Arsenal draws 1-1 with Monaco – Report.

Arsenal finished their pre-season with a victory, defeating Monaco 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Gabriel scored the winning penalty to clinch the trophy. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was in attendance as two of his former clubs faced each other. French international Youssouf Fofana opened the scoring for Monaco in the 31st minute, but Arsenal’s captain for the day, Eddie Nketiah, equalized just before halftime. The teams remained level after 90 minutes, leading to a shootout where Arsenal converted all five of their penalties, with Aaron Ramsdale saving Takumi Minamino’s shot. This victory secured Arsenal’s seventh Emirates Cup title.

Monaco take the lead

Both Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice made their first starts at the Emirates Stadium. However, the game took some time to come to life, with Ramsdale’s save from an Aleksandr Golovin shot providing the only excitement for the 60,000 spectators in the first quarter. Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli was instrumental in Arsenal’s attacking moments, but an offside decision denied Nketiah a goal. Monaco finally opened the scoring through Fofana’s header off Vanderson’s cross.

Nketiah equalizes

Arsenal responded strongly to falling behind and created several chances towards the end of the first half. Rice’s shot was blocked by Guillermo Maripin, and Tomiyasu’s header was saved by Philipp Koln. However, from a corner, Nketiah met Martinelli’s delivery to tap the ball into the net and level the score just before halftime.

Stalemate in the second half

Arsenal did not make any changes at halftime, but they started slowly, with Ramsdale grateful to see a shot from Caio Henrique hit the post. Arteta made several substitutions just after the hour mark, including bringing on Kai Havertz. Trossard and Odegaard both had opportunities to score but failed to convert. Ramsdale made a crucial save to deny Monaco’s Myron Boadu, and Kohn tipped over Vieira’s volley at the other end. The match ended with a 1-1 draw, leading to a penalty shootout.

Perfect penalties and victory

All of the first six penalties were successfully converted, but Ramsdale made a fantastic save from Minamino’s penalty, giving Arsenal the advantage. Gabriel scored the winning penalty, securing victory for Arsenal in the shootout.

What’s next?

Arsenal’s pre-season preparations are now complete, and they will face Manchester City in the quest for the first silverware of the season at Wembley on Sunday. The Premier League campaign begins on August 12 with a match against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.