Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Villarreal: Gunners Haunted by Ex-Flop in 3

Arsenal’s first game at the Emirates Stadium in 2025–26 ended in a disappointing 3–2 defeat at the hands of Villarreal.

The Gunners enjoyed successive wins over AC Milan and Newcastle United in Singapore to kickstart their summer schedule. But the Asian tour ended on a downer last week with defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong. It’s now back-to-back losses.

Nicolas Pépé, one of Arsenal’s worst buys in recent memory and still the second most expensive signing in the club’s history, has been putting his career back together since joining Villarreal last summer. The 30-year-old winger needed just 17 minutes on his return to north London to break the deadlock, turning the ball in from close-range after the visitors recycled possession from Pape Gueye striking the post. It was a messy one for Arsenal to concede.

As a mark of respect, Pépé refused to celebrate.

Mikel Arteta’s team were creating more opportunities, but it was Villarreal who also scored the next one. It was another close-range rebound, this time from Etta Eyong, in the right place at the right time in the 33rd minute to convert after Raya initially saved from Gerard Moreno.

Arsenal pulled a goal back almost immediately, Christian Nørgaard’s first for the club since his £10 million ($13.4 million), potentially rising to £15 million ($20 million), arrival from Brentford. Fans have been raving about the quietly brilliant piece of business for much of the summer thanks to several impressive pre-season performances, and this far post header only fuels that.

With Arsenal playing again on Saturday, and the start of the Premier League season to come eight days later, the time for mass half-time substitutions is over. Instead, Arteta opted for just two changes at the break, handing all-important minutes, and unofficial home debuts, to Martín Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera, in place of Nørgaard and Ben White respectively.

After a scrappy start to the second half, Villarreal restored their two-goal cushion. Arnaut Danjuma, a former Tottenham loanee, was the man who delivered it. It was a swift breakaway and the Dutch forward kept his cool to fire across Raya into the bottom corner, even with Mosquera closing in fast.

Just as they had earlier on, Arsenal responded to falling two goals behind. Teen sensation Max Dowman drew a foul in the box and substitute Martin Ødegaard converted from the penalty spot with 16 minutes left to play. But there was to be no third Gunners goal.