Arsenal claimed the Costa Brava Trophy with a convincing 4-1 victory over Girona in their pre-season friendly at Montilivi. The Gunners impressed in Catalonia with four different scorers sealing a dominant afternoon.
Girona, now preparing for a season in Spain’s second division under Quique Álvarez, had held the trophy for the previous five editions. The hosts faced a strong Arsenal side led by Mikel Arteta at the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi.
Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the 16th minute to set the tone for Arsenal. Max Dowman turned his defender before delivering a precise through-ball for Havertz to finish low.
The lead was doubled on the half-hour mark as Arsenal’s summer signing made his mark. Riccardo Calafiori played in Christos Tzolis, who drove into the box and fired a low right-footed effort that took a slight deflection.
Arsenal led 2-0 at the break but Girona responded quickly after the restart. Arnau Martínez pulled one back in the 50th minute with a header from Kim Min-Su’s in-swinging corner.
The home side’s hope was short-lived as the outstanding Dowman restored the two-goal cushion. The 16-year-old struck from the edge of the box in the 53rd minute with a confident left-footed finish.
Two minutes later Arsenal put the result beyond doubt. Ben White’s tackle and pass led to a defensive mix-up, allowing Gabriel Jesus to capitalise and make it 4-1.
Dowman was the breakout star at Montilivi, registering both a goal and an assist in a mature display. Tzolis also impressed, scoring his first Arsenal goal on his full pre-season debut.
Arteta made extensive rotations in the second half, introducing several academy players to see out the contest.
There were no red cards reported, with only one yellow card for Girona, while youngster Kabia required treatment in the 78th minute after colliding with advertising boards.
Victory meant Arsenal lifted the Costa Brava Trophy, ending Girona’s five-year hold on the prize. Captain White lifted the silverware for the Gunners after a commanding team performance.
For Álvarez, the friendly offered valuable minutes as Girona adjust to life after relegation. For Arsenal, Havertz was named player of the match as Arteta’s side continued their productive pre-season.
