From their vantage point high up in the Milburn Stand, safely protected from the unseasonal monsoon that drenched St James’ Park, Arsenal’s hierarchy absorbed a certain amount of satisfaction with what they witnessed down below.



Edu, the technical director bringing his newly watchful eye to every facet of the club’s operation, popped a mint into his mouth, ice cool. Next to him Raul Sanllehi, the deal-master, got away with wearing tinted glasses in the unrelentingly grey drizzle. Some fans have taken to calling him Don Raul after a summer spent trading with a high-end poker hand as Arsenal attempt to relaunch themselves.



Edu is billed as the final piece of the jigsaw and he has immersed himself quickly. He watches every training session. He travels with the team. One of his critical tasks this season will be not just to support the head coach Unai Emery, but also to assess him.



This is a crunch season for Emery. He is being watched, being...