Arsenal suffered a tough start to their pre-season campaign, losing 3-2 to La Liga side Villarreal at Emirates Stadium. Despite dominating the first half, the Gunners found themselves 2-0 down before scoring two goals through Christian Norgaard and Martin Odegaard.
The visitors took an early lead with Nicolas Pepe scoring from close range, but Arsenal responded quickly through Norgaard’s goal. Arnaut Danjuma equalized just after halftime, but Odegaard scored a penalty in the 75th minute to level the score again.
Villarreal defended well to hold onto their win, despite a spirited effort from Arsenal. The Gunners will now look forward to their next match against Athletic Club at Emirates Stadium on Saturday as they begin to prepare for the Premier League season, which starts on August 17.
Source: https://www.arsenal.com/fixture/arsenal/2025-Aug-06/arsenal-2-3-villarreal-match-report