Arsenal lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation for this pre-season friendly.
The system had been heavily influenced by Juventus, and Arsenal's current squad profile suited it surprisingly well.
The back four focused primarily on defensive stability.
In midfield, N'Golo Kanté acted as the dedicated ball-winner. Kai provided distribution and control from deep, while Wilshere offered ball-carrying ability and creativity. Together, the trio gave Arsenal a balanced midfield capable of covering each other's weaknesses.
Aubameyang's role was the most flexible. Although listed as a left-sided forward, he frequently dropped into deeper areas when required, effectively operating as an attacking midfielder.
As a result, Arsenal's shape constantly shifted between 4-3-3, 4-4-2, and 4-3-1-2 depending on the phase of play.
The setup emphasized defensive solidity while retaining enough attacking options to launch dangerous counterattacks.
When Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim saw Arsenal's lineup, he found himself puzzled. He could not quite figure out what Arsenal's interim coaching staff was trying to achieve. Despite his uncertainty, Jardim stuck with Monaco's preferred 4-3-3 system.
The final lineups were as follows:
Arsenal (4-3-1-2)
Goalkeeper: Čech
Defenders: Chambers, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Hol. Midfielders: Kanté, Kai, Sanchez
Att. Midfielder: Wilshere
Forwards: Suárez, Aubameyang
Monaco (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Brazil
Defenders: Touré, Raggi, Carvalho, Coentrão
Midfielders: Pašalić, Moutinho, Fabinho
Forwards: Bernardo Silva, Carrillo, Hélder Costa
Monaco kicked off.
As Portugal's midfield conductor, João Moutinho immediately began studying Arsenal's shape.
Arsenal had played counterattacking football before, but that version belonged to two seasons earlier. This new setup felt unfamiliar.
He had no clear idea how much defensive pressure Arsenal could generate or how dangerous they would become once possession changed hands.
Even so, Moutinho remained calm.
He believed Monaco possessed more than enough quality to compete.
After kickoff, Monaco resisted the urge to attack recklessly. Instead, they circled possession patiently, probing for openings.
Arsenal, meanwhile, abandoned the relentless pressing that had defined much of the previous season.
They sat deeper, observed Monaco's movements, and waited for the right moment to strike.
Both sides were feeling each other out.
On the touchline, both managers carefully studied the opposition, comparing what they saw on the pitch with what they had anticipated before the match.
Monaco eventually launched the game's first meaningful attack.
The move developed down Hélder Costa's flank.
Their reasoning was simple. If they could avoid Kai's area of influence, advancing the ball should become easier.
The moment Costa received possession, Kanté moved across to close him down.
Costa remained composed. Rather than attempting to beat his man immediately, he searched for a passing option.
Then a shout rang out behind him.
"Careful!"
Before Costa could react, Sánchez had already sprinted back to apply pressure.
At the same moment, Kanté stepped forward aggressively.
In an instant, Costa found himself trapped. Working together, Sánchez and Kanté completely boxed him in. Kanté poked the ball free and immediately fed it to Kai.
The counterattack began.
Kai did not release the pass straight away.
Instead, he surged forward with long, powerful strides, carrying the ball into space and forcing Monaco's defenders to react.
Just as expected, Moutinho, unable to recover his position in time, rushed forward to confront him. Kai made his decision instantly.
Still running at full speed, he lifted his right foot and clipped a delicate pass over the retreating defenders.
It was not a conventional long ball. The pass floated somewhere between a chip and a lofted through ball, hanging in the air before dropping perfectly into Aubameyang's path on the left.
Aubameyang timed his run brilliantly.
He cushioned the ball with his chest and, before it could touch the ground, whipped a first-time delivery into the center of the box.
Suárez exploded toward the near post.
Throwing himself forward, he met the cross with a diving header. Unfortunately for Arsenal, the effort went straight at the goalkeeper. After hitting the turf, Suárez ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
That chance should have ended in a goal.
Still, he quickly looked toward Aubameyang and raised a thumbs-up.
"Great ball!"
Aubameyang grinned in response.
Unlike Arsenal's earlier attacks, this move had flowed naturally through the entire team. The timing, movement, and passing rhythm all felt familiar.
It was exactly the kind of football he enjoyed playing.
. .
On the touchline, both managers were caught off guard.
Jardim's surprise stemmed from Arsenal's speed in switching between defense and attack. The moment they won possession, they were already breaking forward. The transition was almost instantaneous.
Kai's pass had been the decisive touch.
He had warned his players before the match about Kai's vision and passing range, but counterattacks created a different kind of problem.
Monaco's defenders simply had not recovered quickly enough to compress the space behind them, leaving gaps that Kai was more than capable of exploiting.
Arsenal's counterattacking threat was far sharper than Jardim had anticipated.
. .
"Drop back! Turn your body! Be ready for the second ball!"
Kai's voice echoed across the pitch.
In truth, most of his teammates would have done it anyway.
Still, Kai never stopped reminding them.
Football was full of small moments of carelessness. All it took was one player switching off for a second, and an entire defensive structure could collapse.
So he repeated the same instructions over and over without complaint.
Under his guidance, Arsenal's players immediately retreated into position, turning their bodies toward the play and preparing for aerial duels.
The simple movement completely ruined Monaco's goalkeeper's plan to launch a quick counterattack.
Arsenal's positioning was incredibly disciplined.
Every passing lane seemed covered.
Even Aubameyang noticed it.
Laziness could spread through a team. When one player stopped working, others often followed.
The opposite was also true.
When everyone committed to the same task, even basic defensive actions became powerful.
This recovery run was a perfect example.
The job itself was simple.
Run back.
Turn.
Prepare to challenge for the ball.
Yet when eleven players carried it out together, the pressure became immense. The goalkeeper had no easy outlet.
Even if he managed to play the ball forward, Arsenal's players were already in position to compete for the header.
To avoid unnecessary risks, Monaco often had no choice but to send the ball toward the full-backs, which significantly reduced Arsenal's defensive workload.
Simple actions.
Simple principles.
But together, they formed an extremely effective defensive structure.
That was the quality of this Arsenal side.
Aubameyang knew exactly how valuable that was.
"Ah, damn it..."
His concentration slipped for a moment.
Monaco suddenly tried to break forward again.
Aubameyang immediately turned to recover, irritation flashing across his face.
Then he heard a sharp tackle.
The ball spun out of play.
Looking over, he saw Kai climbing back to his feet.
Aubameyang stiffened slightly.
He had heard plenty of stories about Kai's fiery personality. As Kai walked toward him with a slight frown, Aubameyang braced himself. Instead, Kai simply patted him on the shoulder.
"Stay focused."
His tone was firm but calm.
"Don't be afraid to take people on. If you lose the ball, I'll cover for you."
Aubameyang blinked.
For a second, he didn't know how to react.
Where was the criticism?
Where was the lecture?
That unexpected reassurance left him feeling strangely settled.
As Kai turned away, he glanced back briefly and nodded to himself. Over the past few weeks, he had noticed something about Aubameyang. The striker was more sensitive than most people realized.
It wasn't a lack of confidence.
It was something deeper.
Whenever things started going wrong, doubts crept into his game.
He was similar to Di María in that aspect.
Kai had seen it repeatedly in previous matches. The moment momentum shifted against him, Aubameyang could become hesitant. Players like that didn't need more pressure.
They needed support.
Criticism would only make the problem worse.
Guidance and encouragement worked far better.
And once Aubameyang found his rhythm, he was a devastating player.
In Kai's eyes, he had every chance of becoming Arsenal's second major source of goals behind Suárez.
Returning to his position, Kai clapped his hands loudly.
"Come on!"
His voice rang across the field.
"Forwards, how long are you planning to watch? We need to attack! We need a goal!"
Then he raised both arms and roared:
"Come on!"
"Gunners!"
The response was immediate.
"GUNNERS!"
The entire team shouted in unison.
It was Aubameyang's first time joining the chant.
Yet somehow, he found himself yelling along with everyone else.
The roar surged through him.
A strange feeling rose in his chest.
His heartbeat quickened.
His muscles tensed.
Suddenly, all he wanted was the ball at his feet and the chance to drive straight through Monaco's defense.
He looked around.
The expressions on his teammates' faces were identical. The fire was back. For a brief moment, Arsenal looked exactly as they had the previous season.
A pack of hungry wolves.
Focused and aggressive.
On the sideline, Pat Rice watched with a faint smile.
Now this looked familiar. He thought.
. . .
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