Match Report – Match Highlights – Post-Match Press Conference
Final Result: Arsenal 5-3 Barcelona (Saka 13′, Havertz 43′, Trossard55′, 78′, F. Vieira 89′ | Lewandowski 7′, Raphinha 34′, F. Torres 88′)
Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Saliba (Kiwior 70′), Gabriel (Holding 84′), Timber (Tierney 70′); Partey (Jorginho 70′), Havertz (Smith Rowe 46′), Odegaard (F. Vieira 62′); Saka (Cozier-Duberry 84′), G. Jesus (Nketiah 79′), Trossard (G. Martinelli 79′)
Arteta stuck to his new look 4-3-3 setup with Aaron Ramsdale in goal, Ben White and Jurrien Timber on the full back positions, with Timber inverting, while the usual William Saliba and Gabriel defensive pairing was at the heart of the defense. Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard played game two of 55 with Thomas Partey behind them instead of Declan Rice. Leandro Trossard got the nod ahead of Gabriel Martinelli with Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka completing the three-pronged attack.
The last time we played Barcelona was as far back as 2011, when we clashed in that Champions League double header. From the highs of the Andrei Arshavin winner, to the lows of the Robin van Persie red card and crashing out without even firing a shot on target.
Timber teed up Jesus and fouled by Araujo. The players wanted a red card but the ref waved off the request. If it was the FA, we should be bracing ourselves for yet another fine for failing to control ourselves. Odegaard looped in the resulting free kick, but no one was on hand to attack the ball.
With Arsenal dominating possession, Barcelona took the lead when Abdessamada Ezzalzoli took on White and fed Raphinha on the byline, whose one time shot was saved by Ramsdale but Robert Lewandowski, was on hand to pounce in on the rebound. Gabriel should have done better to anticipate the ball following Ramsdale’s save but his reaction was really lethargic.
Arsenal equalized in rather swift fashion when Andreas Christensen dallied on the ball in the danger area and was robbed by Saka who poked the ball home before Andre ter Stegen could smother the ball.
Arsenal had an opportunity to go ahead almost immediately when Gabriel Jesus had the ball on the edge of the six yard box. With Trossard and Saka available for a pass, Jesus twisted and turned his marker, Oriol Romeu, inside out before drilling the ball beyond Saka’s reach. Saka continued to terrorize Marcos Alonso on the left and lofted the ball to the danger area but his teammates weren’t on the same wavelength.
Arsenal earned a penalty when Odegaard cut the ball back from the byline and Trossard’s first timed shot was blocked by Ronald Araujo’s arm, leaving the ref no choice but to point to the spot. Unfortunately, Saka sent the keeper the wrong way but flashed the ball wide. His previous penalty, which was more costly than this friendly miss, was at Upton Park against West Ham. I hope he sorts out his penalty taking technique right because we would need him to convert them rather than miss.
The frustrations continued to boil over as Trossard earned an unnecessary booking for blocking off ter Stegen when he wanted to launch a counter attack with one of his evil long throws.
Barcelona took the lead in rather unfortunate circumstances, with Raphinha firing a low free kick that deflected off Odegaard beyond the flat-footed Ramsdale. Deflections are part and parcel of the game, but it’s always annoying when your team concedes that way. The game got into a fiery state when Araujo scythed down Havertz with a nasty scissors tackle, leading to the players surrounding the area with an altercation imminent, but the man with the whistle was on hand to calm things down.
Saka continued to make life a living hell for Alonso and Arsenal got their equalizer from that duel, as Saka left the ex-Chelsea full back flat on his arse on the byline, before picking his spot and dinking the ball to Odegaard that was on the penalty box. Odegaard guided his header to Havertz in the six-yard box that prodded the ball home from point blank range. For a player that has been under the microscope from his fans and the haters alike, scoring two goals so far in preseason is a good way to shut them up.
Arsenal almost ended the half ahead when G. Jesus rose the highest to direct Saka’s in-swinging corner goalwards but ter Stegen positioned himself well to make a superb save. Shortly afterwards, Trossard stung the palms of the Barcelona goalie with a left-footed drive that was parried to safety. Arsenal continued to mount the pressure after the break and had a glorious chance to grab the lead when Jesus lofted the ball above Araujo to Saka but the English winger killed a bird in the sky with a gaping goal looking at him.
Barcelona managed to break away from the incessant Arsenal pressure and fashioned a chance for themselves through the Saudi-bound Ousmane Dembele but his effort deflected off Timber over the bar.
There was no denying Arsenal their third goal when Trossard bore down on goal and blasted the ball through Jules Kounde’s legs to send the Arsenal fans in the stadium to raptures. The goal brought the wind to Arsenal’s sails and the Gunners almost had a fourth goal when Emile Smith Rowe reacted the quickest to Saka’s intelligent short pass but Inaki Pena showed great reflexes to make a superb save. Ansu Fati was full of energy after coming into the pitch and he created a good chance for Dembele but the Frenchman’s shot clipped Ramsdale’s post to keep the scoreline intact.
Arsenal made it four when Kieran Tierney made a foray forward and drilled the ball with some pace to Trossard’s path, and the Belgian maverick showed off his amazing technique to guide the ball sweetly to Pena’s net. Trossard justified his start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli with a breathtaking display, giving his manager something to think about ahead of the new campaign.
Barcelona wasn’t prepared to roll over and play dead, despite being two goals down, and they almost reduced the deficit when Alejandro Balde got some space in the box and smashed the cross bar with a fierce shot that beat Ramsdale hands down. Barcelona got rewarded for their late flurry forward when Dembele laced up a pass in behind Jakub Kiwior and Tierney, and Ferran Torres showed his predatory instincts to side-foot the ball past Ramsdale to make it 4-3.
The fans and neutrals alike were extremely entertained with the quality of football on display, but the final goal by Fabio Vieira was the cream of the crop, latching onto a carefully-threaded ball from Martinelli before curling the ball past Pena to make it 5-3.
The Gunners had quite a great time in the United States and the feel-good vibes are still on the display, with the only blip being the defeat to the arch-enemy, Manchester United.
All roads will lead to the Emirates Cup clash at London with Monaco, before the Premier League curtain raiser against the treble-winning juggernaut, Manchester City.
Sayonara.
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