Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Gabriel Jesus HAT-TRICK in thrashing, Tielemans deal AGREED, Odegaard new CAPTAIN – updates
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Arsenal 6 Sevilla 0
Gabriel Jesus grabbed a hat-trick as goal-hungry Arsenal added the Emirates Cup to their pre-season collection, writes MARK IRWIN.
A week after beating Chelsea 4-0 in Orlando to win the Florida Cup, Mikel Arteta’s men were at it again as they put another Champions League opponent to the sword.
Having won all four of their previous warm-up games in Nuremberg and the USA, Gunners fans were eager to see if their team could maintain that momentum against the side which finished fourth in La Liga last season.
And they didn’t have to wait long for an answer as Arsenal ran riot with an astonishing four-goal burst in the opening 19 minutes.
Bukayo Saka started the Emirates massacre when he converted a ninth minute penalty after being barged over in the box by Karim Rekik. Jesus doubled their lead five minutes later when Sevilla keeper Bono pushed Granit Xhaka’s low cross straight into the path of the lurking Brazilian.
And Arsenal’s new £45million signing from Manchester City struck again within seconds when he ghosted in behind Seville’s dozing defence to convert Gabriel Martinelli’s ball over the top.
Even worse was to follow for the visitors when Bono passed straight to Saka as he tried to play out from the back and Arsenal’s newly crowned Player of the Year was never going to look that gift horse in the mouth.
It was to be another hour before Jesus completed his triple with another opportunist strike, his seventh goal for the Gunners. Eddie Nketiah completed the rout on 88 minutes after replacing Jesus while William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko were applauded for every touch in their first Emirates appearance for Arsenal.