Gabriel Jesus scored again as Arsenal kept up their 100 per cent pre-season record with a win over Everton in Baltimore.
Mikel Arteta handed a starting berth to William Saliba following pre-match talk of the Frenchman once again upping sticks were he to not be a first-team regular this season - something the coach has vowed to at least make a possibility.
An energetic start suggested the Gunners could steamroll a Toffees team facing their first proper game of the pre-season calendar in front of a semi-full M&T Bank Stadium.
That creakiness was evident as Mason Holgate played a nothing pass across the 18-yard line that Jesus gobbled up and should have scored from, but for Jordan Pickford’s relatively straightforward stop.
From the resulting corner, Granit Xhaka nodded an effort onto the far-post with Jesus unable to properly latch onto the snapshot rebound.
It was from a corner that Arsenal led on 32 minutes, Pickford coming off his line to flap at a cross that went straight through to Jesus for a simple finish.
It took only moments for the Gunners to make it 2-0 as Bukayo Saka got on the end of Jesus’ ball into the box, nonetheless intended for Gabriel Martinelli, and the England international fired home with ease.
Frank Lampard swapped out his entire XI for the second period, Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi among those coming on alongside new signing James Tarkowski. For Arsenal, six new men including Rob Holding and Eddie Nketiah entered the fray.
Everton and the impressive teenage full-back Stanley Mills, son of ex-England star Danny, improved as the Gunners dropped off despite some of those on the pitch, including Nicolas Pepe and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, needing to impress their manager following a switch to a back five.
Arsenal’s own young defender, 17-year-old Reuell Walters, came on as part of a fresh set of changes for the final 20 minutes as Arteta’s men grew back into the game and saw out the result.
