Max Dowman produced a goal and an assist as Arsenal opened their pre-season with a 4-1 win over Girona at the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi, lifting the Costa Brava trophy.
Dowman, who impressed on tour with the first-team squad last summer and played a big role in Arsenal's Premier League title-winning campaign, underlined his readiness for another step up.
The match was Arsenal's first official pre-season fixture after a behind-closed-doors victory over MK Dons last weekend. Mikel Arteta selected an attack-minded side, with Dowman alongside Viktor Gyokeres and summer signing Christos Tzolis, while Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri offered support from midfield. Ben White made his first appearance since the knee injury he sustained against West Ham towards the end of last season, which had forced him to miss Arsenal's remaining Premier League fixtures and the Champions League final.
Havertz and Tzolis strike
After a scrappy opening ten minutes, Arsenal took the lead. Dowman turned away from Alex Moreno and picked out Havertz's run through the middle, with the German slotting the ball past former Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Tzolis doubled the advantage before the half-hour mark, finding the bottom corner via a deflection.
Girona respond but Arsenal seal the trophy
Girona, who will play in the Spanish second division next season after relegation from LaLiga, pulled one back early in the second half when Arnau Martinez headed in from a corner while Arsenal's marking was poor.
Arsenal hit back with two quick goals. Dowman drilled into the bottom corner, and Gabriel Jesus profited from a defensive error to add a fourth, clinching the win and the pre-season trophy.
