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WASHINGTON D.C. -- Audi Field felt like the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night as Arsenal rolled to a 5-0 victory over the MLS All-Stars. Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring with quite a goal from outside the box and Arsenal fans got their first look at their £105 million man as Declan Rice came into the match during the second half and looked comfortable in the middle of the park. U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun was also greeted with raucous support when he came into the match as a sub with his future in the air as Inter show interest.

Arsenal controlled the match from start to finish despite the MLS All-Stars creating chances but first touches weren't in the favor of the stateside men. After conceding the opening goal, it didn't take long for Arsenal to double their lead with Leandro Trossard beating the defense. 

But it was Gabriel Jesus' goal that was one of a kind.

After the half, the pressure didn't let up as Tim Parker conceded a penalty that Jorginho didn't miss before Rice came on, and the Gunners' first look at Rice will make them hopeful for what is to come. While it'll take some getting used to with him wearing the number 41, his role is clear at the center of the engine room for the Premier League side. Prior to the match, Mikel Arteta described Rice as a "lighthouse that guides the way for others" and the analogy rang true in his first appearance.

While it's one thing to fit in seamlessly in midfield against an all-star team that hasn't played together at club level, it's quite another to do it in the Premier League, but the reasons to be excited about Rice are clear with his accurate passing, constant engine and ability to command the middle of the pitch and allow more numbers to get forward. With how close Arsenal came to winning the title, an addition like Rice that lets Arteta play a more aggressive midfield in front of him can be the difference in competing. 

That aggression showed in Arsenal's fourth goal, a beautifully threaded ball from Martin Odegaard to Gabriel Martinelli that skipped over the entire MLS midfield. Kai Havertz also grabbed his first Arsenal goal in the match to show what the new-look midfield can really do. 

While the night didn't go as planned for the MLS All-Stars, the chance to push themselves against the biggest clubs in the world is still a good thing, especially with the new era that Lionel Messi will usher in. While it's friendly at the end of the day, these games can be a good measuring stick as the league aims to put itself among the best leagues in the world down the road. Messi is a step toward getting there but more top-level players will be needed in years to come to reach the quality shown by Arsenal in the nation's capital.