Arsenal played host to Como in a pre-season friendly at the Emirates Stadium, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw before the home side prevailed 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. The fixture marked several notable developments for the north London club as they continue their preparation for the upcoming campaign.
Myles Lewis-Skelly opened the scoring for Arsenal in the first half with a composed finish following an error from Como goalkeeper Jean Butez. The goal came amid speculation regarding the defender’s future at the club. Como equalized through Martin Baturina, setting up what would be a tightly contested remainder of the match. Arsenal introduced £75m signing Bruno Guimaraes at half-time, with the midfielder from Newcastle making his competitive debut for his new club. The second half failed to produce a winner in normal time, leading to a penalty shoot-out in which both Guimaraes and fellow recent arrival Christos Tzolis converted their attempts.
Manager Mikel Arteta made the decision to rest several players who had recently returned from international duty, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi. However, the match provided valuable minutes for other squad members including Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Mikel Merino, and Noni Madueke. One of the standout performances came from 16-year-old defender Marli Salmon, who started alongside fellow teenager Max Dowman. Salmon demonstrated composure and technical quality throughout the fixture, winning nine of his 13 duels and completing 42 of 43 passes. He received praise from both Arteta and opposing manager Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal’s next fixture is the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 16, followed by their Premier League opener against Coventry on August 21.
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