Viktor Gyokeres made his first Arsenal start, but the debut ended in defeat against Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners lost 3-2 to the LaLiga side, despite a promising display from 15-year-old Max Dowman.
Dowman wowed the crowd with another impressive performance, winning a penalty for Arsenal that Martin Odegaard scored from. However, his team was let down by defensive errors that cost them the game.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described his side as “naive” defensively, saying they were open to spaces and gifted Villarreal two goals in the first half. Despite this, Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s chances, citing improved depth and positional flexibility.
The Gunners have a crucial Premier League campaign starting next week against Manchester United, live on Sky Sports. With back-to-back defeats under their belt, they’ll look to bounce back and get the balance right before the season begins.
Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13407714/arsenal-2-3-villarreal-viktor-gyokeres-makes-first-start-but-mikel-artetas-side-beaten-despite-max-dowman-shining-again