Welcome to Arsenal, Kai Havertz! Six things we learned as Gunners cruise past MLS All-Stars

Arteta looks like he's on to something here. Leandro Trossard was named to the Gunners' starting XI on Wednesday night, but not in his usual wing position. Instead, he was deployed as the left-sided No. 8 and, based on this evidence, he could be a monster in that spot.

The Belgian scored a fantastic goal, a stunning missile of a finish from just outside the box that pushed the scoreline to 2-0. It was the type of moment that showed exactly why Arsenal signed him from Brighton: to provide another dynamic player in the final third.

He showed he can do more than that, though. Playing as a central midfielder, Trossard was an absolute menace, consistently hounding the MLS full-backs throughout his time on the field.

It's a fun position for Trossard, for sure, and it's easy to imagine someone like Havertz playing in a similar spot going forward. Options are good, of course, and it seems Arteta has them in central midfield if you add Trossard to the mix.

He's in pre-season form, of course, but there was nothing pre-season about Gabriel Jesus' goal. Out of thin air... golazo. It took just five minutes for Jesus to produce a stunner, and that's good news for Arsenal, isn't it?

A lovely ball from Jorginho sprung Saka down the right-hand side, but the England star was corralled by Alvaro Barreal. The FC Cincinnati star couldn't prevent the ball from falling to Jesus, though, and the Arsenal striker produced a fantastic backpost chip that ex-Borussia Dortmund goalkeper Roman Burki could only watch. It was an All-Star Game-worthy goal, for sure.

The Brazilian scored 11 goals last season, a respectable haul considering the injury issues he faced, but, for Arsenal to push Manchester City again, they'll likely need closer to 20 out of their attacking star.

Wednesday night's stunner bodes well, then, for a player that faces a big season. Strikers love goals, and it didn't take long for Jesus to find one in this All-Star Game.

You got your laughs in, Twitter, and rightfully so. Kai Havertz's first real moments in an Arsenal shirt were embarrassing to say the least. In the MLS Skills Challenge, Havertz's display was absolutely pitiful, as he failed to find the back of the net in an event designed for players to score.

He made no mistake on Wednesday, though. His shot hit the back of the net, and nearly went through it. The jokes are over. Havertz got his goal. The German was a bit quiet up until his late finish, but that's okay. It was a good runout for the ex-Chelsea star, one highlighted by a confidence-boosting goal that he surely needed.

Arsenal paid a lot of money for Havertz so they'll expect plenty more goals in the years to follow. It'll take some time for all involved to get used to this new partnership, but there are few better ways for players to build chemistry than by celebrating goals.

The ovation was the loudest of the evening, for sure. Welcome to Arsenal, Declan Rice! The fans are glad you're here. The ex-West Ham man was introduced in the second half, coming on to replace Jorginho in the midfield. Every time he touched the ball, there was a buzz in the crowd. Everyone in attendance was excited to see the new £105-million man.

There was nothing flashy about Rice's debut aside from the ovations, but we all know he wasn't signed to be flashy. He, instead, did what he always does. He demanded the ball and made no mistakes once he got it, proving the presence in midfield that Arsenal has often lacked.

As for fellow new boy Timber, he may have been the best of the bunch. The former Ajax defender looked totally composed at that right-back position and, if that's what the Gunners can expect to get from him this season, he'll be just fine.

No matter which way you look at it, Arteta has a tough call on his hands. What in the world is he going to do with Folarin Balogun? The U.S. men's national team striker showed promising signs in his second-half cameo, which amounted to just about 25 minutes on the field. His hold-up play was solid, his pace was noticeable and his movement was good. Even if he didn't get a goal, there was still something there.

Eddie Nketiah, meanwhile, is the other player in this race for a spot in the striker rotation. He started this one, albeit out wide. He, too, had some good moments driving at the defence in the first half.

Arteta will have a tough call here. Both showed what they can bring in this game, but neither truly tilted the balance in their favour. It's a long pre-season and both will get more chances going forward, and how they take those chances may just determine who stays and who goes.

At the end of the day, there's only so much you can take from a friendly. This game, this exhibition, isn't even a normal friendly, so you have to look at it through that lens.

Ultimately, Arsenal played a team made up of players that have never played together. The opposition had no chemistry, no shape, no real tactics. The only thing the MLS All-Stars could really rely on was individual brilliance.

So that's what you have to focus on in this game: individual moments and sequences. You can focus on the good performances from players like Trossard and Jesus, but within the context of the game. Their goals were spectacular and the Gunners' attacking stars looked good in one-on-one sequences, so take those as positives moving forward.

On the other side, this loss isn't some embarrassment for MLS. It's no indictment on the league or anything like that either. This was a fun game with a weird team against a very good Arsenal side. Everyone had a good time, several players got good minutes and the Gunners will move onto the next as pre-season ramps up with some bigger challenges.