Friendly: AS Monaco narrowly edged out by Arsenal on penalties
Although AS Monaco ultimately lost to Arsenal on penalties in their friendly, there were many positives to be extracted from the high-profile Emirates Cup clash that ended 1-1 in normal time.
The Match
Once more deploying his side in a 3-4-2-1, Adi Hutter picked a classy eleven to face off with Mikel Arteta’s exceptional Arsenal in front of a lively 60,000 strong crowd inside the Emirates Stadium.
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Even though the Gunners controlled the early exchanges and looked good in possession, it was ASM who produced the first meaningful effort on goal through Aleksandr Golovin.
Philipp Kohn was then called into action to deny Gabriel Martinelli before the dangerous Golovin unleashed another good effort from a free-kick.
Les Monegasques then went ahead courtesy of Youssouf Fofana just beyond the half-hour mark, as the French international powered a header past Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal then reacted impressively and quickly levelled the ledger in the 43rd minute when Eddie Nketiah found the back of the net.
The second half then began with a bang, with Wissam Ben Yedder and Takumi Minanino coming close while Martinelli enjoyed a decent attempt for Arsenal.
As the half progressed, both teams continued to produce some handy openings, but neither were able to convert their chances, as Kohn especially ensured the scores remained tied.
The captivating fixture then wrapped up with a penalty shootout, which Arsenal prevailed 5-4 in to give the home fans something extra to cheer about.
Hutter’s Debrief
“We knew that the Gunners were going to have possession of the ball, I watched a lot of games from this formation last season. They have shown great performances against top European level clubs. I am generally satisfied with our performance. At the start of the second half we had two big chances to take the lead, but we weren’t successful. But in the end, I’m happy with our performance,” he insisted.
“Usually we want to press a little higher up the field. But against such a technical team with very good combinations, it’s very difficult to press at high intensity. We were in the middle block, well in place and we did some good things with and without the ball I think. In the end it’s a logical result, because we could have won or lost. We have great talents, but we missed four or five top players today. Anyway, I’ve been in Monaco for four weeks now, and I’m trying to introduce a new style of play to this team.”
Bayern Munich Awaits
Up next for ASM in their final friendly is a mouthwatering match with Bayern Munich on Monday, where Hutter’s men will be keen to obtain a positive result ahead of their Ligue 1 opener vs. Clermont Foot on August 13.