Arsenal secures 3-0 victory over MK Dons in pre-season friendly
Pre-season preparations begin with a win
Arsenal commenced their 2026/27 season preparations with a 3-0 victory against MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors match. The fixture took place at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. Reiss Nelson opened the scoring for Arsenal, followed by a goal from Ethan Nwaneri before halftime. In the second half, Ceadach O’Neill added a third goal to complete the win.
The match saw several players feature, including new signings and academy products. Christos Tzolis, who recently joined from Club Brugge in a £34million move, made his unofficial debut and contributed an assist. Another new signing, Illan Meslier, also made his debut in the second half.
Tzolis makes immediate impact
Christos Tzolis, a Greece international, was involved in the action early in the game. He fed Reiss Nelson inside the box within the first minute, though the effort was blocked by MK Dons goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray. Tzolis continued to be a threat down the left wing, linking up with left-back Riccardo Calafiori.
The partnership between Tzolis and Calafiori led to the opening goal. After playing the ball around the MK Dons defence, Tzolis found Nelson again, who scored after 10 minutes. Tzolis had recorded 29 assists for Club Brugge last season, and his debut assist suggests a continuation of his form. On the opposite wing, Max Dowman also showed promise in the first half, delivering a crossfield pass to Nelson.
MK Dons, a newly promoted League One club, sought to respond, with forward Callum Paterson having an opportunity. However, Arsenal’s Kepa Arrizabalaga denied Paterson from close range. Arsenal extended their lead in the 39th minute when Ethan Nwaneri curled a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after a corner kick.
Second half changes and academy involvement
Mikel Arteta made eight changes to the Arsenal lineup at halftime, introducing a more youthful side. Only Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marli Salmon, and Louie Copley remained from the first half. MK Dons created chances in the second half, with Jack Burke and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy both firing over the bar.
A triple substitution on the hour mark saw Illan Meslier come on for his debut, replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga. Academy products Theo Julienne and Marcell Washington also entered the game, replacing Marli Salmon and Louie Copley, respectively. Cohen Bramall, a former Arsenal academy graduate, featured for MK Dons, and his free-kick was met by Paterson, whose header went off target.
Arsenal’s third goal came from Ceadach O’Neill, who latched onto a chipped pass from Demiane Agustien and scored at the near post. The young Arsenal side continued to create opportunities, with Ismeal Kabia setting up Evan Mooney, whose powerful shot hit the underside of the bar. Kabia then had a chance himself after being played through by O’Neill but shot directly at MacGillivray. The match concluded with Kepa Arrizabalaga, and later Illan Meslier, preserving a clean sheet for Arsenal.
The Arsenal players who did not participate in the World Cup returned to the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Monday for the official start of their pre-season, following a training camp in Marbella. The team is scheduled to travel to Girona for a pre-season training camp.
The first half lineup for Arsenal included Arrizabalaga, Copley, Mosquera, Salmon, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Nelson, Dowman, Tzolis, and Jesus. The second half lineup featured Arrizabalaga (Meslier 59′), Ogunnaike, Salmon (Julienne 59′), Clarke, Copley (Washington 59′), Ibrahim, Agustien, O’Neill, Harriman-Annous, Kabia, and Mooney. MK Dons’ lineup included MacGillivray, Burke, Barlaser, Kelly, Wiles, Paterson, Nelson, Bramall, Hepburn-Murphy, Lewis-Burgess (Singh-Hurditt 46′), and Ekpiteta.
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Source: arsenal.com
