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Arsenal defeated Chelsea 4-0 in the Florida Cup in Orlando on Sunday, July 24.
Dubbed a pre-season friendly, both sides fielded strong lineups which added an edge to this all-Premier League clash.
Mikel Arteta's side has already made key additions to strengthen the squad over the summer. The Gunners have signed Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and goalkeeper Matt Turner so far.
Pre-season games provided the ideal opportunity for Arteta to experiment with tactics and combinations.
Zinchenko, having joined up with his new teammates just a couple of days back, was put straight into action as he made his debut for Arsenal.
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The Gunners made a sharp start with the ball, distributing it well in the short and long ranges. They played some timely, accurate long balls to change flanks effectively, keeping their opponents on their toes.
However, they were met with a steely Chelsea side that did not shy away from putting in crunching tackles. Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling led the charge for the Blues, imposing themselves early on with strong challenges.
Arsenal opened the scoring shortly after the 10-minute mark, as Gabriel Jesus found himself marginally onside. The ball broke to him and he delicately lifted it over the onrushing Edouard Mendy to put the Gunners up 1-0.
The early goal livened the young Gunners up as they pressed with increased intensity and vigor. Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard did well to lead the charge. They were complemented well by Jesus, who kept Chelsea's centre-backs occupied.
Gabriel Martinelli found himself in a pocket of space near Chelsea's box. Twisting and turning, he made space and played the ball into Odegaard's path. The Arsenal skipper finished sharply into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0.
The Blues came very close to scoring a goal of their own just before half-time. Mason Mount created space for himself and unleashed a powerful strike goalwards. The ball rattled the post and bounced off, saving Aaron Ramsdale's blushes as the sides headed into the break.
Arsenal came out for the second half looking slightly jaded and off-color as compared to the first period.
Despite their apparent lack of sharpness, the Gunners added a third goal shortly after the hour-mark. Bukayo Saka was on target as he tapped in the rebound following two shots.
Martinelli's attempt was parried away by Mendy, who then denied Xhaka's shot. He could not prevent Saka from tapping in from close-range to make it 3-0. He did appear offside in the replays but the goal was given regardless.
Arsenal continued to pose questions for Chelsea's defense. Kalidou Koulibaly's introduction helped the Blues as they looked more composed and equipped to deal with the constant threat.
The Gunners had one final roll of the dice as they scored to make it 4-0 in stoppage time. Albert Sambi Lokonga, a second-half substitute, headed in at the far post from Cedric's cross.
The game ended in a 4-0 win for Arsenal as they lifted the Florida Cup 2022. That said, here are the Gunners' five best players from the game.
#5 Granit Xhaka
Xhaka was a solid presence at the heart of Arsenal's midfield. He used his physicality well to shield the ball and win crucial duels to thwart Chelsea's advances.
The Swiss midfielder was sharp to react to a half-hearted clearance early in the first half. He provided an assist for Gabriel Jesus to open the scoring for the Gunners.
Xhaka also held his own as a leader, protecting his younger teammates when things got heated at certain moments.
#4 Oleksandr Zinchenko
Despite having joined the club just a couple of days back, the Ukrainian was included in Arsenal's starting XI. Zinchenko provided a much-needed fluidity to the Gunners' passing moves down the left flank. He was ever-present in the final third when his side was attacking.
Zinchenko also distributed the ball well, playing some lovely cross-field passes to switch play in key moments. He combined well with Jesus on the left wing on occasion, owing to their time together at Manchester City.
He looked at home playing with his new teammates and it will be exciting to see how he performs with regular game-time.
#3 William Saliba
Saliba joined Arsenal from AS Saint-Etienne in 2019, back when Unai Emery was in charge of the Gunners. The former manager did well to register Saliba as their player, allowing him to qualify as a homegrown player this season.
The Frenchman returned to Arsenal having won the Ligue 1 Player of the Season award with Marseille last year. He added composure and solidity to Arsenal's backline. His passing abilities helped them navigate through tight spots with relative ease. Saliba also did well to track his runners and prevent Chelsea's forwards from getting too close to Arsenal's goal.
#2 Martin Odegaard
The Norwegian was Arsenal's captain on the night and led from the front with his movement, passing and intense pressing. He controlled the midfield and was in the thick of things as the Gunners created some trademark passing combinations.
Odegaard also got on the scoresheet midway through the first half. He received the ball inside the box following a brilliant bit of skill from Gabriel Martinelli. He applied the finish after a sharp turn to put his side 2-0 up.
His creativity and imagination in and around the box was crucial for the Gunners as he did well to involve his teammates in every move.
#1 Gabriel Jesus
Jesus is increasingly looking like the final piece in Mikel Arteta's elaborate puzzle he has built since taking over. The Brazilian has fit in at the club like a hand in a glove and it shows in his displays on the pitch.
He looked sharp whenever he received the ball, whether facing the opponent's goal or his own. Jesus used his agility and trickery well to skip past tackles and draw fouls on occasion.
He opened the scoring early in the first half with a sublime finish following an assist from Xhaka. Jesus received the ball with a deft touch and then dinked the ball over the charging goalkeeper to score. His mobility in the final third coupled with his ability to play in any of the front-three roles makes him an invaluable asset for his side.
Gabriel Jesus won the man of the match award for his performance.
