William Dodds
Unai Emery was rewarded for his brave selection on Sunday with Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson impressing in a 1-0 win at St James' Park.
A second half Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang goal was the difference between the two sides, but it was the way Willock, Nelson, Matteo Guendouzi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles exerted themselves during a fraught early season match that will give Emery much to reflect on.
Internal solutions was a favourite phrase of Arsene Wenger's, essentially a euphemism for staying quiet in the transfer market, but in some of the young players making a mark, Arsenal have found a solution to some of the issues facing the squad.
With Alex Iwobi departing for Everton Arsenal looked slightly light on the left side but the technical competency of Nelson has already allayed some of those fears. Similarly, Willock looks to have the uncanny knack of arriving in the penalty area at the crucial moment, a skill that Arsenal thought they had lost when Aaron Ramsey left for Juventus.
With Kieran Tierney, Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Dani Ceballos and Nicolas Pepe all to come into the side, the squad profile is far younger than last season, but it is the Hale End graduates that will excite fans the most.
Willock offers something slightly different from Mesut Ozil in the most advanced midfield role and his athleticism, defensive work rate and size can contribute to more robust midfield performances away from home. Meanwhile, his eye for goal and dribbling ability can help breakdown resolute defences that sit in and look to grind out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates.
Nelson is another academy prospect to make it into the first team squad, but his trajectory has been different to that of Willock. Nelson has been considered one of the best academy talent for a few years now, while Willock came through more under the radar. As a result, the pressure on him has been significant since he broke into the squad in 2017 and fans watched closely as he impressed during a loan spell in Germany. Much will now be expected of him this season as he looks to replace Iwobi and prove to Unai Emery he has more to offer than Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but fans would be well advised to give him space to develop at his own pace. While Nelson clearly has plenty of ability, the Premier League is unrelenting in its intensity and he will need time to adjust.
Luckily, in Emery Arsenal appear to have a coach committed to giving youth a chance, for this season at least. With Gabriel Martinelli, Nelson, Willock, Guendouzi and Maitland-Niles all making an appearance on Sunday, he looks determined to take advantage of the number of exciting talents at the club. Furthermore, Emile Smith Rowe is still returning from injury and Zech Medley and Bukayo Saka are also pushing for first team opportunities, so Emery can assess each of his young players' readiness at a pace that suits them and he shouldn't be forced to overplay them and risk injuries. Getting this balancing act right can be a challenge, but this a group of players that deserves to be nurtured properly.
