Mikel Arteta is taking the positives from our pre-season tour of Asia, as we ended our trip with a narrow defeat in Hong Kong.
Pape Sarr scored the only goal of the game at Kai Tak Stadium and as we head back to N5 for two more fixtures before the start of the season, our boss believes we have grown during our trip.
He said: "In terms of the preparation, the opposition that we have, the atmosphere, the stadium that we played in. We didn’t manage to get the result that we wanted, but a lot to take.
"But a lot of positives to take from the camp and the boys, we go again on Wednesday.
"I think the tour in general, a big thank you, especially to all our supporters that have been with us the last 10-12 days because they made us feel incredibly privileged to represent this club and we have something really special and a big gratitude to them. Then, in terms of what we have achieved in the three games, really pleased."
We ended our tour of Singapore and Hong Kong with two wins and a defeat. Full focus is now on Villarreal and Athletic Club, with both matches taking place at Emirates Stadium.
A host of new signings have joined us on tour, including Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera, who both made their debuts against Tottenham, and Mikel has been delighted by the overall contribution of the whole squad.
He said: "A big surprise, because whenever we have them [new signings] to participate in training sessions, in games, the attitude and especially the quality that they have has been incredible, so very pleased. As I said, a lot of great things to take from this tour.
"The incredible camaraderie that we had between the players and the staff, and how I think everyone values where we are. It’s been a long two weeks, with a lot happening, a lot of things that you have to adapt in your preparation.
"But the attitude of everybody to make it happen, especially to everybody who has been involved in preparing all of the tour for us. A big thank you because they've done an amazing job."