Arsenal warmed up for their Premier League opener against Liverpool next Sunday with a 3-2 win over Man City in Gothenburg this evening.
Arsene Wenger made changes from the team that beat Viking FK on Friday, choosing a front three of Alex Iwobi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex is Sanchez. Rob Holding was chosen at centre-half alongside Gabriel, while Aaron Ramsey made his first appearance of pre-season playing in midfield ahead of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin.
The Welshman came close to opening the scoring in the 12th minute, heading just over after a great run found by Alexis’ perfectly weighted cross. Hector Bellerin almost found his way through, stopped by a tackle on the edge of the box, and a great ball from Xhaka presented Olxade-Chamberlain with a chance that he chipped just wide.
At the other end Sergio Aguero caused Holding and Gabriel some problems but his deflected shot was easily claimed by Cech. Coquelin squandered a great chance to put Arsenal ahead, shooting straight at the defender with goalkeeper Willy Cabellero stranded after good pressure from the Gunners had forced a City mistake at the back.
Ramsey forced the keeper into a decent save with a left-footed effort, but despite the Arsenal dominance we fell behind on the half hour mark. Gabriel’s defending out wide left a lot to be desired, and Raheem Sterling’s cross found Aguero who finished on the volley with just Cech to beat.
It was a lesson in taking your chances and an illustration as to why a striker arrival is so important for the Gunners this summer. City took the lead into the half-time break.
At half-time Arsene Wenger brought on Calum Chambers, Mohamed Elneny and Theo Walcott for Holding, Xhaka and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Despite the manager saying Walcott wasn’t good enough defensively to play him on the right, he played him on the right.
And it worked as it was Walcott’s ball from the wide position that fashioned a chance for Alex Iwobi. The 19 year old’s stinging effort from just outside the box was too strong for Joe Hart’s chocolate wrists, and it was just the start to the half Arsenal needed. 1-1.
Alexis almost put us ahead a few moments later, his free kick came crashing back off the bar with Hart beaten. Santi Cazorla came on to replace Aaron Ramsey, and only Hart’s fingertips stopped Walcott’s fizzing effort which he tipped just around the far post.
At the other end Cech made a strong save from a Jesus Navas shot from inside the box, before there was another Arsenal change as Joel Campbell came on for goalscorer Iwobi.
Arsenal went ahead in the 73rd minute through Walcott. He played a fantastic give and go with Alexis whose ball split the defence wide open, and with just the keeper to beat the England man’s dinked finish was really lovely. 2-1.
Mathieu Debuchy and Kieran Gibbs came on for Bellerin and Monreal, and moments later Chuba Akpom replaced Alexis. City should have been level but for a terrible miss by Yaya Toure, and they made a load of subs too in this warm-up game.
There was more poor goalkeeping from Hart after he failed to hold onto the ball after a defensive error, and Akpom was there for another pre-season goal and to make it 3-1.
Moments later it was 3-2 though, City exposed Arsenal defensively again, Gabriel found wanting once more in the centre, and Ieanacho nodded home from close range to set up a grandstand finish … *cough* …
Cech had to be alert to make a good save to prevent an equaliser from a Toure shot, and Navas fired over in injury time.
Late on there was more worry from an injury point of view. Having lost Per Mertesacker in the game against Lens, there was real concern when Gabriel had to be stretchered off after catching his ankle in the turf.
We don’t know yet how serious it is but it looked very bad and it took medical some minutes to take him off the pitch, suggesting the injury was was a significant one.
It will have to accelerate transfer market activity, and now we turn to next Sunday, and the Mugsmashers.
Just our luck. We lose Gabriel in the 93rd minute. I hope he’s okay, but he was in tears. Looks like his season is over. Could be knee or ankle ligaments. Absolutely gutted for him. Wenger must buy now. Feel sick and don’t feel like talking about the game. Get well soon Gabriel.
I know hindsight is 20-20, but with Kos unavailable and Per hurt why was our most senior CB still on the pitch at the 93rd minute?
He did miss the US tour, so he probably needed the game time for match fitness and sharpness. He didn’t play the entire game against Viking. Gutted for him
But more importantly, we now have one week to either find a premier league-ready defender, or for Chambers-Holding to training for the Liverpool game. Monreal at CB?
Certainly Scott Dann isn’t looking too bad 😉 Or Chris Samba!
All the best to Gabriel, I feel so sorry for him.
I hope it’s not as bad as it looks.
Gabriel’s injury looked like a season-ender. Let’s hope for the best.
So…Bielik, Chambers, and Holding for our recognizable centre-backs going into the new season? I mean, there’s promise there, but this injury has only increased the urgency of an already urgent need.
Thought El Neny was MOTM? Walcott’s build-up and goal was terrific.
Elneny was faultless in that second half, didn’t miss a single pass, constantly available. Our options in central midfield are bewildering, wish I could say the same for other positions.
This is why we should have bought Mustafi already. Now we are going to pay 10m more. For all our talk about value, we sure love to pay over the odds by dilly dallying in the market.
Shut the fuck up
If you delete your post, and your life with it, I promise I will.
Maybe you two could consider growing up?
Ooooooohhhhhhhj!!1!1!!111!!
Teacher Blogs <3
You are 100% right despite the thumbs down. Fans on this blog seem to live in a bubble
He’s not 100% right. There’s no need to jump on a player’s injury just to make a point that we already know.
And there’s you using using that to have a dig at “fans on this blog”. Take it easy guys – we won a hard-fought game today.
This has nothing to do with jumping on a player’s injury. We always react when the worst happens. Every club in the world then knows how desperate we are and prices go through the roof.
Fans on this blog do not live in a bubble. They have different opinions and Arseblog provides a platform to share them. Look at the Pogba situation… Are Man-yoo dilly-dallying? Surely not. So many factors at play. This is not FIFA 16.. It takes two to tango and clubs have to negotiate. Gotta deal with agents, players, clubs, and the worst of them all – the press! Until details are revealed, we cannot be really sure what’s delaying these crucial transfers. One thing is for sure, we are active on the market.
I hear FIFA17 is better.
Isn’t it scandalous?
I guess it would have made us feel better had we won the match against that club which never pays over the odds.
As for me, I am going to assume we won tonight – in order to cheer me up; and will assume that we were actually after Mustafi (not just paper-talk) in order for our indignation to be justified.
Holding and Chambers for the weekend then. Considering Gabriel’s low confidence and performances, I would rather have those two paired together regardless of the injury.
Tough one. Definitely Chambers, but I think Bielik just might edge it over Holding.
But, really, it’s not ideal either way. Worried about the Liverpool game. Why have we waited so long to buy the players we know we’ve needed for a long time?
Debuchy can play CB can’t he? I seem to remember him filling in there before. I think we get rates experience as a defensive attribute pretty highly, so wouldn’t be surprised if we see that sulky toy-thrower playing there.
Let’s hope this doesn’t result in us rushing back kos too early either. Not sure I can face another prolonged Achilles issue. Cost us so many points last time.
C’mon go full Wenger. Gibbs – Monreal – Debuchy – Bellerin
With Chambers in midfield.
Never go full Wenger.
Agreed. Even if we bring in a new CB tomorrow, I highly doubt he will be ready within 1 week.
Exactly. Imperative that we do get some international in as soon as possible, but time will be required to build an understanding with his partner.
Mane, Coutinho and Firmino will tear that pair apart. We’ll wish Wenger had got a good CB early.
May Bielik be the new Bellerin. May this Walcott stay, if not, may he be swapped for Mahrez. This season either way, would be defined by this transfer season, so fingers crossed we have a good one, and may the games begin already.
FFFS
Poor Gabriel. What a horrible thing to happen. And that ref was a cunt for not just blowing the whistle there.
On the other side of things…Theo Walcott totally changed the game when he came on, not something you get the chance too say all that often. Had a big hand in all three goals, lovely finish, and on the third one, he even went into a 50-50 which led to us scoring. I hope the haters will have the grace to give credit where credit is due.
Of course we get an injury to our already ravaged defense in the 93rd minute of a friendly…ffs.
At least Chambers will stay now. Sad for Gabriel.
If we were hoping to save a few quid on a defender by waiting it’s massively backfired!
Walcott was key player in all our three goals, hope he get the respect and support he deserves from now on.
So because Walcott is involved in 3 goals in a friendly we should respect him-despite the decade of generally shite performances he’s given us previously…
Ok mate.
I’m sure pep loves a good pre season loss to a title rival……
Why do you think we’re called supporters? Is it because we are giving the team and players the support they need to succeed? Or are we just a bunch of spoiled crybabies screaming out for a new player every time someone is underperforming?
I’m not saying I don’t want new players in, I’m just saying we should support the ones we got.
There is absolutely no evidence or guarantee that Lacazette is or will be better than Walcott. Can’t compare the two untill they’ve played in the same league, or at least compareable leagues.
Well… looks like Koscielny’s summer break is over.
Yikes, season hasn’t even started and injuries have laid bare our transfer policy. Let’s hope we can sign someone to bolster the back line. I hope the injury to Gabriel isn’t as bad as it looked. 93rd minute FFS!
I always think during pre-season how we’re gonna fit in everyone into the squad once the season starts. But with injuries, that’s never a problem later on
It’s just pre season, we’ve lost two defenders and we were already short in that area. God be with our holding Chambers
Bugger
Should have bought a CB already
And a striker!
Surely, surely, you have to go and buy Mustafi now. Anything else would just be daft beyond belief.
On another note, I hope Walcott can build on today’s performance, he looked better than he has in an age!
So the Liverpool strikers will spend their Sunday afternoon locked up in our Holding Chambers then!
We played very well? Anyone agree????????
Not sure i would say very but well certainly
Kevin Campbell’s analytical prowess > Man Citeh’s Sacndinavian fan base. And that’s really saying something…
I think they had one guy in there somewherr
Let’s be honest poor old Kevin struggles to put together an actual sentence let alone pass judgement on a game of football
Iwobi and Akpom have been fairly prolific in preseason. While we don’t want to go into “LANS” and “internal solution” silliness (I’m definitely not suggesting we don’t still need recruitment in attack!) it’ll be damn helpful if they can carry that form into the season proper. Could be big seasons for the lads.
How many of us would have thought as the Summer began that our top three center backs for the season opener would be Holding, Chambers and Beilik? Couldn’t have dreamed that up. My fear now is that Wenger will make a panic bargain buy instead of going for the quality CD that we need (someone like Evans). Kind of like the purchase of Welbeck at the last minute when Giroud was hurt (not that Welbeck is a bad player and has done well, but not the top level striker we’ve been needing).
Welbeck is the striker we need.
This is one of Wenger’s main issues, trying to find a decent replacement for the short-term who will make way for Dat Guy when he returns.
That’s why he went for Vardy right away, he would’ve been perfect.
Go gunners go
Still confused where the ref got 4 minutes of injury time from if the twat had blown up after 91 mins Gabriel wouldnt be banjaxed.
Funking officials rahhhhh
looked much more dominant in middle once Ramsey went off
I just wish more people will admit this. It was quite obvious. And now am gonna get a hundred thumbdowns…
For me Elneny made the diffrence. We couldn’t get out from under their pressing during the first half and had to revert to Cech longballs. Second half Elneny really made us ticking.
And then ofcourse adding a little Cazorla to the mix makes any midfield more dominant.
Not all down to Ramsey inability, thought he was pretty dangerous going forward.
Cazorla was dispossessed for their second goal. And I thought in the latter stages, City passed the ball around too easily. Granted, they conceded a silly goal with a misplaced pass (Akpom) but they seemed to have more of the ball. That is what The Arsenal is known for.
This post is about the match is it not?
We were great but nobody wants to talk about that?
Let’s all continue to talk about transfers or the lack of them!
Losing patience with you lot….:-(
It’s so fucking dull, especially when everyone seems to assume that we are definitely in for every player that every tabloid says we are…. If you listen to the papers we failed to land all our rumoured targets, but how many of said targets have we actually been in for?
We played well today and gained a much needed psychological edge over one of our direct competitors, just a shame about Gabriel’s injury. COYG
In fairness, City played with a makeshift back four the whole game and poor finishing was evident once again… hence the need for a striker! Plus, you know, no fit senior CB for the first game of the season against a team that ripped Barca for four. Hope that explains the behaviour..
Thanks for explaining….
Yes, the world and his wife realises that we need to sign a cb and a cf but it’s more the hysterical whining and wenger bashing that I don’t get at this stage. I still have faith that we’ll fill those positions before this window closes….because they were the positions that already needed filling and even our board won’t risk finishing outside of the top four. If we don’t then I’ll be the first person to start questioning the manager/board/transfer policy/ambition, but I’ll give them the duration of the transfer window before I do.
little bit of everything. poor finishing in 1st half showed why we need a clinical finisher and piss poor marking for both goals highlights our defensive issues regardless if we buy a defender or not. Its the same mistakes as last season. Theo showed us how frustrating he can be by turning up playing well and making us think he can be as good as we once hoped. If Wenger wasn’t going to buy a centre half you would think he would have to now, but with arsene who knows. decent performance overall but with some worrying aspects that haven’t… Read more »
Get well soon Gabriel. Gutted that it looked like a very serious injury.
First pre-seasom game I saw.
Gutted for Gabriel. Now we will have to give an eye and two ears for whichever defender we bid for. That’s what you get for being reactive in the transfer market.
Walcott had a nice game, as did many others. I wish Xhaka had been given more time on the pitch as I enjoyed watching him. But then Elneny came in and he wowed me.
Hope we sign the striker and defender we really need now. Onwards and upwards
Yes: we need to pillage the transfer market, yet all these injuries could prove a good thing. Le Coq, Bellerin, Iwobi. They all got to prove themselves through team injuries. Before last season, they were unheard of;now, they’re the missing piece arsenal always needed, the best right back in the bpl, and a future star respectively. Say what you like about wenger, but his recognition of talent is phenomenal. All these injuries are a pain now, but provided we use the market to patch the holes in the short run, the long run might see others rise to the challenge… Read more »
Wow..what a performance from Walcott. His link up with Sanchez was good. No a defender asap please Mr. Wenger
Of course Wenger’s reluctance to buy the much need CB early comes back to haunt us now. Only 1 week to go and we’ll be facing Liverpool with Holding and Chambers
Ankle sprain according to Wenger. Don’t know how bad.
mohamed elneny is a star in the making. haven’t seen a one touch player that good for some time. he was a joy to watch.arsene put him with a true defensive midfield player and he will march on the bpl. but less than a week to fill the gaps . surely we are not gonna play chambers and holding against sadio mane and them lot. He ran riot last season against us with per and kos on, so go do your shopping asap arsene!
Wenger will start Ramsey ahead of El neny.. beats the fuck out of me why…
I reckon midfield will be Xhaka, Elneny and Ramsey playing No. 10. Front three of Walcott, Sanchez and Ox.
‘Hello… Laurent… It is Arsene… I hope you and the family are enjoying the holiday. It really is beautiful there at this time of year. The thing is… Remember when I said you can have 4 weeks off? Well… You’re going to laugh when I tell you actually… The thing is…’
No need bringing it Boss I dig ya. I’ll fly there ASAP, ditch my family and save all of your asses.
Get well soon Gabriel. He’s a tough competitor and I think his reaction was more “I’m gonna be out for ages” than “this fucking hurts”. I say that as someone who’s done a cruciate as well (if it is that type of injury).
Elneny is first name on the teamsheet for me. Holding and Cazorla were way below par. And keep grinding Theo, we need consistency from you.
Still scratching my balls
Iheanacho’s goal was a result of Cazorla being careless in possession, rendering Gibbs out of position rather than Gabriel not defending well enough as the article says
Well that’s true for the build up to the goal, but did you see gabriel running away from Ikeanacho? Really haven’t got a clue what that was about..
Didn’t watch the game.
How did Sanchez perform as a striker?
Last season we put undue distress on our defense by not taking advantage of chances created early on in matches. Here’s to a speedy recovery for Gabriel and a flowing confidence from the midfield and forward line next week against Pool.
Terrible injury, Terrible player. His injury gives a serious opportunity for holding/chambers/biliek. I’m all for Mustafi but for 30 million pounds I’ll take my chances. We as showed again tonight we can’t really defend anyway. We need goals, when girouds dry up and Walcott shys away we need another player to bang them in. In my opinion goal scorer is far more important
Arsene Wenger is a genius but human, not perfect. That is why his the manager and fans are fans, let’s all support this wonderful club and wish Gabriel a swift recovery! COYG!!!! Great win, still the Arsenal we all love.
Cearly we need a Cback and one of good quality. Gabriel did not strike me with much confidence despite ‘pace’. Would prefer the slower Meterseckerand his reading of the game. HOlding still needs to adjust to a different level entirely. Chambers IMO should be playing Rback. Bielik also needs a bit more experience. Should we get a decent Cback, then HOlding, Chambers BIelik will be alright vying as surrogates to the new player/Koscielny partnership. BUT we need an experience man who can link in seemlessly with Le Boss. With the time frame being so short to start of season, Wenger… Read more »
Gutted for Gabriel, we needed a defender before him getting injured, and we need one now even more, and not a stopgap solution, a terrific defender. It seems Wenger/Gazidis/Law transfer market approach is reactive not proactive, which if true, is arrogant and stupid to say the least. Other teams have been way more proactive, and I’ll say it again, this is the behaviour and arrogance that comes from being the only Football Manager in the world with almost guaranteed job security. On the subject of Sanchez, I thought his fitness was a doubt? If so, why the fuck was he… Read more »
It is already clear that we are well sorted in midfield and today’s game showed it. Pretty of options and all of them quality players. I cannot believe we will start the season without a first team CB and that’s incredible. Wenger knew Koscielny had the european cup, then the injury to Mertesacker. Even if Koscielny never made it for the european cup (IF) it was still a situation where Arsene shoud’ve bought AT LEAST one CB. And as for the striking options… Alexis and Walcott are just a back up options, when will Wenger understand that. You don’t start… Read more »
I really like Iwobi
We always have loads of injuries every season.
We never buy enough players every season even if we didn’t get injuries.
Why must wenger do this year after year?