Arsenal vs. Villarreal score, result, highlights as Gunners punished on counter in preseason friendly defeat

 Arsenal will be wary of their defensive miscues after they fell to preseason defeat to Villarreal at home by a 3-2 score on Wednesday.

The Gunners were largely the better side throughout the match, but with Mikel Arteta deploying an uncharacteristically high defensive line, the hosts were punished on three separate counter-attacks by the Spanish visitors

Christian Norgaard and Martin Odegaard were the goal-scorers for Arsenal, who troubled Villarreal at the back throughout but found themselves denied on multiple occasions. Viktor Gyokeres remains without a goal since joining earlier this summer, while Bukayo Saka also failed to profit despite a strong hour from the England star.

Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe scored the first goal for Villarreal in a bitter moment for the home fans, while Etta Eyong and Arnaut Danjuma also struck as they battle for a place at the head of the Villarreal attack.

The match also featured a penalty shootout at the conclusion, which went to six attempts with Villarreal emerging as winners by a 4-3 score. Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Conde made a pair of very impressive saves, first a highlight-reel stop on Gabriel's attempt with Arsenal looking to win the shootout, before the decisive moment next time around against Noni Madueke.

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Raya (GK - Kepa, 63') - 4. White (Mosquera, 46'), 2. Saliba (Timber, 63'), 15. Kiwior (Gabriel, 63'), 49. Lewis-Skelly (Zinchenko, 77') - 22. Nwaneri (Rice, 63'), 16. Norgaard (Zubimendi, 46'), 23. Merino - 7. Saka (Dowman, 63'), 14. Gyokeres (Odegaard, 63'), 11. Martinelli (Madueke, 77').

Villarreal (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Junior (GK - Conde, 62') - 8. Foyth, 3. Marin, 15. Mourino, 23. Cardona (Pedraza, 62') - 19. Pepe, 18. Gueye, 10. Parejo, 20. Moleiro - 7. Moreno (Buchanan, 46'), 29. Eyong (Danjuma, 62').