If this was the reception of Declan Rice in the American capital, imagine this season in London.
Arsenal’s new midfield star came on as a second-half substitute and helped secure a 5-0 win over the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday night. Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Jorginho, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli all scored in the Audi Field crowd, but for the many red-clad Arsenal supporters, those weren’t the only highlights.
What did Arsenal’s manager say?
From West Ham to the Gunners last weekend for a British record transfer fee, Rice was transferred, reportedly 105 million pounds ($138 million). The crowd cheered when he entered just over an hour after the game and again when he had the ball. U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, whose days at Arsenal may be numbered, also joined Rice for the London club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: “I think the weather suffocated us… and we couldn’t control the game.” “But it is true that today we were both exceptional in the box. Whenever we are in a good position in the last third, we put the ball into the back of the net.
MLS has beaten Chelsea and Bayern Munich in this format in the past, which generally results in more defensively competitive games than other All-Star events. The MLS team, which did not include Lionel Messi, who recently joined Miami, received four yellow cards before halftime.
Former Manchester United star who led the MLS team and current D.C. United manager Wayne Rooney said: “I thought the officiating brought the game back to itself a bit.” It’s something that needs to improve in MLS. I’ve said it throughout the season, so this is a good opportunity to bring it up again.
What to know more?
Jesús opened the scoring in minute five with a nice chip. From outside the penalty area, his shot sailed past St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki, and he bounced off the left post. In the 23rd, with another goal, Trossard doubled the lead, a little further into the middle, from outside the penalty area, and it hit harder than Jesus’ shot.
Rooney said: “Arsenal showed the quality they have.” “The All-Star guys, I thought, were a little nervous and hesitant, especially in the first half when we hit some good areas.” Havertz is another newcomer to Arsenal, having signed with Chelsea.
Preparing for their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest on August 12, Arsenal will play friendlies against Manchester United in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday and Barcelona in Inglewood, California, on July 26. We hope this article was helpful; if you think we have missed something important, feel free to reach us, respectively.