Girona vs Arsenal; Friendly Match
Girona vs Arsenal. Friendly Match.
Municipal de Montilivi.
Girona 1-4 Arsenal: Max Dowman and Christos Tzolis score as Gunners record dominant win in first pre-season game
Max Dowman, 16, dazzles with a goal and assist as Arsenal beat Girona 4-1 in Catalonia; debutant Christos Tzolis also scored; Arsenal face Real Betis on 5 August in their next pre-season friendly in Dublin
Saturday 1 August 2026 21:11, UK
Max Dowman dazzled with a goal and an assist as Arsenal recorded a dominant 4-1 win against Girona in their first pre-season game at Montilivi in Catalonia.
The 16-year-old was at the heart of everything good for Arsenal, including their opener, where he produced a brilliant turn and through-ball to Kai Havertz, who slotted a composed finish past Paulo Gazzaniga with aplomb, before Christos Tzolis - who impressed on debut - got in on the act with a deflected finish that nestled in the bottom corner and doubled the Gunners' lead.
A brief Girona fightback just after half-time - propelled by a Arnau Martinez header from a corner - was short-lived, as a determined Dowman blasted a powerful finish from outside the box home just three minutes after Arsenal conceded, and a defensive mix-up for Girona saw Gabriel Jesus pounce on a loose ball on the edge of the box and put the game to bed.
A plethora of changes for both sides followed, and a make-shift line-up filled with academy products saw Mikel Arteta's side to their first pre-season victory before the Gunners head to Dublin to face Real Betis on Wednesday.
- As it happened: Girona 1-4 Arsenal
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The key moments from Catalonia
16: GOAL! Dowman produces a magic moment with a beautiful turn that takes Moreno out of the game, and then provides an inch-perfect pass into the path of Havertz, who is clean through and slots neatly into the bottom left corner.
17: BIG CHANCE! Lewis-Skelly neatly feeds Havertz through with a lofted ball, but his low cross is batted away by Gazzaniga.
26: CLOSE! Tzolis is found with a neat through-ball from Calafiori setting him through on goal - his choice to pass is the wrong one, though Gyokeres can't sort his feet out before a Girona player can stick a foot in, and Dowman's eventual shot from the loose ball is blocked.
32: GOAL! Tzolis is rewarded for a brilliant first 30 minutes in an Arsenal shirt when his low driven effort takes a light deflection and nestles into the bottom left corner.
50: GOAL! Girona corner meets the head of Girona skipper Martinez, who heads powerfully into the top left corner after a steaming run into the box
53: GOAL! Dowman's powerful shot finds a way past the keeper and in after cutting inside on his favoured left foot.
55: GOAL! A ricocheted ball trickles agonisingly backwards and towards an unmarked Jesus in the box, who finishes with aplomb.
What's next for Arsenal?
- 5 August: Arsenal vs Real Betis - Dublin, 7:30pm
- 12 August: Arsenal vs Como - Emirates Stadium, 7:30pm
- 16 August: Arsenal vs Man City, Community Shield - Cardiff, 3:00pm
- 21 August: Arsenal vs Coventry, Premier League - Emirates Stadium, 8:00pm
