Arsenal v Girona LIVE: Christos Tzolis scores first purpose for Gunners as reside stream affected by technical points
It is a little over two weeks until Arsenal play their first competitive match of the new season when they take on Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 16. Mikel Arteta’s side will be full of confidence having claimed their first Premier League title in 22 years and the clash at Wembley presents an immediate opportunity to win more silverware ahead of what is expected to be another competitive campaign.
Before that the Gunners will play four pre-season matches with the first taking place in Spain this evening as they travel to take on Girona at the Estadi Montilivi. The match is Arsenal’s first public pre-season game of the summer having beaten MK Dons in a behind closed doors fixture last week.
New signings Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier featured in that match and both have been selected for tonight’s squad. So too have five players freshly back from the World Cup with Piero Hincapie, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes all training during the week.
Arsenal are also circling more incomings with Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes heavily linked to make the move to the Emirates and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr a rumoured possibility. Arteta though will only be focused on tonight’s match and continuing pre-season with a win.
Follow all the updates from Girona v Arsenal with our live blog below:
Arsenal 2-0 Girona
42 mins: Arsenal maintain their two goal advantage but the live stream is still down much to the frustration of supporters and fnas.
Maybe they can fix it at half-time. Not a good luck for the club.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Girona (Christos Tzolis, 30′)
Christos Tzolis has doubled Arsenal’s lead on the half hour mark.
But I cannot give you the details of the goal as Arsenal’s webstie has crashed leaving fans without access to view the game.
Arsenal 1-0 Girona
21 mins: Save!
Girona’s Martinez cuts in from his position at right back and takes a shot having received the ball in the middle of the goal.
His effort is on target but he picks out Kepa Arrizabalaga who makes a fine save.
Arsenal 1-0 Girona
19 mins: Arsenal are looking the most confortable of the two teams and rightly so.
The Gunners are being forced to defend but when they get on the ball they are so smooth and quick to get up the pitch.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Girona (Kai Havertz, 16′)
Beautiful from Arsenal.
They turn the ball over and work it up to Dowman. He spins off a tackle and slips a pass into the feet of Havertz.
The forward takes the ball into the box, has a glance up and slots it past the goalkeeper to score.
Arsenal 0-0 Girona
12 mins: Hill whips a cross into the box from the right wing for Girona buy Mosquera is on hand to nod it clear.
Girona recover possession and play a slick one-two between Van de Beek and Martinez before losing control of the ball inside Arsenal’s box.
Arsenal 0-0 Girona
9 mins: Dowman wins a free kick and it is Tzolis who swings the ball into the box from the right side.
The ball is sent into the far side of the box where Gyokeres heads the ball back across goal.
He finds Calafiori whose headed effort lands in the arms of the goalkeeper.
Arsenal 0-0 Girona
6 mins: Girona are growing into the game and a cross from Moreno on the left is headed clear by Tzolis.
The hosts are seeing more possession now and Arsenal need to be switched on.
Arsenal 0-0 Girona
3 mins: Max Dowman drifts out to the right wing and brings down an aerial pass.
Alex Moreno is onto him in a flash and manages to take over possession.
Arsenal recover the ball quickly though and sweep down the left side again. Havertz collects the ball off Christos Tzolis before whipping a low pass into the six yard box.
Viktor Gyokeres is the target but he can’t get a foot on the end of the pass.
