Arsenal vs. Wolfsburg: Lessons Learned from Emirates Cup

Arsenal clinched victory in their own tournament for the first time since 2010 after they beat Wolfsburg, 1-0, in the Emirates Cup on Sunday.

Having blown away Lyon in an emphatic 6-0 win 24 hours earlier, Arsene Wenger's side knew that any sort of victory would be more than enough for them to triumph in the pre-season tournament. Ultimately, it was Theo Walcott's smart second-half finish that ensured the result.

Wolfsburg had their moments, particularly in the first half, but Arsenal grew more confident as the game went on—with substitutes including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey wasting little time in impressing Wenger in their cameo appearances.

All in all, it was perfect preparation for the Gunners, who can now look forward to next weekend's Community Shield meeting with Premier League champions Chelsea confident that they are ready for the challenges of the new season.

Click on to find out what Sunday's game taught us.

Arsenal Fans Believe Petr Cech Can Be the Difference, and Maybe He Can

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In his home debut in an Arsenal shirt, Petr Cech was cheered loudly after almost every touch of the ball he made—no matter how straightforward his involvement. Clearly, Arsenal fans are delighted to have him on board, believing the goalkeeper hugely improves the team's chances of glory this season.

Cech did not have too much to do on Sunday, although he did what he needed to with minimum fuss (which, admittedly, might have been a nice change for Gunners fans). He was good even when he did not have to be—one of his best saves came after the whistle had already been blown, as he palmed away a powerful drive from a frustrated (and offside) Andre Schurrle.

When the ball was live, he was similarly smart, as the ex-Chelsea man gathered plenty of difficult crosses thrown his way. A couple of potshots from Josuha Guilavogui caused him less difficulty than they had a right to.

There seems to be a growing enthusiasm around the North London club at the moment, with confidence high that Arsenal can really achieve something this season if they build on the progress made in the previous campaign.

Clearly, many fans believe Cech is the biggest upgrade the club have made in the summer—and the biggest reason why more progress this season is not just possible but likely. Based on Sunday’s evidence, they might not be wrong; the Czech certainly seemed to transmit calm throughout his defence almost immediately—something that bodes well heading into competitive games.

Theo Walcott May Well Start Season as Arsenal's Second Striking Option

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Theo Walcott refused to give anything further away about his contract situation after the game, telling BT Sport only that an announcement would be made if and when there was news. But he played like a man confident about his future at the club, showing a sharpness about his game that bodes well for the start of the season.

Running in behind the Wolfsburg defence on more than one occasion, Walcott had one goal disallowed for offside even before he broke the deadlock. On that occasion, he had Jeff Reine-Adelaide to thank for a precise through ball, but Walcott underlined his cutting edge in such situations as he prodded the ball around Diego Benaglio like the goalkeeper wasn’t even there.

“The game was always going to be different to yesterday,” Walcott told BT Sport. “Wolfsburg were a bit more organized. We had to be patient, and it took a while to break them down, but we got a good 1-0 win in the end.”

Playing as the lone striker on Sunday, it would seem Walcott did enough to convince Arsene Wenger of his ability to play that role once competitive games begin. Olivier Giroud might be the main striker in the squad, with his physical qualities and the ability to play as a traditional No. 9, but Walcott’s particular skills mean he is perhaps a better striking option than even Danny Welbeck for some fixtures.

With his pace and movement, Walcott offers a different type of threat against some defences, stretching them and allowing the passing range of Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere to cause even more damage against high defensive lines.

There has been plenty of speculation all summer about the prospects of Arsenal signing a striker, but with the new season just two weeks away, that looks unlikely to happen. With that being the case, it seems probable Wenger will give Giroud and Walcott their chance to impress in competitive games—perhaps leaving it until the last few days of the window to decide whether the team really do need another striker.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide Looks Like Another Great Arsenal Prospect

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On Saturday, it was Alex Iwobi who impressed in an unlikely first-team appearance, and on Sunday, it was the brilliantly named Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

The 17-year-old may have been an almost unknown quantity to many of the spectators inside the Emirates Stadium prior to the match, but by the end of the game, he had more than vindicated Arsene Wenger’s recent suggestion that the Frenchman was “something special.”

Reine-Adelaide caught the eye almost from the off with his footwork and astute decision-making. The crowd cheered after one particularly fine piece of footwork saw him make a fool of Kevin De Bruyne.

But he proved himself to be more than a purveyor of flashy tricks midway through the second half, as his surging run and sumptuous pass created the best chance of the game—one Walcott finished off with ease.

“They are Arsenal-type players,” Walcott said afterward when asked about Reine-Adelaide and Iwobi. “You are going to see a lot more of them this season, I’m sure. They played some very good stuff out there today.”

This season may be too soon for Reine-Adelaide to feature in competitive encounters, with Iwobi (two years older) perhaps more likely to get a few games in. But the former Lens academy player is clearly a promising prospect and will gain a lot by training with the Arsenal first team on a regular basis.

Gunners fans have every right to get excited.

Kevin De Bruyne Has Attacking Skills to Enhance Any Premier League Side

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Despite ending up on the losing side on the day, Kevin De Bruyne was nevertheless quite clearly his side’s most influential attacking player during his time on the pitch. If other Premier League teams were watching his performance closely ahead of potential transfer bids, then they will not have seen anything to be disappointed about.

Booed cheerily by some sections of the Arsenal fans (perhaps a result of his Chelsea past...or maybe his potential Manchester future), De Bruyne gave them plenty to worry about in the first half as a series of brilliant low crosses caused danger in the Arsenal box.

A cross from deep really should have been converted by returning striker Nicklas Bendtner, as the Belgium international took a greater hold of the game the longer it went on. As both a passer and a shooter, De Bruyne posed a threat on occasion, although his radar was slightly off in the latter category—a few of his shots were jeered from the stands as they flew wide of goal.

The sums being mentioned alongside De Bruyne's transfer may yet prove the biggest stumbling block to any potential move (Wolfsburg, a rich club, have little urgency to sell, but a big fee may justifiably scare off some suitors). In terms of ability alone, however, he showed enough to remind people that he has the tools to be an effective and dangerous Premier League player.

Arsenal Flooded with Attacking Options, and Wilshere's Future Might Be out Wide

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While the emergence of Alex Iwobi and Jeff Reine-Adelaide will cause joy within the Arsenal fanbase, it arguably gives Arsene Wenger additional options he does not even really need this season. With so many attacking players at his disposal heading into the new term, how does the Frenchman possibly keep all of them happy?

He already has the likes of Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey fighting for positions in the middle of the park, with Jack Wilshere also wanting a piece of the action. Further forward, things are even more congested, with Iwobi and Reine-Adelaide perhaps now on the fringes of a battle that involves Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and others.

It was interesting to see Wilshere start Sunday’s game in a right-sided attacking role. Perhaps it's a hint that, with the central spots being filled by others, he might be deployed in such a position on occasion during the season. While it is not Wilshere's preferred position, it did not turn out to be a bad experiment, as the Englishman dovetailed nicely with Ozil to create a fluid attacking line that Wolfsburg struggled to deal with.

If that continues into the season, it might be something Wilshere will have to embrace and accept if he wants to get regular playing time.

“Today and yesterday we wanted to show we are fit and ready for the season,” Wilshere said afterward. “We did that, and are looking forward to next week now.

“We made a big step last season...in the big games we survived, something changed. This season we are confident we can do something.”

Quotes taken from BT Sport's live post-match broadcast unless otherwise stated.