Arsenal suffered a comprehensive defeat against Villarreal in a friendly match that took place early on August 7 at Emirates Stadium, the second consecutive defeat in the pre-season friendly series of coach Mikel Arteta and his team.
Viktor Gyokeres failed to leave any impression in his debut at the Emirates Stadium.
The match marked the debut of new signing Viktor Gyokeres – a $74 million contract from Sporting Lisbon. However, the Swedish striker did not leave much of an impression and was substituted early in the 62nd minute. Coach Arteta admitted after the match:
"He is still a bit immature in terms of movement but he shows some potential through his coordination with his teammates."
"Old friend" Nicolas Pepe tore Arsenal's net, opening the match score
Arsenal started the game lacking concentration and were quickly punished. In the 16th minute, Nicolas Pepe - a former blockbuster signing of the Gunners who now plays for Villarreal - opened the scoring after a clever combination.
In the 33rd minute, Etta Eyong doubled the gap for the Spanish team with a neat header in the penalty area.
Etta Eyong doubles Villarreal's lead
Home team Arsenal had a goal to reduce the gap to 1-2 in the 36th minute, scored by rookie Christian Nørgaard from a corner kick. This was also the score of the first half of the match that attracted a large audience in London.
15-year-old player Max Dowman excites fans
In the second half, Villarreal continued to play proactively and scored the third goal in the 68th minute by Arnaut Danjuma, another "old friend" of the Premier League who used to play for Everton and Bournemouth, from an exemplary counter-attack.
Arsenal only managed to add a consolation goal in the 76th minute, when 15-year-old Max Dowman earned a penalty after a daring run. Captain Martin Odegaard successfully converted the penalty kick, sealing the 2-3 result after 90 minutes of regulation time.
Martin Odegaard successfully kicked the penalty, making the score 2-3
The biggest highlight of the match came from the youngest name on the pitch: Max Dowman. The player born in 2010 continued to make a strong impression after shining in Arsenal's recent open training session.
Dowman's technique and speed forced Villarreal's defense to commit a foul in the box - a situation that showed the young player's outstanding development potential.
Newcomer Noni Madueke missed the final penalty, Arsenal lost 3-4
At the end of 90 minutes, the two teams also played a penalty shootout to practice their competitive mentality. Villarreal continued to win while Arsenal missed more shots.
Although it did not affect the official results, this is still a detail that makes coach Arteta unhappy, especially when the Premier League season is about to start.
Arsenal's run is not smooth despite spending heavily on the transfer market
The defeat to Villarreal left Arsenal with further problems in defence and transition, but Arteta said the main objective of the friendly matches was to test the squad and help the new recruits settle in.
"We will improve soon. The upcoming match against Athletic Bilbao will be the last chance to improve before the season starts," he affirmed.
Arsenal will have their final friendly match against Athletic Bilbao on August 9, before officially entering the 2025-2026 Premier League season with a big match against Man United at Old Trafford on August 17.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/co-nhan-ngoai-hang-anh-geo-sau-arsenal-bai-tran-o-emirates-19625080706551098.htm
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