London is red next season?
Arsenal had a great pre-season. However, the same thing cannot be said for their neighbor Chelsea. The Blues had a very disappointing pre-season, winning only one match. After Chelsea appointed new manager Enzo Maresca, fans had high expectations. Chelsea sacked Mauricio Pochettino in a shocking moment, especially when the former Chelsea boss was managing to get his tactics right. However, Chelsea’s performances in the preseason did not make the fans or the owners happy. The Chelsea team played like a Sunday league team. They were lost, and no tactical understanding was displayed.
After selling most of their players, everyone thought Chelsea had a plan for next season. Enzo Maresca told Conor Gallagher he was not in his plans for next season. This was shocking news, as Conor Gallagher was arguably Chelsea’s best player last season. The English midfielder played more minutes than any other Chelsea player and was also their captain on several occasions. Chelsea even lost to Manchester City in a humiliating fashion, and they will be playing again in the opening match of the new Premier League season.
Arsenal defender shine despite transfer rumors
Arsenal signed Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna this summer. Mikel Arteta signed the Italian sensation to strengthen their defense. Calafiori is expected to play in the left-back position, with William Saliba and Gabriel as the center-back duo. However, now there can be some changes in this plan after Oleksandr Zinchenko shined in Arsenal’s final pre-season match against Bayern Leverkusen. Zinchenko was expected to leave Arsenal this summer after his regular game time was in danger. However, it looks like the defender is proving all the critics wrong before the season starts.
Zinchenko changed his squad number to 17, which gives fans enough uncertainty regarding his future. However, it looks like the Gunners will try to keep the Ukrainian for next season as well. Zinchenko is still an asset to the squad with his amazing passing ability and forward runs. The defender also gave some decent performances last season for the team. It is important for Arsenal to keep their quality players if they want to challenge for the league title next season. As of now, it looks like Oleksandr Zinchenko will be staying another season with the full trust of his fans and manager.
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