Max Dowman shone with a goal and an assist as Arsenal dominated Girona, winning 4-1 in their first preseason match in front of fans.
The talented 16-year-old, following a breakout season in 2025-26, showcased his skills against the Catalonian side on Saturday. He played a crucial role in Arsenal’s opening goal by deftly maneuvering past Lass Kourouma and Álex Moreno to deliver a perfectly weighted through ball to Kai Havertz.
The German international, who netted Arsenal’s final goal in last season’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, found himself clear on goal against Paulo Gazzaniga and calmly slotted the ball past the former Tottenham keeper to score in the 16th minute.
Arsenal increased their lead in the 30th minute when another winger, Christos Tzolis, marked his debut with a goal after transferring from Club Brugge for £34 million ($45.7 million). Tzolis received a pass from Riccardo Calafiori, skillfully cut inside Arnau Martínez, and saw his low shot deflect off Alejandro Francés and into the net.
Martínez made up for his earlier error by scoring five minutes into the second half, heading home from a corner delivered by Kim Min-Su, sparking a frantic five minutes of action.
Dowman again found the spotlight three minutes later, receiving a line-breaking pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly. He cut inside and lashed a powerful low shot beyond Gazzaniga from the edge of the area.
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Girona appealed for a free kick for an alleged foul on Moreno in the lead-up to the goal, but referee Marta Huerta de Aza dismissed their claims.
Arsenal added another two minutes later as they capitalized on a Girona mistake. Ben White’s interception allowed substitute Gabriel Jesus to poke the ball home.
The match featured a total of 26 substitutions, leading to a somewhat chaotic conclusion, but Arsenal maintained their lead and will face Real Betis next in Dublin on Wednesday.