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Nketiah strikes late as Arsenal beat Bayern

EDDIE Nketiah came off the bench to earn Arsenal an encouraging pre-season win, ending the club’s hoodoo against Bayern Munich.

The young Ghanaian striker Nketiah poked in an 88th minute winner just when it seemed Arsenal’s International Champions Cup opener at LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park against the German champions was heading to penalties.

Arsenal went ahead in the 49th minute when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cross was turned into his own next by Bayern defender Louis Poznanski.

Bayern improved as the half wore on and deservedly equalised when Robert Lewandowski headed in Arsenal old boy Serge Gnabry’s 71st minute cross.

But three of Unai Emery’s late subs combined at the death to earn the Gunners victory.

Tyreece John-Jules played a one-two with Calum Chambers and crossed for Nketiah to poke in from close range.

The Gunners have lost their previous five games against Bayern 5-1 so will have been pleased to get the better of the Bavarians, pre-season or not.

A combined score of 15-3 in those meetings was a reminder of a demolition job from the Germans in both legs of the 2017 Champions League round of 16 and a 2015 group stage game where they suffered another hammering by the same scoreline in Allianz Arena. 

This time it was a different story and with owner Stan Kroenke watching on from the stands Arsenal set to work in their ‘bruised banana’ away kit for the first time.

And Emery brought out his heavy hitters in the starting line-up with plenty of experience on show.

Mesut Ozil, Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were all given the nod and Emery was rewarded with a fine attacking display. 

It was Ozil in particular who showed encouraging signs of sharpness. The German was roaming, dangerous and creative, though might have expected to have taken at least one of the two clear chances he created.

The International Champions Cup features 12 teams playing friendly matches in venues in North America, Europe and Asia. – MailOnline

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