Standout Players From the Preseason Tour in Asia

Arsenal’s preseason tour of Asia has wrapped, meaning we are just over two weeks away from our first Premier League game of the 2025/2026 season on August 17th against Man United. It went by quickly, but still felt like a lot happened. There were a lot of new faces building up to the signing of Gyokeres, which was probably the one fan we were most excited about. I watched every preseason game, though not always easy given the time difference in playing in Asia, but we made it happen, and here's who stood out to me and looks the most ready for the season. I'll try not to let the Tottenham performance skew my impressions too much.

Bukayo Saka

Starting with an easy one. Probably the most valuable thing about Saka is his consistency. He’s not at his sharpest yet, given it’s only preseason, but each game he stood out as active, made good runs, always a treat, and scored goals. He looks fit and ready to start the season sharp ahead of the game week 1 against Man United. Mr. Consistent = Star Boy.

Max Dowman

My word. This is a special 15-year-old player. Yes, it's only preseason and players may not be competing as hard as they would in a regular season match, and are still getting up to fitness, but even with every caveat there is, Dowman not only looked comfortable at the professional level, he thrived in it. It wasn't like Arsenal were playing B teams or teams in lower leagues; he shone against first-team players at AC Milan, Newcastle, and Tottenham. He played at his own pace, never looking hurried or rushed like many young players do, or like he was overthinking. He played his game on the right wing, a position that hasn't typically been his usual position at the youth level, and never disappointed. I saw a stat after the match against Tottenham that said he had more touches of the ball (16) in the 19 minutes he played than Martinelli did (14) in the 68 minutes he played. It showed how determined he is to receive the ball, and also how much his teammates trust him already. He will definitely get lots of game time this season, and I can't wait to see how he performs. What a talent.

Martin Ødegaard

I thought he looked more aggressive in attacking positions and looked for his shot more than he typically does. Hopefully, that isn't just a preseason and he carries it into the season, because I, like many fans, have been calling for him to take more shots for the past two seasons. Arsenal have added more goal scorers this transfer window, but that doesn't mean we won't need goals from Ødegaard. We'll be a much better team if he stays aggressive, so I like the tone he's set for himself in preseason, except for the performance against Tottenham.

Ethan Nwaneri

Last year's preseason gem/Max Dowman, looked much more mature physically and technically. He looked sharp, always aggressive, driving with the ball, and making smart passes to find teammates. One of the things I like most about Ethan is that he's always hungry for goals. We need more goals from the midfield, and now that it looks like he will be mainly playing right attacking midfielder this season, I think he will surprise people with how he contributes despite still only being 18 years old.

Leandro Trossard

I thought Trossard was likely throughout the tour and always made his presence felt in each game. He got shots off, and at times he would come deep to receive the ball from the defence, cut into the middle, and become a playmaker for others. He took on more of a creative role than expected, which showed his value as someone who can play in different roles and occupy spaces to he’ll the team. We’re in a tough position with Trossard because on one had you can say his current value will never be higher so it would be a good time to get money for him and reinvest in a younger options with higher potential, but given his experience now with the team and playing style and him showing that he can clearly be a valuable contributor, particularly with goals….it’s a tough decision to decided whether to keep or sell this summer. My vote would be to sell and add Eze to the left winger/8 depth.

Martin Zubimendi

He’s been lively and great at setting the attacking tone throughout preseason. He hasn’t simply been tidy and kept the midfield ticking with simple passes; he’s gotten forward and occupied several zones in the final third that you would normally only occupy if you were playing as an 8. It’s been really interesting watching his positioning during pre-season, and it will be intriguing to see if it continues during the season or whether he sits a bit deeper as a 6 while still setting the tempo and kick-starting the attack with passes to the attacking line. Something to watch, but I thought he had fit in well and had a strong preseason with his new teammates.

Williams Saliba

I almost left him off this list, not because he wasn't a standout, but because he was so good, so consistent, basically Saka of the defense. He's so calm and cool, whether in preseason or a Champions League game, that you take it for granted. I don't remember his breaking a sweat; he didn't seem to miss Big Gabi, who was still recovering from an injury. He's just so good all the time, a true luxury to have and scary to think that at 24, he's not even in his prime yet. How good is this guy going to get!?