Arsenal demolished Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 to secure a thumping statement victory in their penultimate pre-season friendly of the summer.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard struck an early quick-fire double for the Gunners as they returned to action at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night following a summer tour of the USA, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz also on target as Mikel Arteta’s confident side ruthlessly dispatched last season’s dominant German double winners who almost went the entire season unbeaten under Xabi Alonso before losing the Europa League final to Atalanta.
Arsenal, still without new signing Riccardo Calafiori, made a blistering start to proceedings, going ahead inside eight minutes when Zinchenko started and finished an incisive attacking move, releasing Havertz down the left flank and then arrowing a low strike into the bottom corner after a smart leave from captain Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners then doubled their advantage in a flash, Leverkusen punished for trying to play out disastrously from the back as the lively Trossard seized possession and Odegaard, Jesus and Havertz then combined to tee up the Belgian, who calmly avoided a desperate last-gasp sliding challenge before simply rolling into the back of the net from close range.
Trossard’s long-range daisy-cutter later forced Matej Kovar into a diving stop, while Odegaard twice saw efforts blocked before relentless Arsenal made it three before the break, a rogue Leverkusen throw-in intercepted by Jesus, who charged forward and hit a tame shot that was touched in by ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Kovar, who should have done so much better.
Leverkusen - further behind Arsenal in their pre-season preparations with the new Bundesliga campaign beginning a week after the Premier League - looked miles off the pace and seriously lacking in both energy and quality, a couple of useful runs from Jeremie Frimpong and a blocked shot from Odilon Kossounou the extent of their dreadful first-half efforts before David Raya was finally called into action just before the break.
Arteta sent on both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka - along with Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly - at the break, the England duo earning their first minutes of pre-season after extended breaks in the aftermath of their run to the final of Euro 2024.
Former Burnley and Southampton winger Nathan Tella volleyed well off target for Leverkusen, who survived penalty appeals after a physical battle between Havertz and Jonathan Tah.
Havertz made it four after Aleix Garcia could not clear inside his own box following a driving run from impressive youngster Ethan Nwaneri and a dangerous low Saka cross.
Leverkusen grabbed a consolation effort 15 minutes from time when Tella set up Czech forward Adam Hlozek for a clever finish beyond Raya, but last season’s kings of late goals never threatened to mount the most unlikely of last-gasp comebacks as they were instead left to rue an uncharacteristically below-par display ahead of a final friendly against LaLiga side Real Betis and their looming German Super Cup clash with Stuttgart.
For Arsenal, it’s only Lyon to come now in the latest instalment of the Emirates Cup this weekend before they begin the new Premier League season at home to Wolves on August 17.
