Arsenal opened their pre-season campaign in Spain with a commanding 4-1 victory over Girona, with several new and emerging faces catching the eye throughout the match.
Mikel Arteta travelled to Spain with his squad, who had spent several days preparing on the continent before wrapping up their trip with this friendly fixture.
New signing Christos Tzolis, who joined from Club Brugge for £34million, made an immediate impression and will be expected to fill the void left by the departed Leandro Trossard on the left wing.
Tzolis opened his Arsenal account after Riccardo Calafiori found him in space, and the Greek winger cut inside before striking, benefiting slightly from a deflection on the way in.
Kai Havertz had already broken the deadlock before that, finishing coolly after young midfielder Max Dowman played the German forward through with a precise pass.
Dowman himself got in on the act in the second half, making a typical run from the right before cutting inside and driving a low shot into the back of the net to make it 3-1 on the night.
Gabriel Jesus then added a fourth, capitalising after Ben White stole possession and the ball fell to the Brazilian striker, who slotted past goalkeeper Gazzaniga.
Girona pulled one back midway through the second half when Arnau rose to head home from a corner past Kepa Arrizabalaga, briefly threatening to make things interesting.
Kepa was kept busy throughout and produced two big saves at a crucial moment in the second half, demonstrating his value as a shot-stopper during this pre-season period.
Illan Meslier is also part of the squad as another goalkeeper option, with both set to share duties across the summer before World Cup winner David Raya returns to the fold.
Exciting young talents Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly also featured, with the club keen to give its most promising academy players meaningful minutes during the pre-season schedule.
One moment of note came when Dowman gifted Girona a big chance by passing the ball back into his own box, though Kepa was on hand to prevent any damage from the error.
There was also an early flashpoint when Viktor Gyokeres visibly reacted with frustration after Dowman failed to play him through on goal when the opportunity appeared to be there.
The transfer window backdrop loomed large over proceedings, with Arteta expected to face questions about reported links to both Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Junior in his post-match media duties.
