Arsenal secured a third consecutive win of pre-season as goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson secured a 3-1 win against Orlando City.
Despite a delayed kick-off – caused by a lightning storm – the Gunners were quick off the mark with Martinelli, cutting in off the left via a one-two with Sambi Lokonga, to open the scoring via a deflection.
Gabriel Martinelli links well with Albert Sambi Lokonga, before his deflected effort beats the Orlando City goalkeeper to open the scoring for Arsenal. #afc pic.twitter.com/kSZEcQNiJa
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 21, 2022
Much to the delight of the local fans, the hosts hit back just before the half-hour mark as striker Facundo Torres beat Aaron Ramsdale to equalise.
Eddie Nketiah is quick to react in the box to fire Arsenal ahead against Orlando City! #afc pic.twitter.com/9QrSndiP19
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 21, 2022
Arsenal cranked up the pressure in the second half after bringing on a host of replacements and Eddie Nketiah eventually restored the lead.
Following good work by strike partner Gabriel Jesus in the build-up, the pair were quick to celebrate together in trademark style.
Reiss Nelson wrapped up the scoring with 10 minutes remaining converting Bukayo Saka’s cross.
Reiss Nelson finishes off a beautiful team move to double Arsenal’s lead over Orlando City! 😍 #afc pic.twitter.com/SV96YCzwAr
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 21, 2022
Imminent new arrival Oleksandr Zinchenko watched the action alongside technical director Edu. It’s expected that the Ukraine international will be confirmed as an Arsenal player today and could be part of the squad to face Chelsea in three days time.
Reflecting on his side’s performance, Mikel Arteta said: “Right from the beginning it was very lively, from both supporters, but we suffered in the first half, physically. We didn’t pick up the rhythm, it’s warm, it’s humid and we didn’t show the determination to play the way we want to play.
“The game was open. But the second half was completely different, we took control of the game and played the way we wanted to play. We generated so many chances and the boys enjoyed it more.”
Arsenal starting XI: Ramsdale (46), Cedric (46), Holding (59), Mari (46), Tavares (84), Elneny (59), Maitland-Niles (46), Lokonga (59), Pepe (59), Martinelli (46), Nketiah (74)
Substitutes: Turner (46), Bellerin (84), White (46), Gabriel (46), Saliba (59), Walters, Partey (59), Xhaka (59), Odegaard (46), Nelson (74), Saka (59), Marquinhos, Jesus (46), Balogun
Coyr! Good result!
Only seen the goals but really awesome that Eddie got MOTM.
I’ve got a funny feeling that Jesus’ presence will raise Eddie’s game to another level. He looks really sharp in preseason and looks physically like a man now.
Two really great CF options. Interesting that this seems so much more exciting and dangerous than the £120m worth of striking talent we’ve had for the last 4 seasons.
Had the same thought about Eddie upping his game now. Think it’s going to be a contribution of 2 things: one, he’s going to be working with Jesus and learning off him and two, now he’s one of the 2 main strikers we have. It’s not as hopeless to think that he’ll get significant game time and that itself boosts a player’s everyday confidence.
Is Elneny enough cover at the 6 position for 55-60matches? Arteta clearly doesn’t see lokonga’s future there…we’ve not been exactly linked with any specialist number 6 players…tieleman’s plays there but not his best position..
If Lokonga plays like how he played at Orlando before his withdrawal, he probably just gave Arteta a bit to think about.
Good point re Elneny. But What’s to say arteta doesn’t see Sambi’s future there? Still probably too early to tell. I think it’s very much about trying to see what works best for Sambi at the moment, but I got the feeling from last season, arteta does want to use him as a 6. The way we play though, the ‘lone 6’ is such a demanding role. You need to be good in the tackle, have smart positioning and be brilliant on the ball. It’s a really big ask for whoever has to come in and deputise there when Partey… Read more »
I would use Sambi in the League Cup, the Europa early rounds and maybe from the Premiership bench with ten minutes to go, if the game is well and truly won (4 nil up, etc).
“Arteta clearly doesn’t see lokonga’s future there”
based on what?
You didn’t watch arteta’s interview in Orlando
Loving the team selection options now becoming available to the manager.
It keeps the opposition guessing and, more hilariously, makes a mockery of the ‘how is so-and-so going to fit in now’ crowd, particularly in the media. As if Liverpool and City are the only clubs allowed big squads.
Nice Q.
True that
How do you like 2 Ian Wrights ?
such a good point well made
Loving the newly forming bromance between Eddie and Jesus. Think those two could end up playing together quite a bit… And I like it.
One being the perfect foil and assist for the other.
Brilliant.
Eddie’s a changed man since he’s found Jesus.
this comment👏
Eddie will be massive, especially with 5-sub rule in PL this season.
Great
Tavares and Mari proving me right yet again for Orlando’s equaliser.
Get rid of them.
Tavares is athletic but not sure he has the football IQ that Arteta wants in a player. With Zinchenko coming in, he should go out on loan and see how he develops. Let him learn from his mistakes elsewhere.
You’re right. He hasn’t got the football IQ required.
Which is why we need to get rid of him.
Tavares had similar lapses against Everton but they weren’t able to capitalise. Orlando looks a better team than Everton and did. You’ve said it before, Tavares still doesn’t do the basics right every time and either needs to improve or leave.
He won’t improve.
And why should we waste any more Premiership points discovering what Arteta seems to know already?
I’ve seriously had it up to here with people on this site praising and accepting mediocre players – and then wondering why we haven’t qualified for the ECL…..
It’s too early to kick Nuno to the curb. He is very young, raw, but has moments of menace, especially for the fans up and behind the goal!
He is 22 and cannot get even the basics right.
At non league level, that’s not good enough, never mind the Premiership.
We cannot afford to lose any more Premiership points for people like you to finally get it.
Fortunately, Arteta has recognised this and is in the process of signing Zinchenko. 😊
concur re: mari, 100% disagree re: tavares. he has all the physical tools, he has the inclination to be incisive and the audacity to try stuff… and he’s had a total of 30.4 90s over the course of 3 years of senior football. writing him off at this point would be completely ridiculous and a waste of great potential. he’s the kind of player we should be striving to develop, not prematurely giving up on.
Mate, last season he was subbed before the end of the first half in two senior games. What does that tell you….?
Develop? He’s 22!!
If he doesn’t know the basics now, he never will.
Most of us changed into so disenchanted after we misplaced our ultimate business at the end of last season but we didn’t resort to defrauding vulnerable people
What am I missing??
There was a rodent trying to push a “I earned £20,000 a months at home, you can too etc etc” scam in the kind of English that straddles the border of nonsense and intelligibility. The comment was deleted.
Well, let’s talk instead about the flexibility of language – linguistic elasticity if you like.
Or even… linguisticity?
@arseblog. Pls. Clear to move in for Operation Extraction.
Does anyone know how the hell Holding got a yellow in 2nd minute?
I want to know how you found that out, ha
If I remember correctly, one of their guys got the wrong side of him in midfield, tripped over his own feet in amazement as Rob was running with the classic “hands up wasn’t me” pose behind him and the ref booked him.
Some really terrible officiating yesterday. I thought the premier league was bad…
You haven’t seen bad officiating until you’ve watched some MLS. The referees are beyond awful, beyond terrible, beyond horrific. They are so bad, someone needs to invent an entirely new language consisting of nothing but disparagement, to be able to adequately describe their badness.
“I’m a useless, lazy slob with no moral compass… join me!!!”
This comment is brilliant without the context of why it was originally posted, haha
I need the context!
Imagine a piano keyboard, eighty-eight keys, only eighty-eight and yet, and yet, new tunes, melodies, harmonies are being composed upon hundreds of keyboards every day in Dorset alone.
Possibly something the missus uttered
Good second half.
But Jesus me, we seriously need a goal scorer upfront, Gabriel Jesus has fantastic footwork… So does saka, martinelli…. But their ball striking and finishing bothers me. Eddy seems to have improved his ball striking… Very impressive , I see him really challenging for the 9 spot next season.
But God I really hope the SANE rumours are true. We need a big wide man.
Big?
This is a windup right?
Where to start…..
D’you know what? I can’t be arsed……🙄
Starting to get a bit concerned now that Tomiyasu and Tierney are not even making the bench a few weeks before Crystal Palace. I hoped that they would start the season fully fit after all their unavailability during the final five months of last season.
They cannot be relied upon at this point. The club is moving forward, you are either available or we need to find someone else for those minutes. Nothing personal, just football. If they get fit great, but we are past the time when we should expect it.
Tommi turning into RB version of KT. Not in a good way.
Well there’s always your heroes – Tavares and Cedric.
They have both had bad injuries that take time to heal properly. I would rather they are rested for meaningless games like last night and I especially hope that Arteta is sensible enough not to risk either of them against those Kings Road Neanderthal cunts, for obvious reasons. This season is Arsenal’s most important for a very very long time and it’s absolutely crucial that our players, especially the defence, are bang on the money. Soft goals conceded just aren’t an option anymore if this club wants Champions League football in 2023/24. That means having our best players available for… Read more »
So my hometown team, Minnesota United, beat Everton 4-0 last night. (It was kind of sad for my buddy who is an Everton supporter.) As Arsenal was only able to put 2 past Everton, has Minnesota done enough to interest Arsenal in paying a visit to Minneapolis in 2023?
Eddie’s a changed man since he’s found Jesus.