Arsenal 2-3 Villarreal: Nwaneri features, Harriman-Annous benched, Lagos-born forward scores

Arsenal fell 3-2 to Villarreal in a pre-season friendly at the Emirates Stadium, with Nigerian-eligible midfielder Ethan Nwaneri featuring for 62 minutes and fellow Nigerian-eligible youngster Andre Harriman-Annous an unused substitute.

Villarreal opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Nicolas Pépé reacted quickest to a rebound, smashing into the top corner after Gerard Moreno’s header was saved.  

Their lead was doubled in the 33rd minute as Etta Eyong pounced from close range, firing high into the net following another incisive move.

The Gunners pulled one back three minutes later when Christian Nørgaard met Gabriel Martinelli’s corner with a powerful header into the bottom corner. 

Nwaneri, starting in an advanced midfield role, was heavily involved in the first half, producing two shots on target and linking well with Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyökeres.

Villarreal restored their two-goal cushion in the 68th minute as Santi Comesaña led a rapid counter-attack before sliding the ball to Lagos-born forward Arnaut Danjuma, who finished low beyond substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Arsenal responded again in the 76th minute when Max Dowman was fouled by Pau Navarro in the box. 

Captain Martin Ødegaard converted the resulting penalty, calmly placing his shot into the bottom right corner.

Nwaneri was withdrawn in the 62nd minute as part of a wave of substitutions, having shown composure on the ball and creativity in tight spaces. 

Harriman-Annous, meanwhile, remained on the bench throughout. Despite a late surge from Arsenal, including blocked efforts from Gabriel Magalhães and a long-range strike from Ødegaard, Villarreal’s defence held firm to secure the win.

The performance offered encouragement for Arsenal’s young talents, with Nwaneri gaining valuable experience and Harriman-Annous continuing his integration into the senior matchday environment ahead of the new season.

Wale Adejumo

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