Early this morning, Jurrien Timber made his first-ever Arsenal appearance against the MLS All-Stars, and he appears to have impressed William Saliba, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard.
With a strong performance, the Gunners completely destroyed Wayne Rooney’s team. Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz all scored for Arsenal in their five goals without a response.
But Timber, a substitute, turned in one of his best performances in the second half.
Responses to Jurrien Timber’s Arsenal debut from Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice
The difficulties Arsenal encountered last season as a result of the injuries to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu led them to the conclusion that they needed a versatile defender in this window.
Jurrien Timber was quickly identified as a key target because Mikel Arteta and Edu were not going to let that happen again in the upcoming campaign.
The talented Dutchman was acquired by the Gunners for £34 million (BBC) last week, and depending on where you live, he got a chance to play with his new teammates against the MLS All-Stars early this morning or late last night.
Timber was simply superb. Despite being signed on as a right-back, he was allowed the freedom to express himself in the centre of the field, and he was excellent.
On the pitch, Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal almost appeared to be a new player.
Like all Arsenal supporters, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, and Declan Rice were awestruck by Timber’s first performance in the illustrious red and white.
When responding to Timber’s Instagram post, Odegaard wrote “Baller,” and Saliba added: “Top!”
With a few fire emojis, Declan Rice responded.
With Timber, Arsenal has discovered a true superstar.
The Dutchman excelled for Ajax during his tenure there, and Manchester United and Liverpool were previously strongly linked to him. However, when Timber learned of Arteta’s interest, it was an easy choice for him because Arsenal had chosen the right moment to make their move.
The 22-year-old has the versatility to play right back, centre half, and defensive midfield. According to his performance today, he might be able to play higher up in the middle of the park as well, depending on the situation.
He is a rare player, and we are confident that Arsenal supporters will enjoy watching him play.
