Highlights: Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 to win Barclays Asia Trophy
Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 to clinch the Barclays Asia Trophy, in a match which saw former Chelsea goalkeeper and new signing Petr Cech make his debut. Wenger fielded a strong Arsenal line-up for this pre-season fixture, including the likes of Ozil, Giroud and Ramsey, who weren’t part of the squad in their previous outing against the Singapore Select XI.
Arsenal made Everton work really hard in the first half, holding onto possession while they patiently waited for opportunities. Walcott scored the opener for the Gunners in the 22nd minute after receiving a luscious long ball from Santi Cazorla. The speedy forward latched onto the ball after being played onside, and calmly finished past Robles to give his team the lead.
Petr Cech had an almost anonymous first half due to Arsenal’s domination but was called into making a magnificent save in the 40th minute when he tipped Naismith’s header onto the bar. Arsenal went into the break 1-0, and came out of it with Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing Jack Wilshere. Everton also made one change, bringing on Ross Barkley for Steven Naismith.
Arsenal continued to create clear-cut opportunities in the second half, but their finishing was found wanting. They doubled the lead in the 58th minute courtesy some fantastic footwork from the diminutive Santi Cazorla. The Spanish international twisted and turned on the edge of the box, before unleashing a clean left-footed strike through a bamboozled McCarthy’s legs into the bottom right corner.
Everton had a chance to get right back into the match in the 60th minute when Kone was presented free header, but the Ivorian missed his chance completely. The Gunners continued to carve Everton at will, and were 3-0 up just 4 minutes after their second goal. Santi was at the heart of it again, as he pulled off his second assist of the match. He played Ozil onside, which allowed the German to get into his stride and put the ball into the back of the net.
Everton weren’t particularly putting in a challenge, although they did manage to pick up a consolation goal in the 75th minute. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carelessly conceded possession to Gareth Barry in Arsenal’s half, and the defensive midfielder’s pass found Ross Barkley. The Englishman drove ahead and took three touches, before lashing an unstoppable shot from outside the box into the roof of the net.
The final score was 3-1, and although Petr Cech couldn’t keep a clean-sheet in an otherwise good team performance, he made some fantastic saves and showed glimpses of just why Wenger purchased him from Chelsea this summer.
The win is Arsenal’s second out of two pre-season outings so far, as they continue their preparations for the new season. The Gunners will now take part in the Emirates Cup, which will feature Lyon, Villarreal and VfL Wolfsburg.