After wrapping up their tour of China, Arsenal returned to Europe to continue their pre-season preparations.
Their next two friendly opponents were Nuremberg from the Bundesliga 2 and Sevilla from La Liga.
Since lifting the Premier League trophy, Arsenal's status had steadily risen. Friendly matches were no longer something they actively chased—clubs now approached them instead.
Barcelona had even floated the idea of a friendly.
Arsenal declined.
The club deliberately avoided potential Champions League rivals, choosing opponents with no competitive overlap. In that sense, Nuremberg and Europa League specialists Sevilla were ideal.
The first stop was Germany.
Against Nuremberg, the substitute players were finally given meaningful minutes.
The match in China had been a commercial showcase, which was why Arsène Wenger had fielded a near full-strength lineup and even arranged appearances for high-profile names like Di María.
This time, however, the tone was different.
This match was about structure.
What Arsenal needed now was repetition—fine-tuning the system.
The starting lineup reflected Wenger's most stable configuration at the moment.
Goalkeeper: Navas
Defenders: Sagna, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs
Midfielders: Ramsey, Cazorla, Kai
Forwards: Di María, Suárez, Sánchez
A lineup built on balance and solidity.
The Mustafi–Koscielny partnership had been excellent last season, fitting perfectly into Wenger's preference for defenders comfortable on the ball. Compared to Mertesacker, Mustafi now held the advantage.
Mertesacker, for his part, was prepared to rotate with Ferdinand. Based on their previous performances, the two still showed good chemistry.
The full-back positions remained the only concern.
Wenger had searched extensively but couldn't find the right profile. When a suitable option did appear, another club usually moved faster.
Under normal circumstances, that would have driven him furious.
But then he remembered he had managed to bring in Navas and Di María—and that thought alone was enough to calm him down.
In midfield, the Cazorla–Kai pairing was non-negotiable. This was the heart of Arsenal's play.
Ramsey rotated with N'Golo Kanté.
Kanté had impressed in training, but competitive matches were another matter. Wenger still needed to observe him closely.
If Kanté could truly cover the space when Kai pushed forward, his place in the starting eleven would eventually be secure.
Up front, Arsenal's attacking trio was at its sharpest.
Suárez and Di María needed no introduction, while Sánchez thrived on chaos inside the box.
Even without Cazorla, these three had enough quality to operate independently.
Kai and Cazorla's task was simple: supply the ammunition.
Nuremberg, relegated the previous season after finishing second from bottom, had undergone restructuring. Still, the overall squad hadn't changed dramatically.
From the opening whistle, Arsenal pressed aggressively.
They pushed high up the pitch, hunting the ball immediately.
By now, Wenger's passing-and-movement philosophy, combined with coordinated pressing, had taken full shape.
Arsenal dominated possession, and whenever they lost the ball, they counter-pressed instantly, suffocating Nuremberg.
Cazorla and Kai turned into metronomes, constantly recycling possession. With an endless stream of passes, Arsenal attacked from all three lanes, stretching Nuremberg's defense to breaking point.
As Kai passed and repositioned, his eyes were always scanning the forward line.
He paid particular attention to Di María.
As Arsenal's most expensive signing of the summer, Wenger naturally wanted Di María integrated as quickly as possible—especially with the midfield.
Di María worked tirelessly, constantly communicating, constantly moving.
Through repeated exchanges, Kai began to understand him better.
Di María wasn't like Walcott, relying purely on pace down the line. Instead of threading perfect through-balls, it was better to give him freedom—let him touch the ball, feel the rhythm, and create.
With that in mind, Kai dropped deeper and gestured to Cazorla.
The ball came back.
Kai took one touch, then played a diagonal pass toward Di María before immediately running into the open space ahead.
Di María read it instantly and dropped toward the ball.
A defender stayed tight.
Di María slowed, shaping as if to pass.
Then—suddenly—he accelerated.
A right-foot feint over the ball dragged the defender inward.
In the next heartbeat, Di María pulled the ball back, exploded down the flank, and left his marker behind.
Nuremberg reacted too late.
By the time the cover arrived, Di María was already near the edge of the box.
"Close him down!" someone shouted in desperation.
A center-back stepped out.
It didn't matter.
Without breaking stride, Di María whipped the ball across the face of the goal.
The cross bent perfectly between defenders.
Suárez slid in and finished.
Goal.
Twenty minutes of pressure finally paid off.
In the commentary booth, Michael Reeve's voice rose with appreciation.
"That's classic Di María," he said. "Direct, explosive, and decisive."
His partner, Anthony Black, nodded. "And look at the understanding with Kai. That doesn't happen by accident. That's chemistry developing."
Whether it was his direct, efficient dribbling or his precision on the cross, Di María had quickly established himself as a devastating weapon on Arsenal's right flank.
..
On the touchline, Arsène Wenger found himself nodding repeatedly.
"This money was well spent," Pat Rice said beside him, equally satisfied.
Wenger smiled. "Di María doesn't need much guidance. Kai saw that almost immediately. I think you'll see Kai's forward passes lean more toward Sánchez on the left now."
A winger who didn't require constant instruction was a luxury. Di María could create on his own, which freed Kai and Cazorla to focus elsewhere.
For instance, on a certain forward who clearly felt neglected.
"Here! I'm free here!"
"Look! Pass to me!"
Sánchez was practically bouncing on the spot, waving his arms with exaggerated enthusiasm. His energy was endless, and his volume matched it.
He even used dramatic gestures, as if trying to prove his reliability through body language alone.
Eventually, his persistence paid off.
Kai and Cazorla combined in midfield, completely overrunning Nuremberg's central line. A quick one-two burst opened space, and Kai slipped the ball forward at just the right moment.
Sánchez received it facing the defense.
This was his territory.
Instantly, his intensity spiked.
His footwork was razor-sharp, movements rapid.
You could read his intentions perfectly and still be beaten.
The Nuremberg defenders felt that pain firsthand.
Sánchez skipped past the full-back, who lost his footing and went down. With a sharp touch inside, Sánchez carved out a narrow angle and fired.
The ball squeezed past the post and into the net.
Goal.
In the 35th minute, Arsenal struck again.
Both wings were on fire.
Wenger nodded, clearly pleased, and immediately turned to the bench.
Pre-season matches were for experimentation.
With unlimited substitutions available, he had no intention of holding back.
Three changes at once.
Suárez, Sánchez, and Ramsey came off.
Campbell, Walcott, and N'Golo Kanté came on.
Among the trio, Wenger's attention rested most heavily on Campbell and Kanté.
Campbell's World Cup performances had earned him another chance at Arsenal, and Wenger wanted to see if that form could carry over.
As for Kanté, the expectations were even higher.
Wenger envisioned a partnership—Kanté behind Kai. If Kanté could consistently win tackles, cut passing lanes, and rebuild the defensive wall once Kai pushed forward, even limiting opponents rather than dominating them, then Wenger was ready to invest heavily in him.
Kanté jogged onto the pitch quietly, Arsenal's red and white shirt hugging his small frame. The number 17 sat on his back—the same number he wore at Caen.
Kai stepped toward him and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"It's your turn now."
Kanté understood immediately.
He nodded, eyes focused. "I run, I fight," he said in broken English. "You go forward—I stay. I cover."
It was his first official friendly in an Arsenal shirt.
And Kanté knew very well—this was his moment to prove he belonged.
. . .
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