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Nicolas Pepe said goodbye to Villarreal’s first goal in Arsenal, while Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jakub Kiwior were trapped by the 16-minute opening in a preseason friendly at Emirates Stadium.
The Pepe end, which is the second most expensive signing of Arsenal by courtesy of its unfortunate £ 72 million move in 2019, reached the range after Pape Gueye sent a shot from outside the box against a stick and goalkeeper David Raya could not hold Gerard Moreno’s head.
Karl Eta Eyong repeated the trick 17 minutes later from the quarters so close after the good Raya Stop of the Moreno strike, but Christian Norgaard provided such a measure of relief for the Premier League Side, opening his account for his new club with a free head for the 36th minute of the corner of Gabriel Martinelli.
“It’s a good game from Villarreal, but really poor in Arsenal, who moved away,” Gunners’ ex-Ger, Perry Groves, told the Arsenal’s website on the first goal, adding the second: “It’s really a brazen defense: no one goes with the runner.”
It smells. He looks for it. He has it. Eta Eyong and his idyll with the goal. 👽 pic.twitter.com/qrwqpxbp9
– Villarreal CF (@villarrealcf) August 6, 2025
Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left struggled to contain Pepe on the right side flank that he qualified for the Champions League with a fifth place in LaLiga last season.
“It was a very good game of Pepe,” said Groves, a two -time champion with Arsenal. “Lewis-Skelly has to get a lot closer.
“Gueye had too much space and got a shot that left a stick. Villarreal recycled him and we are not fast enough to reach the first and second ball.
“Kiwior tries to arm the ball (in front of the goal) when he should turn it with his left foot. Pepe runs on the back of him.
“She is the preseason and I know things are a bit rusty, but Lewis-Skelly has to reach Pepe faster in the general game, because this ceases to choose the pass.”
As it had been for his first, Sergi Cardona was the catalyst for the second of Villarreal with his speed, traps and capacity of crossing from the left.
“No one goes with the runner,” Groves observed. “It’s a very good savings by David Raya, who has a big left hand.”
The Norgaard midfielder, who arrived from Brentford for 15 million pounds in July, planted his head under the goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
“It has been completely marked in the Far Post,” said Groves. “It’s a good technical head. It does not give Luiz Junior any chance.
“This only puts us into play because everything had been a little flat in the emirates.
“People needed something to put their teeth and Norgaard has given it. This was a Declan Rice Delivery of Martinelli.”
Arsenal started a start in Viktor Gyokeres, which joined the sport in July by a quota that could increase to £ 64 million and did not have a significant impact during the early stages.
Another new striker, Noni Madueke, was on the bench after the Arsenal Asia tour disappeared while recovering from the Chelsea campaign in the Club World Cup in June and July.
Gabriel and Jurrien Timber were injured, while the supporter Riccardo Calafieri was absent after losing the 1-0 defeat in Spurs in Hong Kong last Thursday with a knee injury.
Former Leandro Trosard did not risk after going out in this game.
Athletic Bilbao also visits Arsenal on Saturday (17:00 BST / 12:00 ET / 09:00 PT) and Arteta expects high -level meetings with LaLiga clubs.
“The Villarreal plays at the highest level and has a manager at Marcelino who likes to play a very specific type of system and training that we will find in the Premier League this season,” predicted Espanyol.
“Playing against the Spanish opposition will also require other things from us and I hope they are really good games.
“When we organize these preseason games, I always look at how the manager configures their teams, how they train their team, the type of players they have, how they train different phases of play against different blocks.
“We have a very good mix of this preseason. The knowledge and experience we gain from these games enters our” database “to help us throughout the season. It helps the way we have to evolve our game models.
“Each game will require something physically and (in terms) the spaces you have to attack or protect, and different ways (opponents) can also play in their accumulation.
“So we have to nail it and improve it. Play against Vila -Real will help you, so it is a good game for us.”
Arsenal Start XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Arsenal substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Timber, Gabriel, Mosqua, Zinhenko, Longune, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Madueke, Rice, Dowman, Harriman-Annous
Willy Kambwala went to Villarreal with an injury to the left that suffered the French-Congolian defender during his friendly against Genoa on July 31.
The Ombudsman of Cap Verdean, Logan Costa, had a surgery on Tuesday due to a complete rupture of the previous cross ligament on the left knee, who suffered the injury during his preseason open against FC Basel on July 19.
Santiago Mourino, who debuted in the 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Saturday, held his place.
Thomas Partey is expected to sign Villarreal this week, but the former arsenal midfielder, who will appear on Wednesday in the Westminster Magistrates Court after being charged with five allegations of rape and one of sexual assault, was not on board in time to return to Emirates Stadium.
Villarreal is not uncommon for the Emirates Stadium, although they had failed to score their three previous visits.
The opening of the 41st minute of Kolo Toure at home for Arsenal demonstrated the only goal of the tie in the semifinals of the 2005/06 Champions League, with Riquelme a late penalty for Villarreal on his return to the Madrigal Stadium.
The teams met again in London, a tie in the quarterfinals, which was set at 1-1 after the first stage of 2009, only for Arsenal to pass with a 3-0 victory.
Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie marked that occasion, and Villarreal are unbeaten at the two meetings between the clubs since.
Under the former man of Arsenal Uni Emery, Villarreal won the first 2-1 game at home against the Arteta team in the semifinals of the European League 2020/21, Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol scoring before Pepe’s late response.
The second stage ended 0-0, sending the yellow submarine to a final, they won 11-10 in penalties against Manchester United after a 1-1 tie in Gdansk.
Villarreal starting XI: Junior, Mourino, Marin, Foyth, Cardona, Gueye, Moleiro, Parejo, Pepe, Eyong, Moreno
Villarreal substitutes: Gomez, Conde, Navarro, Suarez, Danjuma, Altimira, Comeana, Buchanan, Pedraza, Valou, Cabanes
Arsenal against Villar -Real started at 18:00 BST / 13:00 ET / 10:00 Pt Wednesday. The game is not being projected on television but can be seen through Arsenal website.
The game costs £ 6.99, with a package that includes the match against Athletic Bilbao from £ 10.99.
There are repeated shows three and six hours after full time.
The first round of Premier League matches 2025/26 will be the weekend of August 16, 2025, including Arsenal’s trip to Manchester United on Sunday, August 17 at 16:30 BST.
The match against the finalists of the Europa League 2024/25 is live in the United Kingdom at Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra and Main Event.
The last round of games this season will begin at the same time on May 24, 2026. There will be no rounds at 60 hours of each other and there will be no device on December 24.
After qualifying for the Champions League finishing the fifth place last season, Villarreal launched its campaign 2025/26 at home in Oviedo on August 15 (20:30 BST / 15:30 ET / 12:30 PT).
Its visitors were promoted through the play-off after coming third to the division of Second.