Arsenal dominates Leverkusen, Villa triumph over Bilbao.

Arsenal continued their pre-season preparations with an impressive 4-1 victory over German champions Bayer Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners, playing their first home game since the final day of last season, surged to an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard. Zinchenko opened the scoring with a well-placed shot, while Trossard doubled the advantage with a clinical finish.

Gabriel Jesus capitalized on a loose Leverkusen throw-in to break clear and make it 3-0 before halftime, showcasing his sharpness and composure in front of goal. The Brazilian forward seized the opportunity, racing past the defense and slotting the ball into the net.

In the second half, Bukayo Saka came off the bench to set up the fourth goal with a clever cut-back. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Xhaka accidentally set up Havertz, who quickly scored for Leverkusen. Despite Leverkusen’s unbeaten run-in last season’s Bundesliga, they could only manage a late consolation goal through Adam Hlozek.

Arsenal will face Lyon at home on Sunday in the Emirates Cup to fine-tune tactics and build momentum.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Cameron Archer scored a late solo winner as Aston Villa edged past Athletic Bilbao 3-2 at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium. Villa had been pegged back twice before Archer raced onto a long ball and rounded the goalkeeper to secure victory. Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring after a neat team move, but Bilbao equalized through Yeray Alvarez. Jaden Philogene restored Unai Emery’s side’s lead on the hour mark, but Bilbao leveled again with Gorka Guruzeta’s smart finish.

Villa will conclude pre-season against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday at Signal Iduna Park for a final challenging test.