As with each new term, all eyes were on how the latest selection would do as many made the step up from last seasons successful U17 side and they weren’t disappointed as the young Lions comfortably dispatched their opposition with goals in each half from Liverpool duo Michael Ngoo and Jonjo Shelvey.

Noel Blake’s team dominated the game from start to finish in the international friendly and a goal in the 16th minute after Ross Barkley set up Ngoo score on his debut was no less than they deserved.

They continued to create chances but had to wait until the 72nd minute before doubling their advantage, former Charlton Athletic starlet Shelvey stepping up to curl home a free kick from 25 yards to seal the win.

This was their only opportunity to train together ahead of the European Championship qualifiers next month as they look to progress from a group containing Cyprus, Albania and Belgium and Blake declared himself delighted with the performance after the game.

“The victory is one thing, and that’s always a good start for a new year group. But I was absolutely delighted with the performance from start to finish.

I thought we controlled the tempo of the game and scored two very good goals but I was most pleased with our passing and our game management in particular.

That’s something we’ve spoken about a lot and it really pleased me, so it’s good food for thought from the first game.”

Arsenal’s Benik Afobe amd Nico Yennaris also made their debuts for the U19s, appearing as second half substitutes, and will hope they have done enough to assure themselves of a place in next month’s squad.

It started so full of hope, with the astute purchase of Chamakh being followed up by a typical Wenger signing in the form of Koscielny. Squillaci’s arrival was also a welcome one, giving the defence a necessary makeover. A ‘keeper then, and Arsenal could be counted as serious title challengers once more.

But as the time slowly moved towards the transfer deadline that goalkeeper, astonishingly, never arrived. And on that decision rests the hopes of our season once more. That final hurdle suddenly looks harder to clear.

To fall so painfully short in the transfer market once again is, in my eyes, inexcusable. Wenger clearly believed Fulham would eventually find a replacement for Mark Schwarzer and allow the Australian to join the Gunners, but the price of that gamble could prove the difference between first and third place.

Instead we must rely on Manuel Almunia, a player who must surely know that his manager no longer trusts him as his first choice, yet is forced to turn to him out of necessity. What effect does that have on a player mentally? Only the coming months will answer that question.

Of course, that’s not to say this summer has been a failure. A shake up in the defence was much needed and in Mikael Silvestre, Sol Campbell and William Gallas we have got rid of three players whose best days are far behind them. Laurent Koscielny looks to be a player who will soon adjust to the Premier League, while Sebastien Squillaci will provide experienced cover and, at 30 years old, is hardly past his peak.

As Wenger so often points out, the benefit of having such a young team is there’s a noticeable improvement in each season that passes. And the midfield will reap the rewards of such an approach this year, with Samir Nasri seeming particularly sharp and Jack Wilshere providing another option in central areas. Out wide Theo Walcott has started in sparkling form and when he’s on song his pace really can prove to be the difference.

Effectively trading Eduardo for Chamakh is a wonderful piece of business as well. I, like so many Arsenal fans, was sad to see the Croatian international move on from the Emirates but it was the right thing to do. Marouane Chamakh fits the 4-3-3 formation perfectly and his athletic and hard working approach to the game makes him becoming a fans favourite in North London a question of when rather than if.

So plenty to still be positive about then, but in failing to fix the goalkeeping problem has Wenger ensured we’ll be nearly-men yet again?

He became an Arsenal player in July last summer following a successful trial at the club amid unusual media hype for a player who was just 15 years old at the time. But Edge believes that he hasn’t been fazed by the attention he received at the time.

“I suppose there was a little bit of pressure because of the publicity and the expectation. However, I was not worried about that because I knew Arsenal would improve me and I have confidence in my own ability.

The step up from playing in a League Two set-up to one the most respected academies in the world has been a big one and the 16 year old feels that he is developing at a fast pace as a result.

“There is a big difference in the football that I was used to with Cheltenham Town and the football we play at the Arsenal.” he explained.

“The game is quicker with a much, much greater emphasis on passing, but I feel that I have improved a lot since joining Arsenal. The reason is not only because of the quality of the coaching and facilities, but also because of the quality of players I train and play with and play against.

I am working very hard on my fitness and Craig Gant (Academy Fitness Coach) has been a big factor in bringing my game on.”

The teenager started the first U18 game of the season on Saturday in a holding midfield role as Bould’s side crashed to a heavy 5-2 defeat, but as he adjusts to the standard of football at Academy level Edge hopes he can push on into the more experienced Youth Cup side.

“I know I have come on a lot technically and I am looking to continue that so I can become a regular in the Under-18s and perhaps get into the FA Youth Cup team.”

The central defender officially completed the switch from Spain this morning for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £5m and the French international is delighted to be in England.

“I am very proud and very happy to be at this big club. For me it is one of the best European clubs around with a great history.

My first impressions are very positive too, I visited the training ground which is beautiful and the pitches here are great as well. I look forward to training with my team mates and I look forward to playing for Arsenal.”

Squillaci also cited Arsene Wenger as one of the main reasons behind moving to the club and is looking forward to working under the long-serving Arsenal manager.

“I don’t know [Wenger] very well personally even though I’ve met him many times during matches with the French national team.

But Arsene Wenger has a great reputation in the football world, and in the world generally really. He’s been very important for French football and he’s done very well with Arsenal as well, we all know that, and so I’ve got great respect for him. I’m very happy to work for a coach such as him.

To work with him is very important to me and so it’s a great pleasure, really, to be trained by a coach like him.

The Frenchman, who has 21 caps for his country, is well known for his no-nonsense approach to the game and he believes this will help him to adapt to the English style.

“I enjoy the duels, I think it’s one of my qualities and here in England there are many duels on the pitch and it’s good to respond in a physical way.

I’ve played in France, I’ve played in Spain for two years, I’ve played internationals and I’ve played in the Champions League, I’m 30 and I have a bit of experience as well. Now I’m going to discover a new league and I’ve played against English teams before, like Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, so I think I know what to expect.

Because of that experience in different leagues I do have an advantage [in adapting]. That experience can only be an advantage really.”

Squillaci won’t be involved in tomorrow’s game against Blackburn due to lack of match fitness but could now make his debut for the Gunners versus Bolton Wanderers following the international break as he looks to help his new side to success in the new season.

“It’s a very difficult league but when you play for Arsenal you play for titles and you play for trophies.

It’s very difficult to be the champions [in England] and that’s why that ambition has to be within you. Arsenal are a very well respected team who qualify for the Champions League every year so why not be at the top?”

The loan deal taking the 17 year old to Spain was agreed earlier this summer but problems with his paperwork had delayed the move until now.

As with Mexican star Carlos Vela and more recently Brazilian wing-back Pedro Botelho, his stay at Salamanca will help his adaptation to European football as he looks to prepare himself for his switch to Arsenal at a later date. The Gunners sealed the signing of the former Real America player following a trial at the club in January.

Before leaving Bolivia Samuel Galindo emphasised the importance of the spell in Spain to prepare him for his move to England.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to gain confidence before playing at a team as important as Arsenal, who are important figures in world football.”

He also took the chance to congratulate the Bolivian Under 15 side who recently clinched gold at the Singapore Youth Olympic games, with his brother Pedro Galindo playing as a goalkeeper for the champions.

“That kind of tournament can show the conditions that you have and I wish all the players the best [in the future].”

Samuel Galindo will wear the number 16 shirt at Salamanca when he is officially announced in the coming days.

The loss was no less than the Gunners deserved after a bitterly disappointing star to the campaign and former Arsenal centre back Bould was quick to emphasise the importance of adjusting to U18 football as quickly as possible as he spoke to Arsenal TV Online after the game.

“Well it was very, very poor. And it’s a lesson that I think the kids have learned – that you have to first and foremost run about and work. I think it was a wake-up call to what professional football is.

I think there’s one or two still in the schoolboy stage and it’s been a bit easy for them and they have to compete and we didn’t compete really. I hope they’ve learnt their lesson, I’ve just spoken to them to say that it’s a harsh environment, football, and you have to win games.

Not that the result is what we’re after and it’s about development but we just didn’t perform and I think one or two have had it a bit easy in their careers at times and teams have laid down and folded but the next level is a little bit harder than that.

The big disappointment was that we gave up the ghost. I know we scored two at the end but they weren’t great goals and it could have been six or seven and a real embarassment.”

With only Jernade Meade and Sean McDermott the only 17 year olds in the side, Bould recognises that this is a team that can only develop as the season goes on as they adjust to Academy football.

“Yeah of course [there's belief in the players]. We’re a fairly young team, I don’t know what the make-up of the Man City team was but that’s mostly first years there [for us] and we struggled a little bit.

We’re hoping that as it goes on and they realise what it’s all about that we’ll improve and we’ve certainly got to improve on that.”

The Gunners will now host Sunderland’s youth team on Saturday as they look to bounce back with a win against the well-respected Academy from the north-east.

The brother of one of the most highly rated teenagers in world football in Romelu Lukaku, Jordan is already in the spotlight of the Belgian media despite only turning 16 last month.

But despite catching the eye of a side renowned for their youth policy in Arsenal, Jordan’s father Roger Lukaku believes that remaining in Belgium is probably the best choice of path for his younger son.

“I have heard of interest from over there for a while, but no more than that. His manager has good contacts at Arsenal. If they are really interested, we will be hearing from them directly.

There are also a few German sides who have already shown interest. But I do not think this is an issue. We will look at the situation with Jordan, his manager and myself. I think he’s pretty happy at Anderlecht to develop as Romelu has done.”

Mostly playing as a left winger for the Anderlecht youth sides, at national level he often drops deeper to left back instead, where his strength helps him stand out from the rest. As his father explains:

“Jordan and Romelu are two totally different types of players” he tells Nieuws Blad. “Jordan is perhaps less the real killer. But when he plays as a left forward, he still scores quite regularly. Sometimes the coach pushes him to left back, because he thinks Jordan finds playing so far forward too easy.

[Jordan has] more finesse [than his brother]. He is extremely fast with the ball at his feet. ”

The co-ordinator for the Belgian national teams, Marc van Geersom, agrees with this description.

“Jordan is more technical than his brother at that age,” he explained. “[But] on the physical plane, he is still inferior. The question is how will he develop?”

At the moment it appears that the watching European giants are simply monitoring his progress but with his older brother’s example to follow and a father to keep his feet firmly on the ground, here is another Lukaku football fans might be hearing a lot more about in the coming seasons.

As has been widely reported, the Spanish club confirmed last night that a deal had been agreed with Arsenal and that the French International defender would travel to England ahead of a medical at the club today.

The story first broke on Wedneday night after Squillaci asked not to play ahead of the Andalucian club’s Champions League qualifying match against Braga in Portugal to avoid being cup-tied if a potential move to the Gunners came about.

The Spanish press reported that as a result of this late refusal to play, tempers flared and there was a heated confrontation between manager and player, with Squillaci reportedly listing poor management as one of the reasons he wished to leave the club.

But Alvarez has denied these reports, stating that the deal is simply a case of a player wanting to move on.

“On the issue of Squillaci I said that if any player does not want to be here, I’d rather not have him here either, but there was no problem, despite all that has been published about what was said. There was nothing like that.

He has found a new team and he wanted to go.”

If all goes well with the medical Sebastien Squillaci could be officially announced as an Arsenal player later today or tomorrow, with the fee believed to be in the region of £5m.

Sevilla have already begun searching for a replacement for the powerful centre back with Mallorca’s Ivan Ramis and Valencia’s Alexis Ruano both heading the list.

At times on Saturday afternoon he left Blackpool’s defenders helplessly treading water as he powered past them on his way to a first hat trick in Arsenal colours. He’ll always have his detractors as Alan Hansen’s startlingly harsh criticism on Match of the Day showed, but maybe, just maybe, Walcott is beginning to grow up.

It wasn’t his goals that truly impressed though, it was the intelligence he showed in his decision making. If one moment hinted at the difference between this season’s Walcott and the one from just a few months ago it is this. Heading down a long diagonal into the path of Tomas Rosicky, the lightning-quick 21 year old continued his run outside the full back before receiving the return pass from the Czech Republic midfielder. Instead of trying to hit an area with the cross he looked up and delivered a fantastic pass to the onrushing Andrey Arshavin who could only see his effort saved.

It’s hard to imagine Walcott playing that same pass last season.

Wenger praised the Englishman’s ability to mix his decisions during the game, one minute bursting outside his full back and the next turning inside and committing defenders through the middle. Marouane Chamakh in particular will be disappointed not to have taken full advantage of two fantastic openings created by the flying winger.

Arguably his finishing was the least surprising part of Walcott’s display. He’s always been blessed with an instinctive ability in front of goal when given the chance, he simply doesn’t drift into central areas enough to profit from that. Perhaps this is the year that he does just that.

All maybe’s, if’s and possibly’s at this stage of the season but should he stay injury free there is no reason why this can’t be the season that he begins to reach his potential. There’ll be tougher tests to come of course, with hapless Blackpool struggling to keep close enough to Walcott even before they had a man sent off midway through the first half.

But if Arsenal and England fans needed a reminder of just why Theo Walcott can become a big part of both side’s fortunes then this was it.

Bacary Sagna – 7 - Covers so much ground for the team. At one point made up about 30 yards on Marlon Harewood to prevent a Blackpool counter attack. Made some decent overlapping runs going forward too, good assist for Abou Diaby’s goal.

Alex Song – 6 - Looked defensively a little shaky at times, clearly not fit and clearly not a centre back in my eyes – sometimes positionally he’s not even close to where he should be. A monster when the ball’s in front of him though, and no one in the Blackpool side ever really threatened to get in behind.

Thomas Vermaelen – 7 - Won pretty much everything that came his way, whether it was in the air on or on the ground. Typically composed on the ball.

Gael Clichy – 7 - A nervous moment when he failed to challenge for the ball in the air and could have cost us a goal. Got to admire his attitude towards pressing though and he constantly won the ball ahead of his man, giving us the platform to counter effectively. All this with minimal help from Andrey Arshavin, as ever.

Abou Diaby – 6.5 - Not at his best but did enough, a fantastic finish for the goal and an incisive through ball for Walcott’s third goal.

Jack Wilshere – 6.5 - Playing far too deep as far as I’m concerned and lost the ball too easily at times, but clever passing and always wants to get on the ball and link play. Never hides and hugely comfortable in possession. Straight forward assist for Walcott’s second goal and could have got on the scoresheet himself after a couple of late runs into the box.

Tomas Rosicky – 9 – Outstanding, at the heart of many of our best moves and didn’t seem to slow the play down as he often tends to when he plays out wide. A far better central player and he has started the season in excellent form. Blackpool never really managed to pick him up drifting around the pitch.

Theo Walcott – 9 – Man of the Match. Used his electrifying pace to full effect and when he’s full of confidence like that defenders can’t get near him. Hat trick well deserved, and could easily have had more. A glimpse of things to come I hope. Doesn’t forget to track back and help Sagna either.

Marouane Chamakh – 7 - Fantastic work rate, never stops running and caused plenty of problems today. Tired towards the end, but as he observes Ramadan perhaps that’s understandable. Certainly helps our high pressure game and almost never gave the ball away.

Andrey Arshavin – 6 - Massively frustrating, doesn’t put the effort in he should and gives the ball away very stupidly at times. Clichy is basically isolated on the left flank. He has the ability to make a difference and set us on our way when he set up Walcott but doing the bare minimum isn’t always enough. Some very lazy attempts at passes as the game went on too.

Subs:

Cesc Fabregas – 6 - Did OK on his return, dictating play and constantly involved straight away. Great reception for the captain.

Robin van Persie – 5 - Always seemed to be looking for a pass too many and missing half a yard of pace at the moment. That’ll come though.

Carlos Vela – 7 - Ridiculous piece of skill was brilliant, although as soon as it came on to his right foot you knew he wasn’t going to score. Lively.