Rice Debuts as Arsenal Demolishes MLS All-Stars, 5-0

Arsenal demolished MLS All-Stars in an exhibition event last night at the Audi Field in Washington DC. The final result was 5-0 for last year’s English Premier League runners-up, who were dominant throughout all 90 minutes, now allowing the hosts to feel safe at any given moment of the clash.

The difference in quality and chemistry was obvious right from the start, with the Gunners imposing their own tempo straight away. Mike Arteta demanded high urgency among his players, which they delivered.

Gabriel Jesus opened the show five minutes into the game, with the Brazilian scoring a remarkable goal and pushing his team ahead. The hosts didn’t recover from an early shock when Leonard Trossard added another hit in the 23rd minute of the event. Both of these goals have been very attractive. Arsenal would leave for a break with a 2-0 lead at the end of the opening 45 minutes.

The start of the second sequence was similar to the first one, with Arsenal hitting the back of the net right away. Jorginho scored from a penalty, and at that moment, it was obvious that the MLS All-Stars have nothing to hope for in this event.

Gabriel Martinelli placed his name on the scoresheet in the 84th minute, and signing from Chelsea, Kai Havertz closed the event one minute before the end of the regulations, setting the final score.

The MLS players admitted that playing against the English powerhouse has been hard because they didn’t have enough time to create and adjust to one another.

“They are one of the best teams in the Prem. And I think we were a mixed team from a lot of different clubs, and it’s always difficult. We didn’t train for a long time together, but I think, in general, it was a cool event,” Hany Nukhtar of Nashville SC stated.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans saw their latest addition, Declan Rice. The strong midfielder entered the pitch in the 65th minute and played his role very well, but it is still early to say anything about the former West Ham player. Arsenal’s head coach, Mike Arteta, was overall happy with the way Rice debuted and expressed his satisfaction with his midfield.

“Now we have three very good holding midfielders, with Rice, Thomas and Jorgi,” the Spaniard stated. “I have to fit them in because they are so good and I love playing with midfielders.”

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Arsenal will have two more games on its tour through the United States, as they play with Manchester United already this weekend, on July 22 at the MetLife Stadium, and four days later at the SoFi Stadium, where they square off with Barcelona.

After that, the Gunners come back home, and have a test against Monaco at their Emirates Stadium on August 2. The last game before the start of the Premier League season is on August 6 at Wembley, the FA Community Shield, when Arsenal faces Manchester City, who won both the FA Cup and the Premier League last year.

As for the MLS stars, they are now turning their attention towards the Leagues Cup, which starts this weekend. The international competition will occur in the next few weeks, and during that time, the MLS action is on pause. The top three teams in the Leagues Cup will earn a direct spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.