Arsenal concluded their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas’ Como side, ultimately winning 4-3 on penalties. The match saw young defender Myles Lewis-Skelly score the opening goal, sending a clear message about his future amid intense transfer rumors. Over the previous 24 hours, Standard Sport had reported that both Chelsea and Manchester United were offered the chance to sign the teenager, who has been with Arsenal since he was eight years old. After capitalizing on a poor pass from Como goalkeeper Jean Butez to score from the edge of the box, Lewis-Skelly celebrated by making a heart sign to the stands and beating the badge on his chest, signaling his desire to stay and fight for his place despite Arsenal's £75 million signing of Bruno Guimaraes.
Mikel Arteta named a strong starting lineup, though Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi were left out of the matchday squad. The game marked the first minutes for Eberechi Eze since returning from his post-World Cup holidays, while Noni Madueke featured as a second-half substitute. Having gone winless in their previous two friendlies—conceding six goals in total to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund—the Gunners started with a high press. Although Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli missed early chances, Lewis-Skelly eventually punished another error from Butez to make it 1-0.
Como equalized just before half-time when Croatian star Martin Baturina evaded tackles from Theo Julienne and Max Dowman to fire past Kepa Arrizabalaga. Arteta made sweeping changes at the break, introducing Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and debutant Guimaraes, with six more substitutions following after an hour. Despite the added quality, Arsenal struggled to create clear chances outside of set pieces. In the pre-planned penalty shootout, goalkeeper David Raya made two smart saves before Christos Tzolis scored the decisive penalty to seal the 4-3 win. Meanwhile, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed Arsenal's contact for a new Atletico Madrid star, while Chelsea's offer to land Lewis-Skelly has raised questions about whether he would be a good option for Alonso.
In other Premier League news, Tottenham Hotspur's recent match against Leeds United sparked controversy when James Maddison was denied a penalty on his return from injury. The Premier League has explained why Tottenham were not awarded the spot-kick during their draw with Leeds, denying the Spurs midfielder a major moment in his comeback game.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, Bento's howler delays Cristiano Ronaldo's first title with Al-Nassr. An ugly mistake by Brazilian goalkeeper Bento prevented Al-Nassr from winning the Saudi League title this Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo’s team was leading 1-0 until the 53rd minute of the second half before the error cost them the victory.
