Arsenal beat Benfica 5-2 on the opening day of the Emirates Cup. One of the standout performances came from Sead Kolasinac, the free transfer who looked powerful on the flank and used the ball shrewdly in the attacking positions he relishes.
The Bosnian was involved in the creation of three goals and looks more than ready to make an impact in the Premier League.
Goals from a sharp Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud suggested both are rising to the challenge posed by the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette and the enterprising teenager Reiss Nelson made a stylish impact.
It was a pre-season encounter with abundant chances (which said as much for the defensive sluggishness on show as the attacking finesse) and that Arsenal managed to score five times with Alexis Sánchez on his sickbed and Lacazette used for a brief cameo was pleasing for Arsène Wenger.
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Benfica took an early lead as Franco Cervi’s shot ricocheted off Per Mertesacker. Arsenal’s equaliser owed much to the determination and invention of their new wing-back, Kolasinac, who showed strength to retain possession and pick a lofted pass for Walcott to steer in. Kolasinac was involved again in carving out a lead with a clever return ball for Francis Coquelin to provide Walcott with a tap-in.
The Portuguese equalised when Toto Salvio’s shot deflected off Rob Holding and diverted past David Ospina. Walcott was central as Arsenal regained the lead, his shot veering off Lisandro Lopez’s outstretched leg, before the forward slashed at a golden chance for a hat-trick.
The eye-catching Nelson made Arsenal’s fourth with an impudent chop to create space for a cross that Giroud finished. Alex Iwobi lashed in a fifth goal, with Kolasinac involved in the buildup underlining the threat that he can pose.
Ivan Perisic demonstrated what he can do against Premier League opposition by firing Internazionale to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in Singapore. The Croatian winger has been linked with Manchester United this summer although the Inter manager, Luciano Spalletti, said in the buildup to the match he would oppose any sale.
“There has been no more significant contact in the last few weeks,” he told inter.it. “So for me the conversation is over. The more days that go by, the more difficult it becomes for us to replace him and therefore I would strongly oppose his departure.”
Nerazzurri players scored all three goals at the National Stadium, with the former Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic converting a penalty in first-half stoppage time to give the Italians the lead.
Perisic, who scored 11 times in Serie A last season, made it 2-0 with a stunning angled drive shortly after the restart and the substitute Geoffrey Kondogbia ensured the tie was memorable by providing a comical own goal when the French midfielder managed to lob his goalkeeper, Daniele Padelli, from 40 yards with an overcooked back-pass. It was not, however, enough to save Chelsea from back-to-back defeats.
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