FT: That brings an end to VAVEL's coverage of Arsenal's 6-0 win over Lyon. I have been Conor de Smith and thank you for chosing us to follow the game, we will be back with more tomorrow.
FT: Meanwhile, Arsenal's unbeaten pre-season run continued at home. After winning against a Singapore Selection XI and Everton in Asia, the Gunners will be looking to complete their preparations in style when they play Wolfsburg on Sunday. Chelsea await in the Community Sheild next Sunday, with Arsenal in fine form going into that crunch tie.
FT: A poor pre-seaosn for Lyon carried on here, this defeat being the worst yet. They face Villarreal tomorrow before playing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions Trophy, France's Community Shield equivalent.
FT: Speaking after the game Oxlade-Chamberlain said: "First game back is always a big one and obviously 6-0 is very convincing." while Aaron Ramsey stated: "It was a pleasing performances and a convincing win in the end".
FT: Another stunning performance by Arsenal during the summer of 2015 sees the Gunners as favourites to win the Emirates Cup for the first time since 2010. Playing seemingly strong opposition, Arsene Wenger's side put the game to bed within the first 38 minutes when Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey all scored to make it 4-0. Mesut Ozil finished well to make it five before Santi Cazorla scored a free-kick to round off a stunning game.
FT: Arsenal have beaten Lyon by six goals at the Emirates Stadium.
84' Arsenal have hit Lyon for six! Santi Cazorla stood over the ball on the edge of the area with the crowd rising up in anticipation, they were not disappointed as the Spaniard stikes the ball under the wall.
82' Game coming to an unevenful end here, atmosphere has died down since the excitment of the five goals. Chance for Arsenal with a free-kick here though.
79' Francis Coquelin comes off for Issac Hayden.
73' This will be Jeff Reine-Adelaide's debut for the first team, after arriving this summer. The 17-year-old was brought in with Yassin Fortune from Lens this year, for a combined fee of £3m. The Frenchman was also picked as part of the squad to travel to Asia.
71' Jeff Reine-Adelaide comes on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Olivier Giroud makes way for Theo Walcott.
69' Crowd in good spirit now, breaking into a Mexican wave with Lyon keeping the ball round the back. Theo Walcott getting ready to come on.
63' Tripple substitution for Arsenal after that fifth goal. Goalscorers Mesut Ozik, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey are replaced by Chuba Akpom, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla respectively.
62' Arsenal extend their lead to five! Mesut Ozil gets on the end of this move, collecting Giroud's pass before rifling the ball past Lopes. Great performance ahead of the new season.
60' Santi Cazorla getting into his Arsenal shirt as Debuchy threatens Lopes' goal after a clever overlap.
58' Olivier Giroud gets on the end of Kieran Gibbs' cross at the near post but the former Ligue 1 winner hits the side netting with a volley. The ex-Montpellier man left unmarked in the box, poor showing from Lyon's defence.
55' Counter-attack from Lyon sees Alexandre Lacazette play through Nabil Fekir, who opts to give Clinton Njie the chance to shoot at goal. The pacy forward, whose place is in jeopardy following arrival of Claudio Beauvue, shoots just wide of the target. Lyon's best move for quite some time.
52' Long term Arsenal target and Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons has gone down through injury. It has been a poor display from the normally reliable captain but he has stayed on the pitch.
48' Aaron Ramsey's through ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain is taken well by the winger, who cuts inside and unleashes a strike that was subsequently deflected for a corner.
48' No changes for either side following the interval but some are expected with games coming tomorrow too.
46' Lyon get the second half underway after a shocking first 45 minutes at the Emirates, pride now at stake for the Ligue 1 runners-up.
HT: This result currently puts Arsenal top of the table and on course to win the Emirates Cup. Villarreal claimed five points from the earlier game but Arsenal already have seven at half-time, with one point being awarded for each goal as well as three for a win.
HT: Depiste the fact that three of the four goals have come from the most advanced players on the pitch, the standout performances have come from both Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.
HT: Goals from Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey have given Lyon and almost impossible task.
HT: Jonathan Moss has put an end to the first-half now, with Arsenal holding a four goal lead as his side enter the tunnel.
38' Astonishing stuff from Arsenal now as they add a fourth goal! Ramsey starts the move once more before Mesut Ozil finds his team-mate, who ran from his own half, to squeeze the pass past Lopes. Four goal lead for Arsenal now, what a start to the game.
35' A third goal for Arsenal in just five minutes! Alex Iwobi continues his fine form displayed this summer by clinically firing the ball into the top corner of the next. The 19-year-old newphew of Jay-Jay Okocha hits Aaron Ramsey's pass first time to give Arsenal a three goal lead.
34' Goal for Arsenal! An outstanding counter-attack that was instigated by Aaron Ramsey was finished off with a stunning finish from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. After the Welshman found Giroud with a great ball up front, the striker turned provider for his English team-mate as the youngster cooly places it into the bottom corner.
30' Goal for Arsenal! A foul conceded by Ulrich Jenssen on the right hand side was floated in by Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud met the ball and placed his header into the bottom left corner. Stunning header by the French forward.
29' The impressive Nabil Fekir comes on for the injured Clement Grenier.
27' Mesut Ozil does brilliantly after collecting a superb long ball from Aaron Ramsey. A wonderful dragback gave the World Cup winner some space to shoot but the shot was blocked from six-yards out. Ozil having a good game agaisnt the French giants.
24' Break in play after Clement Grenier goes down through an injury to what looks like his left hip. The playmaker, who started at the top of the midfield diamond, was restricted to just seven games last season and the Frenchman goes off with a look of distress upon his face.
22' Olivier Giroud gets on the end of Mathieu Debuchy's cross but heads it wide. Always going to be difficult to beat the 'keeper, the ball being behind the Arsenal man.
17' Jonathan Moss shows the first booking of the game to Lindsay Rose, after the French defender put in a late, sliding challenge on countryman Francis Coquelin.
16' First real chance of the afternoon for Arsenal, a good ball from Aaron Ramsey finds Ozil on the periphery of the penalty area. The German plays it first time towards the Giroud, whose shot is deflected from a tight angle. Mesut Ozil then goes for an impossible accrobatic effort with the backheel, which guides the ball easily into Lopes' arms.
12' Clinton Njie forces Damien Martinez into the first save of the afternoon. Alexandre Lacazette chips the ball around the corner to find the pacy Cameroonian, who evades the challenge of Per Mertesacker but can only find the onrushing goalkeeper. Good play from Lyon to cut open the defence but Martinez made himself big enough to block the shot.
11' Mehdi Zeffane seems to be causing a problem on that right hand side, using that pressure to force the Arsenal players deeper.
10' Debuchy releases Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain yet again and, after good work from the latter, nobody seemed to be in the box to get on the end of the England international's cross.
8' Both sides are putting good pressure on one another for a pre-season friendly, with Mehdi Zeffane closing down Gibbs on a few occasions already.
7' The away side are coming into the game more, keeping the ball within that four man midfield.
3' Youngster Alex Iwobi cuts inside following a pass from Mesut Ozil, who already looks to be at his skillful best. Iwobi, only 19, made an impression during Arsenal's tour of Singapore by playing well against a Singapore Selection XI. With Alexis Sanchez missing for the start of the season, the Nigerian may be presented for a few first team opportunities this season.
2' Nice link-up play between Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mathieu Debuchy on the right hand side, the full-back's cross headed away though.
1' The game is underway here, with Arsenal looking to win the Emirates Cup for the first time since 2010.
The North London sunshin is shining on both Lyon, donned in all white, and Arsenal as the hosts get the game underway in their new away kit.
The players have emerged onto the pitch to a standing ovation. A strong looking Arsenal side features many of the key players who will be hoping to challenge for the title this season.
We are just moments away from kick-off now for this exciting pre-season fixture, the players have just entered the tunnel.
The two squads are out training on the pitch, in front of a now near full Emirates Stadium. They will not get to see Petr Cech's home debut but the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi will look to bring the entertainment today.
With that win, the Spanish side are now top of the table ahead of Arsenal's game with Lyon. With every goal worth one point, alongside the normal three points for a win, the Yellow Submarine have gained five points while the Bundesliga runners-up have just one going into the second day.
It is all over between Villarreal and Wolfsburg at the Emirates, with the former winning 2-1 to kick-off the competition. Gaspar opened the scoring with a stunning strike within eight minutes before Preisic tapped in to equalize just moments later. Promising Nahuel capitalised on some poor defending to slot home what proved to be a winner in a mad opening 20 minutes.
Arsenal look to have lined-up in their customary 4-2-3-1 formation, like they did throughout the end of last season. Coquelin and Ramsey will partner one another in front of the four man defence while Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi support Olivier Giroud up front.
Lyon's substitutes: Mocio, Beauvue, Mvuemba, Labidi Fekir, Mboubouni and D'Arpino
Lyon's starting XI to play Arsenal: Lopes, Zeffane, Rose, Umtiti, Jenssen, Gonalons, Ferri, Tolisso, Grenier, Njie, Lacazette
Arsenal's substitutes: Cech, Gabriel, Monreal, Chambers, Bellerin, Hayden, Arteta, Cazorla, Reine-Adelaide, Walcott, Akpom
Arsenal's starting XI to face Lyon: Martinez, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Iwobi, Giroud
The ninth year since the Emirates Cup was born has brought some quotes from Arsenal players and the manager talking fondly of the annual tournament. Many youngsters have participated to give them a taste of first team football and playing at a packed stadium, Jack Wilshere and Hector Bellerin are just two that have impressed. The former had a stunning game against Benfica last summer, setting himself up for a stunning season, and has since cited this performance as the turning point in his career. He told Arsenal.com that “It was probably one of the games that was a real turning point in my career” and that it “is a good chance for young players to prove themselves”.
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Despite the amount of European experience these two hold, there has just been one meeting between them throughout history. In the second group stage of the 2000/2001 Champions League, the duo drew 1-1 at Highbury after Arsenal gained all three points at the Stade Gerland. Thierry Henry scored the winner away from home before a last minute Edmilson header cancelled out Dennis Bergkamp's opener, frustration coming from around the ground considering Wenger tried to sign the Brazilian in the summer.
As well as housing household names from the French city, some of Arsenal’s most gifted players originate from France. The aforementioned Sylvain Wiltord, defensive midfielders Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira, the creative Robert Pires and the great Thierry Henry have all asserted themselves as fan favourites after a string of stunning performances at the club. With Arsene Wenger being French, the club also have Laurent Koscielny, Mathieu Debuchy, Mathieu Flamini and Olivier Giroud currently on their books.
With both Arsenal vs Lyon being European heavyweights, it is expected that some players have represented both teams at one point or another. Kim Kallstrom is the most recent to don the red of Arsenal after playing for Lyon, joining on loan from Spartak Moscow in 2014 but failed to make an impact despite scoring in an FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout against Wigan Athletic. Double winners Remi Garde and Sylvain Wiltord also made the move, the former retiring at Arsenal before becoming manager of Lyon in 2011. Wiltord scored one of Arsenal’s most famous goals, as he won the North London club the league title at Old Trafford in 2002 before moving to Les Gones and securing three successive Ligue 1 trophies. Sebastien Squillaci has also played for both.
Arsenal were training on Friday morning in their London Colney base, travelling back from Asia last week. A wide range of ages trained but neither Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez or Danny Welbeck featured. The former will be available in the next three weeks according to Wenger, being able to run outside this weekend, while Ospina returns on Monday with Alexis arriving a week later following their Copa America campaigns.
The 47-year-old has also been speaking highly of his opposite number and countrymen Arsene Wenger, proclaiming that “Arsenal’s main strength is their team play” and that this will be the “main concern” for Lyon, not the “top players from the international stage”. This, according to Fournier, is what makes Wenger “the best”.
Fournier stated before the game that squad rotation would be on the agenda across their two games, speaking with the club’s official website he stated that “We will use a lot of player rotation at the Emirates Cup. Every match is important to see who can play with who. We already have the spine of the team from last season, so that's good. These matches are to help the new players settle. The international are ready to play, there's no doubt about that."
Arsenal - Lyon live have been training hard before this weekend, with Lyon completing their final training session at Tola Vologe before their trip to the capital just two days ago. There were a few who did not train with the French outfit on Thursday, some due to injuries but others were hampered by the traffic situated in the city. Gonalons, Ferri, Bedimo and Jallet didn't train but Bako Kone made his return to the training pitch. According to the club’s official website, training focused on fitness and muscle strengthening throughout the first half before moving onto small sided games. The players also spent a few minutes after the session with free-kick practice, with some success.
Today’s encounter will be played at the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal since 2006 when Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial opened the world famous ground. The third largest football stadium in the country behind Old Trafford and Wembley, the Emirates has a capacity of 60,432. The highest attendance came when Manchester United visited for the first time in 2007 and this weekend will likely see over 100,000 people view these matches yet again. Moving to Ashburton Grove in 2006 after making the decision to leave Highbury to accommodate their ever increasing fanbase, the stadium has also hosted Brazil games as well as numerous concerts down the years. As well as being an architectural work of art, the financial aspect of constructing the stadium caught the eye when a minimal amount was spent.
As well as bringing in Cech to bolster their defence, Arsenal have ensured Mikel Arteta and Hector Bellerin will be prolonging their tenures at the club after contract extensions was agreed. Yaya Sanogo and Carl Jenkinson were also loaned to Ajax and West Ham as the pair looks to gain first team experience, but Gunners will be looking for more transfer activity from the club.
Both teams seem to be having successful summers off the field though, bringing in some notable signings as they look to compete for the title in their respective countries. Petr Cech notably joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea while Lyon have snapped up sort after Claudio Beauvue from Guingamp.
Nabil Fekir, Corentin Tolisso and Anthony Lopes have all signed contracts through to 2020 while Louis Ngantoni has signed a three-year deal. Hubert Fournier and his backroom staff have also put pen to paper on new deals, following the club's qualification to the Champions League group stages.
Despite partaking in the 2010 edition of the tournament, Lyon were arranged to play both Celtic and AC Milan instead of Arsenal. Brazilian Mitchell Bastos put his former side in front against the Scots before 18-year-old Harry Novillo, now of Melbourne City, doubled Les Gones’ advantage before half-time. Looking to sure to succumb to defeat, Celtic scored twice in the final 10 minutes, through Hooper and Samaras, to snatch the draw. Milan looked to bestow further misery upon their French counterparts when Marco Borriello opened the scoring but Jimmy Briand drew his team level in their final game.
Olympique Lyonnais have been involved in the Emirates Cup before, appearing in the fourth installment of the competition and finishing third behind Arsenal and Celtic. They will become just the third team, barring Arsenal, to play at the Emirates Cup on two occasions following the inaugural campaign in 2007. Last summer’s champions Valencia played in both 2007 and 2014 after Paris Saint-Germain achieved this feat two years prior, having also appeared in 2007. In total, a Ligue 1 side has played at five of the seven Emirates Cups thus far.
A friendly win over San Siro titans AC Milan would have lifted spirits in Lyon before their trip to London, with promising Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette scoring either side of Andrea Poli’s equaliser. The attacking duo will be on show displaying their already renowned talents at the Emirates Stadium this weekend, with both being linked with moves away to some of Europe’s biggest sides.
Their opponents on Saturday, seven time French champions Lyon, have had a more low key summer as they have toured Switzerland in a bid to increase match sharpness. A 10-day training camp, a demanding one at that, was followed by defeats to Sion and PSV Eindhoven respectively. Playing relatively youthful teams in both games, two defeats and not one solitary goal would have disappointed manager Hubert Fournier going into their game with AC Milan.
An impressive team was put out for this final and, although trophies mean next to nothing in the close season, a 100% record will do the confidence of the team no harm. Coming off the back of an FA Cup win and an extremely strong end to the Premier League campaign, club captain Mikel Arteta was quick to state that his side wants to “win every game” they play in; an attitude that will go down well before the Community Shield final in just a weeks time.
The challenge of Everton looked to be dismissed just as easily, although the scoreline looked less impressive at the National Stadium. A fine Theo Walcott goal opened the scoring before Santi Cazorla, who provided Walcott with the first, ended a fine solo run on the periphery of the penalty area with a neat finish into the bottom of the net. Superb passing between the Spaniard and German counterpart Mesut Ozil made sure of the victory as the latter slotted home, before the promising Ross Barkley rifled an ineffable strike into the top corner to reduce the deficit.
On the pitch, Arsenal’s games seemed relatively one sided in truth, dismissing a Singapore Selection XI 4-0 before overcoming Everton 3-1 in the final. Chuba Akpom proved to be the star of the tournament from an Arsenal point of view, converting a hat-trick against the former as he looks to make a mark on the first team in the upcoming campaign. Alex Iwobi also impressed on that humid evening, one of the many youngsters that Wenger took with him.
2015 was the first year Arsenal partook, and quite frankly starred in the Barclays Asia Trophy. The competition has been running since 2004 and attracts an abundance of fans wherever it is hosted, this time in Singapore. Although much of the attention was on the pitch, the experience for fans, children and coaches is something that the Premier League hope to leave behind as part of their legacy.
Intense training, whether that be in front of crowds or otherwise, have gruled the Arsenal squad since returning from their respective holidays. With fitness very much on the agenda, playing Premier League opposition on their travels, something the club have rarely done since the turn of the decade, will only benefit the team whilst regaining some of that competitive edge lost over the break.
This will be the hosts’ third pre-season fixture of the summer, with the Gunners jetting off to Singapore just weeks ago to participate in the Barclays Asia Trophy. Arsene Wenger’s men have enjoyed trips to Asia in recent history, touring the continent three times in the last four years, but not many compare in terms of preparations for the season ahead.
This encounter, which kicks-off at 4:20pm in England, will conclude the first day of the annual Emirates Cup competition. Bundesliga runners-up Wolfsburg face Villarreal to get the tournament underway earlier on, but all at the Emirates Stadium will be on Arsenal’s tie with French giants Lyon.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL’s live coverage of Arsenal’s Emirates Cup clash with Ligue 1 side Lyon at the Emirates Stadium, London. My name is Conor de Smith and I will be bringing you live action throughout the afternoon.
