5 Things We Learnt From the Florida Cup

Arsenal have capped off their preseason preparations with a 4-0 win over London rivals Chelsea, lifting the Florida Cup.

So apart from the fact that this means that Arsenal are going to win the league, let’s have a look at what we can actually take away from the game.

Number 1 – Jesus is ready

Arsenal’s marquee signing scored once again against Chelsea, taking his tally to four goals in just as many games for the Arsenal. His delicious chip over Edouard Mendy showed not only his class but also his composure in 1 on 1 situations, an aspect of the game that Lacazette lacked throughout his time at Arsenal. With a goal every 47.5 minutes (I know, it’s only preseason), his direct runs and playmaking ability make him look like the perfect fit for the Arsenal attack.

Number 2 – Arteta and Edu have learnt from their mistakes

At the start of last season, we had multiple major role players injured, hadn’t addressed issues in the squad and were still trying to get incoming transfers through after clearing a lot of deadwood in the club. If that doesn’t sound that bad, think about it like this – if we had beaten Brentford in Round 1 instead of losing 2-0, Arsenal have 3 more points, finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League.

This time around, we have got the incomings (Jesus, Marquinhos, Zinchenko, Turner, Saliba [loan recall]) through early. This has allowed all five of these players to get minutes in the preseason, which not only benefits their development but also helps Arteta plan for the season ahead.

Number 3 – Defensive dedication

It was almost like it was a whole new Arsenal team. Even when Edouard Mendy had the ball in the goals, the Arsenal press was set up brilliantly. It forced Chalobah into losing possession (leading to Jesus’ goal) and it forced Mendy to lose possession (leading to Odegaard’s goal). It was a whole team effort, holding Chelsea to just 0.2 xG.

Number 4 – Zinchenko looks clean

This man looks like such a polished player. It’s easy to overreact, given that we only saw 45 minutes of him but there were very promising signs early on. Playing at LB, he looked very crisp with his movements and passing, exuding confidence with everything he did.

Number 5 – Goal celebrations

We finally, FINALLY, got a good picture of a goal celebration that didn’t have Cedric in it. A momentous occasion for sure.