Match Report – Arsenal 3 – 0 Fiorentina

Joe Willock also nets for gunners in North Carolina

The double of Eddie Nketiah added to his goal against Bayern Munich last week

Eddie Nketiah again impressed with a brace in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fiorentina in the International Champion's Cup.

The 20-year-old added to his goal against Bayern Munich with half-time goals at the Bank of America stadium, though Arsenal had plenty to do for the match against his Serie A opponents AT.

Nketiah's first showed that he was more and more confident as he pushed Sead Kolasinac's center back to a lower center before taking part in the opening of the scoring, while his second goal was a withdrawal from the goal of Alexandre Lacazette.

Fiorentina had many opportunities in both halves and a better finish would have punished Arsenal's often naive defense, but the Gunners added a third goal late in the game. Joe Willock scored a good goal in the net and kept his record of 100%. Cup.

How to stutter Arsenal won the victory

It was the new season, even Arsenal in North Carolina, as the Gunners often flowed like a river in attack while drowning in confusion to defend themselves.

Most of the team players named by Unai Emery were found in the back of the club, but the young heads were outclbaded by their younger counterparts at the other end of the field.

The tone was given in 90 seconds when Nacho Monreal, also impressive, introduced the ball to Dusan Vlahovic, who paced before a block of Shkodran Mustafi's last chance denied him the perfect start.

They received a bigger gap when Mustafi's three, Monreal and Calum Chambers left Riccardo Saponara a free-kick, but he nodded at great moments before Vlahovic forced Emiliano Martinez to save the match. another Mustafi error. .

At the other end of the match, Arsenal gained momentum and took the lead thanks to Nketiah, who was again impressive, added a smart strike to Bayern Munich. Left-back Aleksa Terzic blocking his way, he pushed back the center of Sead Kolasinac's center to create space for him to crush the ball beyond Bartlomiej Dragowski.

Marco Benbadi spoiled another chance for a Fiorentina team that had scored only once in last season's last seven games, but harmed, but Nketiah turned his striker into a defender for clear the head of Federico Ceccherini.

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Just at half-time, Fiorentina ruined his best chance of the game when Saponara pushed Mustafi to look for the race for Vlahovic, but his shot was excellent.

After a pair of changes on both sides at the break, Benbadi could have stabilized again but get a solid backup from Bernd Leno with a scathing effort at the front post, before Arsenal doubled his lead in controversial circumstances.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was heading from the midfield to the right flank with the ball, but at the same time, Carl Jenkinson was clearly blocking Terzic's left-back, while the Armenian midfielder gave Lacazette the advantage. Again coach Nketiah.

Just under 35,000 people attended the second pre-season game of Arsenal at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, which has 75,000 spectators at peak capacity.

The defender directed his anger against the badistant referee, but the goal was maintained and Arsenal added a third late when Willock, who had already done a superb 40-yard run on his side, had beaten Lacazette before being found by the surface. the French striker. An excellent first contact is preparing to take off and seal the victory.

Things could have been even more enjoyable with the extra time if the replacement of his compatriot Gabriel Martinelli, the only one to sign a summer for Arsenal so far, had completed his own explosive thrust midway with a goal, but he had deflected from afar.

Which young people impressed?

Bukayo Saka, the youngest member of the Arsenal touring team, seemed more at 27 than 17 with a mature performance to the left of a three ahead, bonding particularly well with the series of bombings. Kolasinac before half-time.

Teammate Peter Olayinka looked just as secure in the middle of the field. Becoming an after-the-fact player, after perhaps shaking his nerves, he made a few quick runs through Fiorentina's defense and looked like a tidy smuggler.

19-year-old Robbie Burton, who made his debut in the International Champion's Cup, had a quieter match before his replacement, but Willock again showed that he was more and more confident in facing the players of the Fiorentina at will and having very little trouble beating them – and adding a late goal.

And if more need to say Nketiah, he had an impressive game but needed to cool his game off the surface. The 20-year-old ended up only a few times in the fairway through the match, and his last ball was missing outside the box.

Eddie Nketiah has three goals in two games at the International Champions Cup

And after?

Arsenal is back in the game Wednesday morning, as it will face Real Madrid at midnight at FedExField in Washington DC.

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