Arsenal

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Emirates Cup game between Arsenal and Lyon.

Here are some of your comments:

Al: Another good run out for the lads. We're looking fit and going into the new season starting where we finished off, with goals from all areas of the pitch and plenty of chances. Some midfield reinforcements and perhaps another striker, and it's highly likely we'll stop City.

Ron: Still worried that we need a striker or finisher for all of the opportunities we create. No forward scored, so no need to say any more.

Joe: It was a really good performance and if we continue like this we will almost definitely win the league.

Helen: After being the most successful Premier League team for set pieces, it was interesting to see new routines compared to what we saw on the US tour. Martin Odegaard continues to be the creative force in midfield but Declan Rice’s contribution was much more impressive in tight spaces, especially in the final third. That is an improved aspect of his game.

Victor: We look solid and ready to go. However, the season will be a long hard one, and I do feel we still need cover for Bukayo Saka and someone killer upfront.

David: While it was great that we won the match, with two well-taken set piece goals, I worry that we didn't manage much to finish off our attacking superiority in open play. Never mind - it was a friendly match and good to see so many new young Gooners. They are the next generation of fans.

Arsenal are planning a move to sign French winger Kingsley Coman on loan for the season, with Bayern Munich prepared to let the 28-year-old leave. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Arsenal finished off their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win over Ligue 1 side Lyon and secure the Emirates Cup trophy for an eighth time.

Goals from William Saliba and Gabriel in the first half were enough for the Gunners to take the victory at Emirates Stadium.

What did you learn from this game, Arsenal fans?

Are Mikel Arteta's side ready for kick-off next weekend against Wolves?

Let us know your thoughts on the match here, external - and come back on Monday to read the submissions.

The Premier League season is fast approaching and clubs are continuing their pre-season preparations.

Here's a look at which teams are in action on a busy Sunday.

All times BST

Marseille retain an interest in 25-year-old Arsenal and England striker Eddie Nketiah. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Right now, brinkmanship is the name of the game. There have been times when some clubs sorted their transfer business early in the window and everyone wondered why so few others followed their lead. Put simply, it isn't in the selling clubs' financial interest, and it usually isn't in the moving player's financial interest either, to go early.

A selling club wants a bidding war to up the price and they don't mind a bit of panic buying when the window is creaking ever nearer the sill. If you still haven't signed that star player who you think, hope or maybe even actually believe, will make all the difference, clubs can get twitchy and make rash costly decisions.

I have watched it happen from within. Good intentions and a willingness to stick to a pre-arranged budget, suddenly evaporates when clubs are bounced into making these calls. There is also a bit of pride in there too. "We aren't losing out on our first choice to that lot!" is a common refrain, especially when it's to one of your close rivals.

As for the moving player, or more specifically his agent, last-minute brinkmanship is the dream scenario. Playing two or three suitors off against each other (and you don't even have to tell the truth of what you are being offered elsewhere) means you can exaggerate as much as you like to up the ante.

So that is why the deals go to the wire, and why they are so lucrative. It is also why I never have too much sympathy for a player, when a huge deal falls through at the last moment. Greed can push it too far in the end and it can all come crashing down, which is why they call it brinkmanship! If you dance on the edge of a volcano you might just fall in.

We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's friendly game between Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.

Here are some of your comments:

Franco: After the Liverpool match, this match felt like a must-win kind of game. Gabriel Jesus seems to have rediscovered himself (hopefully), Havertz has picked up from where he left off last season, and the academy boys look set for some minutes this season, so it was a good watch. I just hope they don't drop the plans to sign Merino.

Ethan: We will win the league with performances like that every game, come on Arsenal.

JD: A good pre-season performance against what looked like an ordinary Leverkusen side. Good to see the youngsters get a run out too. Was really impressed with Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri when they came on, and a special mention for that Trossard goal. Calmness personified.

John: Well it's early but they were fast and sharp, movement was better than last season and it's good to see Jesus coming back into form after a difficult season. Positioning was also better and they felt like a team ready to take on the world. I'm looking forward to the season.

Billy: Arsenal were really sharp today especially in the first half. If we carry on playing like this we will for sure win the league!

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen: "We can take a lot of positives from the game as well as the result. The way we performed, there were lots of positive aspects, collectively and individually. A lot of things to learn from it as well.

"It was a really good test against a really good team, who are really well coached, and it was a good performance."

On whether Gabriel Jesus is looking back to his best: "When I saw him after talking to him at the end of the season my first feeling was that he was different. I could sense it. His energy was different, the way he looks is different, the way he’s moving is different. He really wants it. Now it’s about finding that consistency and doing it in any context, against any opponent, against any formation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 70 minutes. If you are able to produce in those circumstances? It looks good."

On the absence of Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber: "Jurrien had a little discomfort in his foot in the last few days and obviously after the amount of time he’s been out we didn’t want to take any risk with him. In regards to Riccardo, so much happened to him in one week! He’s come into a new environment with a different methodology and different training so we are managing him and we want to do it slowly and in the best way possible. Hopefully he will be available to play some minutes on Sunday."

Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney was left off the Gunners' squad list in the programme for their game against Bayer Leverkusen amid rumours the 27-year-old Scotland left-back is set to leave for Real Sociedad. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Image source, Reuters

Arsenal beat German champions Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 in a friendly at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus gave the Gunners a 3-0 lead at half-time, before Kai Havertz added the hosts' fourth midway through the second half.

What did you learn from this game, Arsenal fans?

Let us know your thoughts on the match here, external

Arsenal remain in the race to sign Napoli's Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen, 25, despite strong interest from Paris St-Germain. (Gianluca di Marzio on X), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Eight years on from his "whole world crashing down" when he was released by Arsenal as an 18-year-old, Nathan Tella will return to his boyhood club for a pre-season friendly on Wednesday as a league champion.

Tella scored five goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances last season as Bayer Leverkusen shocked the footballing world by going unbeaten to claim their first ever league title.

His route back to the top has been complicated by a serious knee injury and unsuccessful trials at Reading and Norwich, before finding a home at Southampton and playing in the Premier League.

"I think obviously at Southampton, I hadn't really played much in the Premier League and for me that was a nice feeling to play at the Emirates in front of the Southampton fans and obviously the Arsenal fans and, more importantly, my family, because they've been with me the whole journey," said Tella.

"But I think now, especially going back to the Emirates as a champion, as an invincible as well, it's a great feeling, and it's an amazing feeling."

It will be a reflective occasion however for Tella - whose £25m move to Leverkusen from Southampton last summer raised some eyebrows - because of the impact his exit from Arsenal had on him as a young player.

"The day that happened, when I got released, my whole world just came crashing down," he added.

"That was probably the first time in my life I'd ever been rejected from something in a sense.

"I'd worked so hard to get to the level I am and technically it's the last step before you think of yourself as a professional footballer for Arsenal. I might say I was this close to doing it, or this close to doing it. I was one step away from ultimately fulfilling my dream for the club I support."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

I would argue that the most interesting teams to watch over the next couple of weeks are both from north London. Spurs must surely give Ange Postecoglou access to the style of player he wants. At Arsenal their interesting silence might actually be them working assiduously in the background to get the striker they so clearly need.

They aren't far away from Manchester City now and if they could just get someone who scores, was technically gifted and could adapt to the Gunners' style quickly, then Pep Guardiola would really have something to worry about. Then again, I thought exactly the same thing at the same time last season and the opportunity slipped through their fingers.

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Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in a cut-price deal for 26-year-old Italy forward Federico Chiesa, who is in the final year of his contract. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Arsenal want £30m plus a sell-on clause included in any deal to sell England international Eddie Nketiah, with Marseille chasing the forward. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Meanwhile, the Gunners are considering a move for Manchester City's World Cup winner Julien Alvarez, but they may have to make further sales to fund his purchase. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta felt the negativity around Kai Havertz's arrival at Arsenal last summer from Chelsea was unfair. The reaction only was heightened by some below-par performances early in the season.

Yet, in the absence of a centre forward many Arsenal fans believe should be an essential aspect of the club's summer recruitment, the Germany forward could turn out to be a key part of the Gunners' drive for honours.

He cannot be a number nine in the conventional sense like Erling Haaland, who pins defenders back with his strength. But his intelligence can create pockets of space in dangerous areas that can be exploited, by him or team-mates. His goal against Liverpool in Philadelphia was an example of that.

The intriguing bit will be whether he is used as a false nine or in a deeper role, which allows Gabriel Jesus to play more centrally.

As ever with Havertz, opinions are polarised. But to those who have reacted negatively to his performances in the United States, Arteta offered a reminder that the former Chelsea man had only had four training sessions and still made an impact.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Arsenal via Getty Images

Signing Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori during the three-match tour of the United States and flying him to Philadelphia to train with his new team-mates - and the subsequent move for Real Sociedad defender Mikel Merino - is proof Arsenal are not prepared to accept finishing second as the limit of their achievements.

For that to happen, Arsenal need better players, but increasing competition for places brings with its own problems.

Managing a group of players is as much about how you deal with the ones who don't get picked as much as the ones that do. And that is Arteta's challenge.

Where will Calafiori play is a key question on the lips of Arsenal fans. The same is also true of Timber.

But in a sense, that is not the crucial point. It should be "who gets left out?"

It is easy to see Oleksandr Zinchenko for instance not getting a spot in Arteta's new-look side. But his ability and versatility means the Ukraine international could be useful off the bench or to step in should injuries occur - and the chances are they will.

Arteta needs his back-up players to be on board with the messaging and willing to help the team.

For all the plaudits he receives for tactical innovation, that is probably the biggest challenge for Arteta this season. How well he meets it could determine whether Arsenal end their 20-year wait for a title.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brazilian club Botafogo are believed to be interested in free agent Cedric Soares after he left Arsenal this summer.

The right-back, 32, is believed to have interest from clubs in Europe, including Ajax, but is carefully deciding his future.

Speaking to Canal 11 in his native Portugal, he said: "I want to make the right decision. Of course I've been contacted and I've had a few offers.

"But it's an important moment for me and my family, it's a moment for me to make sure it's the right project, that I get the playing time I need and, above all, that it will also make me happy.

"I'll be honest, I'm open to both options [Portugal or abroad], but it has to make sense for me and for the clubs. And that's very important, that both parts really want the same thing.

"When that's the case, things can get under way, otherwise it doesn't make sense."

Cedric is involved in a free agent training camp in Portugal alongside former Premier League players and free agents Rui Patricio and Adrien Silva.

We asked you to name some realistic strikers that Arsenal should be targeting in the summer transfer window.

Here are some of your suggestions:

James: I completely agree that a strong centre forward is what Arsenal are currently missing. Nketiah, Jesus and Havertz did well during last season, but so many sitters and easy goals were missed due to non-striker positioning. Those misses cost us the wins we needed to claim the top spot. The likes of Ivan Toney or Victor Osimhen could be solid options.

Imran: I would probably pick Viktor Gyokeres from all of the possibilities. Toney isn't dynamic enough. Watkins is good, but how would he perform in the Champions League? I think Gyokeres could dovetail nicely with Havertz, who doesn't deserve to be dropped but needs a more prolific number nine with him.

Ajayi: It's obvious that we need a striker that can make the difference this season because, for me, Gabriel Jesus and others are not clinical enough in front of goal. I think that Ollie Watkins will fit perfectly into Arsenal's style of play and he can make the team better.

Dan: Let's go all out and test Manchester United's new hierarchy with a £75m bid for Marcus Rashford. We sold them Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez, so it's about time we plundered them for one of their own.

Francis: I think we should try for Sadio Mane. He is available, not too expensive and has bags of Premier League experience, especially with the big six.

Eddie: Well this is becoming a real issue! It looks like Arteta is digging his heels in on the striker argument. He clearly thinks that Arsenal don't need one but the rest of us think that we do. I have great concerns over Arteta's ability to manage Arsenal if he truly believes a striker or goalscorer is not a priority!

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was a great deal of excitement around Jurrien Timber 12 months ago.

The Gunners paid Ajax £38m for the Netherlands defender and his arrival had been a little under the radar compared to that of Declan Rice.

He had impressed in pre-season, playing the inverted right-back role, before a knee injury in the season opener that kept him out until the final game of the campaign.

Now he is back in an Arsenal shirt and, while he was left out of the final tour match with Liverpool in order to protect him, he did impress against Bournemouth and Manchester United.

sked about him as a potential rival for his shirt, team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko described Timber's on-pitch ability as "unbelievable".

As someone who can play across the backline, Timber's versatility could be invaluable. But I suspect Arteta has a specific role earmarked for him. He could be a key man for Arsenal this term.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Spending time around the Arsenal camp in the United States, it was impossible to escape the feeling this is a club united.

Intense as ever on the training pitch and in games, away from it manager Mikel Arteta was relaxed - far removed from the tetchy figure we sometimes see on the touchline - and technical director Edu feels like a man in control of his remit. The Brazilian is a lively character. It is easy to imagine him during his playing days, revving his team-mates up, delivering harsh words or raising a laugh. The bond between the pair is strong and those around slot in.

The vibe, in common parlance, is good.

Edu's job these days is to sift through the numerous agents offering Arsenal their clients. His background in Brazil helps the process but he comes across as a clear-minded individual, not one to fall for the promise of a shiny new toy with no substance to it.

Results can mask many issues at football clubs but there is a sense of purpose around Arsenal - and even goodwill towards the ownership, which is remarkable considering the fury launched upon them at the height of the Super League debacle.

Their aim is to improve - and to win. That is not easy given they have amassed 84 and 89 points respectively to finish second in the Premier League for the past two seasons. The only club to finish above them is Manchester City.

When I asked Arteta before the Bournemouth game in Los Angeles if it was possible to improve after two almost perfect seasons, his answer was clear: "We have to."

The process for achieving it has been compared internally to a software update. Arsenal are trying to address the weaknesses and bugs that have been identified. This is not about subtle tweaks. This is a system upgrade.

"We want to improve in everything," said Arteta. "Attacking metrics, defensive metrics, restarts, set pieces."

The challenge to overtake his former club City is one Arsenal will not shy away from.