In their second-to-last pre-season match before the Premier League season starts, Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 on Wednesday night. The win was very important.

When the Gunners got back from their trip to the United States, they were greeted at home at the Emirates for the first time since Man City beat them in the Premier League title race on the last day of last season.

Mikel Arteta was helped by the return of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, who are both English internationals who are still getting used to playing again after playing in Euro 2024.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s four different players scored goals in the win. They were Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Isaan Khan of Mail Sport brings you five important things we learnt from Arsenal’s most recent pre-season win. 

1. Zinchenko is not leaving.

When it was announced on Tuesday that Oleksandr Zinchenko would wear No.17 instead of No.35 for the next season, it was clear that he would not be leaving Arsenal during this transfer window.

There were rumours that he might be leaving after the £42 million signing of Riccardo Calafiori and the return of Jurrien Timber from illness, though the Dutchman is now being rested because of a minor foot injury.

After getting a new shirt, Zinchenko started against Bayer Leverkusen and scored a goal by driving the ball into the corner from just outside the box.

He showed the crowd a love heart with his hands. He did well. Arsenal fans are well aware of how good the Ukrainian is at attacking. His left foot is like a wand, and he loves driving at opponents.

His weaknesses have been shown when he has been defending himself. Especially during breaks and when they are alone in one-on-one matches. Because of this, it was interesting to see him play left back further out and further forward.

He thought it was a better plan, and it helped Zinchenko do even better in the middle of the pitch. He seems to be most comfortable playing on the left side of centre. If that spot isn’t open, though, playing as a wide left back who is free to get deep could be the key.

2. Arsenal is counting on Jesus to be healthy

How Arteta feels about the front lines is clear from the money he spent on Calafiori and his chase of Mikel Merino. It’s not important to make it stronger. Especially after scoring 91 goals in the previous season, which was the most for the club since the 1952–53 season.

It’s not likely that a scorer will be signed this window. That’s where Gabriel Jesus comes in. When the Brazilian came to the Arsenal camp on the US tour, he looked great and was in great shape.

The club thinks that Jesus can be very important this season if he can stay healthy. The scorer has had knee problems for the last two years.

He played great with and without the ball against Leverkusen. There were plenty of his trademark bursts of speed and running through groups of players, which shows why so many people have high hopes for him.

His goal made it even better. He ran through centre from Arsenal’s own half and hit the ball into the bottom left corner. The stage is set for Jesus, and he can use it this season.

3. A sweet get-together between friends 

There was no reason for this game to feel like a homecoming since the season hadn’t started yet. Grandit Xhaka, who used to play for Arsenal and spent seven years there, was on the pitch facing his old teammates.

Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso’s close friend, was on the other side of the pitch from him. Then, to cap it all off, Leverkusen played Arsenal 20 years after they were the last team to beat all of football’s teams winning all of their games.

There was a lot of beauty there. Putting aside the small things, this was the kind of game Arsenal needed before the season began. An opponent team that is coming off of a very good season and has played a lot of preseason games, including games against Manchester United and Liverpool.

Arteta wants to make sure that his team is ready for the next season so that they can compete with Manchester City for the title again.

4. Saka and Rice come back from vacation

Arsenal fans saw Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice for the first time before the new season when they came on at halftime.

After playing in the Euros final, both players, along with David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale, were given extra time to rest, so they didn’t go to the US.

It was a reminder of the great players who are still to come in. The Premier League starts in just one week. Rice got in slowly and seems to still have more levels to hit before the first game of the league season against Wolves.

Saka picked up where he left off last season, bursting to the sidelines and setting up Kai Havertz’s goal with a cross. They are both eager to start.

5. Gabriel and Saliba are still the building blocks of Arsenal

Wednesday’s game was the first one at the Emirates since the end of the last season. Their defence showed signs of wear and tear in their last game, which was in Philadelphia against Liverpool.

That was affected by starting Gabriel and Jakub Kiwior, a makeshift left back, as a centre back pair. They never play together in those places.

When William Saliba played Gabriel, his psychic partner, the strength of the last two seasons could be felt. 

It’s a base that has helped Arsenal win the title twice, and it will be very important again if they want to take the title to north London.

Most of Leverkusen’s attacks were stopped before they could get to the penalty area. This left the Germans with few chances to score and forced them to shoot randomly. It’s not a wonder that they scored after Kiwior replaced Saliba.

Angel Gabriel and Saliba. These two teams will once again be feared by many Premier League teams.