Arsenal 6-0 Lyon: Rampant Gunners demolish Ligue 1 runners-upLast Updated: 25/07/15 9:11pm
Four goals in just nine breathtaking first half minutes helped Arsenal to a 6-0 win over Lyon in the Emirates Cup.
Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 29th minute before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey all added strikes to send the Gunners in at half-time four goals to the good.Arsenal continued to dominate their Ligue 1 opposition after the break with
Mesut Ozil making it five in the 62nd minute before Santi Cazorla completed the scoring with a free-kick just six minutes from time.The win sends Arsene Wenger’s men top of the Emirates Cup table and they continue their preparation for the new season against Wolfsburg on Sunday. The home fans were left disappointed when new Goalkeeper Petr Cech was only named on the bench by Wenger but the Frenchman still named a strong side, with Iwobi the only untested member of the starting line-up, although the nephew of Jay-Jay Okocha looked right at home.
Cech may have been on the bench but his deputy for the afternoon, Emiliano Martinez, proved he can provide competition for the former Chelsea stopper. He did well to beat away Clinton N'Jie's effort as Lyon looked for the early opener.
However, Arsenal started to take control of the game and Ozil was unlucky as the Germany international danced through the Lyon defence after collecting a long ball forward, only to see his shot cannon off the unwitting Giroud.
The pair combined more effectively moment later as Giroud opened the scoring, converting Ozil’s free-kick to open the scoring in the 29th minute and it took Wenger’s side just five minutes to double their advantage with Giroud releasing Oxlade-Chamberlain, who raced into the box before finishing in fine style.
Less than two minutes later the Gunners had a third thanks to a first Arsenal goal for the lively Iwobi after excellent work from Ramsey.
Arsenal were rampant and they completed their first half scoring in the 38th minute as Ozil fed the ball to Ramsey, who turned the ball past Anthony Lopes at the near post.
There was no let up from the home side after the break as first Oxlade-Chamberlain went close before Giroud flashed a volley into the side netting.
They continued to pile the pressure on a shell-shocked Lyon and they got their reward when Giroud flicked the ball into the path of Ozil, who fired a low shot into the far corner beyond Lopes.
With Wolfsburg in opposition on Sunday, Wenger rung the changes with Mikel Arteta, Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla and all getting run outs and the latter completed the scoring just six minutes from time when his low free-kick sneaked under the wall and into the net.
In the earlier game, Matias Nahuel Leiva’s 16th-minute strike was enough to send Villarreal to a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg.The Spanish side took an early lead in the eighth minute through full-back Mario Gaspar but Wolfsburg were back on level terms moments later through Ivan Perisic.
But in a flurry of first half goals Villarreal got their winner just six minutes later as Leiva sent Marcelino García Toral’s side to victory in the Emirates Cup opener.
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