Kai Havertz gave us the lead after running onto a fine Max Dowman throughball, and slotting home before summer signing Christos Tzolis grabbed his first Gunners goal.

The Greek winger powered a right-footed shot low into the bottom corner from just inside the area to double our lead before half-time. 

Girona very briefly threatened a comeback early in the second half when Arnau Martinez headed home a corner, but we snuffed out that danger with quick goals from Dowman and Gabriel Jesus. 

It was the perfect way to end a week of intensive training in eastern Spain, before heading to Dublin next week. 

KAI KICKS US OFF

After beating MK Dons 3-0 in a behind-closed-doors fixture at Sobha Realty Training Centre last weekend, our pre-season preparations took a step up, as we faced Girona. We were last at the Montilivi Stadium in 2024/25, when we won 2-1 in the league phase of the Champions League. Our hosts have been relegated to the second tier of Spanish football since then, but were keen to impress in front of their capacity crowd. 

We stamped our authority on the game early on, though. New signing Tzolis was in from the start, and his deep free kick inside the opening ten minutes led to our first chance, which Riccardo Calafiori headed straight at Paulo Gazzaniga.

We went ahead just after the quarter hour. Dowman had drifted inside from the right wing, turned his man when receiving a pass into feet, and released the onrushing Havertz. 

The German strode into the box before sliding a perfect left-footed finish past the keeper when one-on-one. 

TZOLIS BREAKS HIS DUCK

Tzolis doubled our lead on the half hour. Calafiori fed him the ball on the left and the Greek winger advanced into the box before cracking a right-footed shot into the bottom corner. It looked to take a nick on the way through the bodies in the area, but the shot was on target, and it will go down as the 24-year-old’s first Gunners goal. 

Mikel Arteta used the first drinks break to make some changes, introducing Jesus, Marli Salmon and Fabio Vieira. 

QUICK DOUBLE

Early in the second half, Girona pulled one back when Arnau Martinez rose highest to powerfully thump in an in-swinging corner. But we responded immediately, scoring twice more within five minutes. 

First, a wonderful finish from Dowman, cracking home from long range with his left boot, restored our two-goal advantage, before Jesus quickly made it 4-1.

Ben White snapped into a tackle in the Girona half, and the ball went all the way through to Jesus, who made no mistake when bearing down on the keeper.

That was Arteta’s cue to make wholesale changes, bringing on nine players, including several youngsters from the academy. 

We continued to dominate for much of the rest of the game, though Illan Meslier had to make two smart stops to deny Abel Ruiz.

WHAT'S NEXT

The team will head to Dublin for our next pre-season warm-up game, where we play Real Betis on Wednesday evening. That will be followed by the Emirates Cup fixture against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, August 9, before facing Como – also at home – on Wednesday, August 12. We then meet Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16 – our last game before the 2026/27 Premier League season kicks off. 

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal: Arrizabalaga (Meslier 61), White (Clarke 61), Mosquera (Copley 61, Julienne 85), Hincapie (Salmon 32), Calafiori (Ogunnaike 61), Lewis-Skelly (Ibrahim 61), Havertz (Vieira 32, Clarke 61), Nwaneri (O’Neill 61), Dowman (Nelson 61), Tzolis (Kabia 61), Gyokeres (Jesus 32, Agustien 85).

Substitute not used: Ranson