The Ukraine star sent a timely reminder to Mikel Arteta as the Gunners laid down a marker once more
A palpable sense of excitement and expectation flowed through the home crowd ahead of Arsenal's third attempt to dethrone defending Premier League champions Manchester City. And the Gunners rounded off their pre-season campaign with a routine 2-0 victory over an ineffective Lyon side on Sunday afternoon in the sunshine.
Two Declan Rice corners were headed home by centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel in the ninth and 27th minute respectively as the north London outfit showed their set-piece threat again.
Mikel Arteta's side never really got out of second gear in a low-key second half but it was more than enough to see off their French opponents and win the Emirates Cup in front of their own fans.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Emirates…
AFPWINNER: Oleksandr Zinchenko
The Ukrainian is, arguably, a somewhat derided figure at Arsenal, with many fans dissatisfied with his displays last season. But with Jurrien Timber still injured and new signing Riccardo Calafiori more of a centre-back, this match would have acted as a timely reminder to Arteta of Oleksandr Zinchenko's qualities. The 27-year-old whipped in plenty of dangerous balls, one of which Bukayo Saka should have finished off, he broke up play well, looked impressive going forward and was solid enough in defence. Perhaps he deserves to start at left-back against Wolves next week despite the excitement around Calafiori.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Jurrien Timber
Netherlands international Timber has endured rotten luck since signing from Ajax last summer. An anterior cruciate ligament injury limited him to just three appearances last season and the left-back reportedly had a foot issue that kept him out of the Arsenal squad for the Lyon match. And with Zinchenko impressing and Calafiori getting his first minutes for Arsenal, by the time he returns to fitness, Timber may be quite far down the pecking order.
Getty Images SportWINNER: WILLIAM SALIBA
Both the Frenchman and centre-back Gabriel were imperious at the back and big aerial threats, quite literally, in the opposition's box. Not only did they take their headers well from excellent Rice corners, they kept Lyon's attack in check. Saliba just about edged this one as he has that ability to drive out from the back with his pace and close control. He scored two goals last season but with Arsenal being the league's set-piece kings, the defender may eye a few more goals this term.
AFPLOSER: GABRIEL MARTINELLI
Although flying forward Gabriel Martinelli has shown just how good he can be in pre-season, this was a frustrating performance from the 23-year-old. Loose passes, heavy touches, one-dimensional attacks, and an uncertainty in the final third harken back to the final quarter of the season where he failed to score in any of his last 10 Premier League matches and lost his place to Leandro Trossard. While his movement and distribution improved – especially when he came in field – in the second half, Martinelli remains a somewhat inconsistent figure.