Three Arsenal pre-season games that fooled us all
Three Arsenal pre-season games that fooled us all
By Jack Lacey-Hatton
Are pre-season friendlies ever an accurate indicator of what is to follow?
Trying to predict how Arsenal will get on over the next nine months can be a
tricky task at the best of times.
It is made near impossible when you throw some rogue friendly results in before
the season starts.
To some they are just glorified kickabouts, to others they offer an important
temperature check on the forthcoming season’s fortunes.
Here are some of the Gunners’ most memorable warm-up matches from down the
years.
2015 v Lyon
It may be regarded as something of a light appetiser, but the truth is there
are few pre-season games of higher quality than the Emirates Cup.
The traditional two-day tournament is only ever contested by top sides and 2015
was no different.
It was when Arsenal produced a stunning performance to dismantle a talented
Lyon team, which featured former Gooner Alexandre Lacazette, 6-0.
The team went on to win the Emirates Cup and hopes were suddenly raised that
this would be the
Arsenal team that could win back the Premier League title.
Instead the Leicester City 5,000-1 miracle season followed, as the Gunners
title challenge derailed in April.
However, Arsene Wenger’s team did at least finish 2nd, above the
“other lot” from North London who famously came third in a two-horse race.
2017 v Bayern Munich
It is easy to forget now but going into the 2017-18 season there was genuine
optimism that the Gunners could not only regain Champions League qualification,
but maybe even challenge for the title.
This was down to a strong summer programme that saw a series of eye-catching
performances against some of the strongest clubs in Europe.
The pick was a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in Shanghai, part of the
International Champions Cup series.
Arsenal went a goal down to an early Robert Lewandowski penalty, but showed
resilience to stay in the game, with new signing Lacazette looking a shrewd
buy.
An impressive display against the German champions was rewarded through a last
gasp Alex Iwobi equaliser, before a 3-2 win in the resultant penalty shootout.
Considering Arsenal had lost 10-2 to the same opponents on aggregate in the
Champions League only four months earlier.
Sadly it didn’t prove to be much of an omen.
A disappointing season followed and despite adding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in
January, Arsenal could only finish 6th and Wenger took his
leave at the end of the campaign following growing fan unrest.
2003 v Barnet
If there was ever a game to prove that pre-season friendlies are a poor sign of
what is to come – this is it.
In July 2003 a sluggish Arsenal side toiled away in the London heat against a
non-league Barnet side.
Despite fielding a strong XI that included Sol Campbell, Lauren, Ray Parlour and
Kolo Toure, they could only muster a 0-0 draw.
Interestingly, an on-trial Yaya Toure also turned out for Arsenal in this
friendly.
When Wenger’s team turned in a drab display in a 1-1 draw with Celtic only a
few weeks later, concerns were rising ahead of 2003/04 that the lack of
transfer activity would harm Arsenal’s title ambitions.
Not many would have predicted the flawless invincible season that followed.
