Arsenal beat Girona 4-1 in a pre-season friendly at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi in Spain, with four goals from four different scorers in a free-flowing display that offered Mikel Arteta considerable encouragement ahead of the new season.
Max Dowman was the centrepiece. The 16-year-old played on the right side of Arsenal’s attack and ended the match with both a goal and an assist, repeatedly driving the team forward and at times operating as the spearhead of the entire attacking line. Isaan Khan, reporting from Estadi Montilivi, named him man of the match and described him as controlling play “with the ease of a player beyond his 16 years of age,” adding that the showing reflected his determination to force his way into first-team contention.
Dowman’s goal, Arsenal’s third, followed the pattern he has made familiar at youth level. He produced a dribble, cut inside and drilled the ball home. “The superlatives around Arsenal’s boy wonder continue,” Khan wrote. “Dowman just keeps getting better and better.” The display will do little harm to his chances of starting the Community Shield.
New signing Christos Tzolis also scored on a positive first outing. The forward arrived for £34 million and was a bright spark from the outset, putting himself about and working to create chances as well as finding the net. Khan compared him directly to Leandro Trossard. “He’s basically their new Leandro Trossard,” Khan wrote, adding that going by this performance, Tzolis has the output to match the Belgian.
Gabriel Jesus was among the scorers too. His goal and Dowman’s came just two minutes apart, arriving in quick succession shortly after Arnau Martinez had given Girona a goal back. Three goals came in a five-minute spell at the start of the second half, a burst that effectively settled the result. The overall tally of four from four different players left Khan wondering whether the score might climb much higher. “I genuinely thought this could end up being an 8-3 kind of game,” he wrote, though the pace of scoring eventually slowed. “On another day, they could have had many, many more.”
Kai Havertz played 32 minutes and had already changed into his training gear by the time a pre-season trophy was presented to the squad after the final whistle. He received an individual award despite his brief involvement. Demiane Agustien, Theo Julienne and 39-year-old Cristhian Stuani came on as late substitutes.
In the post-match exchanges, Arteta smirked when a reporter called out to ask when Vinicius Jr would be joining but offered no answer.
Reports that emerged alongside the match suggested Arsenal and Newcastle United have agreed a deal for midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. The fee is understood to be around £80 million. Guimaraes has been linked with Arsenal all summer and is reported to be very keen on the move. A medical is reportedly scheduled for Monday.
