Arsenal new-boy Marouane Chamakh showed why Arsene Wenger spent nearly a year trying to sign him with a clinical finish in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the Emirates Cup.
Gunners boss Wenger landed Chamakh on a free transfer from Bordeaux in May after a lengthy courtship and the early signs suggest the Morocco striker will prove to have been worth the wait.
Chamakh marked his first appearance at the Emirates Stadium with a man of the match display capped by a predatory first half strike.
PHOTO: EPA
The Gunners were denied a winning start to their four-team pre-season tournament, however, as Alexandre Pato headed a late equalizer for Milan.
Wenger has spent most of the close-season attempting to stop Barcelona taking Cesc Fabregas back to the Nou Camp.
However, with Fabregas on holiday until next week, the focus switched to Chamakh and fellow new signing Laurent Koscielny.
PHOTO: AFP
Chamakh was the star turn as he led the Arsenal attack in the targetman role normally occupied by Robin van Persie, who is still resting after his efforts with Holland at the World Cup.
His goal was richly deserved and Wenger now has to decide whether to play him alongside van Persie or alternate the pair.
Koscielny, a French center-back who cost £10 million (US$15.6 million) from Lorient, is ear-marked to replace William Gallas at the heart of Arsenal’s defense and was steady enough alongside Thomas Vermaelen.
Arsenal fans will also have been intrigued that Wenger selected Lukasz Fabianski in goal ahead of Manuel Alumnia, suggesting the Spaniard’s days as the Gunners’ first-choice keeper may be over.
Vermaelen, wearing the captain’s armband in Fabregas’s absence, almost put Arsenal in front early on with a glancing header that Christian Abbiati clawed to safety.
Koscielny was close to scoring an unfortunate own goal when his attempted block of a shot from former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini sent the ball cannoning onto the crossbar.
However, Arsenal always looked lively going forward and Chamakh put the Gunners ahead in the 36th minute.
Andrey Arshavin surged forward from midfield and held off Gennaro Gattuso before slipping a pass towards Chamakh, who timed his run perfectly to guide a low shot past Abbiati.
It took a fine stop from Abbiati to stop Tomas Rosicky increasing Arsenal’s lead just before half-time as the veteran keeper used his legs to keep out the Arsenal midfielder’s snap-shot.
Chamakh threatened again in the second half with a burst down the left and a powerful shot that Abbiati blocked at the near-post.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan, rebuilding after a disappointing effort in Serie A last season, have only just started their pre-season preparations and looked sluggish at times.
■Inter 3, Man City 0
AFP, BALTIMORE, Maryland
Nigerian winger Nsofor Victor Obinna scored one goal and set up another to lead reigning European champion Inter past 10-man Manchester City 3-0 in a soccer friendly on Saturday.
Obinna opened the scoring in the 38th minute and fired a shot in the 54th minute that deflected off the leg of Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott and into the net, the Englishman helpless to deny the goal.
Cristiano Biraghi finished the scoring in the 74th minute, blasting home a 35m shot into the upper left corner of the goal.
“I am really pleased with the performance of the team. They played really well,” Inter manager Rafael Benitez said. “Our idea is to improve our fitness and also give time to our young players on the pitch. We got to do both.”
Manchester City, which will open the Premiership campaign against Tottenham in two weeks, was without manager Roberto Mancini, who departed on Friday because of a family illness and was replaced by assistant Brian Kidd.
The English Premier League side went down a man in the 21st minute when Patrick Vieira, a Senegalese-born Frenchman, was given a red card for a hard foul against Marco Materazzi.
“Pat was going for the ball,” Kidd said. “It’s difficult for the referees. It’s split-second, but there was no intent there.”
City, playing the final match of a pre-season US tour, used reserve goalkeeper Joe Hart in the first half and starter Shay Given in the second.
“Certainly playing a man down was too hard too overcome,” Given said.
Inter forward Mario Balotelli, the 20-year-old striker whom reports have linked to a possible move to City, was not in uniform.
The match attracted 36,569 spectators, the largest crowd of City’s US tour, to the home pitch of American soccer’s Baltimore Ravens.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
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