Rather than reading my observations today, here’s a match report from Easy Tiger, who went to the game:

After sitting through a thoroughly enjoyable game between PSG and Valencia (PSG thoroughly deserved winners) I then prepared myself to receive the team news for the Arsenal game. Having watched the previous day’s game and being aware of our injury pressures I was able to fairly accurately predict the line-up. However, the obvious surprise was the inclusion of one Kieran Gibbs on the left wing. Despite considering myself to be up to speed with the players coming through the youth system up at the club I had to confess that I knew nothing about him.

Many friendly games are fairly slow, certainly in the early stages, but this game was fairly exciting from the start. I guess the presence of a large crowd in a new modern stadium against high standard opposition meant that both teams seemed to approach the game as a ‘real’ one, rather than a pre-season friendly. After a goalless but eventful first half, Inter scored first with pretty much their first and shot on target. Arsenal then replied with two goals to win the match and to lift the ‘inaugural’ Emirates tournament. I daresay you have seen the highlights, so I’ll just give you my thoughts on Arsenal’s performance.

Arsenal played a positive attacking game – the only player I didn’t see in the opposition’s penalty area at some point was Jens Lehmann. The best play was seen down the right hand side, with Emmanuel Eboue proving that despite my reservations he does in fact have a great deal to offer on the right wing. He linked up really well with our new signing Bacary Sagna, who himself looks like an excellent addition to the squad. He receives the ball well, runs with it and seems to have a good cross on him. Sadly there weren’t always players in the box to receive crosses, particularly when our lone striker van Persie found himself down the left hand side.

However, van Persie looks to me as though he is at the start of an upward spiral of form and goals. Playing at the head of a 4-5-1 formation he ran the line, moved from side to side, held the ball up well and looked dangerous throughout the match. He produced a good shot on the run which he did well to keep low, hit two excellent free kicks, should have been awarded a penalty and scored an outstanding goal. Last year I was saying, pre-injury, that he was eventually going to become our most important player. With the departure of Henry, I certainly stand by that.

Arsenal like to play the ball around the edge of the penalty area; they like to play the ball around and work an opening in which to play that final pass. That tactic proved effective today, and Arsenal looked dangerous at all times. This still didn’t prevent members of the crowd yelling ‘shoot’, even in the most ridiculous of situations. Grow up. A right-footed player isn’t going to score with his left with his back to goal, and defenders get themselves in front of shots precisely to stop players having free shots on goal And what was with the ridiculous booing of Materazzi?

What I love about watching Arsenal these days is that every player is so technically adept and that they look so at home with the ball. Kieran Gibbs slotted in as though he had been playing with first team for years. The substitutes all slotted in and instantly caught up with the speed of the game. Every player looked excellent. If we can maintain the level of performance that I saw today, even in a pre-season friendly, then we can be optimistic about the coming season.

’til Tomorrow.