Arne Slot handed Mikel Arteta his first defeat of the summer, ending Arsenal’s winning streak in pre-season matches. Arteta had fielded his strongest lineup yet for the final game of Arsenal’s American tour, perhaps aiming to set a precedent ahead of a new rivalry with Liverpool’s new coach, Slot, before returning to London.
The game began promisingly for Arsenal, with Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli both coming close to scoring early on. However, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah disrupted their plans with a burst of speed, capitalizing on a precise through ball from Harvey Elliott to score the opening goal after 13 minutes.
Despite having the dependable Gabriel back in defense for the first time this summer, Arsenal appeared unusually shaky. Diogo Jota hit the post, and Fabio Carvalho extended Liverpool’s lead with a stunning volley in the 33rd minute, with Elliott again providing a crucial assist.
Arsenal, who had taken four points off Liverpool in their title pursuit last season, clearly aimed to prevent Slot from gaining a psychological edge. Martinelli, in conjunction with Martin Odegaard, created an opportunity for Arsenal to pull one back through a tap-in by Kai Havertz.
Both teams made substitutions in the sweltering second-half heat, with the referee calling water breaks to keep the players hydrated. Arsenal appeared the stronger and fitter side towards the end and nearly equalized thanks to a fine save by Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher from a shot by substitute Fabio Vieira.
The match drew a record crowd of 69,879 spectators at the state-of-the-art Lincoln Financial Field Stadium, marking a memorable conclusion to the pre-season tour.
