Report, result, goals from the Emirates

Arsenal lost the second game in six days as goals from Nicolas Pepe, Karl Eta Eyong and Arnaut Danjuma gave Villarreal their first pre-season victory with a 3-2 win at Emirates Stadium.

Pepe, Arsenal’s second most expensive signing following his £ 72 million move by Nice in 2019, stripped on a fire defending a 16-minute fire-defending slack after Pape Gueye fired against a place.

Karl Etta Eyong hit the vicinity similar 17 minutes after David Raya denied Gerard Moreno, but Christian Norgaard walked in the corner of Gabriel Martinelli before the break.

It smells it. He looks for it. He should. Etta Eyong and his idle for the purpose. 👽 pic.twitter.com/qrwqqxbp9

– Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCf) August 6, 2025

The hosts dominated the start of the second half and tested goalkeeper Luis Junior twice in a row through fierce shots from Ethan Nwaneri and Viktor Gyokeres in his first start to the club, only for Danjuma to charge Santi Comeana’s through the ball on the brake, entering the box in the 68th minute.

Martin Odegaard reduced the deficit to one with the remaining 14 minutes, converting a penalty won by a quick 15-year-old attacking midfielder Max Dowman, who was one of the most impressive artists during the pre-season Arsenal season.

Gabriel then missed the chance to win the following penalties for Arsenal when Diego Conde changed the defender’s attempt against the lie before the substitute goalkeeper denied Noni Madoeke’s new signing in sudden death to seal the second night’s win for the yellow submarine.

With a lot of poison.
That: Danjuma 🐍 pic.twitter.com/c8ckm3w1dm

– Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCf) August 6, 2025

Arsenal vs Villarreal: Defeat for Gunners

Villarreal never scored on three previous visits to Arsenal but Pepe gave Myles Lewis-skelly once a torrid early and Jakub Kiwior was guilty for the first goal by entering the point range as the winger pointed.

Nordaard – a signing of £ 15 million from Brentford in July – provided a much -needed relief measure for Premier League Side after those early goals calmed down the crowd of the house, opening his account with a header in the 36th minute in the next place.

New defender Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel were allowed to walk with the speed of Villarreal’s counter-attack for their third and Sergi Cardona was a persistent catalyst for Villarreal with speed, trickery and the ability to split from the left.

Odegaard, Declan Ross and Olenkandr Zinchenko scored for the Arsenal in the shot but Mikel Merino shot well after waiting for Diego Conde to move.

Alberto Moleiro, Danjuma, Comesana and Pau Cabanes scored a penalty for Villarreal, while the former Arsenal loan signing Denis Suarez’s effort was wide and Jean Valou hit the lead.

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Arsenal Team vs Villarreal

Arsenal started Gyokeres, who joined Sporting in July for a charge that could go up to £ 64 million and made up for Villarreal’s start-up goalkeeper, Luiz Junior, from a tight angle after being played by Mikel Merino.

Another new striker, Noni Madueke, was on the bench after missing Arsenal’s tour while recovering from the Chelsea campaign at the World Cup club in June and July.

Gabriel and Jurrien Timber were injured, while defender Riccardo Calafiori was absent after missing Spurs’s 1-0 defeat in Hong Kong last Thursday with a knee injury.

Leandro Trossard was not risked after being thrown into that game.

Athletic Bilbao also visited Arsenal on Saturday (5:00 pm BST / 12:00 et / 09:00 PT) and Arteta said he was waiting for high-level meetings with Laliga clubs.

“Villarreal are playing at the highest level and have a manager in Marcelino who likes to play a very specific type of system and formation found in the Premier League this season,” predicted the Spanish.

“Games against the Spanish opposition also need other things from us and I expect them to be really good games.

“When we repair these pre-season games, I always look at how the manager stops his teams, how to train their team, the type of players they have, how to train different phases of games against different blocks.

“We have a very good mix this previous season. The knowledge and experience we gain from all these games come in our” database “to help us during the season. Helps for the way we should evolve our game models.

“Each game will demand something from you physically and (in terms of) the spaces you have to attack or protect, and different ways (opponents) can play in their accumulation as well.

“So we want to nail that and improve this. The games against Villarreal will help, so it’s a good game for us.”

Arsenal begins some: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Sorry, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres

Arsenal substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Wood, Gabriel, Mosqua, Zinchenko, Longuna, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Madueke, Ross, Dowman, Harriman-Aan

Villarreal Team vs Arsenal

Willy Kambwala was out for a Villarreal with a damage to the left hamstring that the French-cosmous defender suffered during their friendship against Genoa on July 31.

Cape Verde defender Logan Costa had an operation on Tuesday for a full breach of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which suffered damage during their pre-season opener against FC Basel on July 19.

Santiago Mourino, who debuted at the right at a 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Saturday, held his place.

Thomas Party is expected to sign for Villarreal this week but the former Arsenal midfielder, who will appear in the Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday after being charged with five charges of rape and one of sexual assault, was not on board in time for a return to Emirates Stadium.

Villarreal were not foreigners to the Emirates Stadium, although they failed to score on their previous three visits.

The 41st minute of the Kolo Toure Opener at home for Arsenal showed the only goal of the Champions League semi-finals 2005/06, with Riquelme missing from a late penalty for Villarreal in the return of Estadio El Madrigal.

The teams met in London for a link of the quarterfinals that got 1-1 after the first leg in 2009, only for Arsenal to go through a 3-0 victory.

Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie scored on that occasion, and Villarreal are without defeat in the two encounters between clubs since.

Under Former Arsenal Manager Unai Emery, Villarreal won the first leg 2-1 at home against Arteta’s team in the Europa League 2020/21 semi-finals, Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol scored before Pepe’s late reply.

The second foot ended 0-0, and sent the yellow submarines to the final that won 11-10 over penalties against Manchester United after a 1-1 draw in Gansk.

Villarreal begins some: Junior, Mourino, Marin, Foyth, Cardona, Gueye, Moleiro, Parejo, Pepe, Eyong, Moreno

Substitutes Villarreal: Gomez, Conde, Navarro, Suarez, Danjuma, AltiMira, Comesana, Buchanan, Pedraza, Valou, Cabanes

The Premier League 2025/26 season when Arsenal begins?

The first round of Premier League games On 2025/26 it will be at the end of August 16, 2025, including Arsenal’s journey to Manchester United on Sunday, August 17 at 4:30 pm.

The game against the Europa League 2024/25 is being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra and a major event.

The last round of this season’s matches will begin at the same time on May 24, 2026

When does Villarreal’s 2025/26 season start?

After qualifying for the Champions League by finishing last fifth season, Villarreal will start their 2025/26 campaign at home for Oviedo on August 15 (8:30 pm BST / 15:30 et / 12:30 PT).

Their visitors were promoted through the play-offs after being third in the Segunda Division.