Arsenal Held by Como
Arsenal were unable to claim victory in their latest pre-season outing as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Como at the Emirates Stadium.
Martin Baturina restored parity for the Italian side before the interval, finishing confidently after a clever piece of footwork to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga. His goal cancelled out Myles Lewis-Skelly’s opener, which came after the Arsenal youngster intercepted a misplaced pass from Como goalkeeper Jean Butez.
The second half saw Bruno Guimaraes make his first appearance for Arsenal after completing a £75 million move from Newcastle on Saturday. The midfielder was introduced at the break and received a strong reception from the home supporters.
Mikel Arteta also gave Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Mikel Merino and Noni Madueke their first pre-season minutes. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi were not involved despite returning from World Cup duty earlier in the week.
With neither side able to find a winner, the match went to penalties. Arsenal eventually prevailed 4-3, with new signing Christos Tzolis converting the decisive spot-kick.
The Gunners now turn their attention to the Community Shield, where they will meet Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
