Arsenal kicked off their US tour with a thrilling match against Bournemouth in Los Angeles, culminating in a 5-4 penalty shootout victory after a 1-1 draw in regular time. Mikel Arteta named a mixed starting XI that combined seasoned players with youthful talent, setting the stage for an exciting encounter.
Eddie Nketiah captained the side and led the attack, supported by Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson. The midfield featured a blend of youth and experience, with the promising Ethan Nwaneri and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand joining the seasoned Thomas Partey. The defense included under-21 teammates Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back and Aidan Heaven at center-back, with Karl Hein in goal behind the international experience of Ben White and new signing Jurrien Timber.
This was Arsenal’s starting XI
Hein, Timber, White, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Salah, Nwaneri, Vieira, Nelson, Nketiah.
Arsenal started brightly, taking the lead in the 18th minute through Fabio Vieira. Reiss Nelson made a dynamic run down the left flank, deftly crossing to Vieira at the back post. The midfielder, positioned on the right wing, executed a superb volley to give the Gunners the lead.
Despite Arsenal’s advantage, Bournemouth responded strongly in the second half. A deflected strike from Antoine Semenyo leveled the score, and both teams had opportunities to clinch the win. Dominic Solanke’s effort for Bournemouth hit the bar, while Leandro Trossard came close for Arsenal.
The match was prearranged to conclude with a penalty shootout regardless of the scoreline, providing a tense finish. Arsenal held their nerve, triumphing 5-4 in the shootout, with goalkeeper Karl Hein surely impressing Arteta by making two crucial saves.
The Boss’ decision to include 12 academy players in the US tour paid off, as several young talents were given a chance to shine. Ayden Heaven impressed in central defense, and Myles Lewis-Skelly showcased his versatility at left-back. Nwaneri and Oulad M’Hand contributed significantly in midfield, highlighting the depth of Arsenal’s emerging talent.
This match served as a promising start to Arsenal’s US tour, blending our up-and-coming youth with experienced leadership, and setting a positive tone for the upcoming fixtures.
All in all it was a good start to the tour, and Arteta was content with his choices: “I’m very pleased to be fair “, he told Arsenal.com. “We have a very different context today with so many young players, most of them making their debuts for us so I’m really pleased to see them. Just looking at their faces, and the energy that they had before the game, understanding that they were going to be involved. The senior players had a good game, it was a really competitive match as we expected against Bournemouth. They are a little bit ahead of us in terms of the time they had to prepare but [it was] a good competitive match with a lot of things to take forward.”
It was great to see a lot of youngsters getting game time, and with Partey, Timber and Vieira having missed a lot of last season, it is good to see them proving their fitness levels as we head into the crucial season ahead.
COYG!
Jack Anderson
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It seem like Arteta would be counting on Pathey this season. I won’t be surprised if Arteta and Edu don’t sign a new midfielder.
Arteta gave virtually everyone a run-out as could be expected. Far too early to draw any conclusions one way or another.
The really disappointing aspect was the appallingly low attendance – only 13,000 in a stadium that holds 27,000 apparently. Bournemouth was never going to be a great draw as opponents so why pick them? Surely there were other, higher profile, options.
BMk, I think the cost of a ticket may have something to do with the low attendance, £212 apparently.
Well, that’s certainly a very big factor then.
Against Bournemouth (a club which I doubt most US fans of the top PL clubs will have heard of) why charge such ridiculous prices? Surely better to fill the stadium at a (much) lower average ticket price than to have 50% empty seats. A rather embarrassing, and avoidable, start to the US tour.
Did anyone watch the match? Did any of our youngsters really stand out ?
I watched the game up untill the 72 minute. I wouldn’t say any of the youngsters really stood out, but they all looked assured and played well.
Hein certainly stood out. Unlucky to conceed in the 90mins.
Certainly Hein stood out, Nwaneri had some neat touches though nothing exceptional.