ARSENAL wrap up their pre-season schedule with an Emirates Cup clash against Lyon on Sunday. It has been a solid campaign for the Gunners and having looked particularly impressive going forward, they should ease to a comfortable victory over their French rivals.
Arsenal head into Sunday’s clash off the back of a 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their previous fixture. They were largely untroubled and raced to a four-goal lead through Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz before conceding a late consolation.
It has been a solid pre-season campaign so far for Arsenal, who have lost just once in four matches. The win over Bayer Leverkusen highlights their impressive attacking prowess, although Mikel Arteta’s men have not been as solid at the back, conceding in all their matches so far.
Lyon are also coming off a four-goal haul as they triumphed 4-0 over Union Berlin in their previous fixture. Gift Orban netted a brace while Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Said Benrahma were also on target.
While manager Pierre Sage will be pleased with the result, Lyon’s overall preseason campaign has been erratic. They have picked up just two wins from four matches and had failed to score in their previous two fixtures.
How the bookies view it: Arsenal highly favoured
Arsenal have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 2/5 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory fir Lyon is valued at 5/1 while a draw is set at 18/5 by Betfred.
Head to head
Arsenal have a 3-1 advantage with one draw from five previous matches against Lyon. Both teams met in a preseason clash back in 2022, with the Gunners claiming a 3-0 victory.
Players to watch: Havertz looking sharp
Kai Havertz has caught the eye for Arsenal in preseason, scoring in the last two matches. The forward is priced at odds of 11/8 by Betfred to find the net in Sunday.
Lyon’s victory over Union Berlin shows they can hold their own going forward, even without Alexandre Lacazette. Gift Orban has caught the eye and could be worth keeping an eye on at 12/5 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Bukayo Saka was a halftime substitute for Arsenal last time out and could earn his first preseason start on Sunday. Declared Rice is also pushing for a start while Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus should retain their place in the team.
Lyon are still without Alexandre Lacazette, who is representing France at the Olympics. Gift Orban is pushing for a start after netting a brace off the bench while Duje Caleta-Car should continue at the heart of the defence.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Zinchenko, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard
Lyon: Lucas Perri, Abner, Niakhate, Caleta-Car, Clinton Mata, Matic, Caqueret, Mangala, Maitland-Niles, Benrahma, Orban
Anything else catch the eye?
Having grabbed four goals in their respective fixtures last time out, a high scoring encounter could be on the cards here. Over 4.5 goals could be on the cards while over 3.5 goals could also be considered.
Arsenal scored in both halves against Leverkusen and could be set for a repeat. The Gunners are expected to come out on top but given Lyon’s attacking quality, a win and both teams to score could be considered.
This Club Friendly match between Arsenal and Lyon will be played on Aug 11, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Lyon prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
