July 14 was an important in the history books of Arsenal as it was the first match for which Unai Emery would be the manager.
Ever since the departure of Arsene Wenger, fans have been waiting to see how the new manager will get on.
And based on the evidence of the match against Boreham Wood, it has started off on the right note and it has made Emery happy as well.
He took to his Twitter profile to share a message for the supporters and this is what he said:
Many good things and some to improve on yesterday in Borehamwood. Many thanks to all the @Arsenal supporters who were following the game. First steps! COYG! pic.twitter.com/MMyK4sp7XS
— Unai Emery Echegoyen (@UnaiEmery_) July 15, 2018
Arsenal were able to field a mixture of youth and experience for both the halves as a lot of players got a chance to showcase their abilities.
The second half saw Emery make a host of changes but the Gunners were able to maintain their control over the match. Before the match, he was asked about the kind of squad that would play the match, and he had this to say:
‘The main players for Saturday are the young players and the players who have been working with us. Then the other players who finished in the World Cup, they are coming for the next weeks and will go into their work with the players who are here. The first match for us to look at the performance by the players who are here.’
Many of the youngsters were able to impress during their time on the pitch. In particular, the performances of Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were noteworthy.
It is clear that Emery has a lot of work to do yet but the signs are proving to be positive at the moment. The real test awaits him once the season gets underway but until then, we can get a sense of what the squad is trying to do with these preseason matches.
