Arsenal will face French side Olympique Lyonnais in the Emirates Cup as Mikel Arteta’s side aim to get up to full speed for the Premier League season.
Arsenal delivered a superb thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the first game of the annual pre-season cup earlier this week, and the game against Lyon will be a chance for some fringe players and youngsters to try and force their way into the side.
This is not the first time Lyon have participated in the Emirates Cup, having also faced Arsenal in the summer of 2015. FLY EMIRATES are also Lyon’s main shirt sponsors, and the clubs also share a connection as Alexandre Lacazette enjoyed a five-year spell at Arsenal in between iconic stints at the Ligue 1 side.
When Lyon came to the Emirates ahead of the 2015-16 season, they were delivered a thrashing as Arsene Wenger’s side beat them 6-0. Lacazette was in the starting lineup for the visitors, but was powerless to prevent a rampant Arsenal team who blew them away.
Arsenal beat Lyon 6-0 in 2015 Emirates Cup
Arsenal headed into the Emirates Cup knowing that games against Lyon and Wolfsburg, in which Nicklas Bendtner returned to North London, were their final bits of preparation before facing Champions Chelsea in the Community Shield.
They then put on a superb display. Olivier Giroud opened the scoring from a set-piece, with Mesut Ozil delivering a cross onto his shoulder which found the back of the net.
Giroud then turned provider as he laid the ball off to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who drove forward before driving the ball into the bottom corner.
A minute later, Arsenal won the ball high up the pitch, and the outstanding Aaron Ramsey teed up youngster Alex Iwobi, who netted at senior level for the first time with a fierce left-footed strike.
Arsenal were red hot, and they made it 4-0 just three minutes later. Ozil assisted again, this time spotting Ramsey with a delicate pass, and the Welshman scored with a deft first-time finish.
In the second half, Ozil got himself onto the scoresheet after a brilliant triangle of passing with Ramsey and Giroud, firing into the bottom corner, before Santi Cazorla found the same corner with a late direct free-kick drilled beyond the goalkeeper.
Alex Iwobi burst onto the scene in the 2015 Emirates Cup against Lyon
Alex Iwobi celebrates scoring the 3rd Arsenal goal during the match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on July 25, 2015 in …
Whilst Ramsey and Ozil were both mesmerising, fans were also excited by the performance of Iwobi. The then 19-year-old had impressed throughout pre-season, but he finally made his mark in North London.
His movement was dangerous and his finish was superbly taken, and Wenger singled him out for praise after.
“I like Alex Iwobi. Good attitude, efficient player. Maybe not so flashy but he understands the game. He is very efficient and works for the team,” Wenger stated of Iwobi.
That season would see Iwobi break into the side, and his transition from academy football to the first-team was helped by his Emirates Cup display.
Youngsters such as Ethan Nwaneri will hope for a similar impact, but given that Arsenal finished second behind Leicester City in that campaign, Arteta will hope that a better season follows for his team now, than it did in his final year as a player.
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