Arsenal's first pre-season fixture at home this summer ended in a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, though Mikel Arteta's side had the final say by winning the accompanying penalty shootout 5-4 at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were sluggish at the back for large stretches and trailed 2-0 at half-time after well-taken finishes from Samuele Inacio and Konstantino Karetsas exposed gaps in the home defense. Cristhian Mosquera was beaten by Inacio's run for the opener, while Riccardo Calafiori was dispossessed too easily in midfield in the build-up to Dortmund's second.
Arsenal responded quickly after the interval. Ethan Nwaneri, introduced at half-time for Martin Odegaard, pulled a goal back with a composed finish that injected fresh energy into the team's play. However, Dortmund restored their two-goal cushion almost immediately through Joane Gadou, catching the hosts off guard once more.
Viktor Gyokeres, deployed as Arsenal's central striker, converted from the penalty spot after winning the foul himself by drifting into a wide right position. Despite the goal, the Swede struggled for fluency in open play, often appearing uncomfortable holding up the ball, though he did strike the crossbar earlier in the match after a smart turn.
Arsenal pushed for an equalizer late on and thought they had found one when Gabriel Martinelli beat Dortmund goalkeeper Silas Meyer from a tight angle in stoppage time. The effort was chalked off for offside, denying the Brazilian a deserved leveler after a promising cameo following his introduction for Christos Tzolis.
Tzolis was one of the standout performers on the day, providing the assist for Nwaneri's goal with quality work down the right flank before drawing the foul that led to Gyokeres' penalty. His set-piece delivery throughout the match was also praised as a bright spot for the hosts.
As had been agreed prior to kickoff regardless of the result, the two sides went straight into a penalty shootout once the 90 minutes concluded. Arsenal came out on top 5-4, with several substitutes stepping up confidently from the spot, including Piero Hincapie, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Fabio Vieira, who all converted their attempts. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who had replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga at half-time, made a crucial save from Albert to swing the shootout in Arsenal's favor.
It was Nwaneri, though, who provided the decisive moment, calmly slotting his spot-kick into the top corner to seal victory in the shootout after his impressive second-half display in normal time. His energetic performance in midfield and clinical finishing marked him out as one of the most eye-catching figures on the pitch.
Elsewhere, Martin Odegaard looked sharp during his half-hour on the pitch, setting up two good chances for Kai Havertz and Max Dowman with clever passes, while young winger Dowman impressed early on before fading after the break. Defensively, Arsenal looked more assured following a raft of second-half substitutions, with Marli Salmon in particular catching the eye by matching Dortmund's pace out wide to prevent a clear scoring opportunity.
With key first-team players such as Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke still working their way back after involvement in the recent World Cup, Arteta used the occasion to give minutes to several fringe and academy players, including Ife Ibrahim, Ceadach O'Neil, Josh Ogunnaike, and Theo Julienne, as preparations for the new season continue.
Based on reporting from standard-football.