Arsenal Shine in Dominant 4-1 Victory Over Bayer Leverkusen at Emirates

Arsenal delivered a commanding performance in their pre-season preparations, securing an impressive 4-1 win against German champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium. This match marked the Gunners' first home appearance since the conclusion of last season, and they wasted no time in making a statement.

The home side surged into an early 2-0 lead with goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard, showcasing their attacking intent. Zinchenko opened the scoring with a precise finish, while Trossard doubled the advantage shortly after, leaving Leverkusen struggling to find their rhythm.

Gabriel Jesus further extended Arsenal's lead before halftime, capitalizing on a sloppy throw-in from Leverkusen. The Brazilian striker pounced on the mistake, racing clear of the defense to slot home the third goal, putting the game seemingly out of reach for the visitors.

In the second half, Arsenal continued to press forward, and their efforts were rewarded when substitute Bukayo Saka provided a clever cut-back into the box. Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, now with Leverkusen, inadvertently redirected the ball towards Kai Havertz, who reacted swiftly to score against his former Bundesliga rivals, making it 4-0.

Leverkusen, who went unbeaten in last season's Bundesliga campaign, managed to pull one back late in the game through Adam Hlozek, but it was merely a consolation as Arsenal's dominance was never in doubt.

The Gunners will look to carry this momentum into their next pre-season fixture when they face Lyon in the Emirates Cup on Sunday.

Cameron Archer’s Late Strike Secures Villa's 3-2 Win Over Athletic Bilbao

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Aston Villa continued their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium. Cameron Archer proved to be the hero for Unai Emery’s side, scoring a late solo winner to secure the win.

Villa took the lead through Jacob Ramsey after a well-executed team move, but Bilbao responded swiftly, equalizing through Yeray Alvarez. Despite this setback, Villa regained their advantage on the hour mark, with Jaden Philogene finding the back of the net.

Bilbao, however, were resilient and managed to level the score once more, thanks to Gorka Guruzeta’s smart finish. With the game heading towards a draw, Archer latched onto a long ball, displayed his pace and composure, and rounded the Bilbao goalkeeper to score the decisive goal, ensuring Villa came out on top.

Aston Villa will conclude their pre-season campaign with a challenging fixture against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, where they’ll look to fine-tune their squad ahead of the new season.