Arsenal 1-2 Lyon: Late Moussa Dembele double seals Lyon win
- Published
Lyon substitute Moussa Dembele scored two second-half goals as they came from behind to beat Arsenal in the pre-season Emirates Cup final.
Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli thought he had scored the winner when his goal was ruled out for offside seconds before Dembele put Lyon 2-1 up.
Martinelli made his first appearance at Emirates Stadium as a substitute, with fellow new signing Dani Ceballos.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's volley had given Arsenal a first-half lead.
The Gabon international hit the outside of the post late in the second half, almost chipping Lyon keeper Anthony Racioppi from the edge of the box.
Arsenal were forced to reshape early on as Alexandre Lacazette, facing his former club, was substituted in the 12th minute, moments after receiving treatment on the touchline.
Aubameyang's volley in the 36th minute was cancelled out by Dembele's first - a powerful header into the bottom right corner.
And there was drama late on as Martinelli's strike was ruled out seconds before Dembele went up the other end and slotted it past a stationary Bernd Leno to double his tally.
New signing Ceballos, who joins on loan from Real Madrid, was given a standing ovation when he and Martinelli were introduced late in the second half.
The 22-year-old Spanish international had little time to make an impact but enjoyed the occasion, taking time at the end of the match to thank supporters.
Prior to kick-off, there was a period of applause in memory of former Arsenal player Jose Antonio Reyes, who died in a car accident in June.
Ozil and Kolasinac absent as Mkhitaryan impresses
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery opted to rest midfielder Mesut Ozil and defender Sead Kolasinac after the pair were involved in a car-jacking attempt on Thursday.
The pair escaped uninjured, along with a female passenger, in the attack in north-west London, and later posted a picture on Twitter, external with the caption "think we're fine".
Kolasinac was also seen in CCTV footage chasing off one of the carjackers.
Their exclusion from the squad was one of several talking points as a busy week for the club included the announcement of their two new signings and another one impending.
Arsenal have an agreement with French club Lille to sign winger Nicolas Pepe in a deal worth £72m which puts Henrikh Mkhitaryan's place in the side under question.
The 30-year-old Armenian has been hit and miss since his move from Manchester United in January 2018 and was keen to impress, firing a dangerous volley at Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes before his fizzing cross set up Aubameyang's opener.
Mkhitaryan, who had to miss last season's Europa League final because of fears for his safety in Baku, has started three of the past four pre-season matches and was impressive at Emirates Stadium.
History created as women join men
Arsenal announced in May, external that the women would be joining the men for the first time at the Emirates Cup, three weeks after the conclusion of the Women's World Cup in France.
The reigning WSL champions lost 1-0 to Champions League semi-finalists Bayern Munich, a few hours before the men's defeat by Lyon.
It was the first of several women's fixtures that are due to be played at the same ground as the men. Manchester City and Manchester United will play the first women's derby at the 55,000-capacity Etihad Stadium on 7 September, a day before Chelsea play newly-promoted Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
The move is aimed at building on the increased interest in women's football after the World Cup - which saw several Women's Super League players in action.
And there was plenty of talent on show at the Emirates, including 20-year-old German midfielder Giulia Gwinn, who was named the Best Young Player at the World Cup.
She was joined in the Bayern team by compatriot Lina Magull, who scored in the quarter-final defeat by Sweden in France, while Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn was on the bench despite starting the World Cup final three weeks ago.
Joe Montemurro's Arsenal side included three of Scotland's World Cup stars - Jennifer Beattie, Lisa Evans and captain Kim Little - as well as a host of new signings including former Bayern defender and two-time Bundesliga champion Leonie Maier.
With World Cup Golden Glove winner Sari van Veenendaal leaving Arsenal to join Atletico Madrid, there was a new figure in goal for the Gunners - Austrian Manuela Zinsberger, another signing from Bayern.
But plenty of Arsenal's title-winning team were missing. Dutch World Cup finalists Vivianne Miedema and Danielle van de Donk are still in pre-season training, while compatriot and new signing Jill Roord is yet to make her debut.
It was the hosts who threatened first though - Ireland international Katie McCabe's audacious 30-yard chip sailing inches over the bar after just five minutes, before German defender Tabea Kemme volleyed wide for Arsenal.
But Bayern captain Melanie Leupolz broke the deadlock when she headed Magull's free-kick into the top left corner after 24 minutes and Arsenal could not find an equaliser.
It was a sad end to the game as forward Danielle Carter was taken off on a stretcher after appearing to twist her knee and was in visible pain as she received gas and air on the pitch.