Arsenal clinched their first pre-season win of the summer in emphatic style on Wednesday evening, putting five unanswered goals past Wayne Rooney's MLS All-Star team at Audi Field.
Mikel Arteta's men had opened the summer with a pair of unexceptional 1-1 draws with Watford and Nurnberg, but the Gunners - who also won the 2016 All-Star game - comfortably swept aside some of the best that North America has to offer.
Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard propelled the Gunners into a two-goal lead inside the opening 25 minutes, before Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz all got in on the act in the second half during a demolition job.
Here, Sports Mole picks out three key talking points from Arsenal's five-star success over the MLS All-Stars.
New boys make their mark
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Wrapping up the signings of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber before jetting off to the USA was a necessity for Arsenal boss Arteta, who elected to keep the duo in reserve alongside Havertz - who debuted in Nurnberg - for the All-Star fixture.
Prior to Wednesday evening's affair, a collection of Arsenal and All-Star players took part in the skills challenge, during which Havertz's performance in the volley competition left a little bit to be desired, but the German rectified those inconsequential errors in some style.
A bright second-half cameo from the German ended with Havertz chesting the ball down from Marquinhos' delivery to the back stick and firing an unstoppable half-volley into the back of the net for Arsenal's fifth, while he also used his 6ft 4in frame to good effect, winning all three aerial duels and also creating two chances on the day.
Havertz was joined on the turf by Rice and Timber for their Arsenal inaugurations during the second half, and while neither debutant played the best game of their careers, there were plenty of promising signs from the £143m duo.
Indeed, Timber only misplaced one pass and won all three of his ground duels in a dogged display, while unsurprisingly flaunting his qualities in the inverted role that caught the eye during his time at Ajax.
Meanwhile, Arteta admitted before the game that Rice's fitness needed to be carefully managed, and the most expensive British player of all time was only on the field for 25 minutes, but he also ended the match with a 95% pass accuracy from the number six role that he will seemingly occupy going forward.
Ben White-Bukayo Saka combination
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Some Gooners may fondly remember a fine Gabriel Martinelli finish during a home win over Newcastle United in the 2021-22 season, where the Brazilian latched onto Takehiro Tomiyasu's sublime ball over the top and prodded home a delicate volley at the Emirates.
Fast-forward to 2023, and similar patterns of play are emerging between Ben White and Bukayo Saka, who combined for the Gunners' opening goal against Nurnberg with White calmly lifting the ball over the top for Saka to chase.
On that occasion, the winger did what he does best - cutting inside his man and picking out the bottom corner with his wand of a left foot - and the same combination came to the fore against the MLS All-Stars, where a Saka burst was immediately spotted by his compatriot.
Saka was subsequently forced to the edge of the area and opted against taking the shot on, but he set up Trossard to fire home a thunderous finish for the Gunners' second, and the White-Saka combination is certainly one to keep a close eye on as Timber fights the former for the right-back spot.
Trossard's injury woes continue
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Trossard's inclusion in the first XI did come as somewhat of a surprise, as the Belgian attacker had sustained a small problem during the recent draw with Nurnberg, which would seemingly open the door for Havertz to earn his first start in red and white.
Nevertheless, Trossard was given the green light to line up from the first whistle, and Arteta's decision initially paid dividends, as he took his goal with aplomb as well as creating two chances and completing both of his dribble attempts in a quality playmaking display too.
Trossard was not one of the three players sacrificed at half time, but the Brighton & Hove Albion man once again had to depart earlier than expected, going down holding his knee before gingerly trudging off the field alongside a physio on the 56-minute mark.
Once again, Arteta downplayed the severity of Trossard's issue, but having now picked up two knocks in as many friendly matches this summer, a spot on the bench against Manchester United this weekend could do him the world of good.
Read more on MLS All-Star vs Arsenal
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Ben Knapton
