Arsenal suffered a 3-2 pre-season defeat to Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium, but there were positives to take from the match, notably the performances of Ethan Nwaneri and Christos Tzolis.
Arsenal cut open without stars
The concerning signs for Arsenal came with obvious caveats. Dortmund found it far too easy to cut Arsenal open, charging through midfield and into the final third. Arsenal can afford to have Riccardo Calafiori roaming around the pitch when they have Declan Rice and William Saliba in the side, but there was no such protection here. Calafiori lost the ball on the half-hour mark and the Gunners never recovered, as Kartesas strolled into space and found the top corner.
That came after Dortmund had cut open Arsenal for their opener, when Samuele Inacio slotted into the bottom corner. Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha were too strong in midfield, while Inacio was allowed to run from his own half into the Arsenal box. Myles Lewis-Skelly was the deepest midfielder but holding down that space off the ball is not his strength.
Tzolis off to flyer for Gunners
There were no real positives in defence and Arsenal's midfield struggled, but Tzolis was one of the few to catch the eye. His summer arrival came with little fanfare, but Tzolis has made a strong start to his Arsenal career. He had a quiet start but still worked hard, tracking his man to concede a corner at the back post.
Tzolis' set-piece delivery will excite Nicolas Jover. He clipped in a couple of brilliant crosses, one of which Gabriel should have headed in. In the second half, Tzolis stepped up from open play too. He beat his man well on the outside and picked out Nwaneri for Arsenal's opener, and then won a penalty when drifting over to the other wing.
Nwaneri takes opportunity amid uncertainty
Every match feels like an audition for Nwaneri this summer. The 19-year-old's future at the club remains uncertain after a frustrating loan spell at Marseille last season. In a transfer window where Arsenal have to be as concerned with their selling as the spending, a significant offer of 'pure profit' for Nwaneri could be tempting.
The teenager certainly took his chance to impress here with a timely performance. He came on after half an hour to replace Martin Odegaard and immediately slotted into that role, dropping deep to pick up the ball and try and get Arsenal going. It was noticeable how hard Nwaneri worked. He had his commitment questioned at Marseille but he ran tirelessly here. He slid in to dispossess Bellingham when tracking back and won it back more than once on the edge of his own box.
Nwaneri got his reward when sweeping in confidently after being picked out by Tzolis. That goal threat is key in a side looking to add more unpredictability in attack.
