Arsenal 1 Lyon 2: Arsenal’s defensive woes continue as Lyon shock the Gunners to win the Emirates Cup
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ARSENAL fans got a first look at Dani Ceballos today and took an instant shine to their new loanee.
The Spanish midfielder received the loudest roar of the afternoon when he was introduced as a 69th minute sub during the 2-1 defeat by Lyon.
Arsenal have paid a £3million loan fee to Real Madrid for Ceballos to take over the Aaron Ramsey role at the Emirates.
And even though he is only going to spend one year at the Emirates before returning to the Bernabeu, it is clear that big things are expected of him.
What a shame that the club managed to announce their new arrival as ‘Cabellos’ on the official team sheet handed out an hour before the match.
It was only when the game was about to kick-off that red-faced officials hastily dished out new sheets with his name spelled correctly.
Yet even that wasn’t as bad as the stadium announcer who welcomed ‘Gabriel Martini’ when £6million teenager Martinelli accompanied Ceballos onto the pitch midway through the second-half.
The Brazilian youngster thought he had won the Emirates Cup for his new team with virtually his first kick of the game when he bundled the ball home from close range.
But his effort was ruled out for handball and within seconds Lyon striker Moussa Dembele broke to win the match for the visitors.
It was an equally painful introduction for Ceballos, who was hacked down on the edge of the area for a free-kick which Granit Xhaka fired just wide as Arsenal chased the game.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had volleyed Arsenal into a 35th minute lead from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross.
But Unai Emery’s team were unable to capitalise on their greater possession and were punished when Dembele was left free to head in a cross from Memphis Depay.
The former Fulham and Celtic strike stuck again in the 76th minute when he eluded Arsenal’s clumsy offside trap to calmly steer his shot past the stranded Bernd Leno.
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But the real bad news for Emery was the loss of striker Alexandre Lacazette to an early injury.
The French international limped off for treatment to his left ankle after just three minutes, and though he tried to battle on he was clearly feeling discomfort and was replaced by Reiss Nelson as a precaution.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles also looked in some trouble when he took a knock in a second-half challenge before coming off 15 minutes from the end.
