Player Ratings: Arsenal 2-3 Villarreal - find out who impressed 

Here's the return of View From The Armchair Arsenal Player Ratings after the Gunners lost 3-2 at home to Villarreal 

Blink and you missed it, the pause that was the end of the football season is over and a new season begins, don’t ya just love the feeling a new football season brings, especially after an eventful time in the transfer market.

I’ve got a dodgy feed of the game and the audio is 10 seconds ahead of the action - so have a look at this new Arsenal team via my Player Ratings, let’s go!

David Raya - 6.5/10: fresh from being dinked against Spurs, suffers the humiliation of having Pepe put one past him, as Villarreal add a second before half time. Not great.  

Myles Lewis Skelly - 7.5/10: calm composed,needs to taste silverware this year for sure, it’s gonna be imperative we get over the line even if it’s only the Carabao Cup. Fast becoming Arsenals Mr Reliable.

Jakub Kiwior - 6.5/10: will be happy to get a run out after his solid appearances for us last season. Solid enough but won’t be happy shipping two goals

William Saliba - 7/10: just sign the contract son, don’t be like that, we dispatched Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs, you know we are building something here, just sign the damn thing.  

Ben White - 6.5/10: an Arsenal defence at sixes and sevens in the first half as villarreal nab a pair. Arteta clearly feels BW4 is responsible as he is pulled off at half time

Christian Norgaard - 8/10: puts any notion of him being a  Jonny Jensen clone to bed with a stooped header at the back post from a corner on 36 mins to pull us back into the game, i’m liking what I’m seeing here, pulled most of the strings for us in the first half.  

Ethan Nwaneri - 7/10: given a chance to stake a claim for a midfield starting spot, still lots to learn from the youngster, playing in front of a full house for a friendly won’t do his confidence any harm at all

Mikel Merino - 7/10: as per usual, largely anonymous in the first half, unsure how this guy manages to escape my gaze every game he plays while still being influential when you weigh up the stats at the end of it all, am I missing something?

Bukayo Saka - 6.5/10: need another mammoth season from Saka again this year, silverware is the name of the game this season, gotta get over the line finally. That said, Starboy didn’t do enough for me today

Gabi Martinelli - 7.5/10: don’t want to lose this guy here, looking forward to seeing him being able to be rotated this season, don’t get on his back Gooners! He’s gonna be important for us.

Viktor Gyokeres - 7/10: good head of hair, taken the number 14 shirt, no pressure there then. I’m reckoning it might take us a bit of time to know what to do with a striker, and looking at our opening fixtures that is time we don’t have.

Substitutes:

Mosquera - 7/10: first chance to have a glimpse at our leggy new stopper at the back. I’m liking what I’m seeing, gonna be good addition to this squad of players.

Martin Zubimendi -7/10: the Spanish conductor's first taste of the Emirates in the red of the mighty Arsenal, in an entertaining goal laden friendly. Showed some nice touches

Kepa - 6.5/10: hopefully won’t get dinked from 40 yards, the blueprint is there for Raya, can he push him this season?  Concedes on 67 mins as Villlarreal make it 3-1...  

Gabriel - 6.5/10: static at the back as a simple pass leads to us conceding our third goal. As he is coming back from injury and it is a friendly I’ll let it slide today.  

Declan Rice - 7/10: I’d still be resting this fella after last season's energetic performances. Definitely something in this lad's porridge let me tell thee, bonus point for being fantastic last season

Martin Odegaard - 8/10: instantly pulling strings in midfield when he came on. As good as if not better haircut than our new No14. Comfortably slots home a penalty to make it 2-3, comfortably head and shoulders above most of the other players when introduced  

Max Dowman - 7.5/10: fantastic to see the youngsters being given their chance, I’m hazarding a guess Trossards days might be numbered though. Wins a penalty on 74 mins. This 'baller will light up this stadium for years to come hopefully.

Jurrien Timber -6.5/10: still a worthy addition to this squad, but this defence is gonna have to tighten up if we are to realise our ambitions this season

Noni Mandueke - 6.5/10: didn’t get a chance to shine as it seems to me the instruction was to get the ball to Dowman on the right.  

Alex Zinchenko - 6.5/10: with the Arsenal defence continually opened up like a can of beans today it’s hard to see what Zinchenko can bring to this team anymore. Would have preferred to have kept Tierney but what do I know.

View From The Archmchair's Take:

Polite applause greets the final whistle which is good to see, it’s a friendly after all, and it was an entertaining affair which was worth the entrance fee on its own to see the world's greatest player to ever tie up a pair of boots, and then get on the scoresheet. I'm talking about Pepe of course.

You know we have nothing but love for Pepe here at the armchair, and it’s good to be able to see his name once again at the Emirates even if it is for the opposition.

They think it’s all over, but hold up Jim what’s this, it’s a bonus penalty shoot out.

Penalties 

Odegaard - same corner same result 1-1

Kepa saves from from former Gunner Suarez 

Rice -blasts it top left 2-1

Merino - woeful effort slides past the post miss

Zinchenko - I guess this is his use, ice cold, he shoots, he scores 3-3

Villareal miss, he’s hit the crossbar.

Gabriel - for the win, keeper saves it onto the crossbar it’s a miss. Still 3-3 in the penalty shoot out

Madueke - no pressure, tried a cheeky dink, it backfires, Chelsea reject Chelsea reject hello hello as Villarreal take all the spoils, all the glory, even if Gyokeres is still sporting a fantastic haircut at the end of proceedings.

That’s it from the View From The Armchair, keep the faith, worse things happen at sea, and down the road at Spurs, worth remembering.

All is forgiven if we get three points at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season. Much love x