Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal won their penultimate pre-season fixture ahead of the next campaign, demolishing Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, August 6, 2024.
The rollercoaster pre-season matchup saw the 2023-24 Premier League runners-up put the all-conquering Bayer Leverkusen side to the sword. It was a fiery start for the Gunners.
The former Manchester City defender Zinchenko put up a statement performance with a quickfire goal in the 8th minute to give Arsenal the lead.
A minute after Zinchenko’s goal, Belgian attacking sensation, Leandro Trossard doubled the lead for the hosts. The goal-scoring spree continued in the 38th minute. Brazilian attacker and former Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus completed the first-half rout with Arsenal’s third goal.
Despite an advantageous three-goal lead in the first half, the Mikel Arteta-led side continued on their dominant display in the second half. Bayer Leverkusen did little to stage a response and went down further with Arsenal’s fourth strike from Kai Havertz in the 65th minute.
With barely 14 minutes left to play, Hlozek would score a consolation goal for the distraught Bundesliga side. It ended with Arsenal securing a deserved and comprehensive 4-1 victory over the Bundesliga champions.
Can Arsenal challenge for the 2024-25 Premier League after 4-1 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal have been largely inconsistent in their pre-season matches so far. They opened their pre-season campaign with a draw against Bournemouth before winning via penalties.
Against Manchester United in the second match, it ended in a 2-1 victory after regulation time. Away from the two-match winning run, they were pegged back to default with a 2-1 loss to Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
After the loss against Liverpool, the factory-resetting victory over Bayer Leverkusen has apparently boasted the confidence in the squad ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League season. The Mikel Arteta-led side are expected to challenge for the Premier League title again after narrowly missing out in the past two seasons.
Notably, Bayer Leverkusen went unbeaten throughout their Bundesliga-winning run last season and are regarded as one of the best teams in Europe. Arsenal’s comprehensive 4-1 victory affirmed the team’s readiness to challenge for the Premier League title.
Note that a one-match masterclass is not enough to determine a team’s chances in football competitions. However, Arsenal have not performed below the pecking for top clubs that are likely to challenge for the Premier League title next season. While they must have lost some bragging rights with the 2-1 loss to Liverpool, they are still favorites to challenge Manchester City for the title next season.
As we reported earlier, Mikel Arteta has set an astonishing points target to end the Gunners’ two-decade Premier League title deadlock. The Spaniard is fixing his gaze on garnering the maximum 114 points by winning all matches to beat City to the title.
Meanwhile, the team will hope to build on the Bayer Leverkusen victory with their last pre-season tie against Lyon in the Emirates Cup final on August 11, 2024, before opening their Premier League campaign with a home fixture against Wolves on Saturday, August 27, 2024.
