Bruno Guimaraes stepped onto the pitch for the first time in an Arsenal shirt, while youngster Myles Lewis‑Skelly found the net amid ongoing rumours about his future, as the Gunners were held to a 1‑1 draw by Como before ultimately prevailing 4‑3 in a penalty shoot‑out. Guimaraes, the £75 million acquisition from Newcastle United, was introduced at halftime during the pre‑season friendly at the Emirates Stadium after Lewis‑Skelly’s early strike was levelled by Martin Baturina.
Lewis‑Skelly’s goal came after he intercepted a wayward pass from Como keeper Jean Butez and calmly slotted the ball home. The youngster, whose name has been linked with a possible departure from the club, celebrated by forming a heart shape with his hands, a gesture that quickly caught the attention of fans and pundits alike.
The Brazilian midfielder received a warm reception from the crowd, but despite his presence Arsenal could not produce a decisive second‑half winner in regular time. The match eventually went to penalties, where both Guimaraes and fellow newcomer Christos Tzolis stepped up and converted their spot‑kicks, helping Arsenal secure the shoot‑out victory. Mikel Artarthe manager chose to rest several key figures who had just returned from World Cup duty, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi. Instead, the Gunners featured a number of pre‑season first‑team appearances from England and Spain internationals such as Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Mikel Merino and Noni Madueke.
Looking ahead, Arsenal now turn their focus to the Community Shield clash against Manchester City in Cardiff, followed by the Premier League opener against Coventry City, scheduled for Friday 21 August and broadcast live on Sky Sports. While the headline moments centred on the debut of a £75 million signing and the goal from a player who may soon be forced out, another storyline emerged in the form of Marli Salmon’s impressive defensive display.
The 16‑year‑old defender, one of two Arsenal youths to start alongside Max Dowman, delivered a composed performance that continued the strong form shown throughout the pre‑season. Positioned at centre‑back with fellow teenager Theo Julienne at full‑back, Salmon remained unflappable even as Arteta made a series of sweeping substitutions.
When he finally left the field in the 88th minute, the crowd rose to give him a standing ovation. Statistically, Salmon’s impact was undeniable.
He won nine of his 13 duels – the highest tally of any player on either side – and completed 42 of his 43 attempted passes, again the best passing accuracy in the match. These numbers underscored his confidence, composure and technical quality both in possession and when defending. Como’s head coach, former Arsenal academy product Cesc Fàbregas, praised the youngster’s performance, stating, "Amazing.
That's what it's all about. Hale End does an amazing job." Arteta echoed the sentiment, labeling Salmon as "exceptional" and hinting that he could become a reliable defensive option for the first team. During his post‑match press conference, Arteta spoke about Guimaraes, noting that the midfielder had only three training sessions with the squad but already looked comfortable. "He was really pushing to play some minutes today.
I think he wanted to get his debut and feel the atmosphere in front of our fans immediately. You can sense a strong connection already, which will make us better," the manager said. Midfielder Mikel Merino, speaking to Arsenal’s official YouTube channel, highlighted the team’s overall performance: "I think we dominated. The team showed what it is capable of.
Everyone was at a good level. Honestly, I think we deserved to win; we had massive chances to score.
We’ll take the positives into the next game and hopefully dominate every game like we did today." Regarding the upcoming Community Shield, Arteta added, "It’s another final and we want to win, we want to give the fans more happiness. But especially for us, we want to compete. Wearing this shirt and this badge means a lot and that’s about giving everything and playing to our best capacity." The pre‑season schedule leading up to the friendly with Como has been packed.
Arsenal opened July 25 with a 3‑0 victory over MK Dons at their training ground, followed by a 4‑1 triumph over Girona on August 1, a 3‑1 win against Real Betis in Dublin on August 5, and a 3‑2 loss to Borussia Dortmund on August 9. The 1‑1 draw with Como on August 12, capped by the penalty shoot‑out, was the latest test before the Community Shield fixture on August 16 in Cardiff at 3 pm.