Arsenal trained ahead of Wednesday’s match against MLS All-Stars, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber getting involved with their new teammates.
Mikel Arteta led his team out of Washington DC on Monday, not only to prepare for the All-Star game, but also to incorporate the new signings as the preseason continues. Kai Havertz was already a member of the group that trained in Germany last week, and Arsenal now has an immediate replacement for Granit Xhaka in Rice.
Certain members of the squad worked solely on fitness, while others participated in grass-based activities. Much of the training session was documented on Arsenal’s social media, and Mirror Football has compiled a list of five major talking points from the session.
Rice and Nketiah settle their differences
Rice may have only recently joined the Gunners, but he can be seen laughing and joking with Eddie Nketiah in multiple clips. Rice has expressed his feelings for Bukayo Saka on numerous occasions after spending time apart for international duty, but the midfielder already appears to be close with Nketiah.
Rice and Nketiah clashed in May 2022 during an incident between West Ham and Arsenal at the London Stadium, which may surprise those with a good memory. But the two have a long history together, and they even played on the same Chelsea under-nine team.
“I played with Eddie from the under-9s to the under-14s.” “It’s crazy where football takes you, your journey,” Rice said to Arsenal Media. “He came up through the Arsenal ranks, and I came up through the West Ham ranks.”
“Now it’s time to reconnect.” Even though we had that little altercation on the pitch before, I’ve always admired Eddie!”
Rice and Nketiah are pals again after a scrap at London Stadium
Martin Odegaard happy with the boss
Rice may have only recently joined the Gunners, but he can be seen in multiple clips laughing and joking with Eddie Nketiah. Rice has expressed his feelings for Bukayo Saka on multiple occasions after spending time apart for international duty, but the midfielder already appears to be close with Nketiah.
Rice and Nketiah clashed in May 2022 at the London Stadium during an incident between West Ham and Arsenal. But the two have a long history, and they even played on the same Chelsea under-nine team.
“I played with Eddie from under-nines to under-14s.” We were both released on the same day, and it’s crazy where football takes you, your journey,” Rice told Arsenal Media. “He came up through the ranks at Arsenal, and I came up through the ranks at West Ham.”
“Now we can reconnect.” Even though we had that little altercation on the pitch before, I’ve always loved Eddie!”
Martin Odegaard and Mikel Arteta were joking together in training
Six players only focusing on fitness
Arteta left six players off the pitch during Monday’s practise to allow them to focus on fitness. Rice, Nketiah, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Martinelli, and Mohamed Elneny were seen riding bikes and stretching.
It means they’re questionable for Wednesday’s All-Star game, but once they’re fully fit, Arteta will welcome their participation. Rice has only recently joined the Gunners after a club-record move from West Ham, and his pre-season schedule has been pushed back while negotiations take place.
Timber participated in full training because he had started working with Ajax before his move to north London was announced. Last season, Tomiyasu struggled with fitness, but Ben White seemed at ease in his new right-back role.
Rice was one of six players taking part in fitness-only training
Jurrien Timber settles in
Timber joined Arsenal shortly before Rice’s transfer and was seen settling in well with his new teammates. Saka’s team frequently saw Timber as the Arsenal’s two-time player of the season showed him the ropes.
After admitting that he was an Arsenal fan and that the move was a dream come true, the former Ajax defender is already a fan favourite. Arsenal are a popular team in the Netherlands because of their history with Dutch players.
Robin van Persie influenced a younger generation in the Netherlands, though he is no longer well-liked at the Emirates after leaving for Manchester United. Dennis Bergkamp was also a great player for Arsenal and the Netherlands.
Bukayo Saka welcomed Jurrien Timber.
Reiss Nelson handed early blow
After suffering a minor injury, it was already expected that Reiss Nelson would miss training; his diagnosis was revealed once the team arrived in the United States. Nelson injured his toe during Arsenal’s training camp in Germany, and the team decided not to risk him in the United States.
The injury is only expected to keep him out for two weeks, with plans for him to return for Arsenal’s Emirates Cup match against AS Monaco on August 2. Nelson will miss out on some exciting pre-season opportunities because he will be focused on returning for the Premier League season.
Following their match against the MLS All-Stars, Arsenal will play Manchester United in New Jersey before travelling to Los Angeles. The Gunners play Barcelona on the west coast before returning to London.