- Tottenham beat Arsenal 1-0 in Hong Kong pre-season friendly.
- Sarr scored after Raya’s error in the first half.
- Arsenal shift focus to Emirates Cup after first pre-season loss.
Tottenham Hotspur secured a narrow 1-0 victory over North London rivals Arsenal in a heated pre-season encounter held in Hong Kong on Thursday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the decisive moment came midway through the first half after a costly error from Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya. A poor pass intended for youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was intercepted by Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr, who calmly spotted Raya off his line and delivered a deft lob into the net.
Despite coming into the match with strong momentum after dominant performances against AC Milan and Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta’s men looked out of sorts and failed to match Tottenham’s intensity. Arsenal struggled to create clear chances and lacked sharpness in the final third throughout the encounter.
The defeat handed Arsenal their first loss of the pre-season campaign and marked an unwelcoming debut for new signing Viktor Gyokeres, who struggled to make an impact in his first outing in Arsenal colours.
Tottenham, on the other hand, will take confidence from the victory as they continue their build-up to the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Arsenal will now return to London to focus on the Emirates Cup, where they are scheduled to face Spanish sides Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal in their final tune-up matches before the league kicks off.
