In their second match of the Dubai Cup, Arsenal cruised to a 2-1 victory over AC Milan.
Although Arsenal had the majority of the early possession, the Gunners invited a lot of pressure with some sloppy backwards passing, almost leaving Gabriel and goalkeeper Karl Hein exposed.
10 minutes into the game, Divock Origi came dangerously close to giving Milan the lead when he turned Rob Holding and unleashed a long-range shot that hit the crossbar and went over.
Martin Odegaard scored the game’s first goal with a direct free kick that found the bottom corner of Tatarusanu’s net just as Milan was seizing control of the situation.
Soon after, Origi should have tied the score with a header from a Sandro Tonali cross, but he missed the mark. Instead, Arsenal scored the game’s second goal. Reiss Nelson’s deflected shot just before halftime caught Tatarusanu off guard and gave the Gunners a comfortable lead at the break.
After a sluggish first few minutes of the second half, Mohamed Elneny had a chance to score a third goal, but his shot was deflected off Odegaard and looped agonisingly over the bar. With about 12 minutes left, Milan created a tense finish to the game when Fikayo Tomori leaped highest from a Tonali free-kick to head the ball past Hein.
Although it was one of the few entertaining moments in the second half, Arsenal cruised to a comfortable victory before focusing on the penalty shootout for an additional bonus point.
First to take a shot, Cedric successfully converted. Brahim Diaz’s fourth penalty resulted in the first miss. After a string of goals, Matt Smith missed Arsenal’s fifth attempt, giving Milan the chance to tie the game. However, Rade Krunic dragged his shot wide, giving the Gunners the victory.
FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE ON TWITTER
READ MORE;
Barcelona striker Depay’s move to Serie A side could collapse
England 1-2 France : Unstoppable Giroud fires Les Blues into Semifinals
Morocco 1-0 Portugal : The Africans made incredible entry into the semifinals