Nicolas Pepe pounced to fireside in Villarreal’s first ever aim at Arsenal as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jakub Kiwior had been caught out for the Sixteenth-minute opener in a pre-season pleasant at Emirates Stadium.
Winger Pepe, who’s Arsenal’s second-most costly signing courtesy of his ill-fated £72 million transfer from Good in 2019, struck from shut vary after Pape Gueye despatched a shot from outdoors the field towards a publish and goalkeeper David Raya couldn’t maintain Gerard Moreno’s header.
Karl Etta Eyong repeated the trick 17 minutes later from equally shut quarters after Raya’s advantageous cease from Moreno’s strike, however Christian Norgaard offered a measure of much-needed aid for the Premier League facet, opening his account for his new membership with a free header within the thirty sixth minute from Gabriel Martinelli’s nook.
“It’s good play from Villarreal however actually poor from Arsenal, who switched off,” former Gunners winger Perry Groves advised Arsenal’s web site of the primary aim, including of the second: “It’s actually sloppy defending – no-one goes with the runner.”
Lo huele. Lo busca. Lo tiene. Etta Eyong y su idilio con el gol. 👽 pic.twitter.com/qrWqQpxBP9
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) August 6, 2025
Arsenal vs Villarreal: Lewis-Skelly ‘must be faster’
Left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly struggled to comprise Pepe on the appropriate flank for the facet who certified for the Champions League with a fifth-placed end in final season’s LaLiga.
“It was excellent play from Pepe,” stated Groves, a two-time top-flight champion with Arsenal. “Lewis-Skelly has obtained to get himself quite a bit nearer.
“Gueye had far an excessive amount of area and obtained a shot away that got here off a publish. Villarreal recycled it once more and we’re not fast sufficient to get to the primary and second balls.
“Kiwior’s attempting to protect the ball [in front of goal] when he ought to be swiping it together with his left foot. Pepe runs around the again of him.
“It’s pre-season and I do know issues are just a little bit rusty however Lewis-Skelly has obtained to get to Pepe faster normally play, as a result of that stops him selecting his cross.”
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Christian Norgaard: First Arsenal aim
As he had been for his or her first, Sergi Cardona was the catalyst for Villarreal’s second together with his pace, trickery and crossing capability from the left.
“No person goes with the runner,” noticed Groves. “It’s a extremely good save from David Raya, who will get a giant left hand to it.”
Midfielder Norgaard, who arrived from Brentford for £15m in July, planted his header beneath goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
“He’s utterly unmarked on the far publish,” stated Groves. “It’s an excellent technical header. He provides Luis Junior no probability.
“That simply will get us again within the recreation as a result of it had all gone a bit flat on the Emirates.
“The group wanted one thing to get their tooth into and Norgaard has given them that. That was a Declan Rice supply from Martinelli.”
Arsenal lineup, group information v Villarreal
Arsenal handed a begin to Viktor Gyokeres, who joined from Sporting in July for a payment that would rise to £64 million and did not make a big influence throughout the early levels.
One other new striker, Noni Madueke, was on the bench after lacking Arsenal’s Asia tour whereas recovering from Chelsea’s marketing campaign on the Membership World Cup in June and July.
Gabriel and Jurrien Timber had been out injured, whereas fellow defender Riccardo Calafiori was absent after lacking the 1-0 defeat to Spurs in Hong Kong final Thursday with a knee harm.
Ahead Leandro Trossard was not risked after limping off in that recreation.
Athletic Bilbao additionally go to Arsenal on Saturday (17:00 BST / 12:00 ET / 09:00 PT) and Arteta is anticipating high-level encounters with the LaLiga golf equipment.
“Villarreal are taking part in on the highest stage and have a supervisor in Marcelino who likes to play a really particular sort of system and formation that we’ll discover within the Premier League this season,” predicted the Spaniard.
“Enjoying towards Spanish opposition would require different issues from us as properly and I count on these to be actually good video games.
“After we organize these pre-season matches, I at all times have a look at how the supervisor units up his groups, how they coach their group, the type of gamers they’ve, how they prepare totally different phases of play towards totally different blocks.
“We’ve got an excellent combination this pre-season. The information and expertise that we acquire from these video games all goes into our ‘database’ to assist us all through the season. It helps for the way in which we now have to evolve our recreation fashions.
“Every recreation goes to demand one thing from you bodily and [in terms of] the areas it’s a must to assault or shield, and alternative ways [opponents] can play of their build-up as properly.
“So we now have to nail that and enhance that. Enjoying towards Villarreal will assist, so it’s a superb recreation for us.”
Arsenal beginning XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Arsenal substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Timber, Gabriel, Mosquera, Zinchenko, Lokonga, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Madueke, Rice, Dowman, Harriman-Annous
Villarreal group information, lineup v Arsenal
Willy Kambwala was out for Villarreal with a left hamstring harm the French-Congolese defender sustained throughout their pleasant towards Genoa on July 31.
Cape Verdean defender Logan Costa had surgical procedure on Tuesday for an entire rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, struggling the harm throughout their pre-season opener towards FC Basel on July 19.
Proper-back Santiago Mourino, who made his debut within the 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Saturday, stored his place.
Thomas Partey is predicted to signal for Villarreal this week however the former Arsenal midfielder, who will seem at Westminster magistrates court docket on Wednesdayafter being charged with 5 counts of rape and one in every of sexual assault, wasn’t on board in time for a return to the Emirates Stadium.
Villarreal are not any strangers to the Emirates Stadium, though that they had failed to attain on their three earlier visits.
Kolo Toure’s Forty first-minute opener at house for Arsenal proved the one aim of the tie within the 2005/06 Champions League semi-finals, with Riquelme lacking a late penalty for Villarreal within the return leg on the Estadio El Madrigal.
The groups met once more in London a quarter-final tie poised at 1-1 after the primary leg in 2009, just for Arsenal to cruise by means of with a 3-0 win.
Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie scored on that event, and Villarreal are unbeaten within the two encounters between the golf equipment since then.
Beneath former Arsenal supervisor Unai Emery, Villarreal gained the primary leg 2-1 at house towards Arteta’s group within the 2020/21 Europa League semi-finals, Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol scoring earlier than Pepe’s late reply.
The second leg completed 0-0, sending the Yellow Submarine by means of to a ultimate they gained 11-10 on penalties towards Manchester United following a 1-1 attract Gdansk.
Villarreal beginning XI: Junior, Mourino, Marin, Foyth, Cardona, Gueye, Moleiro, Parejo, Pepe, Eyong, Moreno
Villarreal substitutes: Gomez, Conde, Navarro, Suarez, Danjuma, Altimira, Comesana, Buchanan, Pedraza, Valou, Cabanes
Is Arsenal v Villarreal on TV? Channels, on-line streams
Arsenal towards Villarreal kicked off at 18:00 BST / 13:00 ET / 10:00 PT on Wednesday. The sport shouldn’t be being screened on TV however will be watched through Arsenal’s web site.
The sport prices £6.99, with a bundle together with the sport towards Athletic Bilbao beginning at £10.99.
There are repeat showings three and 6 hours after full time.
When does Arsenal’s 2025/26 Premier League season begin?
The primary spherical of Premier League matches in 2025/26 will probably be on the weekend of August 16 2025, together with Arsenal’s journey to Manchester United on Sunday, August 17 at 16:30 BST.
The sport towards the 2024/25 Europa League finalists is being proven reside within the UK on Sky Sports activities Premier League, Extremely and Fundamental Occasion.
The final spherical of matches this season will all begin on the identical time on Could 24 2026. No rounds will happen inside 60 hours of one another and there will probably be no fixture on December 24.
When does Villarreal’s 2025/26 LaLiga season begin?
Having certified for the Champions League by ending fifth final season, Villarreal begin their 2025/26 marketing campaign at house to Oviedo on August 15 (20:30 BST / 15:30 ET / 12:30 PT).
Their guests had been promoted by means of the play-offs after coming third within the Segunda Division.
