STOCKHOLM, KOMPAS.com - Arsenal menang 2-0 atas Lazio pada pertandingan persahabatan di Stadion Friends Arena, Sabtu (4/8/2018) atau Minggu dini hari WIB.
Dua gol kemenangan Arsenal pada laga tersebut dicetak oleh Reiss Nelson pada menit ke-18 dan Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pada menit ke-64.
Kemenangan itu juga menutup laga pramusim Arsenal jelang musim 2018-2019. Sementara itu, Lazio masih menyisakan pertandingan uji coba melawan Borussia Dortmund pada 12 Agustus.
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Arsenal tampil dengan mengandalkan sejumlah pemain muda pada babak pertama laga ini.
Meski demikian, Arsenal bisa menjalani start apik dengan unggul pada menit ke-18.
Kerja sama dengan Alex Iwobi berbuah gol oleh Reiss Nelson. Dia memanfaatkan tendangan Iwobi yang membentur tiang.
Baik Arsenal maupun Lazio melakukan sejumlah pergantian pemain pada babak kedua. Salah satunya adalah dengan memasukkan Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang tidak menyia-nyiakan waktu bermain dengan mencetak gol pada menit ke-64 dengan menyelesaikan bola umpan Alexandre Lacazette.
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Arsenal: 19-Bernd Leno; 12-Stephan Lichtsteiner (2-Hector Bellerin, 62'), 21-Calum Chambers (5-Sokratis Papastathopoulos 78'), 16-Rob Holding (27-Konstantinos Mavropanos, 78'), 15-Ashley Maitland-Niles; 48-Reiss Nelson (29-Matteo Guendozi, 46'), 34-Granit Xhaka (10-Mesut Oezil, 62'), 11-Lucas Torreira (4-Mohamed Elneny, 62'); 17-Alex Iwobi (7-Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 62'), 9-Alexandre Lacazette (55-Emile Smith Rowe, 78'), 49-Edward Nketiah (14-Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 46')
Lazio: 24-Silvio Proto; 13-Wallace (22-Martin Caceres, 22'), 33-Francesco Acerbi (4-Patric, 71'), 26-Stefan Radu (3-Luiz Felipe, 62'), 8-Dusan Basta (15-Bastos, 71'), 16-Marco Parolo (11-Joaquin Correa, 71'), 6-Lucas Leiva (25-Milan Badelj, 71'), 96-Alessandro Murgia (21-Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 62'), 19-Senad Lulic (14-Riza Durmisi, 62'); 18-Luis Alberto; 20-Felipe Caicedo (30-Pedro Neto, 71')
Bola.net - Arsenal berhasil meraih kemenangan dalam pertandingan persahabatan melawan Lazio. The Gunners menang dengan skor di Friends Arena, Stockholm pada hari Minggu (05/08). Arsenal memainkan Bernd Leno, Granit Xhaka dan Alexandre Lacazette sejak menit awal. Meski menyimpan sejumlah bintangnya seperti Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitarya dan Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal mampu tampil menekan di awal pertandingan. Bahkan tim asuhan Unai Emery tersebut sempat mampu unggul terlebih dahulu lewat gol Reiss Nelson pada menit 18. Keunggulan The Gunners itu bertahan babak pertama usai. Pada awal babak kedua, Arsenal memasukkan Aubameyang. Ternyata keputusan yang diambil Emery tersebut sangat tepat. Pemain asal Gabon itu berhasil menggandakan skor untuk Arsenal pada menit 64. Aubameyang mencetak gol setelah memanfaatkan assist dari Lacazette. Setelah itu, kedua tim banyak melakukan pergantian pemain. Akan tetapi masuknya pemain baru tak banyak memberikan dampak yang besar terhadap hasil pertandingan. Sampai laga usai, skor 2-0 untuk kemenangan Arsenal tetap bertahan.
Reiss Nelson and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored as Arsenal strolled to victory over Lazio to round off an impressive pre-season.
Lazio caused the Gunners trouble initially with Felipe Caicedo spurning a great chance on the half-volley.
But Nelson, in combination with Alex Iwobi and Eddie Nketiah, buzzing behind Alexandre Lacazette, carved open the Italians.
Iwobi's shot across goal hit the post and Nelson was there to tap home from close range.
Aubameyang doubled the lead for the Gunners with a crisp finish that took a small deflection on its way into the bottom right corner following a neat layoff by Lacazette.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: Arsenal FC)
(Image: REUTERS)
And Unai Emery even had time to see Henrikh Mkhitaryan dazzle to leave him with plenty of good problems in terms of team selection ahead of the Premier League opener vs Man City next week.
It's the dawn of a new era at the Emirates, but based on a productive pre-season, exciting times await.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Arsenal XI: Leno, Lichtsteiner (Bellerin, 62), Chambers (Mavropanos, 77), Holding (Papastathopoulos, 77), Maitland-Niles, Nelson (Guendouzi, 46), Xhaka (Elneny, 62), Torreira (Ozil, 62), Iwobi (Mkhitaryan, 62), Lacazette (Smith Rowe, 77), Nketiah (Aubameyang, 46)
Lazio XI: Proto, Wallace, Acerbi, Radu, Basta, Parolo, Leiva, Murgia, Lulic, Luis Alberto, Caicedo
STOCKHOLM -- Reiss Nelson and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored either side of the break as Arsenal finished off their preseason campaign with a 2-0 win over Lazio on Saturday.
Nelson was on hand to tap in a rebound in the 18th minute and Aubameyang's low shot was deflected into the net in the 68th in the Gunners' final warm-up ahead of their Premier League opener against Manchester City.
While Arsenal dominated possession throughout the game, Lazio had a number of chances to equalise in the first half but were repeatedly let down by their finishing. Luis Alberto hit the bar with a chip over Bernd Leno and Marco Parolo headed wide from an inviting cross, with Felipe Caicedo guilty of an earlier miss.
With head coach Unai Emery making 11 changes from the the side that played Chelsea in Dublin on Wednesday, the game offered few clues as to how the Spaniard wants to line up against Man City next weekend. But it did give fans a first glimpse of new signings Lucas Torreira and Stephan Lichtsteiner, who both impressed on their Arsenal debuts before being taken off after an hour.
Torreira provided an immediate burst of energy to the Gunners' midfield while Lichtsteiner showed he can offer a serious alternative to Hector Bellerin at right-back. The Switzerland captain also showed he can add a bit of bite to Arsenal's defence by getting into a scrap just two minutes into the game, before showing a delicate touch to set up Alexandre Lacazette with a ball over the top for an early chance.
More worrying for the Gunners was the absence of Nacho Monreal a day after fellow left-back Sead Kolasinac was ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a knee injury. The club said Monreal only has a minor problem but the Spaniard hasn't played a minute in preseason after returning late from the World Cup. Midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles filled in at left-back instead and may have to do so against Man City as well.
Nelson continued an impressive preseason campaign by starting and finishing off a quick attack for the opening goal, slotting in the rebound after Alex Iwobi's shot from the left had been tipped onto the far post by goalkeeper Silvio Proto. Iwobi could have doubled the lead before the break but stabbed a shot just wide of the post.
With both teams making multiple changes in the second half, substitute Aubameyang netted the second instead after he was teed up by Lacazette and fired in a low shot that hit a defender before nestling into the bottom right corner.
The result means Arsenal finish their preseason undefeated -- aside from a penalty shootout loss to Atletico Madrid after a 1-1 draw in the International Champions Cup -- but they'll face a much tougher test when Man City visit the Emirates next Sunday.
