Why Reiss Nelson is out in the cold

Reiss Nelson cut a forlorn figure on the pitch tonight as Arsenal U23s slumped to a 0-3 loss against Blackburn Rovers. His body language made it abundantly clear this was not the place he wanted to be right now, this was reflected in his below-par performance. So how did it come to this? The 21-year-old hasn’t made a match day squad since his last appearance in early December. The Englishman was side-lined with a head injury but returned to training at the start of the year only to be left out in the cold.

There are a few theories I will explore, however one thing worth pointing out is, this is not a question of ability. Reiss has proved at every level he's ever played that he can affect the game positively. His technical ability is of a high level and this has always been plain to see. This was especially evident within his youth career but also his season in the Bundesliga, which overall was a success. In 2020 he had started to show glimpses of his talent within the Arsenal first team and there was good reason for optimism with some encouraging performances, however its clear somewhere along that journey the train was derailed.

So I ask again, how did it come to this?

Fitness - Nelson's career at this point has been littered with misfortune, there is a feeling that every time he makes a positive step in his development with the first team, its immediately followed by a short-term injury. This has prevented Reiss from building on those moments of progression and ultimately characterises his career at this point as a game of snakes and ladders. It's highly plausible this has caused Arteta to lose some faith in giving Nelson the trust to maintain his fitness, especially at the business end of the season where there is very little room for error, Arteta knows the importance of having players he can rely on. There were similar concerns at one point for Emile Smith-Rowe, however he was able to prove that he could build on the opportunities given.

Training/Non-Negotiables - This is something that I've written about many times before and its well known that Arteta is a coach who rewards players for good form and application within training, giving 100% every day is what we've come to know as 'A non-negotiable'. Nelson's exclusion from match day squads and demotion to U23s could be interpreted as a consequence of not towing the line with his effort in training. Watching the Hale End graduate in recent U23 games, he doesn’t always appear to be fully applying himself and his body language offers little encouragement. One can only speculate but it's a possibility some of these behaviours could have been replicated in first team training and might serve as an explanation for his current plight.

Too Many Cooks - In the last few months, the club has gone through a good phase of having few players on the treatment table, especially with regards to the forward players, having many available for selection. It makes for somewhat of a crowded plate. This maybe the simplest of explanations for Nelson’s exclusion, there simply isn’t room. Arteta was clear in January he wanted Reiss to get as many minutes as he could this season and made him available for loan, as he did with Joe Willock. If reports are to be believed, there were loan offers from the Championship and the Bundesliga. The Englishman seemed to be set on playing in the Premier League either on loan or fighting for his place at Arsenal, however the opportunities for both failed to materialise.

Conclusion

Reiss has suffered a lot of misfortune but turning down the opportunity to play on loan this season may have been a mistake. The door is not closed and a player with his ability will always have a good chance of getting into contention, but it doesn’t look like it will happen this season and this is certainly the biggest adversity he has faced in his career. Working through this challenge could be the making of him, there are many great footballing stories of players that came back from the brink, time is on his side.

This case could go either way at this juncture, a tale of lost potential or another exciting young player to light up the Emirates. Patience is required to watch this story unfold.

The Curious Case of William Saliba

It is quite uncommon for a player this young to divide so many opinions, in the case of William Saliba his story is filled with great expectation, but also many blanks and gaps. This has led the fanbase to attempt to shape the narrative around whichever way their opinions may lean. However, we cant talk about Saliba without all asking the same question, Why isn't he playing for Arsenal? Well only Arteta and Edu can give a clear and definitive answer to that and they like to keep these things in-house, so here are some thoughts around what has gone on, what has gone wrong and what is going right.

Now what you're likely to see every time Saliba plays for OGC Nice are clips all over social media of every nice turn he does on the ball, every good pass he plays or saving tackle he makes. That's great, its good to see the positive things he's doing, but also important to remember its often out of context, lacking any true portrayal of Saliba's development and any insight into what he and Arsenal will be looking to improve within his game.

The young Frenchman has so many great qualities, so composed and brave on the ball, he's physical and technically sound, moving gracefully past opposing forwards to bring the ball out of the defensive phase with such authority and intent. At this current time these strengths can be just as much his weaknesses and this is all down to his assessment of risk and decision making. Something Arsenal are hoping the inclusion of a transition season with Nice will help improve. Watching Saliba in French football and Arsenal U23 games it was clear there was a pattern in his game that his passing and movement with the ball could be incredibly impressive but in each game there would be a moment where he would misjudge that risk and place his team in trouble, this has led directly to conceding a clear chance or even a sending off. You can put this is all down to youth and experience, or the lack of. This may have been key in Arteta's thinking when he mentioned the importance of Saliba having that transition season, the one they had hoped and planned he would have with St Étienne before injury and a global pandemic intervened. Now if the 19-year-old gets the experience with Nice and is reflective enough in his self-analysis, he can mature in his anticipation of risk and decision making, the knowledge of ‘when to and when not to’ will become second nature.

This is some justification for why Saliba is not currently playing his football in North London, it was a decision that was made with his development at the fore-front of the thinking. One thing Arsenal do need to take responsibility for is why this happened in January 2021 and not September 2020. It was certainly the intention from the Gunners hierarchy to make that deal happen at the start of the season, however this did not materialise. It's no secret the club’s relationship with Sr Étienne wasn't great and the negotiations were far from smooth, accusations have gone back and forth about which side of the fence failed to file the correct paperwork, but the deal fell through, Arsenal had no plan B for Saliba and the Frenchman simply had to stay. This cost Saliba some important months and confused fans about how in-favour he really was in North London. Every game fans wondered if they would see a player they were clearly very excited about and this certainly caused frustration amongst the fanbase.

There has been a lot of misinformation and confusion about the defender’s last 12 months at Arsenal, there has been much discussion about the time he spent without football last season due to injury, COVID-19 interrupting French Football, there was also talk of a close family bereavement. It's unknown how much these things have impacted on Saliba's development, but it is fair to say they would have been taken into consideration by Arteta and his staff and this may have led them to protect the player from the limelight during his time at the club. The expectation on the French youth international, from fans has been huge and it may have been an attempt to manage some of that expectation in order to relieve some of the pressure around him. Many can argue those theories, but we must remember that this is a player Arteta saw every day in training for a good period of time.

Whilst some of those explanations maybe difficult to substantiate, one thing that does have clarity is that Arsenal are invested in the William Saliba’s development. During the first half of his season with St Etienne, Arsenal had him report to Colney on a few occasions to conduct tests around his fitness and negotiate his training plan, they also wanted to recall him in the January of that season. The objective of this loan at Nice is to gain the experience needed to mature his decision making and strengthen his progress so he can return to North London and fulfil the explosive potential we can all see, and I have every confidence he'll do exactly just that.

Eddie Nketiah - Seizing Opportunities

In the very first week of 2020 Eddie Nketiah returned to training with Arsenal after his frustrating Loan spell with Leeds Utd. It took him two weeks of training to show new boss Mikel Arteta that he was serious about making an impact with Arsenal. A possibility that Arteta had probably not considered too often as the plan at that time was for Nketiah to return to championship on loan. Bristol City were convinced they had the deal in the bag. So what happened in that two week period that altered the thinking of the Spaniard? He found a different Eddie Nketiah to the one he was expecting, one full of workrate, energy and profound commitment to improving and understanding what his coach requires. This infectious nature embodied the culture that Arteta was striving to change at Arsenal. By two weeks Mikel knew he rated Eddie, by one month he knew he needed Eddie.

Nketiah has always been a reliable goalscorer at every level he's ever played, but it's acknowledged at the bigger clubs this isn't always enough. He's a quick number 9 that loves to play off the last shoulder and sniff out chances in the box, his instincts for goal have always been predatory. These features will forever be his Modus Operandi, however the adaptation of his game really helped enamour the striker to fit the mould of Arsenal's intensive press. His drive and desire to effectively use his energy to win the ball high was asset to behold.

The England youth international made his return against Sheffield Utd, but it was the FA cup tie against Bournemouth that really showed Eddie could succeed against Premier League opposition by scoring with a tidy finish from a fantastic Bukayo Saka cross. This convinced Arteta to thrust Nketiah into a starting position for league games, he rewarded this faith by giving Arsenal the lead in a win against Everton, this goal was a deft finish supplied again by the exceptional Saka. Not long after another FA cup game saw him poach a goal against Portsmouth. The next goal typified what Nketiah can bring to this team, hunting down the goalkeeper to steal to ball and score against Southampton in Arsenals first win of the restart, it was a goal that helped set us on a very positive path. One in which Eddie has continued into the new season, already contributing most notably with the winner in a difficult game against West Ham. 

As a young player who thrives off finding the back of the net, Arsenal isn't the only place he's caught the eye, his scoring record in the England Youth Setup is somewhat astonishing. In the last 4 years he has appeared for England U18,19s,20s and 21s, scoring a grand total of 31 goals in 31 games. He currently needs one goal to equal Alan Shearers record of 13 goals for the U21s.

Another place he showed his prowess in front of goal was Elland Road, in what could be described as a interesting loan spell which holds a certain amount of ambivalence upon reflection. Some games Eddie would play well and score but would then find himself benched for the next game whilst the coach showed enormous faith in the struggling Patrick Bamford. The coach in question is one of the most influential coaches in the world, the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine favoured a striker in Bamford, who would work for the team and breathe energy into the front line, never giving defenders a moments rest. It became abundantly clear to Eddie he would have to truly invest in these principles to stake a claim in this team. Nketiah worked hard in training under Bielsa's guidance, he had certainly not given up on his battle in Yorkshire and Leeds certainly wanted him to remain but it was Arsenal who ended the agreement and returned Eddie to North London. It was clear this experience had impacted on Eddie and he came back into training with even more desire and commitment to prove he could be a part of Arteta's plans.

So why is the Hale End graduate so underrated by our fans, is it because he doesn't quite possess the technical ability of a Greenwood or the directness of a Martinelli? Possibly so, however there is a lot  about Eddie to admire, whilst his style as a box finisher maybe old fashioned by todays standards, scoring goals will never go off trend. His coldness in the box is a attribute we have been wanting since the disaster that was Francis Jeffers. A striker to have in our ranks that will not focus on trying to score the perfect goal or produce the spectacular, what he brings is a knowledge of exploiting any pockets of space in the box with perfect timing and ruthless finishing.

Eddie Nketiah is certainly one of our own but it's well known his story began elsewhere in London, at the age of 14, the striker made the move to North London after the Willock Brothers would not stop raving about him always scoring against us. The goals flowed quickly and it wasn't long before Eddie was playing for the U18s.  He was highly prolific for U18s,19s and U23s scoring 46 times in 58 games. This didn't go unnoticed by Arsene Wenger who gave him his debut against Bate Borisov in the Europa League. A month later Wenger would bring him off the bench in the League Cup against Norwich and Nketiah would his a big impact scoring two decisive goals to introduce himself to Arsenal fans everywhere.

There is still much for Eddie to improve upon and he'll want to further develop his link up play and his strength to hold the ball up. One underestimated aspect of his re-integration is how his form has pushed Alex Lacazette to rediscover some of his. Arteta loves to test players to see how they react and the Frenchman has certainly responded positively. With Eddie and Laca pushing each other everyday it can only result in positive results for Arsenal. If the game against West Ham showed us anything it was that Eddie only needs one opportunity to change a game. It's a quality we need, especially when games can be so tight and sometimes so tense without the interaction of fans.

Nketiah is here to seize the opportunities that come his way and its about time he's given the full appreciation from our fans, he doesn't need to be constantly compared to other strikers. Lets appreciate what we have. Another gem from the Hale End.

The Cloud Surrounding Folarin Balogun

How did it come to this? Folarin Balogun is a player Arsenal fans have been excited about for a long time, but at the start of the year things fell apart behind the scenes, culminating in the striker refusing to sign the new contract put before him. Both player and club remain tight-lipped about the current situation, however the writing on the wall suggests Balogun's journey in North London has come to an end.

News came from The Beautiful game podcast this week that an impressive cohort of clubs had significant interest in acquiring Balogun from Arsenal. The likes of Southampton, Brighton, Stuttgart, Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV, AC Milan and Roma are all circling round the uncertainty of the England Youth internationals future.

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein has been clear Arsenal do not want to lose one of their best prospects cheaply and have slapped an £8m price-tag on the young striker. Arsenal are also in the position where player sales are important in helping to fund other moves. A lot of fans will want a buy-back clause inserted into any deal, however that wont happen if Arsenal continue to insist on receiving a high fee. The fee itself may prove a stumbling block for some of the clubs, however there is a chain of thought that the closer it gets towards the end of the window Arsenal could lower the price. It will be an interesting game of wills that may go to the line.

So why didn't Balogun renew his contract with the Gunners? It appears the New York born striker wanted more assurances that he would receive first team opportunities. Subsequently it seems Arsenal weren't willing to give such guarantees given the number of options they have in that position. The relationship between Club and player began to turn sour when the Premier League restarted in July, Folarin was not one of the young players that was called up to train with the first team, nor has he featured in any pre-season games. This is a tactic Arsenal have used before with young players who wouldn't commit to new deals, Vontae Daley-Campbell and Josh Dasilva were both denied opportunities and ended up leaving the club. One could argue Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson were once both in similar contractual situations, however there was always good feeling between the camps that deals could be struck. Things haven't looked as positive for the U23s goalscorer.

It is likely other clubs have been aware of the contract issues for a while, Brentford came in with a bid of £5m in January which was quickly turned down. Arsenal are clearly very reluctant to sell, is there a chance he stays? It feels unlikely, on the outside things look happy, he turned up for U23s training and has already scored in a friendly against Spurs, but Balogun staying in the U23s and leaving for free next season suits nobody. He's an ambitious player who believes he can make the step up in levels now and Arsenal cant afford to let such a prize asset leave for nothing.

So just how good is he? well he has all the tools to be a complete striker, technically sound and a dangerous finisher with both feet. His pace and acceleration allows him to run in behind defenders to devastating effect but he is also equally adept with his direct dribbling, this allows him to run the channels well and commit defenders into areas they don't like to be. He'll look to improve himself as more of an aerial threat and also his hold up play, but he is a player who has skillset to adapt to the highest level.

Balogun joined Arsenal at the age of 10, his family came to live in England after spending time living in America. The 19-year old has been a prolific scorer at youth level scoring 50 goals in 70 games for the U18s and U23s. Very few players playing in those leagues at the same time were able to match such figures including the likes of Mason Greenwood and Rhian Brewster. Folarin may have another decision to make about his future soon, as he qualifies to play for England, Nigeria and USMNT, he has played some games for the latter but has most recently been playing for England U19.

This situation feels like a consequence of having such a good academy, things can become crowded quickly and the pathway that once looked so clear now looks blurry. Of course, Aubameyang and Lacazette are the main strikers in North London. It felt for a long time the position of understudy to them was up for grabs, but those opportunities were taken last season by Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah who impressed with their contributions. Tyreece John-Jules is also highly thought of and committed to a long term deal. So from Balogun's perspective he may just be wondering where he would get a look in and it may go some way to explaining why Arsenal couldn't convince him.

This is a modern casualty for big Academies, its happening at all the big clubs, many young players seeing the success of Jadon Sancho, have become more ambitious and less patient in waiting for their chances. Man City have recently lost a talented prodigy in Charlie McNeil. Chelsea lost Jamal Musiala to Bayern who made his debut after the Bundesliga restart. Chelsea have also lost Samual Illing Jnr to Juventus. These are all blows that sting just as much as Balogun leaving North London.

Arsenal will no doubt face criticism for letting go of a player with such potential, its possible we are going to be reminded of it in the same fashion we are every time Serge Gnabry scores a goal, but my take of the situation with both players is the same. If Folarin Balogun truly does wish to leave then we should respect this and wish him luck on his way. We have some very good forwards at our club and you cant keep everyone happy. I'll look back fondly with the role we played in his development and the good times he's had at the club just like I do with Gnabry.

This is the evolution of young players who want to emulate the success of Mbappe and Sancho, who are we to tell them to wait their turn, if their fate lies away from the club then its a new opportunity someone else. John-Jules is a player its impossible not to admire but a young player named Khayon Edwards may also soon emerge.

 - Next Generation Arsenal

Picture Credit - Getty Images

The Rise of Ben Cottrell

Pre-season friendlies can always bring around excellent opportunities for us to get glimpses of promising young players, its fascinating to see how they adapt in the unknown surroundings of the first team, some playing in unfamiliar positions just to get a chance to show what they can do.

That opportunity came knocking this week for U23s midfielder Ben Cottrell, who was thrown on for the last 30 minutes of the friendly against MK Dons and placed in the surprising position of Left Wing Back. Ben took this in his stride and made use of the small window to showcase his technical ability and his willingness to get stuck into challenges despite him being smaller then most of the other players. He looked like the youngest player on the pitch, but his touch was assured and he was not phased by taking part in a senior game.

The call up to the pre-season team comes as no shock, Cottrell has continued his rise at Arsenal through the age groups and has never stopped impressing, this season being named Scholar of the year. Whilst Ben admirably filled in at LWB, by trade he is a versatile midfielder. He's used often in a more attacking role, his low centre of gravity and ability makes him difficult to stop when receiving the ball in the pocket, he loves to drive at defenders and has also displayed his ability to shoot from distance with that magical left foot.

In his earlier years he was used as a winger where his dribbling and playmaking abilities did prove effective. He's also played many games in a deeper midfield role, usually in a double pivot, his fantastic passing ability and prowess as a ball carrier saw him excel in the central areas. The deeper role also helped him become a little more robust, the fruits of this were evident in the MK Dons game as he fearlessly engaged in duels with the apposing winger.

Cottrell has never been short of admirers, before he signed his professional contract with Arsenal he was heavily courted by Borussia Dortmund and Marseille, both would have been tempting destinations but the young Englishman chose to extend his stay in North London.

Cottrell's first minutes for the U18s came at the end of the 17/18 campaign as a 16-year old. The following season was a breakout season in the U18s scoring 6 times with 5 assists, he also managed to make his debut in the PL2. Cottrell played a variety of different positions and working hard to win his place in the side facing competition from the likes of Yunas Musah, Matt Smith and James Olayinka. One of his more notable moments was scoring a last minute winner in a top of the table clash against Spurs to help  Arsenal U18s land the League title.

In the 19/20 season his made the step up to play consistently in the PL2, whilst still taking part in some U18 games. There were some initial concerns around him handling the step up in physicality, however it didn't take Ben long to adapt to this new level of football and he was soon impressing with his performances. One of the highlights was laying on an assist for Tyreece John-Jules to score the winner against Southampton. Before the season was curtailed Ben had become a regular playing all the final 3 games.

Ben's playing style could draw comparison with that of Phil Foden. Both left-footed midfielders with great technical capacity, both diminutive ball carriers, weaving in and out of tight spaces, always adding disguises and deception to their passing and movement. What makes them even more dangerous is their versatility, both being able to operate in the channels or centrally, being effective in all phases and quick transitions.

Could he be a Left-Wing Back? unlikely. It's more probable Ben was slotted in to fill a position where Arteta was low on numbers. With Arteta being a coach that loves to test players, I'm sure he was watching closely to see how Ben would answer that challenge. The 18-year old certainly caught the eye with the commitment and desire he displayed during his short time on the pitch, qualities that the Spanish coach loves to see.

So what does the future hold? Ben will carry on his journey in the U23s, likely being deployed in Midfield again. with Tim Akinola being added and Migual Azeez being a big prospect its likely that Ben will see more time as an attacking midfielder, however he will face challenges from Catalin Cirjan and Salah-Eddine. Given the shortage of wide players in the U23s Ben may see some action on the flanks, but wherever he plays you know you will get the same levels of quality and consistency.

The New Look Arsenal U23s

In an eventful few weeks at Arsenal, there has been an intriguing emergence of a new strategy regarding how the U23s squad is utilised in conjunction with the first team. This new strategy is underpinned by the Academy's dual function of preparing the clubs most talented young players for the first team and producing players with value the club can profit from. 

This approach involves three elements, one being; to use younger players then previously, for example Miguel Azeez and Catalin Cirjan are set to be key components this coming season. The next element is to utilise the loan system, sending the more experienced U23 talents out to get their first taste of senior football. Ben Knapper(Loan Manager) has worked alongside Per Mertesacker to establish relationships with clubs such as Swindon and Gillingham. Knapper carefully analyses the potential loan destinations to be certain they will provide the most effective development opportunities. The final piece of the jigsaw is the scouting and acquisition of what could be referred to as projects, players who may have been overlooked and released by clubs but could improve and create value that could be capitalised on, this signifies a low risk/high reward strategy. In the last week we've seen the capture of George Lewis and Tim Akinola who definitely represent this bracket and there are likely to be more.

The incomings and outgoings for the U23s are far from complete, but we can start to see the picture of what the squad looks like. 

Goalkeepers:

This is an area that requires some decision making. Dejan Iliev will be the most obvious candidate to make way. There may be some discussion about whether Karl Hein remains or goes on loan, he is highly thought of by the club but his performances are not always consistent, the tougher challenge of senior football may help improve this.

Arthur Okonkwo is back training after a year away due to some personal issues, he may possess the most potential out of all of the Academy keepers and will hope to make the number one spot his own.

If Hein was to move on loan, one man who could emerge is James Hillson, who has continued to impress with performances when called upon. Tom Smith is another name in the mix, who finds himself down the pecking order.

Full Backs:

The right side seems quite clear with the impressive Daniel Oyegoke tipped to take the spot being pushed by Ryan Alebiosu. Jordi Osei-Tutu has returned to the club after a productive loan in Germany but it is likely he'll leave the club on loan or permanently. Zak Swanson's departure to the Netherlands has opened the space for Oyegoke to continue his positive displays. 

On the left side Tolaji Bola remains, but at 21 its likely the defender will seek Senior football away from the club. Joel Lopez is the prime candidate to continue his development, Mazeed Ogungbo is also capable of deputising.

Centre Backs

Emulating the first team in true fashion, the U23s have a fair few centre backs. With Medley going on loan and Ballard likely to follow it does leave a gap for the likes of Mark McGuinness and new signing Jonathan Dinzeyi, who could be seen as an aforementioned project player. A decision will be made regarding Harry Clarke, whose excellent performances last season led to him train with the first team, Clarke may stay and lead the defence or could move on loan. Joseph Olowu returns from his loan in Ireland in October, Ben Knapper has received positive reviews about his displays, its likely he may leave on loan again but Bould and Mertesacker may want to have a look at him. Mazeed Ogungbo and Alex Kirk will also be looking in and hoping to make an impact at a new level, especially Ogungbo who is known for his leadership qualities.

Midfielders

The highly talented Miguel Azeez will be hoping to step up his development in central midfield and could develop a pivot with the tough tackling Tim Akinola. Ben Cottrell will want to maintain his spot as an attacking midfielder but he will face stiff competition from the very promising Romanian Catalin Cirjan, who caught everyone's eye last season, he also showed great chemistry in his combination with Azeez. James Olayinka gained a lot of admirers during his short time on loan, its likely he'll leave again, Ben Sheaf will also bring his time with the Gunners to an end. Considering this, we remain fairly light in numbers. Jordan McEnuff may fill that void somewhat, but the club may opt to add another midfielder.

Wingers and Forwards

The situation around Folarin Balogun remains quite blurry, whatever the outcome its likely he wont be playing U23s football this coming season. Tyreece John-Jules also has proved way to good for this level and will likely leave on loan with plenty of clubs queueing up to acquire his services. This leaves Sam Greenwood to lead the attack, the talented England international is versatile and known as a goalscorer, it will be an important season for him to step out of the shadows. On the wings, George Lewis will hopefully be showing us why everyone is excited about his arrival. Ben Cottrell could also be used wide if needed. Winger, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji will hope to make the step up and build on his impressive performances so far. With Alfie Matthews on trial at Palace this leaves the club needing more players up top, its likely another winger will be brought in to replace the departing loanees and Nathan Tormey.

Some big decisions need to be made on a few players and I'm sure a few more will come onboard too, but there is a lot to be excited about regarding this team and the new direction the BFG is as guiding us. We will learn a lot about the development of players like Greenwood and Lopez and also get to see some of our brightest prospects develop on loan such as Matt Smith and Trae Coyle. The new additions such as Lewis, Dinzeyi and Akinola will be interesting to keep an eye on. Hopefully all these changes will see good young players promoted to the first team and other young players leaving for good value, all these things will help move the club forward.

Joel Lopez - Ready to Challenge

For a young player with the Lineage of Barcelona to Arsenal, there is a weight of expectation that seeks to dictate the player should rise rapidly through the youth ranks and be impacting on the first team in before they've even fully unpacked their suitcase. For Joel Lopez, his progression has faced an incline that would not behold any fast track to Senior football but a steady journey.

After spending the last two seasons in our U18s team the Spaniard will now step up to the U23s, and whilst some of his development has been difficult to measure from the outside, this will now provide Lopez with a more stern test that will tell us exactly how far he has progressed and how close to Senior football he really is.

What we know about the left back already is that he is very comfortable on the ball with excellent technique. He has good pace and a sense of adventure in his runs on and off the ball. Not too dissimilar to a young Hector Bellerin, what is needed is to work on the defensive side of his game and his physicality. Lopez sees himself as an attacking full back who can support in the attacking phase through crosses into the box or link up play with the wide forwards, Jordi Alba being the model example. 

Joel will take great inspiration from the Spanish contingent around Arsenal with Mister Arteta at the helm but also Hector Bellerin who has become a great example to young players on and off the field. The 18-year old will also want to emulate Nacho Monreal as being a successful Arsenal Left-Back.

Lopez came to the Gunners from La Masia in August 2018 joining as a Scholar, during his first season in the U18s he did enough to earn a professional contract in March 2019. His performances in the first season offered much insight into his potential but also where he would need to develop. This past season the U18s struggled for results, especially in the early part of the season, however Lopez and the team were able to improve upon their form and the former Barcelona product gained a call up to the U23s. His U23s debut did not go as hoped with Arsenal losing 3-0 at Liverpool. It was a learning curve for the Spaniard as he needlessly conceded the free kick for the opening goal, however the experience will certainly aid him in his transition for the coming season.

The club have high hopes Lopez could progress and eventually provide good competition to Kieran Tierney. This season in the U23s will give Joel a platform to take the next step in that Journey. The Spaniard has become somewhat of a forgotten man in some respects, as some thought he would of progressed quicker. Without a global pandemic being around he almost certainly would of played more for the u23s by this point, but now will be the time that people start to take notice of Joel Lopez again.