ARSENAL have started pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Nurnberg in Germany.
Jorginho has put the ball in his own net after a horror moment at the start of the second half.
Buakyo Saka opened the scoring with an emphatic finish into the bottom corner.
- Match result: Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
- Nurnberg XI: Mathenia, Lawrence, Geis, Hayashi, Moller Daehli, Okunuki, Marquez, Valentini, Duah, Brown, Handwerker
- Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwor, Partey, Trossard, Odegaard, Saka, Nelson, Nketiah
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
Stay up to date with all of the action from the Max-Morlock-Stadion…
Auf Wiedersehen from Bavaria
That draws a line under Arsenal’s first official friendly of the summer, but the action only ramps up from here.
The Gunners are back with a game against an MLS All-Stars side in the early hours of next Thursday, and then face giants Barcelona and Manchester United while on their US tour.
Then it’s back home for the Emirates Cup, and the opportunity for some pre-season silverware – but it will mean nothing if Martin Odegaard isn’t lifting a real trophy come next May.
The new campaign will be here before you know, and you won’t miss a kick of it with us here at SunSport.
Thanks for joining us, and goodnight.
Extra! Read all about it!
Before we sign off for the night, why not take in Mark Irwin’s match report as Arsenal – and star boy Bukayo Saka – return for pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Nurnberg.
It took Arsenal just seven minutes to establish their authority when Bukayo Saka ran on to Ben White’s ball over the top before cutting inside and firing a low shot into the far corner. Coming less than a month after his international hat-trick in the 7-0 win against North Macedonia, it was a welcome sign that the England star has not lost his goal touch.
Mark Irwin
Ode-ar! Arsenal concerns for captain
The result of tonight’s friendly was always going to be inconsequential with Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta simply hoping for a good pre-season workout for his players.
However, his side had barely made it through the pre-match warm-up before being struck with another injury blow.
Captain Martin Odegaard was forced to pull out of the encounter with a knock sustained before kick-off, and he was later seen limping heavily away from the dugout.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Rob Holding, Marquinhos all missed the match in Bavaria with various knocks, but are expected to be back in contention for next Thursday’s game against the MLS All-Stars that kicks off the club’s US tour.
However, Oleksandr Zinchenko faces longer on the treatment table, and is unlikely to be available until later this month.
Saka special but Kai struggles
How about some quickfire thoughts following tonight’s friendly between Arsenal and Nurnberg in Bavaria:
Pros
- Saka oozing class
- Saliba’s return to action
- Nwaneri spearheading bright future
Cons
- Balogun’s finishing
- Hein’s nerves
- Havertz anonymous on first appearance
By Jorg! Who scored equaliser?
It’s rare that pre-season friendlies provoke such talking points, but debate is raging following Arsenal’s draw with Nurnberg with everyone wanting to know just who scored the goal that cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s opener?
To the naked eye, it does look as though midfielder Jorginho pushes the ball back into his own net from 30 yards after being sent a difficult pass from goalkeeper Karl Hein.
But some viewers believe that the Italian’s attempted flick around the corner cannoned off nearby Nurnberg forward Kanji Okunuki and into the empty goal.
Still unsure? Why not decide for yourself.
Full time – Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal’s first official friendly of the summer ends in a stalemate.
The Gunners dominated possession throughout but couldn’t add to Bukayo Saka’s early opener.
And in a second half of multiple substitutions, Nurnberg hit back in bizarre fashion.
Kanji Okunuki is claiming the equaliser, but Jorginho appeared to be the player who found his own net from 35 yards out after receiving a poor pass from his wayward goalkeeper, Karl Hein.
Both sides had chances to win it with the biggest culprit being Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun.
The striker was all the rage on loan in France last season, but twice miscued in front of an open goal here to leave onlookers questioning the hype.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
90+2. Down the other end, only an excellent Walters block denies Goller the chance to convert from close range.
And that will be that.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
90. Oh, Folarin Balogun!
The Arsenal striker should have won it in the final seconds of the match, but for the second time in this second half, he fluffs his lines in front of an open goal.
The American international appeared to have done everything right as he raced on to a through ball and skipped around the goalkeeper.
However, with the goal gaping, Balogun steered his shot into the side netting on the wrong side of the near post, much to the dismay of the travelling fans.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
88. Castrop goes close to winning it for Nurnberg.
The substitute takes on Goller’s cut back first time, but his whipped shot is just too high as it fizzes over Hein’s goal.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
85. I thought it was something of a stunt when Mikel Arteta made Ethan Nwaneri the Premier League’s youngest ever player away at Brentford season.
I was wrong. The 16-year-old really is very, very good.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
83. An expertly-timed tackle from Trusty denies Nurnberg a smash-and-grab second on the counter.
That was much more incisive from the American international, who spent last season on loan at Birmingham City.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
81. Cedric finally gets his delivery right on a corner from the left, and sees his cross met by the head of Balogun.
On this occasion, the striker’s effort loops high over the crossbar.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
79. A lot of these Arsenal youngsters have fitted seamlessly into the game in terms of the quick passing and intricate triangles of movement that Mikel Arteta enjoys.
The future’s looks bright down at the Emirates.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
77. It’s been ten minutes or so since Arsenal made some substitutions so here’s two more for you.
Another 16-year-old, midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly, is on along with 18-year-old defender Reuell Walters.
On this occasion, Ben White and Eddie Nketiah are the men to make way.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
76. Into the final quarter of an hour, and while this year’s encounter between the clubs has lacked the goals of last July’s meeting, there have been a number of mind-boggling moments to enjoy.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
74. Oh wow! Now Nurnberg hit the crossbar!
Hein fails to hold on to a stunning, swerving drive from 35 yards out, and following it in Lohkemper loops the rebound against the woodwork.
What is happening out there?!
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
72. I’ll tell you what…
…incredibly, Nurnberg fancy their changes of winning this game.
Out of nowhere, they suddenly find themselves with a four-on-three counter but get the final pass wrong at the vital moment.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal – Trusty yellow card
70. An inauspicious start for substitute Auston Trusty, who suffers the ignominy of being booked in a pre-season friendly.
The American receives a yellow card for clumsily tripping an opponent during a rare Nurnberg attack.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
68. Nurnberg make too many changes to count, but it did look as though about 15 players just came on for the home side.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
67. That Jorginho own-goal from outside of his penalty area is an early contender for this summer’s Lee Dixon Memorial award.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal
65. Among those chaotic couple of minutes, Arsenal made another couple of changes with Ethan Nwaneri and Auston Trusty on.
The pair replaced Fabio Vieira and Gabriel.
Nurnberg 1-1 Arsenal – Jorginho own-goal!
63. An own-goal!
Or should I say, an own-gLOL!
In a ridiculous passage of play, reserve goalkeeper Karl Hein emerges from his area to take possession.
Under the slightest pressure, the Estonian sends a heavy pass towards Jorginho, who responds with a confusing touch-come-pass to… no-one.
With Hein out of his goal, the stopper can only watch on as the ball rolls back beyond him and into the empty net from 30 yards out.
Somehow, Nurnberg are level, and they still haven’t had a shot on target.
Nurnberg 0-1 Arsenal
61. Balogun hits the post!
Somehow the substitute is presented with an open goal, and while the angle is against him, he should do better than clatter his effort against the woodwork.
Nurnberg 0-1 Arsenal
59. Almost a rare goal from Cedric!
The Portuguese defender skips inside from the right, and curls an effort just wide of the far post.
It makes a change for the right-back, whose introductions as a sub during his loan spell at Fulham almost inevitably resulted in a goal for the opposition.
Nurnberg 0-1 Arsenal
57. Despite the multitude of changes, the second half has continued in the same pattern as the first – with Nurnberg unable to get a touch of the football.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
