Arsenal and Chelsea drew 1-1 during regulation time a thoroughly entertaining pre-season spectacle at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
The encounter went to a shootout with Alex Iwobi converting the winning spot-kick as the Gunners won 6-5 on penalties.
Although the real acid test comes in just over two weeks when the new Premier League season kicks off, there was plenty for both sides’ fans to be excited about – particularly the performances of two youngsters.
Matteo Guendouzi, 19, was signed from Lorient by the Gunners a few weeks ago and earned a start, while young Blues winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, just 17, took his chance to impress Maurizio Sarri.
Here, we cast our eye over the two teenagers.
MATTEO GUENDOUZI
Impressive outing: Gunedouzi.
Signed for a fee believed to be in the region of £7m plus bonuses just a few weeks ago, there’s a lot of eyes on the beanpole looking Poissy-born prospect.
Thrown in to the fold against elite opponents by Unai Emery instead of more established names like Alex Iwobi, that decision might have raised eyebrows. But at the end, Arsenal fans would only have had raised hopes at what this man could achieve if given the right guidance and stage to shine.
INCIDENTS
10 mins WEAK: Hesitates as a deflected high ball drops from the sky, naively allows it to bounce and Barkley is on him like a flash to steal in and set up a dangerous Chelsea chance.
11 mins DEFENCE: Guendouzi does well to win back the ball and tries to play a one-two with Aubameyang before the ball is intercepted.
17 mins FOULED: Wins a free-kick and takes a sharp, quick one to set Smith Rowe racing away. Later joins the attack and spreads the ball out to Ozil, but chance passes.
20 mins DIVE: Lucky to earn a free-kick as he looked to have mis-controlled possession and threw himself into Pedro’s path.
21 mins TIGHT SPACE: Not done any favours by Elneny’s poor pass but unorthodoxly chips it up to Mkhitaryan as he relieves the pressure and Arsenal clear.
35 mins SHOT: Receives the ball in the final third from a throw-in and fancies his chances. Advances and strikes a low effort but it’s not troubling keeper Caballero.
45 mins VISION: Arsenal are getting a bit more of a foothold in the game and he’s playing a big part. Sprays a delightful ball out to Ozil as Arsenal look to level.
53 mins VISION: Bit of a punt but it sets Smith Rowe away, Caballero read it well to clear.
67 mins VISION: Fouled and again a quick-thinking Guendouzi gets Arsenal on the front foot with a lovely flighted pass out to the left wing.
GOT RIGHT – Getting his side on the front foot
Finding himself in a midfield three alongside fellow emerging talent Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny, you may have expected the experienced Egyptian to need to hold the doe-eyed youngsters’ hands. But it was the two teens who outshone their more senior colleague as Elneny struggled to keep a lid on Chelsea’s buzzing midfield – with Guendouzi constantly looking to get his side going.
GOT WRONG – Strength
Perhaps not all that surprising given the fact he’s just 19, but the silky Frenchman will need to add steel to his game if he’s going to be a success in the Premier League. Shrugged off the ball too easily a few times by Barkley.
VERDICT – Showed flashes of the talent that clearly attracted the Gunners to the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate, but is still very raw. Aside from needing to bulk up, needs to work on awareness and decision making. But easy to see why he’s thought of so highly.
RATING 7/10
CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI
Chance to shine: Hudson-Odoi.
“I don’t know if they will play this season in the Premier League,” Sarri said of Hudson-Odoi and team-mate Ethan Ampadu after impressing earlier in pre-season against Inter Milan. “But I know that these names will be very famous in the next years.”
The Italian may well be revising his comments after a starring performance from his 17-year-old prospect in Dublin that will have Blues fans drooling.
INCIDENTS
6 mins IMPACT: Chelsea in front and it came after excellent work from Hudson-Odoi, who teed up Cesc Fabregas for a shot that was saved by Petr Cech.
14 mins BROUGHT DOWN: The Chelsea youngster cuts onto his right…and then back onto his left as he serves up a sign of things to come, tying Bellerin up in knots as the full-back is forced to go to ground. Penalty. Teenager has made an excellent start to the game, looking lively every time he touches the ball.
25 mins PACE: Causing all sorts of problems. Bellerin simply can’t live with the youngster. He again drives at the Arsenal defence before sliding in Morata, but not for the first time the striker can’t convert, although Cech was out early to deny him.
32 mins PLAYMAKING: Giving Bellerin a hounding once more, he tricks his way inside the box and tees up Morata but the striker’s left-footed strike is sliced horribly wide.
42 mins CHANCE: He’s away as he beats the offside trap to get on the end of a superb Fabregas ball. Looked a little rushed though as he steadied himself and the excellent Cech is out to block his effort for a corner.
57 mins VISION: Sent scampering down the left, delivers a superb cross on his weaker left foot into the danger zone for Morata, excellent goalkeeping and defending mean the Spaniard can’t get on the end of it.
GOT RIGHT – Menace
What a way to announce yourself. The 17-year-old was one of Chelsea’s better players against Inter Milan last week and he elevated himself to another level here. He terrorised an established defender in Bellerin – who by the way is no slouch – with his pace and trickery.
GOT WRONG – Finishing
It’s honestly hard to put a finger on anything the Wandsworth-born wing wizard did wrong. He was a thorn in Arsenal’s side all night. The one blemish was that his performance deserved a goal and with a little composure, he might well have had it.
VERDICT – Head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. Upon his substitution late on, he received a standing ovation – in a pre-season friendly. Early days but could have some future.
RATING 9/10
