Yaya Sanogo finally scores his first Arsenal goals against Benfica in Emirates Cup

Arsenal looked in control against a rather lacklustre Benfica side, as Arsenal fans got to see the players for the first time since last season.

Yaya Sanogo grabbed four goals, including a first half hat-trick to steal the show, while Alexis Sanchez and Calum Chambers made their first Arsenal appearances.

The roar of the crowd as Sanchez came on in the second half was deafening. It is quite clear what the signing of the former Barcelona winger means to the us Arsenal fans, who have a lot of optimism for the season ahead. That is something which is very much different to this time last year, but we going into the new season as F.A Cup holders and hoping to see the same kind of football as we showed in the first half of last season.

I settled into my seat, up above the goal at the clock end of the Emirates just as the first game of the afternoon, Monaco v Valencia, kicked off. That was a fairly entertaining game but I was eagerly waiting for Arsenal v Benfica of course, but I didn't expect to see Sanogo so on form.

The French forward looked his usual self early on but we were ecstatic when Aaron Ramsey turned his man, darted down the pitch, and passed the ball into the path of Sanogo to back heel the ball into the net. His dance moves showed how happy he was too.

He pushed on from there but nobody expected him to get another three goals before being substituted late on for Chuba Akpom.

Joel Campbell also made his first Arsenal start after returning from Olympiakos on loan and featuring for Costa Rica at the World Cup. His goal was well taken, drilling home a volley, and Wenger has said he has first team plans for the 22-year-old.

The performance of right-back Hector Bellerin mustn't go unnoticed as we were taken back by his star man performance. He looked more than comfortable on the ball, confident on taking players on, and did nothing wrong all game. He may even give Debuchy a little competition this season if he carries on in the same way.

Admittedly, this is only pre-season and there were mistakes here and there. Monreal looked dodgy at centre-back, and I'm not overly keen on him at left-back either, while Kieran Gibbs often found himself out of position, but on the whole, it was a very promising performance, and a great opportunity to see most of the squad ahead of the new season.

Day two of the Emirates Cup is played today with Arsenal playing AS Monaco at 4.20pm (GMT), after the conclusion of Benfica v Valencia.

Emirates Stadium

Has Wenger learned from past mistakes? Arsenal look to do summer transfers early

It appears as if Arsene Wenger has listened to his critics and has maybe learned from his own past mistakes.

Arsenal have completed the signings of four players this summer, with another signing likely before the season starts.

In seasons gone by Wenger has left signing players to the last moments of the transfer window i.e Mikel Arteta and Mesut Ozil. The obvious problem here is that players need time to gel and get to know their team mates.

Now, with the start of the season still a couple of weeks away, we have filled in the vacant right-back position with the likes of Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, invested in world class attacking winger Alexis Sanchez, and brought in back up to Szczesny in David Ospina.

The area I still want to see improved on is the striker role. Giroud, as I have always said, is incompetent up front, as can be Walcott. Podolski is always preferred to on the wing, however maybe Wenger has plans for him to feature in a striker role now with the arrival of Sanchez. The Chilean really will add something to our attacks and I am excited to see him play this season.

Carl Jenkinson's loan to West Ham is a good move with Debuchy and Chambers' arrivals. Debuchy will be our first choice right-back with Sagna's departure while Chambers, 19, can also play anywhere across the back and he has a lot of potential. I don't think Jenkinson is ready and this loan move is a good thing for his development.

I am off to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to see the Arsenal v Benfica friendly as the club host its annual Emirates Cup tournament. They play Monaco on Sunday. The two days of football are a good test for the players to see where they are in their pre-season programme, with the season just two weekends away, as well as an opportunity for the players to welcome back the FA Cup holders after a busy sporting summer.

Emirates Stadium crest