Liverpool secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho highlighting a thrilling first half. In other pre-season action, Chelsea dominated Club America with a 3-0 win, and Manchester United edged past Real Betis 3-2.
In front of a crowd of 69,879 at the home stadium of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 13th minute. Salah showcased his speed and skill by outpacing Arsenal’s defenders to latch onto a defense-splitting pass from Harvey Elliott. Despite the close attention of Arsenal center-back Gabriel, Salah managed to fire a low left-footed shot past goalkeeper Karl Hein, giving Liverpool an early lead.
Fabio Carvalho doubled Liverpool’s advantage in the 34th minute. Once again, Elliott was the architect, delivering a perfectly lofted pass into the box. The Portuguese winger controlled the ball expertly and fired a crisp right-foot volley through Hein’s legs, making it 2-0.
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Arsenal responded in the 40th minute when Kai Havertz found the back of the net. Martin Odegaard’s precise pass into the six-yard box allowed Havertz to score past Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from close range, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The second half remained goalless, securing a victory for Liverpool’s new Dutch manager, Arne Slot, who recently replaced Jurgen Klopp. Arsenal’s recent signing, 22-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, was notably absent from the Gunners’ lineup.
In other friendly matches across the United States, Chelsea swept past Mexico’s Club America with a commanding 3-0 win in Atlanta. French striker Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty in the third minute to set the tone for the match. Spanish teenager Marc Guiu doubled the lead in the 21st minute with a powerful header, and winger Noni Madueke sealed the victory with Chelsea’s second penalty of the game in the 79th minute.
Meanwhile, AC Milan edged out Real Madrid 1-0 in Chicago, thanks to a 55th-minute goal from Nigerian international Samuel Chukwueze. The closely contested match saw both teams creating chances, but it was Milan who emerged victorious.
In San Diego, Real Betis grabbed an early advantage against Manchester United with a 15th-minute strike from Iker Losada. However, the lead was short-lived as Romain Perraud’s foul on Amad Diallo in the box resulted in a penalty, which Marcus Rashford converted in the 18th minute. Diallo gave Manchester United the lead in the 24th minute, and Casemiro extended it with a left-footed strike off a pass from Rashford in the 31st minute, making it 3-1 at halftime. Diego Llorente’s 61st-minute header brought Betis closer, but United held on for a 3-2 victory.
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These pre-season matches provided a glimpse of the upcoming football season, showcasing new talents and strategies. Fans eagerly anticipate how these teams will perform in their respective leagues.
