Nuno Tavares, Flo Balogun, Cedric Soares, Sambi Lokonga, Jorginho and Mo Elneny are back in Arsenal training although goodness knows for how long as out of the six, four are reported to be heading off somewhere else very soon. Charlie Patino has already left on loan which is good news I think.

The only player not training is Gabriel Jesus.. I read something from Micah Richards which suggested Arsenal have no chance of winning the League now because of our missing Brazilian. I’ve read some crazy things over the years about Arsenal but this has to be one of the most ridiculous. I get it, he brings energy, experience etc to the team but if Richards thinks we don’t have equally as good or as important to Arsenal right now, then he really needs to do a bit more homework.

I’ve no idea how this coming season will unfold but I think it’s fair to say we’re going into it with the strongest looking squad Arsenal have had in many years. We’re even going to have two top notch goalkeepers once David Raya is confirmed as an Arsenal player, hopefully in time to be available for our opening fixture. His deal is a loan with an option to buy next summer which I think is a clever move by Arsenal. Smart from Brentford too as they’ve tied the player down to an extra year meaning he won’t be leaving for free. The battle between him and Ramsdale over the next ten months will make interesting viewing, but I can’t see Mikel Arteta dropping Aaron Ramsdale unless he makes a string of big errors. Even then I’m not too sure because how many did Bernd Leno make? History now I know.

With a top top squad comes expectation which I touched on the other day. Mikel Arteta has said that he to question himself at the end of last season :

The first few weeks, very tough. The first thing you have to do is look in the mirror and understand – is there something that you should have done better or differently? If that is the case then learn from it. Judge yourself – ‘are you still the right person to drive the club, the team, forwards in the way that you want and do you have that energy and that belief that you want to do it?’ It took a big reflection, but the answer is yes and I feel with a lot of energy and positiveness.

More pressure will be on Mikel Arteta and his players this season, especially after four top quality players have been added to a squad which finished just five points behind Man City last season. Idiots in the media are already knocking Declan Rice, the same player they were raving about last season, writing off Kai Havertz because he suffered at a club in a mess both on and off the field but, at least they’ve noticed that Jurrien Timber looks the real deal. I wonder what they’ll have to say about David Raya once he signs for Arsenal. The reality is, it doesn’t matter who Arsenal sign, they’ll seldom be seen as being good enough, or right.

There’s no doubting William Saliba’s injury in the second half of the season seriously dented our title challenge but I don’t think it was the only reason our results took a wrong turn and I guess that’s what Arteta means about learning. Not just him though, players too and I don’t just mean the new rules. From Ramsdale in goal to the player going for goal, they have to be more assertive, more decisive and more clinical. Easy for me to say eh…

Yesterday was all change in the transfer window as Kane, who Sky Sports suggested was likely to stay at Totts, now looks likely to join Bayern as he’s heading out to Germany for a medical. Chelsea, who’ve been chasing Caicedo all summer, now look as if they’re going to sign Lavia who is around £50 million cheaper. Meanwhile, Liverpool, who according to reports, refused to meet the fee Southampton had set for Lavia, have made a £110 million offer for Caicedo which apparently, Brighton have accepted. And to think, pundits reckon Declan Rice was overpriced but at least he’s been playing Premier League football for more than five minutes and he’s English. £100 million for Kane is bonkers too bearing in mind his age and contract situation. I guess Bayern must be hoping his goals will see them win another Champions League trophy because the League has been theirs for a while. For their sake, I hope they get awarded a few penalties…. Lol

The 2023/24 Premier League kicks off tonight with newly promoted Burnley taking on Man City at Turf Moor. I’m going for a home win. Remember when we played Brentford on the opening Friday a couple of seasons ago? Of course you do…

Catch up in the comments…