The Premier League is back after 89 days, and Arsenal will be opening their campaign with a trip up north to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United.
Steve Bruce’s side had a busy transfer window and, perhaps most notably, acquired Allan Saint-Maximin from Nice for a fee worth just under £20 million.
This could prove to be a vital signing for Newcastle, as the 22-year-old French winger will provide them with bundles of pace and trickery on the right-wing. He managed to notch up six goals and five assists in Ligue 1 last season and helped Nice to a seventh-place finish.
Saint-Maximin may only be 22, but he has a lot of experience that he can add to the Newcastle side; he has made over 100 appearances in Ligue 1 and has played in the Europa League six times. During these European games, he contributed to three goals for his team, netting twice and getting an assist.
The tricky winger has the potential to cause Arsenal problems on Sunday because of his powerful dribbling and flair. This may be seen as an issue for Arsenal, as Kieran Tierney may not yet be ready to fill in at left-back, leaving Nacho Monreal or Sead Kolasinac as the players tasked with dealing with him.
The versatility of the winger could be a further issue for Arsenal because he has the ability to change flanks in the middle of a game as he is comfortable on both sides of the field. This means that Unai Emery will have to ensure that both full-backs are drilled well before the match to ensure that Saint-Maximin is not left with pockets of space, as this is where he is most dangerous on the attack and has the ability to create a chance for himself or for one of his teammates.
Saint-Maximin will aim to try and take on players in the final third to create a chance for his team, as last season, he averaged 14 dribble attempts per 90 minutes; the only player in Europe to average more was Lionel Messi of Barcelona. His stronger foot is his right, but he has the guile to fool defenders with either foot to create an opening, so the Arsenal defenders need to ensure they are alert to his danger when the winger receives the ball in an attacking position.
We await how Steve Bruce decides to set up for his first game of the season, but I expect Saint-Maximin to play a large part when they are attacking.
Also, if needed, the Frenchman can play as a striker, and he could be partnered up alongside new signing Joelinton at St. James’ Park against the Gunners. This would make Newcastle a lethal force on the counter-attack, meaning Arsenal will have to stay focused at all times during the 90 minutes.
If the visitors are to stop the winger, they should try to push him onto his left foot because just one of his goals in Ligue 1 was scored came on his weaker side, indicating that he does not feel especially comfortable in dangerous areas at difficult angles.
It will be interesting to see if Saint-Maximin will be able to bring his quality to England, as we have seen that many players unable to do so from France, but he could cause the fragile Arsenal defence problems on Sunday.
