Christos Tzolis scored on his first Arsenal appearance as Max Dowman produced a goal and an assist in a convincing pre-season victory.
Arsenal kicked off their pre-season with a 4-1 win at Girona, a night that saw Christos Tzolis announce himself with a debut goal and Max Dowman catch the eye once again.
Kai Havertz set Arsenal on their way, before Tzolis doubled the advantage at the Estadi Montilivi. Girona captain Arnau Martínez briefly gave the hosts hope after the break, but Dowman and Gabriel Jesus quickly put the result beyond doubt with two goals in three minutes.
Mikel Arteta opted for a blend of youth and experience, with several senior players still easing their way back after World Cup duty.
Kepa Arrizabalaga lined up in goal, with a back four of Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori in front of him. Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Havertz made up the midfield, while Dowman and Tzolis flanked Viktor Gyökeres up front.
Girona came out pressing high in the early exchanges, but the Gunners soon found their rhythm and took the lead after 16 minutes.
Dowman slipped Havertz through, and the German made no mistake, coolly finishing past former Tottenham keeper Paulo Gazzaniga. It was a welcome return to action for Havertz, who had seen his minutes limited after the World Cup.
Tzolis then gave Arsenal fans an early taste of what he can bring to North London.
Calafiori strode forward and picked out the Greek winger on the left. Tzolis cut inside onto his right and picked out the far corner with a low drive, doubling Arsenal’s lead just after the half-hour mark.
Not long after, Arteta made early changes in the 33rd minute, bringing on Gabriel Jesus, Fábio Vieira and academy defender Marli Salmon for Havertz, Gyökeres and Hincapié. The switches looked to be pre-planned, with no sign of injury worries.
Arsenal stayed in control after the break, but Girona found a way back into the game five minutes into the second half.
Martínez lost his marker and powered a header past Kepa, but any hopes of a Girona comeback were quickly dashed.
Lewis-Skelly picked out Dowman, who cut inside and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner for Arsenal’s third. The 16-year-old added a goal to his earlier assist and caught the eye with his direct running at the Girona defence.
Jesus made it four soon after, pouncing on a defensive lapse and latching onto White’s pass to beat Gazzaniga.
After the hour, Arteta rang the changes, giving summer signing Illan Meslier his first run-out. The new keeper was called into action straight away, making two sharp stops as Girona pushed to reduce the deficit late on.
With so many changes and players at different stages of fitness, it’s hard to read too much into an opening pre-season friendly. Still, there were plenty of positives on show.
Tzolis wasted no time making an impact, Havertz looked comfortable in midfield, and Jesus got on the scoresheet after coming on for Gyökeres. But it was Dowman who stood out most, involved in two goals before Arsenal’s youngsters saw out the win.
All in all, it was a useful workout for Arteta’s squad and a promising start as the Gunners gear up for their Premier League title defence.