Pre-Season and Squad Information
5 games were played in pre-season, including two in the Emirates Cup. 23 players moved clubs, both permanent and temporary, and many players were given a squad number and place in the squad for the 2013/14 season. But what exactly happened across July and August?
Pre-Season:
How did Bould get on during his pre-season campaign, in which he would try to get the squad off to the best of starts before the permanent manager took over?
Vannes OC 1-6 Arsenal
Friendly | Wednesday 24th July 2013 | Stade de la Rabine
Arsenal got off to a sublime start to the season, with a convincing win over French side Vannes OC at Stade de la Rabine, with a number of players making their way onto the score sheet.
German Mesut Ozil opened the scoring with a striker in the 28th minute, with fellow international Per Mertesacker adding a 2nd just six minutes later. Olivier Giroud scored Arsenal's third with a powerful header in the 43rd minute.
The striker than soon followed by grabbing his 2nd and Arsenal's 4th goal, hitting a free-kick over the wall into the top corner from 21 yards out, in the 45th minute. Jack Wilshere was next on the score sheet, scoring in the second minute of first-half injury time, his sublime strike beating Antoine Petit at an angle.
Dielna pulled one back just after the hour, but Olivier Giroud then completed the rout with his hat-trick in the 82nd minute, a simple tap in following from Aaron Ramsey's dashing run.
Ars. Goals: Mesut Ozil (28), Per Mertesacker (36), Olivier Giroud (43, 45, 82), Jack Wilshere (45)
Vannes Goals: Joel Dielna (64)
Man of the Match: Olivier Giroud (ARS) 9.6
Arsenal 5-1 Werder Bremen
Emirates Cup Semi Final | Saturday 27th July 2013 | Emirates Stadium
Arsenal secured victory over a weakened Bremen side in the Emirates Cup Semi Final, thanks to the magnificent goalscoring of Alexandre Lacazette.
Making his Arsenal debut, Lacazette finished home in just the 3rd minute of his Arsenal career. Florian Grillitsch soon equalizided just 2 minutes, but Lacazette followed up with a glancing header in the 12th minute. Jack Wilshere continued his fine form to strike the ball home in the 18th minute, with the game already looking settled.
Jack then added a second early in the second half, beating Richard Strebinger in the 52nd minute. Lacazette settled the game with his hat-trick, scoring in the 84th minute.
Arsenal Goals: Alexandre Lacazette (3, 12, 84), Jack Wilshere (18, 52)
Werder Goals: Florian Grillitsch (5)
Man of the Match: Alexandre Lacazette (ARS) 9.5
Arsenal 1-0 FC Nantes
Emirates Cup Final | Sunday 28th July 2013 | Emirates Stadium
Arsenal secured cup success with the Emirates Cup after edging FC Nantes with a youthful side. Adnan Januzaj went down midway through the second half, earning a penalty, coolly converted by Spaniard Mikel Arteta.
Januzaj came close in the second half, hitting the crossbar in the 62nd minute. Yaya Sanogo also almost settled the match with 5 minutes remaining, but his goal was correctly ruled offside.
The final whistle was blown to the array of fans, beaming with joy at their success in their home cup.
Arsenal Goals: Mikel Arteta (32 pen)
Nantes Goals: None
Man of the Match: Emiliano Viviano (ARS) 7.5
Chunnam Dragons 1-4 Arsenal
Friendly | Wednesday 7th August 2013 | Gwangyang Football Stadium
Despite Arsenal's comfortable 4-1 victory over minnows Chunnam Dragons, some pundits were unimpressed with the manner of victory, with the underdogs causing Arsenal far more problems than had been expected. The highlight of the game was undoubtedly a superb hat-trick from Arsenal's Olivier Giroud.
Things did not get off to a good start for Chunham Dragons as powerful striker Olivier Giroud seized on an error by Yeom Chang-Hwan to score a deftly executed finish. Winger Adnan Januzaj doubled Arsenal's lead with a well timed finish from close range on 34 minutes.
Giroud added his 2nd goal of the game with an accurate finish on 37 minutes. Grioud added his 3rd goal of the game with a poorly struck effort on 43 minutes.
Forward Cho Dong-Hee pulled one back for Chunnam Dragons after 59 minutes with a close range header.
Arsenal Goals: Olivier Giroud (7, 37, 43), Adnan Januzaj (34)
Chunnam Goals:Cho Dong-Hee (59)
Man of the Match: Olivier Giroud (ARS) 9.5
Busan I'PARK 1-4 Arsenal
Friendly | Sunday 11th August 2013 | Busan Asiad Main Stadium
Arsenal enjoyed near total domination over a distinctly average Busan I'PARK side at Busan Asiad Main Stadium this afternoon. The game will be remembered for a remarkable display of goalscoring from Arsenal's Olivier Giroud.
Powerful striker Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal the lead with a fine header from point-blank range in the 11th minute. Giroud added his 2nd goal of the game with a good header from just inside the six-yard box on 38 minutes.
Giroud added his 3rd goal of the game with a long range effort on 69 minutes. Giroud added his 4th goal of the game with a well timed close range finish on 71 minutes.
Centre-back Song Il-Kwon pulled one back for Busan I'PARK for 86 minutes with a close range finish which was timed impeccably.
Arsenal Goals: Olivier Giroud (11, 38, 69, 71)
Busan Goals: Song Il-Kwon (86)
Man of the Match: Olivier Giroud (ARS) 9.9
Overall it was a cracking pre-season. Olivier Giroud had a cracker, scoring 10 goals across the five games. New signing Alexandre Lacazette also had a great few games, notably with his hat-trick, and Jack Wilshere was able to get on the scoresheet a bit too. With results like these, and success in the Emirates Cup, we look set to go for the season!
Full List of Transfers:
With 11 players joining the club, and another 12 departing, both permanent and temporary, a recap on the new players is certainly needed, followed by a list of those who have left the club.
Transfers In:
Signing #1
Fee: Free
From: Real Madrid
Signing #2
Fee: £7,500,000
From: Real Madrid
Signing #3
Fee: £8,000,000
From: Swansea City
Signing #4
Fee: P/Ex Per Mertesacker
From: Manchester City
Signing #5
Fee: £1,000,000
From: Atletico Madrid
Signing #6
Fee: £13,000,000
From: Manchester United
Signing #7
Fee: £7,500,000
From: Olympique Lyonnais
Signing #8
Fee: £24,500,000
From: Manchester City
Signing #9
Fee: £9,000,000
From: Real Madrid
Signing #10
Fee: £6,000,000 P/Ex Kieran Gibbs
From: Southampton
Signing #11
Fee: £2,500,000
From: Atletico Madrid
Transfers Out:
- Carl Jenkinson - Blackpool - Loan
- Theo Walcott - Liverpool - £27M
- Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain - Southampton - £20M
- Isaac Hayden - Luton Town - Loan
- Lukas Podolski - Atletico Madrid - £12.5M
- Thomas Vermaelen - Juventus - £12.5M
- Bacary Sagna - AS Roma - £6.5M
- Nico Yennaris - Crawley Town - Loan
- Lukasz Fabianski - Lokomotiv Moscow - £2M
- Per Mertesacker - Manchester City - P/Ex
- Kieran Gibbs - Southampotn - P/Ex
- Park Chu-Young - AC Milan - £4M
Total Income: £84,500,000
Total Expenditure: £79,000,000
Total Profit: £5,500,000
Squad List For 2013/14 Season:
The Arsenal FC Squad List has now been announced for the 2013/14 season, with 25 players named for the upcoming campaign.
Jack Wilshere has been named as Captain, with
Mikel Arteta named as Vice-Captain.
1.
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Wojciech Szczesny
2.
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Dani Carvajal
4.
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Matija Nastasic
6.
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Laurent Koscielny
7.
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Tomas Rosicky
8.
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Mikel Arteta
9.
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Jese
10.
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Jack Wilshere (c)
11.
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Natxo Monreal
12.
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Olivier Giroud
13.
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Emiliano Viviano
14.
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Antonio Adan
15.
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Luke Shaw
16.
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Aaron Ramsey
17.
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Mesut Ozil
18.
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Ben Davies
19.
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Santi Cazorla
20.
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Mathieu Flamini
22.
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Yaya Sanogo
23.
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Nicklas Bendtner
25.
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Javi Garcia
27.
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Alexandre Lacazette
28.
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Adnan Januzaj
30.
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Jose Gimenez
31.
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Ryo Miyachi
The following players have been given a shirt number but are not included in the first team for the 2013/14 season:
21. Samuel Galindo 24. Abou Diaby 26. Emmanuel Frimpong 29. Julio Pleguezuelo 32. Semi Ajayi 33. Ryan Huddart 34. Arinse Uade 35. Tarum Dawkins 36. Benik Afobe 37. Chuba Akpom 38. Alfred Mugabo 39. Zak Ansah 40. Hector Bellerin 41. Daniel Boateng 42. Thomas Eisfeld 43. Zac Fagan 44. Serge Gnabry 45. Jamaal Raage 46. Dejan Iliev 47. Jack Jebb 48. Anthony Jeffrey 49. Austin Lipman 50. Damian Martinez 51. Renny Smith 52. Glen Kamara 53. Kristoffer Olsson 54. Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill 55. Leander Siemann 56. Jon Toral 57. Alex Iwobi 58. Gedion Zelalem 68. Tom Dallison 75. Tafari Moore 76. Stefan O’Connor 79. Ainsley Maitland-Niles 80. Elliot Wright 81. Dan Crowley
Arsenal are certainly ready for the new season with these results and squad, with the permanent manager due to be announced soon!