The main talking point in the day after Arsenal's opening-weekend win has less to do with Friday's game and more with who wasn't involved in it. Gabriel Martinelli was again absent from the squad for the 3-0 defeat of Coventry, and Ian Wright has been vocal in his discomfort with how the situation is being handled, saying the Brazilian "doesn't know what's going on" and deserves more clarity and respect than he's currently getting. Nothing concrete has emerged on a move away, but the repeated non-selection, with no injury or disciplinary explanation offered publicly, is starting to look like a deliberate message rather than a coincidence. Worth watching whether that resolves into an exit before the window shuts.
Elsewhere, the mood around the Coventry win remains positive without being overblown — pundits praised Arsenal's quality while cautioning against reading too much into a newly promoted side's difficult evening. Bukayo Saka offered some insight into his own freshness, revealing he took just a week's holiday after England's World Cup run to get a head start on pre-season, which goes some way to explaining why he looked so sharp scoring inside the opening 23 minutes.
Below the first team, the picture was mixed. The U21s drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace, with Tom Horseman positive despite the dropped points, while the U18s lost 1-3 at home to Ipswich, a result Tahou described as disappointing. Arsenal Women, meanwhile, continue their pre-season schedule, with a first friendly in front of fans against Paris FC at Boreham Wood on Sunday following games against Palace, Milan and Manchester City.
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