Arsenal held by Como in pre-season friendly as Guimaraes makes debut

Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Como in a pre-season friendly at the Emirates Stadium, eventually securing a 4-3 victory on penalties. The match served as the first competitive appearance for new signing Bruno Guimaraes, who was introduced at half-time after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s opening goal had been cancelled out by Martin Baturina.

Guimaraes, who joined the club from Newcastle United for a fee of £75m on Saturday, received a warm reception from the home crowd upon his substitution. The transfer, which Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson confirmed satisfied the club, marks the fourth key player to depart Newcastle in less than a year, following an emotional request from the midfielder to leave despite the club’s initial reluctance to sell their captain.

Lewis-Skelly opened the scoring after capitalising on a poor pass from Como goalkeeper Jean Butez. The goal came amidst ongoing speculation linking the young player with an exit from the club, a narrative he acknowledged by celebrating with a heart gesture. However, Arsenal were unable to convert their dominance into a second-half winner against the Italian side.

Manager Mikel Arteta opted to rest several key players, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi, following their return from World Cup duty. Conversely, the match provided first cameos of the pre-season campaign for Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Mikel Merino, and Noni Madueke.

The result sets the stage for Arsenal’s next fixture, the Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday. The Premier League season is scheduled to begin on Friday, August 21, with a live Sky Sports broadcast against Coventry, following a pre-season run that has included matches against MK Dons, Girona, Real Betis, and Borussia Dortmund.