Arsenal lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup final as Mikel Arteta's men continued their preparations for the new season proper.
Dortmund's Early Dominance
Samuele Inacio gave Dortmund an early lead as Arsenal were caught cold in the 7th minute, the forward ghosting in behind the home defence to finish coolly beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga. Konstantinos Karetsas doubled the Bundesliga outfit's lead in some style, curling a superb strike into the far corner after running half the length of the pitch as Arsenal went in with major work to do at the break.
Second-Half Fightback Falls Short
Substitute Ethan Nwaneri halved the deficit nine minutes after the interval after fine work from Christos Tzolis, who put the ball on a plate for the Gunners academy graduate. Joane Gadou swiftly restored Dortmund's two-goal cushion before Tzolis won a penalty which was converted well by Viktor Gyokeres. But there was no equalising goal for Arsenal, who fell to a 3-2 defeat.
Defensive Concerns Grow
Arsenal's ultra-tight defence was the bedrock of their first Premier League title win since 2004, but they have looked uncharacteristically brittle in pre-season. Yes, it's worth bearing in mind Arsenal and their first-choice stars are still easing their way back into the swing of things after the World Cup. But with William Saliba already out of the opening months of the upcoming Premier League season, there is adequate cause for concern. Cristhian Mosquera played alongside Gabriel and allowed Nmecha to run in blindside to open the scoring. And Dortmund simply got too much joy when they probed for Arteta to be happy about. There's no doubt Gabriel and Co will be sharper for the big kick-off in a fortnight. But you can see why Arsenal want to add another central defender with the knowledge that Saliba is some way off being able to feature.
Tzolis Warming Up
While nobody expected Tzolis to start the season as first choice given Arsenal's pursuit of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, the former Norwich City man is certainly looking the part. Signed from Club Brugge after scoring 17 goals and providing a further 23 assists in 36 league appearances, Tzolis has already been among the goal contributions in pre-season, registering one in the previous three friendlies. He made it four in four by supplying Nwaneri with the simplest of finishes after some fine, direct wing play in the early minutes of the second half. He also won the penalty which set up a grandstand finish, too. Arsenal will, surely, still add another left attacker before the transfer window shuts. And the odds are said signing will be a biggie in terms of star power. But right now, Tzolis has the shirt. And he may not give it up without a fight.
Karetsas Proves His Point
The highlight of the game was Karetsas' spectacular goal, with the tricky winger finishing in style after being given the freedom of north London. What makes it even more intriguing is that the uber-talented 18-year-old was a player Arsenal considered signing last summer. Karetsas joined Dortmund from KRC Genk for around €30million (£25.7m) last week and Sunday's outing at The Emirates was his first in the famous black and yellow. He certainly didn't disappoint - and perhaps he even left some of an Arsenal persuasion wondering "what if".
Gyokeres Facing Make or Break Season
Despite only arriving for big bucks 12 months ago, it feels like Gyokeres is facing a make-or-break season. Arsenal have been crying out for a marquee No 9 for years to help them get over the line in the title race and Gyokeres, chosen as that signing last summer, did help them end their agonising title drought. His numbers weren't bad, either: 14 goals in the Premier League and 21 in total. Numbers which are absolutely not to be sniffed at. And yet, rumblings that Arsenal could pursue another striker to level up their attack have been going on in the background all summer. We saw the good and the bad of the Swede here: he was a nuisance, full of running, power and some good touches. He was unfortunate with the powerful effort that lashed up and over off the crossbar after being picked out by Max Dowman. But his finishing can be wayward too and the free-kick he blazed over from a prime position in the first half was poor, as was some of his general decision-making. Gyokeres did end the game with a goal after a well-taken penalty but the jury is definitely still out.
More Signings Needed
Arteta has stated that he wants to create a "dynasty" at Arsenal and level up the team after winning the title last season. Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis are the only real significant first team signings with the new season now just two weeks away. Arsenal have missed out on priority targets in Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior and although not ideal, these things happen. But the time has come for Arsenal to get motoring in the market. A central defender and an elite left winger are needed at a minimum if Arsenal are to progress as much as Arteta wants.
