Mikel Arteta was pleased with Jurrien Timber’s performance in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over MLS All-Stars. Timber, who recently joined the club from Ajax for £40 million, showcased his versatility and defensive abilities during his 35-minute cameo.
Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring for the Gunners with a lovely chip from outside the box before Leandro Trossard also scored with an equally spectacular effort from outside the box. Jorginho made it 3-0 shortly into the second half via a trademark penalty before Martinelli and new signing Kai Havertz wrapped up a dominant win for the Gunners.
The 5-0 scoreline was also the highest margin that any visitor have scored against the MLS All-Stars since the beginning of the concept.
Despite many good performances to pick from, it was that of new signing Jurien Timber that caught the eye of the Gunners’ boss.
Arteta highlighted Timber’s comfort on the ball, aggression in duels, and dynamism as qualities that stood out. The Arsenal manager believes Timber will be an important player for the team in the future.
Timber’s versatility is something that excites the Arsenal manager ahead of the new season.
Arteta rates Timber’s debut against MLS All-Stars
Asked to assess Timber’s performance, Arteta said: “I think you’ve seen tonight that he’s a really versatile player, you can see him defend in those positions.”
“He gives you the capacity to invert, to occupy different spaces. He’s so comfortable on the ball in that phase and he’s also got this aggression in the duels and that dynamism that I really like about him.”
“You saw from the first action; he went and won the ball straight away on that duel and he was ready to go. He’s been like that in the last few days – he’s playing really well with the team, and I think he’s going to be a really important player for us.”
New Signings Kai Havertz and Declan Rice Show Promise
Kai Havertz scored his first goal for Arsenal, putting behind his difficulties in the Skills Challenge. Declan Rice also had his first run out for the club. Arteta emphasized the importance of developing fluidity and relationships among the new signings. He acknowledged the team’s exceptional performance in both boxes, with efficient finishing in the final third and solid defending in transition moments.
Elsewhere, Mikel Arteta responded to Arsene Wenger’s prediction that Arsenal could challenge for the title, stating that he focuses on the day-to-day processes and improvements rather than making bold predictions. He also addressed Graeme Souness’ criticism of Declan Rice and defended his player.
Arteta believes in creating chemistry and finding the right combinations among the players to improve the team’s performance.
